A novel assessment of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in water and sediment samples from the Indus River, Pakistan: An ecological risk assessment approach

Nida Gul; Bushra Khan; Aqib Hassan Ali Khan; Taufiq Nawaz; Fazli Wahid; Carlos A T Toloza; Eman Alzahrani; Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis; Sarzamin Khan

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116657

A novel assessment of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in water and sediment samples from the Indus River, Pakistan: An ecological risk assessment approach

Mar Pollut Bull. 2024 Aug:205:116657. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116657. Epub 2024 Jun 30.

Authors

Nida Gul¹, Bushra Khan², Aqib Hassan Ali Khan³, Taufiq Nawaz⁴, Fazli Wahid⁵, Carlos A T Toloza⁶, Eman Alzahrani⁷, Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis⁸, Sarzamin Khan⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Swabi, 23430 Anbar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
² Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Peshawar, 25000 Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
³ International Research Center in Critical Raw Materials and Advanced Industrial Technologies, Universidad de Burgos, 09001 Burgos, Spain.
⁴ College of Natural Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, 57007, SD, USA.
⁵ Department of Agriculture, University of Swabi, 23430 Anbar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
⁶ Department of Natural and Exact Science, Universidad de la Costa, Barranquilla, Colombia.
⁷ Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Taif University, PO Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ Laboratório de Avaliação e Promoção da Saúde Ambiental, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4.365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁹ Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Swabi, 23430 Anbar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan; Department of Chemistry, University of Swabi, 23430 Anbar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 38950514
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116657

Abstract

Pakistan, a country with limited water resources and highly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, faces numerous challenges in managing its water supply. In this sense, this study assessed potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the surface water and sediments of Pakistan's Indus River and its tributaries. Key water quality parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and total dissolved solids (TDS) were determined, with respective average values of 7.1, 40 μS/cm, and 208 mg L^-1. The concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn in surface water samples averaged 26 μg L^-1, 0.9 μg L^-1, 1.4 μg L^-1, 22 μg L^-1, and 2.1 μg L^-1, respectively. The general sediment PTE profile was Ni > Cd > Zn > Cu > Cr. Certain PTE levels exceeded recommended thresholds, indicating the establishment of environmental pollution. Calculated geo-accumulation index values suggested moderate to heavy pollution levels in sediment, with PERI (404) values reinforcing the ecological risk posed by elevated PTE concentrations. Furthermore, significant correlations were observed between specific PTE pairs in both water and sediment samples. This study contributes with novel insights into the distribution and ecological implications of PTE contamination in the Indus River and its tributaries, paving the way for ecological risk management efforts.

Keywords: Ecological risk; Geo-accumulation index; Potentially toxic elements; River Indus; Sediments.

MeSH terms

Environmental Monitoring*
Geologic Sediments* / chemistry
Metals, Heavy* / analysis
Pakistan
Risk Assessment
Rivers* / chemistry
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Water Pollutants, Chemical
Metals, Heavy