Abstract
Water samples from selected locations of Nullah Lai and Koh-e-Noor textile mill in the metropolitan city of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan, were collected. Physicochemical parameters and heavy metals were determined using standard analytical procedures in comparison with sites, locations and subsequent interval of 3 months. The results of the physicochemical analysis at different locations of Nullah Lai and Koh-e-Noor textile mill with an interval of 3 months were obtained in the following range: pH (7.16–8.29), temperature (17.8–28.8 °C), conductivity (1,005–3,347 μS/m), TDS (754.3–2,519.5 mg/L), turbidity (272.8–487.05 NTU), total hardness (300–452 mg/L), nitrates (10.11–22.95 ppm), calcium (74.31–139.2 ppm), chloride (127.72–396.16 ppm), sulphate (15.97–87.38 ppm), NaCl (210.5–631.1 ppm), Ni (0.30–0.72 ppm), Cd (0.005–0.03 ppm), Cr (0.2–7.4 ppm), Pb (0.12–0.73 ppm), Zn (0.03–0.08 ppm) and Cu (0.01–0.06 ppm). The highest value of physicochemical parameters (compared with Nullah Lai) was obtained in locations of Koh-e-Noor textile mill. The results obtained exceeded the maximum allowable limit set by the World Health Organization for drinking purpose but can be used for irrigation purposes after suitable treatment and purification.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.



Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abdullah, M. H., & Musta, B. (1999). Phreatic water quality of the turtle islands of East Malaysia: Pulau Selingaan and Pulau Bakkungan Kechil. Borneo Science, 6, 1–9.
Adefemi, S. O., & Awokunmi, E. E. (2010). Determination of physico-chemical parameters and heavy metals in water samples from Itaogbolu area of Ondo-State, Nigeria. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 4(3), 145–148.
Adefemi, O. S., Asaolu, S. S., & Olaofe, I. O. (2007). Assessment of the physicochemical status of water samples from major Dams in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition, 6(6), 657–659.
Adhikari, S., Mitra, A., Gupta, S. K., & Banerjee, S. K. (1998). Pollution metal contents of vegetables irrigated with sewage water. Journal of the Indian Society of Soil Science, 46, 153–155.
AEPA (Australian Environmental Protection Authority). (1998). Environmental guidelines for the textile dyeing and finishing industry. Melbourne: State Government of Victoria.
Afzal, S. I., Ahmad, M., Younas, M. D., Zahid, M. H. A., Khan, A., & Ijaz, K. A. (2000). Study of water quality of Hudiara drain, India–Pakistan. Environment International, 26, 87–96.
Afzal, S., Khan, M. I., & Ali, K. (1998). Chemical fractions and plant uptake of cadmium from long-term sewage sludge and metal–salt amended soils. Pakistan Journal of Soil Science, 15, 154–158.
Akan, J. C., Abdulrahman, F. I., Ayodele, J. T., & Ogugbuaja, V. O. (2009). Impact of tannery and textile effluent on the chemical characteristics of Challawa river, Kano state, Nigeria.
Ambreen, S., (1993). Environmental pollution (Ed.) Pak. Book Foundation, 60–80.
Asaolu, S. S., Ipinmoroti, K. O., Adeyinowo, C. E., & Olaofe, O. (1997). Interrelationship of heavy metals concentration in water, sediment as fish samples from Ondo State coastal area, Nigeria. African Journal of Science, 1, 55–61.
Ayers, R. S., & Westcot, D. W. (1985). Water quality for agriculture, FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 29, Rev. 1. Rome: U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.
Badmus, M. A. O., Audu, T. O. K., & Anyata, B. U. (2007). Removal of heavy metal from industrial wastewater using hydrogen peroxide. African Journal of Biotechnology, 6(3), 238–242.
Batayneh, A. T. (2010). Heavy metals in water springs of the Yarmouk Basin, North Jordan and their potentiality in health risk assessment. International Journal of the Physical Sciences, 5(7), 997–1003.
Begum, A. M., Ramaiah, H., Khan, I., & Veena, K. (2009). Heavy metal pollution and chemical profile of Cauvery River water. E-Journal of Chemistry, 6(1), 47–52.
Borg, H., & Jonsson, P. (1996). Large-scale metal distribution in Baltic Sea sediments. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 32, 8–21.
