Assessment of Arsenic and Essential Metal Ions in the Quality of Groundwater Sources of Taluka Daur, District Shaheed Benazeer Abad, Sindh, Pakistan,

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the quality of groundwater, before it is used for drinking purpose. Study Design: Comparative descriptive study. Place & Duration: Water Testing & Surveillance of Drinking Water Laboratory, Department of Community Medicine, PUMHSW during September & October 2014. Material and Methods: 68 groundwater samples were collected from Daur and its catchment areas {Gandhi, 60th Mile, Jam Sahib and Villages). Different physical and chemical characteristics of water samples were estimated in the field and at the laboratory. The analysis of different chemical characteristics of water samples were measured with conductivity meter HANNA H1 8733 at the field. pH was measured by HANNA H1 22.11 pH/ORP pH meter. Alkalinity, Hardness and chloride were estimated by titration method with standard solutions of disodium ethylene diamine tetra-acetate dihydrate, hydrochloric acid & silver nitrate. Arsenic was estimated by using (Merck Arsenic field testing Kit (0.01-0.5 mg/1) Darmstadt, Germany) respectively. Sulfate was determined by turbidimetry as BaSO4 using 721 Vis-Spectrophotometer Ltd., China. Essential metals were determined by (Na, K, Ca, Mg and CI-ISE) ion selective electrode by H1 2216 pH/ORP/ISE Multi-parameter water quality meter HANNA Instruments Ltd., USA. Results: The present work was carried out for the estimation of arsenic and essential metal ions in the groundwater samples from taluka Daur. 68 groundwater samples of the study area were examined. The physical and chemical characteristics of the groundwater samples were obtained within following ranges. pH 6.67-8.81, total dissolved salts (TDS) 158-20527 mg/L, H.CO 47-4901 mg/L„ total hardness (TH) 72-12207 mg/L, chloride 31-12857 mg/L, SO, 28-4625 mg/L. The amount of essential metal ions such as (Na, Ca, Mg and K) was varied within the ranges of 28-4504 mg/L, 20-3517 mg/L, 9-1331 mg/L and 6-578 mg/L respectively. Seven samples indicated arsenic concentrations in the range was (10-200 ftg/L ) respectively. Conclusion: The analysis of ground water samples of taluka Daur revealed that (72 %) of the greater part ofparameters of the study area were elevated the maximum permissible limits prescribed by WHO. The majority of the locations of (groundwater) samples were exceedingly impure with toxic metals. The higher concentrations of metals in ground water may cause several health problems to consumers of taluka Daur.