Assessing Drinking Water Quality in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

Supply of safe, clean, and abundant water for drinking purposes is essential for good health. According to a United Nations report [1], about 884 million people are not getting clean water. The availability of safe drinking water is a growing key concern for the international community. In the context of population boost and water contamination [2,3], access to safe drinking water has become a global challenge in developing countries [4][5][6][7]. Water pollution has significant repercussions for the environment and human health [8]. It is also obvious that millions of people from poor countries die each year as a result of water-related preventable diseases [9,10].Different physical parameters such as pH, EC, and turbidity are important indicator of safe drinking water quality characteristics. Turbidity in water arises from the inclusion of silt, clay, and organic suspended particles. Turbidity of drinking water is related to its aesthetic as a qualitative parameter as it effects the visual acceptability of the water by the consumer. The pH of drinking water is a very important parameter that can have direct and indirect effects on quality. The pH of the water has a direct relationship with corrosiveness of the supply pipes and can increase the concentration of metals in the water. Direct exposure to water with extreme pH leads to irritation of the eyes, skin, and mucosal membranes [11].Electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids are secondary water quality parameters and represent the activity or the total amount of cations and anions present in the water. The major cations and anions in drinking water are Na , and these should Pol. J. Environ. Stud. Vol. 24, No. 6 (2015), [2597][2598][2599][2600][2601][2602][2603][2604][2605][2606] Original AbstractAccess to safe drinking water is crucial for healthy human life. Our study aimed to investigate the concentration of various pollutants in water samples collected from student hostels of the University of the Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan, and the potential risk of these pollutants for health. A total of 18 samples from 12 different locations were assessed for physical, biological, and chemical contaminants using standard methods. The concentrations of arsenic (As) and coliform bacteria were above the international standards given by the World Health Organization (WHO). The range of As concentration was from 24.92 to 32.72 µg·L -1. Similarly, the two water samples showed bacterial contamination 38 MPN/100 mL and 21 MPN/100 mL -exceeding the standard value set by WHO (0 MPN/100 mL). We conclude that drinking water quality was poor, as is evident from the high concentration of As. Urgent measures are required to prevent such contamination and regular monitoring of drinking water quality in the study area.

Drinking Water Quality Status and Contamination in Pakistan

“…All these analyses indicate that water is not fit for drinking purposes [ 74 ]. The concentration of As and coliform bacteria was above the threshold level in samples collected from different sources in University of Punjab, Lahore [ 19 ].…”

Gis Based Evaluation of Groundwater Quality of Western Lahore Using Water Quality Index

“…2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and Table 1). There are no fixed values for alkalinity by WHO and NSDWQ (Shahid et al, 2015).…”

“…2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and Table 1). No standard values are prescribed for carbonates and bicarbonates (Shahid et al, 2015). Therefore, all samples are 100 % fit.…”

Antibiotic susceptibility profile of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated from drinking and surface water

“…Микробиолошки исправна вода за пиће је есенцијална за здравље људи 1 и њена доступ-ност је главна брига сваке заједнице 2,3 . Кон-таминација различитим патогенима указује на неадекватну обраду, због чега вода за пиће подлеже строгој микробиолошкој контроли хигијенске исправности 4 .…”

“…Microbiologically safe drinking water is essential for human health 1 and its availability is a major concern of global community 2,3 . Contamination by different pathogens indicates an inadequate treatment, which is the reason why drinking water undergoes through strict microbiological control of hygienic quality 4 .…”