Evaluation of Physicochemical and Bacteriological Parameters in Drinking Water of the Badin District in Sindh, Pakistan

Abstract

Water pollution is a global issue that adversely effects on humans, animals and entire ecosystem. Consumption of contaminated water is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Availability of clean and safe drinking water is a threatening issue for survival of humans on this planet and is becoming a difficult task for governments especially in developing countries. A comprehensive study of drinking water of coastal areas of the district Badin was carried out including basic physicochemical and bacteriological parameters. Twenty-seven (27) villages of Badin district were assessed for sampling in Sindh, Pakistan. All samples were collected under aseptic conditions in sterilized sampling bags and polystyrene bottles for microbiological and physicochemical analysis and stored in an ice box at temperatures below 4°C. The obtained results ranging from minimum to maximum is as; TDS (374–1319.4 mg L⁻¹), turbidity (1.0–40.1 mg L⁻¹), chlorides (97.0–446 mg L⁻¹), hardness (252–912 mg L⁻¹), F sulfates (65–364 mg L⁻¹), nitrate (0.58–4.67 mg L⁻¹), sodium (35–287 mg L⁻¹), potassium (2.0–11.0 mg L⁻¹), calcium (59.0–264 mg L⁻¹), magnesium (24.0–86.0 mg L⁻¹), iron (0.07–0.16 mg L⁻¹), fluorides (0.75–1.18 mg L⁻¹), arsenic (4.0–8.2 mg L⁻¹) and total coliforms (10–104 colony forming units (CFU). The measured values of the pH, NO₃, arsenic, magnesium, potassium, fluoride and iron were found within safe range as per World Health Organization (WHO, 2011) guidelines 2011 whereas rest of the results showed deviance from the acceptable limits. The 72% for physical parameters, 42% for chemical parameters and 54% for total coliforms are found within permissible limit.