Assessment of tap water quality and corrosion scales from the selected distribution systems in northern Pakistan

Corrosion deposits formed within drinking water distribution systems deteriorate drinking water quality and resultantly cause public health consequences. In the present study, an attempt was made to investigate the concurrent conditions of corrosion scales and the drinking water quality in selected water supply schemes (WSS) in districts Chitral, Peshawar, and Abbottabad, northern Pakistan. Characterization analyses of the corrosion by-products revealed the presence of α-FeOOH, γ-FeOOH, Fe₃O₄, and SiO₂ as major constituents with different proportions. The constituents of all the representative XRD peaks of Peshawar WSS were found insignificant as compared to other WSS, and the reason could be the variation of source water quality. Well-crystallized particles in SEM images indicated the formation of dense oxide layer on corrosion by-products. A wider asymmetric vibration peak of SiO₂ appeared only in Chitral and Abbottabad WSS, which demonstrated higher siltation in the water source. One-way ANOVA analysis showed significant variations in pH, turbidity, TDS, K, Mg, PO₄, Cl, and SO₄ values, which revealed that these parameters differently contributed to the source water quality. Findings from this study suggested the implementation of proper corrosion prevention measures and the establishment of international collaboration for best corrosion practices, expertise, and developing standards.     

Assessment of trace metal concentrations in muscle tissue of certain commercially available fish species from Kayseri,Turkey

Regular consumption of fish has been widely recommended by health authorities. However, it is known that some species accumulate high levels of contaminants including heavy metals (e.g., Hg, Cd, Pb, and As). In this study, Cu, Pb, Co, Ni, Cr, Mn, Cd, and Fe were determined in the muscle tissue of 11 commercially available fish species (Sparus auratus, Dicentrarchus labrax, Mullus barbatus, Belone belone, Psetta maxima, Epinephelus aeneus, Salmothymus, Soleidae, Pomatomus saltatrix, Engraulis encrasicolus, and Sarda sarda) supplied from retailers in Kayseri, Turkey. Determinations were carried out by flame atomic absorption spectrometry after the wet digestion method. The average metal concentrations of the 11 species were determined in the range of 0.54–1.79, 0.82–1.40, 2.38–4.54, 1.23–3.67, 5.01–5.97, 0.77–3.59, 0.48–1.06, and 5.05–122.8 μg/g wet weight for Cu, Pb, Co, Ni, Cr, Mn, Cd, and Fe, respectively. The permissible tolerable daily intake (PTDI) and calculated daily intake (CDI) values were compared, and the calculated daily intake values of the samples were found to be below the established values. Correlations between the metal contents in samples were investigated by performing correlation tests with SPSS 13.0 for windows.     

Morphological,physiological and biochemical responses of two Australian biotypes of Parthenium hysterophorus to different soil moisture regimes

Parthenium weed is a problematic invasive species in several countries around the world. Although it is considered to be a highly invasive species within Australia, not all biotypes of parthenium weed exhibit the same ability in regard to aggressive colonization and distribution. Differences among biotypes, particularly in regard to environmental ranges as a possible basis for this variation, have not always been elucidated. To determine whether drought tolerance could be a factor in biotype demographics, we quantified the biological responses of two Australian parthenium weed biotypes known to differ in invasive ability Clermont (“high”) and Toogoolawah (“low”) to 100, 75 and 50% of soil water holding capacity (WHC). The Clermont biotype had greater vegetative growth, seed production and chlorophyll content than Toogoolawah, across all moisture levels. Net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, internal CO₂ concentration, seed production per plant, 1000 seed weight and subsequent germination percentage were also higher for Clermont than for Toogoolawah and were maximum at 75% WHC. Clermont plants also had higher total soluble sugar, phenolics and free proline content than Toogoolawah, and a significant increase in the levels of all of these biochemicals was observed at 50% WHC. In conclusion, Clermont grew and reproduced better than Toogoolawah across all moisture regimes consistent of enhanced invasive ability of this biotype. Overall, the ability of parthenium weed to maintain good growth, physiology and seed production under moisture stress may enable it to colonize a wide range of Australian environments.

     

Risk assessment of heavy metal(loid)s via Spinacia oleracea ingestion after sewage water irrigation practices in Vehari District

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The use of sewage water as an irrigation source can be beneficial in agricultural practices, however, it may result in human health risks due to the...     

Elevated exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may trigger cancers in Pakistan: an environmental,occupational, and genetic perspective

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic compounds which are emitted through incomplete combustion of organic materials, fossil fuels,...     

Leaching of copper and zinc from the tailings sample obtained from a porcelain stone mine: feasibility,modeling, and optimization

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This research was aimed to investigate the leaching behavior of zinc and copper from a porcelain stone tailings sample using RSM-CCD modeling. The...     

Job satisfaction among physicians in secondary and tertiary medical care levels

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - To identify level of job satisfaction among physicians at secondary and tertiary care levels. Random sample of 450 secondary and 523 tertiary care...     

Frequency of PPAR-γ, FTO and ABCC8 genetic variation in Pakistani cardiovascular smokers

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Smoking is considered as one of the major reasons behind genetic variations in cardiometabolic disorders. However, effect of nicotine via smoking on...     

Comparative efficacy of mitigation techniques for the detoxification of Prunus persica (L.) from selected pesticide residues

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Fruits are the valuable and important components of human diet. Among them, Prunus persica is a rich source of different minerals and dietary fibers....