Evaluation of Human Health Implications and Water Quality Assessment of Drinking Water From Filtration Plants In Islamabad, Pakistan

Abstract

Pakistan's freshwater resources are declining in terms of both quantity and quality, and the consequences of this are being exacerbated by population growth and climate change. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the water quality of filtration plants located across Islamabad as well as to evaluate the health risks associated with trace elements in drinking water from Islamabad's filtration plants. A total of 95 samples were examined for heavy metals, physio-chemical parameters, and biological parameters. Physical characteristics like pH, electrical conductivity, TDS, turbidity, and color were all within the WHO permissible range, except for one turbidity sample that exceeded the limit. Similarly, all the chemical parameters including calcium, magnesium, salt, alkalinity, chloride, and hardness were within the acceptable range, with the exception of one hardness sample that exceeded the WHO permitted limit. For microbial analysis, there was zero Fecal coliform and E. coli bacteria growth. However, some samples i.e., 21 samples showed total coliform bacteria growth beyond the permissible limit of WHO. Additionally, a health survey of 200 households was also carried out within the study area to evaluate demographics, patterns of drinking water consumption, awareness level, and the prevalence of water-borne diseases. Seven elements (Pb, Cd, Ni, Zn, Fe, Cr and As) were detected in each sample. Hazard quotients (HQ) for filtration plants was determined to be in the following order: Pb > As > Cr > Cd > Ni > Zn > Fe. This indicates that there may be a potential health risk to the surrounding people. Every element that was detected had an overall mean concentration that was below the permissible drinking water limit. Health risk questionnaire revealed that a significant section of the population depends on filtration plants for their daily water consumption, and the questionnaire indicated that diarrhea was the most prevalent water-related problem affecting the local population. As per the study, the primary cause of Islamabad's water quality issue, was majorly microbiological contamination and trace element pollution to some extent.