Bouchan, G., Alvarez, S. R., Perez, Z. O., & Ricalde, G. J. (1995). Histopathological effects of petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals on the American oyster (Crassostrea virginica) from Tabasco, Mexico. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 31, 439–445.
Buckley, C. A. (1992). Membrane technology for the treatment of dyehouse effluents. Water Science and Technology, 25(10), 203–209.
Chan, K. M. (1995). Concentrations of copper, zinc, cadmium, and lead in Rabbit fish (Siganus oramin) collected in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 31, 277–280.
Cheevaporn, V., Jacinto, G. S., & McGlone, S. D. (1995). Heavy metal fluxes in Bang Pakong River Estuary, Thailand: sedimentary versus diffusive fluxes. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 31, 290–294.
David, M. Q., Robert, G. A., Wilson, L. G., & Martha, H. C. (1996). Effect of soil type on water quality improvement during soil aquifer treatment. Water Science and Technology, 33(10–11), 419–431.
Dheri, G. S., Brar, M. S., & Malhi, S. S. (2007). Heavy metal concentration of sewage contaminated water and its impact on underground water, soil and crop plants in alluvial soils of northwestern India. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 38(9–10), 1353–1370.
Diels, L., Van, D. L., & Bastiaens, L. (2002). New development in treatment of heavy metal contaminated soils. Reviews in Environmental Science and Biotechnology, 1, 75–82.
Donze, M., Nieuwendijk, C., Boxtel, A., & Quaak, M. (1990). Shaping the environment: Aquatic pollution and dredging in the European community (p. 184). Hague: Delwel Publishers.
Eaton, A. D, Clesceri, L. S., Rice, E. W., Greenberg, A. E., & Franson, M. A. (1998). Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. American Public Health Association, 20th edition, 2(9)–4(115).
Edema, C. U. (1993). Heavy metals in shell fishes of Warri river catchments area, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
Egborge, A. B. M. (1991). Industrialization and heavy metal pollution in Warri river. 32nd Inaugural Lecture. University of Benin, Benin City.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (1976). Quality criteria for water use. EPA, 440, 1a-76-023, Environ. Agency, Wash.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2002). Risk assessment: Technical background information. RBG table. http://www.epa.gov./reg3hwmd/risk. Accessed 25 Nov 2011.
Ezemonye, L. I. N. (1992). Heavy metals concentration in water, sediment and selected fish of Warri river and its tributaries. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
Forstner, U., & Wittmann, G. T. W. (1979). Metal pollution in the aquatic environment. Berlin: Spinger-Verlag.
George, G. G., & Pirie, B. J. (1984). Interspecies differences in heavy metal detoxication in oyster. Marine Environmental Research, 14, 462–464.
Ghafoor, A. A., Rauf, M., Arif, W., & Muzzafar, W. (1995). Chemical composition of effluent from different industries from Faisalabad city. Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 31, 37–69.
Ghoreishi, S. M., & Haghighi, R. (2003). Chemical catalytic reaction and biological oxidation for treatment of non-biodegradable textile effluent. Chemical Engineering Journal, 95, 163–169.
Gill, T. S., & Epple, A. (1982). Impact of cadmium on the mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus and the role of calcium in suppressing heavy metal toxicity. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part C, Pharmacology, Toxicology & Endocrinology, 101(3), 519–523.
Hameed, A., Randhawa, M. S., Gowans, K. D. (1966). Appraisal of quality of tube well water of SCARP-1. Soil and water chemistry: Compilation of Studies for the Indus Plain. Lahore, Pakistan: M/S Harza Engineering Co.WASID, WAPDA
Harris, A. J., Bentham, H., & Birch, P. (1991). Soil microbial community provides index to progress, direction of restoration. Restoration and Management Notes, 9, 133–135.
He, Z. L., Yang, X. E., & Stoffella, P. J. (2005). Trace elements in agroecosystems and impacts on the environment. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, 19(2–3), 125–140.
Hodson, P. V. (1981). Factors affecting the sublethal toxicity of lead to fish. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 11, 241–247.
Howarth, R. S., & Sprague, J. B. (1978). Copper lethality to rainbow trout in waters of various hardness and pH. Water Research, 12, 455–462.
Ikem, A., Egiebor, N. O., & Nyavor, K. (2003). Trace elements in water, fish and sediment from Tuskegee Lake, Southeastern USA. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 149, 51–75.
