http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/10323 Tue, 15 Sep 2026 19:23:16 GMT 2026-09-15T19:23:16Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/21548 Removal of Pharmaceutical Compounds Mefenamic Acid and Naproxen from Aqueous Media by Using Granular Activated Carbon (Gac) in a Fixed Bed Column System Sabahat Baseer Abbasi, 01-167222-010; Fatima Shehreen, 01-167222-004 Pharmaceutical compounds including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as mefenamic acid and naproxen are increasingly detected in water bodies globally, raising serious concerns about their ecological and public health impacts. Conventional wastewater treatment systems are largely ineffective at removing these micropollutants from water sources. This study designed and evaluated a simple gravity-driven granular activated carbon fixed-bed adsorption column for the removal of mefenamic acid and naproxen from synthetic aqueous solutions. The column was constructed from a plastic syringe packed with layers of cotton, gravel, silica sand, and GAC with dimensions of 1 cm gravel, 4 cm sand, and 4 cm GAC respectively. Stock solutions of 1000 mg/L were prepared from pharmaceutical tablets and diluted to working concentrations of 5 mg/L, 25 mg/L, and 50 mg/L. The effects of initial concentration, solution pH (acidic and basic conditions), contact time, and water matrix type (distilled and tap water) on removal efficiency were systematically investigated. All samples were analyzed by UV-Visible spectrophotometry at 270 nm. The column achieved a maximum removal efficiency of 97.1% for mefenamic acid at 50 mg/L in distilled water. Removal efficiency increased with higher initial concentration and longer contact time for both pharmaceutical compounds. Mefenamic acid showed preferential removal under acidic conditions while naproxen performed marginally better under basic conditions above its pKa charge state. Tap water experiments showed reduced removal efficiency compared to distilled water due to competitive adsorption by dissolved matrix substances. Mefenamic acid consistently outperformed naproxen under all experimental conditions due to its higher hydrophobicity and stronger affinity for the activated carbon surface. The findings contribute to SDG 6 and SDG 3 by demonstrating the technical feasibility of a low-cost, electricityfree approach to pharmaceutical water treatment Supervised by Dr. Asma Jamil Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/21548 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/21546 Assessment of Noise Pollution in Selected Areas of Islamabad Fatima Nawaz Abbasi, 01-167222-020; Laiba Khan, 01-167222-005 Noise pollution is becoming one of the most important and notable environmental issues in growing urban areas where it is impacting the human population's health, well-being and quality of life. The present study was aimed to evaluate the noise pollution in certain areas of the city Islamabad, Pakistan and to check whether they meet the recommended environmental limits. Noise monitoring was carried out at various locations which includes I-9/1, I-9/2, I-9/3, I-9/4, I-10/1, I-10/2, I-10/3, I- 10/4, G-9/1, G-9/2, G-9/3, G-9/4, G-13/1, G-13/2, G-13/3, G-13/4, Kashmir Highway, I.J.P. Road, Faizabad Bus Stop, and G-9 Bus Stop. Using a calibrated sound level meter, sound level measurements were recorded at various times of the day to capture the differences in sound level between residential, commercial, transportation and industrial areas. The results showed that there were significant variations in noise levels when comparing the selected sites. Heavy traffic and public transportation, frequent vehicle congestion and commercial activities are the major reasons of maximum noise levels at Faizabad Bus Stop, I.J.P. Road, and Kashmir Highway. Some moderate to high noise was heard in the industrial areas of I-9 and I-10, and relatively low noise was heard in the residential areas of G-9 and G-13. In some residential areas, however, the noise exceeded the guideline values of 55 dB recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for residential areas. In regard of noise pollution in transportation corridors and commercial areas, very high levels were recorded, well in excess of the permissible limits, suggesting that there is a serious environmental problem with noise pollution in these areas. Supervised by Dr. Said Akbar Khan Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/21546 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/21677 Removal of Selected Pharmaceutical Compounds from Aqueous Media Using Granular Activated Carbon(Gac) Filter Umair Saeed, 01-167222-008; Maryum Gulalay, 01-167222-007 Pharmaceutical compounds, including the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) diclofenac