Potentially Toxic Elements in Wastewater and their Discharge Dynamics Across Different Timescales in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan

IF 3.5 4区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution Pub Date : 2026-10-06 DOI:10.1007/s11270-026-10027-z

Muhammad Kamran, Ajmal Khan, Muhammad Waqas, Javed Nawab, Sardar Khan

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Abstract

This study determined the levels and discharge dynamics of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in domestic, industrial, and dairy farm (slurry) wastewaters across different timescales (daily, weekly, monthly and yearly) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Target PTEs, such as As, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn, were quantified using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Domestic, industrial, and slurry wastewater contained elevated levels of PTE, with Zn generally showing the highest concentrations, followed by Mn. The concentration patterns were Zn > Mn > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cr > As > Co > Cd in domestic wastewater, Zn > Mn > Pb > Ni > As > Cu > Cr > Co > Cd in industrial wastewater, and Zn > Mn > Cr > Ni > Cu > As > Pb > Co > Cd in slurry wastewater. Overall, the measured PTE concentrations were within the allowable limits of Pakistan’s NEQS and USEPA guidelines; however, Cr and Mn in slurry wastewater exceeded USEPA limits. When metal discharges were compared across the monitoring period, domestic wastewater showed the highest Mn discharge (Mn > Zn > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cr > As > Co > Cd). In contrast, industrial and slurry wastewater exhibited the highest discharge of Zn, with similar discharge rankings (Zn > Mn > Pb > Ni > As > Cu > Cr > Co > Cd). Strong positive correlations between some PTEs show common contamination sources and potential co-mobilization, increasing environmental threats. According to PCA and the heat map, slurry wastewater contributed more than domestic and industrial wastewater. These findings suggest robust monitoring and advanced wastewater treatment strategies to mitigate ecological and public health hazards arising from PTEs contamination.

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巴基斯坦开伯尔-普赫图赫瓦省废水中潜在有毒元素及其在不同时间尺度上的排放动态

本研究确定了巴基斯坦开伯尔普赫图赫瓦省不同时间尺度（每日、每周、每月和每年）家庭、工业和奶牛场（泥浆）废水中潜在有毒元素（pte）的水平和排放动态。采用电感耦合等离子体质谱（ICP-MS）对as、Cd、Cr、Co、Cu、Mn、Ni、Pb和Zn等目标pte进行定量分析。生活、工业和泥浆废水中PTE的含量较高，其中锌的浓度最高，其次是锰。集中模式是锌在锰在铜在倪在Pb在Cr祝辞祝辞;公司在Cd在国内废水,锌在Mn在Pb在倪祝辞祝辞,铜在Cr在公司在Cd工业废水,和锌在Mn在Cr在倪祝辞铜在祝辞,Pb的在公司的在Cd泥浆废水。总体而言，测量的PTE浓度在巴基斯坦NEQS和USEPA指南的允许范围内；然而，浆料废水中的Cr和Mn超过了美国环保局的限制。对比监测期间的金属排放量，生活污水中Mn排放量最高（Mn > Zn > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cr > As > Co > Cd）。相比之下，工业废水和浆料废水的Zn排放量最高，其排放量排名相似（Zn > Mn > Pb > Ni > As > Cu > Cr > Co > Cd）。一些pte之间的强正相关表明了共同的污染源和潜在的共同动员，增加了环境威胁。根据主成分分析和热图，浆料废水的贡献大于生活和工业废水。这些发现建议采取强有力的监测和先进的废水处理战略，以减轻pte污染造成的生态和公共卫生危害。

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来源期刊

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 环境科学-环境科学

CiteScore

4.50

自引率

6.90%

发文量

448

审稿时长

2.6 months

期刊介绍： Water, Air, & Soil Pollution is an international, interdisciplinary journal on all aspects of pollution and solutions to pollution in the biosphere. This includes chemical, physical and biological processes affecting flora, fauna, water, air and soil in relation to environmental pollution. Because of its scope, the subject areas are diverse and include all aspects of pollution sources, transport, deposition, accumulation, acid precipitation, atmospheric pollution, metals, aquatic pollution including marine pollution and ground water, waste water, pesticides, soil pollution, sewage, sediment pollution, forestry pollution, effects of pollutants on humans, vegetation, fish, aquatic species, micro-organisms, and animals, environmental and molecular toxicology applied to pollution research, biosensors, global and climate change, ecological implications of pollution and pollution models. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution also publishes manuscripts on novel methods used in the study of environmental pollutants, environmental toxicology, environmental biology, novel environmental engineering related to pollution, biodiversity as influenced by pollution, novel environmental biotechnology as applied to pollution (e.g. bioremediation), environmental modelling and biorestoration of polluted environments. Articles should not be submitted that are of local interest only and do not advance international knowledge in environmental pollution and solutions to pollution. Articles that simply replicate known knowledge or techniques while researching a local pollution problem will normally be rejected without review. Submitted articles must have up-to-date references, employ the correct experimental replication and statistical analysis, where needed and contain a significant contribution to new knowledge. The publishing and editorial team sincerely appreciate your cooperation. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution publishes research papers; review articles; mini-reviews; and book reviews.