An Examination of Drinking Water in Pakistan: Using Atomic Absorption and Emission Spectroscopy to Detect Heavy Metals

Through using atomic spectroscopic techniques such as atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and optical emission spectroscopy (OES), the drinking water in Faisalabad, Pakistan, might pose health risks because of levels of nickel, lead, and manganese, according to a recent study conducted by researchers from the area. Their findings were published in Toxin Reviews, and it underscores the lack of safe drinking water in a south Asian country that has been struggling with water resources (1).

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Pakistan is a south Asian country that borders China to the northeast, India to the east, Iran to the southwest, and Afghanistan to the southwest. It is the fifth-most populous country in the world, containing over 250 million people (2). For a country of its size, Pakistan is one of the most densely populated and urbanized countries in the world, which brings about its own unique infrastructure challenges.

One of the most current pressing issues Pakistan faces is access to quality drinking water, an issue that has been exacerbated by the dramatic population growth. A recent study highlighted that only approximately 20% of Pakistan’s population has access to clean drinking water (3). The other 80%, most of whom live in impoverished conditions, have no choice but to consume contaminated water that contains sewage and toxic chemicals improperly disposed of, such as plastics, fertilizers, industrial effluents, and pesticides (3). The contaminated water Pakistanis drink has also resulted in the ubiquitous presence of waterborne diseases. Microbial infestations and drug toxicity in many bodies of water of Pakistan need serious work, requiring proper water treatment strategies and technologies to combat this growing issue (4).

In this recent study published in Toxin Reviews, lead author Qamar Abbas Syed of the National Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture, in Faisalabad, Pakistan, and his team explored using atomic spectroscopic techniques to investigate the presence of heavy metals in drinking water present in Faisalabad, Pakistan. The heavy metals the researchers tested for were cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, zinc, chromium, and manganese (1).

Because Faisalabad, Pakistan, is known as an industry city, industry activity has resulted in much hazardous waste seeping into the water supplies (1). Synthetic dyes used in many businesses release heavy metals into the environment when discarded, harming the health of Pakistanis and the environment they live in (1).

In their study, the research team used AAS and OES to determine the heavy metal content in seven regions of Faisalabad. They found that 86.36% of the water samples they tested met the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) standards, whereas 13.64% did not (1).

The research team also used 11 physicochemical parameters to evaluate the water quality index (WQI). They found that Madina, Jinnah, and Lyallpur Towns had poor quality because of contamination from three heavy metals: lead, manganese, and nickel (1).

Based on the results of the study, the researchers were able to conclude that the residents who consumed the groundwater in the research regions are less susceptible to potential waterborne diseases and health risks. However, the researchers cautioned in their study that the high presence of lead, manganese, and nickel could pose risks to their health (1).

References

(1) Anwar, S.; Syed, Q. A.; Ullah, A.; et al. Detection of Heavy Metals Using Atomic Absorption and Emission Spectroscopy in Drinking Water of Faisalabad, Pakistan: Microbial Safety and Quality Status Assessment. Toxin Rev. 2024, 43 (1), 1–17. DOI: 10.1080/15569543.2023.2272174

(2) United States Census Bureau, Pakistan. Census.gov. Available at: https://www.census.gov/popclock/world/pk (accessed 2024-07-16).

(3) Daud, M. K.; Nafees, M.; Ali, S.; et al. Drinking Water Quality Status and Contamination in Pakistan. Biomed. Res. Int. 2017, 2017, 7908183. DOI: 10.1155/2017/7908183

(4) Qamar, K.; Nchasi, G.; Mirha, H. T.; et al. Water Sanitation Problem in Pakistan: A Review on Disease Prevalence, Strategies for Treatment and Prevention. Ann. Med. Surg. (London) 2022, 82, 104709. DOI: 10.1016/j.amsu.2022.104709