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Potentially Toxic Metals and Biological Contamination in Drinking Water Sources in Chromite Mining-Impacted Areas of Pakistan: A Comparative Study

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Abstract

Water quality and quantity are the major environmental concerns of developing countries like Pakistan. Safe drinking water is one of the major prerequisites for a healthy life. The current study assessed the contamination of drinking water including physicochemical parameters (pH, TDS, EC, TH, Cl1−, NO3 1−, PO4 3−, SO4 2−, Mn, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr) and bacteriological contamination (Fecal coliform) in chromite mining-impacted areas of Pakistan. However, the main focus of the study was to identify the potential health risk of these parameters to the local people of the study area. Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (Perkin Elmer, AAS-PEA-700) was used to analyze the concentrations of potentially toxic metals. The concentrations of Cd, Pb, Ni, and Cr ranged from below detection limit (BDL)-7.20, BDL-14.4, BDL-78.3 and 0.20–69.0 and exceeded their respective limits in 31, 11, 17, and 36% samples of drinking water set by World Health Organization, while the concentration of Ni (63% samples) also exceeded the safe limit set by Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency. Furthermore, the chronic daily intake (CDI) and health risk index (HRI) of potentially toxic metals through consumption of drinking water were found in the order of Mn > Ni > Cr > Cd > Pb and Cd > Ni > Mn > Pb > Cr, respectively. The HRI values of selected toxic metals in mining-impacted sites were found within the safe limit (HRI <1). The results showed that both geogenic and anthropogenic activities were the main sources of drinking water contamination in the study area.

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Acknowledgement

The financial support for this research work was provided by Higher Education commission of Pakistan (21-395/SRGP/R&D/HEC/2014) to the first author. The authors also acknowledge the Chairperson and Madam Shaheen, Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences Khber Puktunkwa Agricultural University Peshawar Pakistan for heavy metal analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, China

    Javed Nawab & Sardar Khan

  2. Department of Environmental and Conservation Sciences, University of Swat, Swat, 19130, Pakistan

    Javed Nawab, Muhammad Amjad Khan, Ubaid Ur Rehamn, Sharafat Ali & Syed Mehboob Shah

  3. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, 25120, Pakistan

    Javed Nawab & Sardar Khan

  4. Center for Plant Science and Biodiversity University of Swat, Swat, 19130, Pakistan

    Hassan Sher

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  1. Javed Nawab
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  2. Sardar Khan
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  3. Muhammad Amjad Khan
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  4. Hassan Sher
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  5. Ubaid Ur Rehamn
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  6. Sharafat Ali
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  7. Syed Mehboob Shah
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Correspondence to Javed Nawab or Sardar Khan.

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Nawab, J., Khan, S., Khan, M.A. et al. Potentially Toxic Metals and Biological Contamination in Drinking Water Sources in Chromite Mining-Impacted Areas of Pakistan: A Comparative Study. Expo Health 9, 275–287 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-016-0240-8

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