Drinking Water Quality Status and Contamination in Pakistan
Muhammad Daud Khana b, Muhammad Nafeesc, Shafaqat Alid✉, Muhammad Rizwand, Raees Ahmad Bajwac, Muhammad Bilal Shakoorc, Muhammad Umair Arshade, Shahzad Ali Shahid Chathaf, Farah Deebab, Waheed Muradg, Ijaz Malookb, Shui Jin Zhu
- aDepartment of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, Hangzhou 310058, China
- bDepartment of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat 26000, Pakistan
- cInstitute of Soil & Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
- dDepartment of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Government College University, Allama Iqbal Road, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
- eInstitute of Home and Food Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
- fDepartment of Applied Chemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
- gDepartment of Botany, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat 26000, Pakistan
- ✉Corresponding author
Papers open inside SciRah from the original publisher or repository; SciRah never hosts them.
Abstract
Due to alarming increase in population and rapid industrialization, drinking water quality is being deteriorated day by day in Pakistan. This review sums up the outcomes of various research studies conducted for drinking water quality status of different areas of Pakistan by taking into account the physicochemical properties of drinking water as well as the presence of various pathogenic microorganisms. About 20% of the whole population of Pakistan has access to safe drinking water. The remaining 80% of population is forced to use unsafe drinking water due to the scarcity of safe and healthy drinking water sources. The primary source of contamination is sewerage (fecal) which is extensively discharged into drinking water system supplies. Secondary source of pollution is the disposal of toxic chemicals from industrial effluents, pesticides, and fertilizers from agriculture sources into the water bodies. Anthropogenic activities cause waterborne diseases that constitute about 80% of all diseases and are responsible for 33% of deaths. This review highlights the drinking water quality, contamination sources, sanitation situation, and effects of unsafe drinking water on humans. There is immediate need to take protective measures and treatment technologies to overcome unhygienic condition of drinking water supplies in different areas of Pakistan.