Heavy metals pollution in soils of Peshawar city, NWFP, Pakistan
Abstract
Soil samples from 10 locations in Peshawar city have been analyzed for heavy metals including Cr, Co, M, Cu, Zn, Fe and Pb in order to evaluate the impact of heavy metals pollution reported earlier in the air, surface clay and sewerage system of Peshawar city by Hamidullah et al. (1997). It is concluded that heavy metals found in the dust fall of the city on the roadsides have so far not reached the soil horizon. The relative enriched Cr in the soils compared to the heavy metals data of the corresponding air samples, reported earlier, has been attributed to the source material including the rock of the Main Mantle Thrust and Kohistan Island Arc. Higher Fe in these soils has been attributed to the process of soil formation. It has been warned that though heavy metals do not directly percolate into the soil horizon within the city at an alarming rate, these metals make their way from surface through the sewerage system of the city and via Budni Canal to Kabul River which is the feeder of the underground water system in Peshawar Basin. The indirect potential threat of heavy metals pollution to the subsurface strata of the basin does exist and needs to be blocked.
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