Heavy metal analysis for assessing the quality of wastewater effluent samples collected from three major waste drains of Peshawar city, Pakistan

摘要

Irrigation with wastewater is becoming a tradition due to increased demand of freshwater for industrial purposes. Therefore, it is vital to investigate the quality of wastewater effluents of Peshawar city at all points intended for irrigation purposes. Hence, trace metal contents in effluents from Peshawar city were assessed. A total of 24 samples on hourly basis for 24 h were collected one each from Shahi Khatta, Muhammad Zai drain, and Bara Gate effluents, respectively. These were then analyzed for metal contents like As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Fe, Mn, Ni, Ag, total phosphorus, and Zn. This study showed that the concentration of Cd, Pb, Ag, Mn, and Fe in the waste effluents at Shahi Khatta was much higher than the limits of National Environmental Quality Standards Pakistan. Almost similar trend was found in Bara Gate effluents except for Mn, while Muhammad Zai drain effluents exhibited all the metal values within the limits. Stringent precautionary measures are needed to not let these effluents into irrigation channels without treatments. Further, it is suggested to monitor the quality of Peshawar city waste effluents periodically.