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Arsenic level in groundwater and biological samples in Khanewal, Pakistan

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Abstract

Groundwater is the most valuable natural source in our earth’s planet, being contaminated in various regions worldwide. Despite considerable research, there are scarce data regarding arsenic (As) levels in groundwater and its build-up in biological samples in Pakistan. The current investigation analyzed As contamination in four tehsils of District Khanewal (Kabirwala tehsil, Jahaniyan tehsil, Mian Channu tehsil, and Khanewal tehsil). For that, 123 groundwater samples, 19 animal milk samples, 20 human nails, and 20 human hair samples were collected from the study area. Arsenic concentration in groundwater was up to 51.8 µg/L with an average value of 7.2 µg/L. About 28 water samples (23%) had As contents > WHO limit and 38 samples (31%) > DEP-NJ limit. Low levels of As were detected in biological samples. Average As levels were 23 µg/L in the milk samples and 298 µg/kg in human hair. Arsenic contents were not detected in nail samples, except in one sample from Kabirwala tehsil. The maximum values of hazard quotient and cancer risk in District Khanewal were 4.9 and 0.0022, respectively. It is anticipated that long-term use of As-containing water may led to poisoning of humans in the study area, especially in Kabirwala. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor As contamination in the groundwater of Kabirwala tehsil to reduce the potential health hazards.

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Acknowledgements

Dr Shahid thanks HEC-Pakistan for NRPU#7770 project. A. A. Al-Kahtani thanks the researchers supporting project number (RSP2023R266), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for their financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Vehari, 61100, Pakistan

    Najeeb Ullah Khan, Muhammad Shahid, Sana Khalid, Natasha Natasha, Muhammad Imran & Behzad Murtaza

  2. Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    Zeid A. Alothman & Abdullah A. Al-Kahtani

Authors
  1. Najeeb Ullah Khan
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  2. Muhammad Shahid
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  3. Sana Khalid
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  4. Natasha Natasha
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  5. Zeid A. Alothman
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  6. Abdullah A. Al-Kahtani
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  7. Muhammad Imran
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  8. Behzad Murtaza
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Contributions

NUK involved in research work, sampling, and initial draft. MS supervised the research work, scientific perception, organization, experimental supervision, sample collection, data analysis, write-up, and correspondence. SK involved in research work, analysis, literature data analysis, writing the initial draft. NN took part in research work, collection and analysis of water samples, literature review, writing, preparing tables and figures, PCA. ZAA involved in project collaborator, visualization, review, editing and improving the entire article. AAA-K is a project partner, took part in conceptualization of research work, reviewed and improved article. MI involved in conceptualization of research, IDW of data, reviewed article. BM took part in conceptualization of research work, PCA, reviewed and edited article.

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Correspondence to Muhammad Shahid.

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Khan, N.U., Shahid, M., Khalid, S. et al. Arsenic level in groundwater and biological samples in Khanewal, Pakistan. Environ Geochem Health 45, 8943–8952 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-023-01682-w

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