and ibuprofen, are increasingly detected in water bodies globally, raising serious concerns about their ecological and public health impacts. Because conventional wastewater treatment systems are largely ineffective at removing these persistent micropollutants, low-cost decentralized alternatives are urgently required. This study designed and evaluated a simple, gravity-driven granular activated carbon (GAC) fixed-bed adsorption column for the removal of diclofenac and ibuprofen from synthetic aqueous solutions. The column was constructed from a plastic syringe packed with sequential layers of cotton, gravel and sand. Stock solutions of 1000 mg/L were prepared and diluted to working concentrations of 5 mg/L, 25 mg/L, and 50 mg/L. The effects of initial concentration, solution pH, contact time, and water matrix (distilled versus tap water) on removal efficiency were systematically investigated using UV-Visible spectrophotometry. The GAC column achieved a maximum removal efficiency of 97.1% for diclofenac at 50 mg/L in distilled water. For both target compounds, removal efficiency scaled positively with higher initial concentrations and extended contact times. Adsorption was highly pH-dependent; both compounds exhibited preferential removal under acidic conditions below their respective p�� values, where the molecules exist in an uncharged form that favors hydrophobic interaction with the carbon matrix. Conversely, tap water trials demonstrated a decline in performance due to competitive adsorption from co-existing dissolved matrix substances. Comparatively, diclofenac consistently outperformed ibuprofen across all experimental configurations due to its higher hydrophobicity and stronger interactions with the activated carbon surface. Ultimately, these findings contribute directly to SDG 3 and SDG 6 by demonstrating the technical feasibility of an electricity-free, low-cost approach to emerging contaminant remediation Supervised by Dr. Asma Jamil Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/21677 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/19300 Assessment Of Drinking Water Quality From Different Water Sources In Quetta, Balochistan Bisma Dost Ali; Syeda Ayza Shah; Eisha Azam Clean drinking water is a major concern in developing countries like Pakistan, where families and communities rely on private water supply systems, distant filters, water bores, etc. The present study evaluated the drinking water quality from different sources i.e., tube wells, filter water, reservoir water, and water from different companies in the Quetta city, Baluchistan. The results of physical analysis for tube well samples revealed that pH, temperature was within the safe limit in all samples. The TDS, EC and Turbidity exceeded in some samples. The parameters (pH, TDS, EC, Temp and turbidity) in filter, and reservoir samples were all within the safe limit. The parameters in company water samples were also within the safe range except for TDS which exceeded in one (C2) sample. The results of chemical analysis for tube well samples revealed that chlorides and sodium were within safe limits in all 21 samples except for T7. Hardness was also within range except for a few samples. Alkalinity was within safe limits in all samples. Mg2+ exceeded in all samples (21) except for T7 and T20. Ca2+ was within range in all samples other than some samples. Cl, Na, Alkalinity, hardness and Ca2+ in all filter and reservoir samples were within the range except for Mg2+ which exceeded the safe limit in 4 out of 5 samples. Water samples from companies had all chemical parameters within safe range except for Mg2+ which exceeded in 5 out of 6 samples. The results of biological analysis showed that 7 out of 21 tube-well water samples had total coliforms, making the water unfit for drinking. This also points towards the poor and unsatisfactory water quality of these tube wells. 4 of 7 tube wells had an uncountable growth of total coliforms. The highest number was found in Tube well 8 following the TW10 and 20. No total coliforms were detected in samples of filter water, reservoir water, and water taken from different companies. The results of elemental analysis revealed that all trace elements (Mg, Ca, Mn, Mo, Co, Li, Ag, Hg, S, Se, Sr, Si, Pd, Al, B, Zn, Ba) and heavy metals (Cr, Cd, As, Ni, Pb, Cu) were within the recommended limits given by Pak EPA and NEQs. Overall, the water quality of tube wells seems unsatisfactory. The water quality of reservoirs, filter plants, and different companies used for drinking can be deemed satisfactory and fit for drinking. Supervised by Dr. Said Akbar Khan Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/19300 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z