Ikusima, I., Lim, R. P., & Furtado, J. I. (1982). Environmental conditions. In J. I. Furtado & S. Mori (Eds.), Tasek Bera: The ecology of a freshwater swamp (pp. 55–148). The Hague: Dr. W. Junk Publishers.
Islam-ul-haq, R., Cheema, W. A., & Naseer, C. A. (2007). Multifaceted ground water quality and recharge mecha-nism issues in a mega-city (Rawalpindi, Pakistan), and mitigation strategies. Securing Groundwater Quality in Urban and Industrial Environments (Proc. 6th International IAHS Groundwater Quality Conference, held in Fremantle, Western Australia, 2–7 December 2007). IAHS Publ. no. XXX, 2008.
Jafari, A., Mirhossaini, B., & Dehestani, S. (2008). Physicochemical analysis of drinking water in Kohdasht city lorestan, Iran. Asian Journal of Applied Sciences, 1, 87–92.
Jalali, R., Ghafourian, H., Asef, Y., Davarpanah, S. J., & Sepehr, S. (2002). Removal and recovery of lead using non-living biomass of marine algae. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 92(3), 253–262.
Jeon, B. H., Dempsey, B. A., Burgos, W. D., & Royer, R. A. (2003). Sorption kinetics of Fe(II), Zn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cd(II), and Fe(II)/Me(II) onto hermatite. Water Research, 37, 4135–4142.
JISM (Jordanian Institution for Standards and Metrology) Technical Regulation. (2008). Water-drinking water (p. 17). Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: Jordanian Institution for Standards and Metrology.
Johnson, D. S. (1967). On the chemistry of freshwaters in southern Malaya and Singapore. Archives Hydrobiologia, 63(4), 477–496.
Kaki, C., Patient, G., Nelly, K., Patrick, E. A., & Rodrigue, A. (2011). Evaluation of heavy metals pollution of Nokoue Lake. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 5(3), 255–261.
Kirkham, M. B. (1983). Study on accumulation of heavy metals in soils receiving sewage water. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 9, 251–255.
Lokhande, R. S., & Kelkar, N. (1999). Indian Journal of Environmental Protection, 19, 664–668.
Ma, M., Zhu, W., Wang, Z., & Witkamp, G. J. (2003). Accumulation, assimilation and growth inhibition of copper on a freshwater alga (Scenedesmus suspicatus) 86.81 BAG in the presence of EDTA and fulvic acid. Aquatic Toxicology, 63, 221–228.
Martins, B. L., Cruz, C. C. V., Luna, A. S., & Henriques, C. A. (2006). Sorption and desorption of Pb2+ ions by dead Sargassum sp. biomass. Biochemical Engineering Journal, 27(3), 310–314.
Mido, Y., & Satake, M. (2003). Chemicals in the environment. New Delhi: Discovery Publishing House.
Mireles, A., SolÃs, C., Andrade, E. M., Lagunas, S., Piña, C., & Flocchini, R. G. (2004). Heavy metal accumulation in plants and soil irrigated with wastewater from Mexico City. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, 219–200, 187–190.
Nayaka, B. M. S., Ramakrishna, S., Jayaprakash, & Delvi, M. R. (2009). Impact of heavy metals on water, fish (Cyprinus carpio) and sediments from a water tank at Tumkur, India. International Journal of Oceanography and Hydrobiology, 38(17–28).
NEQS (2000) Ministry of Environment, Local Government, and Rural Development, Government of Pakistan, The Gazette of Pakistan, Islamabad, reg. No. M-302, L. 7646, the 10th August.
Nriagu, M. B. (1990). Problems of using waste water on vegetable crops. Journal of Horticultural Science, 21, 24–27.
Omoigberale, M. O., & Ogbeibu, A. E. (2005). Assessing the environmental impacts of oil exploration and production on the Osse River, Southern Nigeria: heavy metals. African Journal of Environmental Pollution and Health, 4(1), 27–32.
Patil, V. T., & Patil, P. R. (2010). Physicochemical analysis of selected groundwater samples of Amalner town in Jalgaon District, Maharashtra, India. Journal of Chemistry, 7(1), 111–116.
Perveen, S., Ihsanullah, I., Shah, Z., Nazif, W., Shah, S. S., & Shah, H. (2011). Study on accumulation of heavy metals in vegetables receiving sewage water. Journal of the Chemical Society of Pakistan, 33, 2.
