Source identification and assessment of physico-chemical parameters and heavy metals in drinking water of Islampur area, Swat, Pakistan
Keywords:
Islampur; Physico-chemical parameters; Heavy metals; Drinking water; Mélange zone; Health risk.Abstract
In Pakistan large number of population is using surface and groundwater for drinking purposes. The contamination of these water bodies by toxic metals and providing safe drinking water to public is a big challenge for the government especially in areas where there is geological control on ground water. The present study was conducted to assess the drinking water quality of Islampur area, Swat, in the close vicinity of mélange zone. Forty samples were collected from different ground water sources such as tube wells, springs, dug well sand hand pumps. These samples were analyzed for physical and chemical parameters including heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Ni and Cr). The results were compared with international standards, which show that most of the physico-chemical parameters such as total suspended solids, pH, salinity, total dissolved solids, chloride, sodium, potassium and zinc are within the permissible limits. Whereas electrical conductivity, alkalinity, hardness, lead, chromium, nickel, calcium and magnesium were above their permissible limit. In this respect the drinking water quality of the Islampur area, district Swat is unsafe for drinking purposes. This study indicates that the heavy metal contamination in the study area could be attributed to the mélange zone rocks.
References
Alam, S., Ahmad, S., Bangash, F.K., 2008. Drinking water quality of Swat District. Journal of Chemical Society of Pakistan, 30 (1), 1-10.
American Public Health Association (APHA), 1992. Standard method for examination of water and wastewater. 18th edition, American public health association, Washington DC, USA, 10-17.
Arif, M., Fallick, A.E., Moon, C.J., 1996. The genesis of emeralds and their host rocks from Swat, northwestern Pakistan: A stable-isotope investigation. Mineralium Deposita, 31(4), 255-268.
Azizullah, A., Khattak, M.N., Richter, P., Häder, D.P., 2011. Water pollution in Pakistan and its impact on public health. Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander University, Erlangen, Germany, Environment International, 37, 493.
Begum, S., 2007. Environmental studies of soil, water and plants associated with the mafic and ultramafic rocks in Kabal-Mingora area, Swat, Northern Pakistan. Unpublished M.Phil. thesis, National Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar, 124-129.
Canete, F., Rios, A., Dolores, M., Castro, L., Valcarcel, M., 1987. Determination of analytical parameters in drinking water by flow injection analysis. Part 1. Simultaneous determination of pH, alkalinity and total ionic concentration. Analyst, 112, 263-266.
Center for public policy research, 2010. District Swat: Socioeconomic baseline and displacement impact. Research centre for public policy, Hayatabad, Peshawar, 5.
Clark, J.W., Viessman, W.J., Hammer, M.J., 1977. Water supply and pollution control. 3rd Edition, New York.
Das, K.K., Das, S.N., Dhundasi, S.A., 2008. Nickel its adverse health effects and oxidative stress Indian Journal of Medical Resources, 128, 412-425.
Environmental Corporation, 1988. Element of toxicology and chemical risk assessment. Revised edition, Washing Ton, DC, 50-130.
Gerard, K., 2007. Environmental Engineering. McGraw-Hill publishing Company Limited, New Delhi.
Hamed, A.R., Sannen, A.M., 1993. The development of rural water supply in the province of Fayoum, Egypt, Water Science and Technology, 1-14.
Henretig, F.M., 2006. Lead in Gold frank’s Toxicological Emergencies. 8th edition McGraw-Hill Professional publication.
Kazmi, A.H., Lawrence, R.D., Dawood, H., Snee, L.W., Hussain, S.S., 1984. Geology of the Indus suture zone in the Mingora-Shangla areas of Swat, Northern, Pakistan. Geological Bulletin University of Peshawar, 17, 127-144.
Liberman, D.F., Gordon, J.G., 1989. Biohazards Management Handbook. New York Marcel Dekker.
Luptakova, A., Ubaldinib, S., Fornarib, P., Macingovaa, E., 2012. Physical-chemical and biological-chemical methods for treatment of acid mine drainage, Chemical Engineering transactions, 28, 283-289.
Manahan, S.E., 1994. Environmental Chemistry. Guide Book, Lewis Publisher Pakistan, 71, 675-704.
Monarca, S., Kozisek, F., Craun, G., Donato, F., Zerbini, I., 2009. Drinking water hardness and cardiovascular disease. European Journal of cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation, 16 (6), 735-736.
Nafees, M., Jan, M.R., Khan, H., Rashid, N., Khan, F., 2009. Soil contamination in Swat valley caused by cadmium and copper. Sarhad Journal of Agriculture, 25 (1), 37-43.
Peavey, H.S., Rowe, D.R., Tchobandolous, G., 1985. Environmental Engineering. International edition, McGraw-Hill book company, Singapore.
Rizwanullah., Malik, R.N., Qadir, A., 2009. Assessment of groundwater contamination in an industrial city, Sialkot, Pakistan. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 3 (12), 429-46.
Rubenowitz, E., Molin, I., Axelsson, G., Rylander, R., 2000. Magnesium in drinking water in relation to morbidity and mortality from acute myocardial infarction. Epidemiology, 11(4), 416-421.
Shah, M. T., Begum, S., Khan, S., 2010. Pedo and biogeochemical studies of mafic and ultramfic rocks in the Mingora and Kabal areas, Swat, Pakistan. Environmental Earth Science, 60, 1091-1102.
Sotirios, K., Aikaterini, S., Nikolaos, M., Manos, D., 2007. Evaluation of the quality of drinking water in regions of Greece. Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis.
Sultan, I.R., 2006. Administrative system of the Princely State of Swat. Journal of the research society of Pakistan. 43 (2), 2-9.
Vicki, L., Keller, S., 1998.A review of composite sampling methods. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 93, 1216-1230.
World Health Organisation, 2004.Guidelines for drinking water quality, 3rd Edition, volume 1, world health organization, Geneva.
Yasser, J., Faheem, J.K., 2007. Delivering access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation in Pakistan. Pakistan institute of development Economics, Pide working papers, Quaid-eAzam University, Islamabad, 1-4.
