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Exposure to multiple pesticides in drinking water and potential health risks: a case study of selected districts from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan

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Abstract

Pesticides are environmental contaminants of great interest because of their toxicity, persistence in the environment and bio-accumulative nature. However, there is a scarcity of literature concerning human exposure to pesticides through the consumption of contaminated drinking water. This study investigates the levels of multiple pesticides in drinking water and their subsequent carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk in five selected districts (Peshawar basin) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Pakistan, to understand the exact scenario of pesticide toxicity in the sources of drinking water. The water samples were extracted by liquid–liquid extraction and analyzed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS). Results obtained indicated that the detected concentrations of ∑21 pesticides ranged between 0 and 883.7 µg L−1 in the study area. The highest concentration was detected for methiocarb (mean 5.30 µg L−1), followed by acetamiprid (0.90 µg L−1), while the lowest was observed for cyhalothrin (0.01 µg L−1). The highest concentration of EU Watch List of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (methiocarb and acetamiprid) in the study area is alarming. Most of the pesticide residues recorded in the water samples exceeded the maximum residue limits except for dieldrin and cyhalothrin. Whereas, the residues of aldicarb, carbofuran deg, carbofuran, atrazine, alpha endosulfan, beta endosulfan, cypermethrin-1, difenoconazol-I and difenoconazol-II were not observed in any of the collected samples. The incremental lifetime cancer risk of endocrine disruptors such as dieldrin, o,p′ DDT, o,p′ DDD, and p,p′ DDE was > 10–6, posing potentially serious carcinogenic risk to the local inhabitants. Whereas, the non-carcinogenic risk through pesticide exposure was negligible, suggesting no/little risk to the inhabitants from these chemicals in drinking water. Regular monitoring is needed to evaluate pesticide concentrations not only in drinking water sources but also in soil and food crops as they pose serious eco-toxicological risks.

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Funding

Financial support for the present study was provided by the Higher Education Commission, Pakistan.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Quality Enhancement Cell, Northwest School of Medicine, Peshawar, Pakistan

    Neelum Ali

  2. Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, Ningbo Urban Environment Observation and Research Station-NUEORS, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315800, People’s Republic of China

    Neelum Ali & Gang Li

  3. National Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, 25120, Pakistan

    Neelum Ali, Muhammad Ali & Liaqat Ali

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

    Kalsoom, Sardar Khan & Shahla Nazneen

  5. Department of Geography, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, 25120, Pakistan

    Samiullah &  Ihsanullah

  6. Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Ningbo Urban Environment Observation and Research Station, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 361021, China

    Gang Li

  7. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Gang Li

  8. Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, CAS, Xiamen, 361021, China

    Yaying Li

Authors
  1. Neelum Ali
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  2. Kalsoom
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  3. Sardar Khan
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  4. Gang Li
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  5. Muhammad Ali
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  6. Shahla Nazneen
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  7. Liaqat Ali
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  8. Yaying Li
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  9. Samiullah
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  10. Ihsanullah
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Contributions

SK contributed to the study conception and design. Field work and laboratory experiments were performed by NA and Kalsoom. The first draft of the manuscript was written by NA. Data analysis and statistical techniques were applied by MA and SN. YL and GL helped shape the final manuscript. Maps and graphs were prepared by Samiullah and Ihsanullah. All authors discussed the results and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Neelum Ali.

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Ali, N., Kalsoom, Khan, S. et al. Exposure to multiple pesticides in drinking water and potential health risks: a case study of selected districts from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Environ Earth Sci 82, 460 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-023-11154-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-023-11154-0

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