Roscoe, M. (1990). Roscoe Moss Company, handbook of ground water development (p. 493). New York: Wiley.
Saleemi, M. A. (1993). Environmental assessment and management of irrigation and drainage scheme for sustainable agriculture growth. Environmental Protection Agency Bulletins (Lahore), 64.
Sarnaik, S., & Kanekar, P. (1995). Bioremediation of colour of methyl violet and phenol from dye industry waste effluent using Pseudomonas spp isolated from factory soil. Journal of Applied Bacteriology, 79, 459–469.
Schmitt, D., Saravia, F., Frimmel, F. H., & Schuessler, W. (2003). Facilitated transport of metal ions in aquifers: importance of complex-dissociation kinetics and colloid formation. Water Research, 37, 3541–3550.
Shuhaimi, O. M., Abbas, A., Yap, S. S., & Maziati, M. (2006). Bioaccumulation and elimination of copper and lead by freshwater prawn Macrobrachium lanchesteri. Journal of Biological Sciences, 6(4), 717–722.
Shyamala, R., Shanthi, M., & Lalitha, P. (2008). Physicochemical analysis of Borewell water samples of Telungupalayam area in Coimbatore district, Tamilnadu, India. E-Journal of Chemistry, 5, 924–929.
SON (Standards Organization of Nigeria) (2007). Standards for drinking water quality. www.unicef.org/nigeria/ng publications. Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality.pdf. Online Update; Accessed 28 Nov 2011.
Stein, J. A., Tschudy, D. P., Coroan, P. C., & Coffins, A. (1990). Metal pollution. Biological Chemistry, 245–2213.
Stephenson, R. R. (1983). Effects of water hardness, water temperature and size of the test organism on the susceptibility of the freshwater shrimp, Gammarus pulex (L.) to toxicants. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 31, 459–466.
Tandon, E. D., Nelson, D. W., & Sommers, L. E. (2005). Total carbon, organic carbon and organic matter. FDCO. New Delhi, India. In Methods of soil analysis: Part 3—chemical methods (pp. 961–1010). Wisconson: American Society of Agronomy. Inc. Medison.
Tarig, I., Jaffar, M., & Moazzam, M. (1991). Concentration correlations between major cations and heavy metals in fish from the Arabian sea. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 22(1), 562–565.
Turgut, C. (2003). The contamination with organochlorine pesticides and heavy metals in surface water in Kücük Menderes River in Turkey. Environment International, 29, 29–32.
US EPA (United States of Environmental Protection Agency) (2002). National recommended water quality criteria. Washington DC, 25.
WHO (World Health Organization) (2003). Guidelines for drinking water quality. Background document for preparation of WHO guidelines for drinking water quality. Geneva, World Health Organization. (WHO/SDE/WSH/03.04/4).
Wogu, M. D., & Okaka, C. E. (2011). Pollution studies on Nigerian rivers: heavy metals in surface water of warri river, Delta State. Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences (JBES), 1(3), 7–12.
World Health Organization. (1993). World Health Organization, guidelines for drinking water quality. Vol. 1. Recommendations. Geneva: WHO.
World Health Organization. (1984). Guidelines for drinking water quality. Geneva: WHO.
Wright, R. J., & Stuczynski, T. (1996). Atomic absorption and flame emission spectroscopy. In D. L. Sparks (Ed.), Methods of soil analysis. Part III. Chemical methods (pp. 65–90). SSSA Book Series No. 5. Madison: SSSA.
Wrong, C. K., Cheung, J. K. Y., & Chu, K. H. (1995). Effects of copper on survival, development and growth of Metapenaeus ensis larvae and postlarvae (Decapoda:Penaeidae). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 31, 416–419.
Younas, F., Shahzad, S., Afzal, M. I., Khan, K., & Ali, K. (1998). Assessment of Cd, Ni, Cu, and Pb pollution in Lahore, Pakistan. Environment International, 24(7), 761–766.
Acknowledgments
The financial assistance of Fatima Jinnah Women University for conducting this research Project is greatly appreciated and acknowledged.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Iram, S., Kanwal, S., Ahmad, I. et al. Assessment of physicochemical parameters of wastewater samples. Environ Monit Assess 185, 2503–2515 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2727-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2727-5