Effect of Time Intervals on Levels of Selected Heavy Metals in Surface and Ground

Abstract

During the last two decades, the high rate of industrialization, unplanned urbanization and heavy load of transportation resulted in a drastic increase in water pollution within the Peshawar basin in general and in the Peshawar metropolis in particular. The present study is based on the monitoring of heavy metals such as iron (Fe), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr). nickel (Ni)cadmium (Cd) and cobalt (Co) in surface and ground waters of the Peshawar basins, one of the largest basin of Pakistan, during the years 2003 and 2004. In order to evaluate the increase of the levels of these metals with the passage of time, the data obtained are presented. The results are also compared with the previous studies and the permissible limits set by US-EPA and WHO. The concentration of tested elements in the waters of most of the areas of Peshawar basin are within the permissible limit, but in certain areas, the concentrations of Fe- Pb, Cr and Ni are too high and pose a threat to the health of the people. Both anthropogenic and geogenic sources could be responsible for this contamination. The anthropogenic sources include the waste from the industrial estates and many tannery industries in Peshawar city and the corrosion of underground pipes. while the geogenic sources include the sulfide seams and mafic and ultramafic rocks in the northwest and northeast of the Peshawar basin.