Science Letters

Contaminants Exposure and Impacts on Drinking Water of Johi Subdivision of Sindh, Pakistan

Amjad Hussain Memon 1, *, #, Gul Muneer Lund 2, #, Naseem Aslam Channa 1, Sajjad Ali Shah 3, Muhammad Younis 4, Fahim Buriro 1

1 Institute of Biochemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan

2 School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, PR China.

3 Department of Fresh Water Biology and Fisheries, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan

4 The Key Laboratory of Development Genes and Human Diseases, Institute of Life Sciences, Southeast University, Sipailou 2, Nanjing, 210096, China

Abstract

This study was conducted in the area of Taluka Johi, district Dadu, Sindh, Pakistan and 46 drinking water samples were collected from hand pumps. In the present study, different physicochemical parameters, including pH, electric conductance (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity and arsenic level, microbial parameter such as Escherichia coli colony forming units (CFU) and health quotient of dermal, chronic and carcinogenic risks were determined. The physicochemical characteristics results varied within the ranges, pH 7.4-8.4, EC 1160-7125 �S/cm, TDS 743-4560 mg/l, turbidity 1.6-34 nephelometric turbidity unit (NTU) and arsenic 0-250 ppb, and microbial characteristic revealed 0-100 CFU/100ml E. coli bacterial colonies. Health quotient (HQ) (chronic) irrespective to 15 kg and 70 kg bodyweight was found more than the normal limit and HQ (carcinogenic) was also observed more than the limit from the identified arsenic contaminated water samples which shows the seriousness of the contamination level and its health impacts on local residents of Johi, Sindh, Pakistan.

Keywords Carcinogenic, drinking water, exposure, health quotient, Johi, Sindh.

Received November 27, 2015 Accepted January 25, 2016 Abstract Published February 24, 2016 Manuscript Published April 15, 2016

*Corresponding author Amjad Hussain Memon E-mail ahmemon05@gmail.com Tel +92-333-2778622

#These authors contributed equally to the work.