GROUND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT IN INDUSTRIAL ZONES OF CENTRAL PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Solid and liquid waste generation has increased tremendously in this era of industrialization. A large amount of domestic and industrial waste is disposed off without segregation practices. Inadequate waste management practices and lack of technologies endure contamination of ground water table, surface water resources and water supply infrastructure. The heavy metals and microbial byproducts present in leachates which deteriorate ground water quality and consequent health effects are prevalent and ever-increasing in industrial urban areas of Pakistan. The current study assesses the effects of leachate on water from open dumping sites of two cities (Gujranwala and Sialkot) during pre- and post-rain season. We have collected and analyzed ground water samples for the assessment of metals and compared with global and national quality standards. It was found that most of the pre-rain samples had pH value near to or higher than WHO/NEQS standards in both cities, while TDS, EC, hardness, nitrate, sulfates, chlorides and phosphates concentrations were found to be within WHO/NEQS permissible standards. The heavy metals (Zn, Fe, Cu, Cr, Ni, Cd, Co and Pb) were detected in higher concentration than NEQS/WHO standards, which was an indication of detrimental effects on ground water quality. It has been detected that all parameters had significantly increased and the concentration of most of the metals were above WHO standards in post rainfall season,. Increase in concentration of heavy metals especially, Cd, Zn, Fe, Cr, Cu, and Ni was the indication of deleterious effects on ground water quality originated from dumping sites. Hence it is deduced from the study that continuous disposal off all categories of solid waste in open dump sites could not only result in degradation of water quality but such a higher level of contamination could have damaging effects on human health and other organisms.