Integrated Source Tracking and Assessment of Drinking Water Contamination in Rural Sindh, Pakistan

Asim Ali; Jabir Ali Keerio; Muntazir Abbas; Adeel Ahmed

doi:10.33411/IJIST/1967

Authors

Asim Ali Department of Civil Engineering Technology, The Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University of Technology & Skill Development, Khairpur Mirs, Pakistan
Jabir Ali Keerio Department of Civil Engineering Technology, The Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University of Technology & Skill Development, Khairpur Mirs, Pakistan
Muntazir Abbas Western Enterprises, Gazali Road, Karachi, Pakistan
Adeel Ahmed Western Enterprises, Gazali Road, Karachi, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33411/IJIST/1967

Keywords:

Physio-Chemical Analysis, Mathematical Models, WHO Standards, Khairpur City , Arsenic

Abstract

Introduction/Importance of Study: Water is essential for life, and it can be contaminated by physical, chemical, and biological pollutants. This polluted water can impact human health and lead to abdominal pain, diabetes, diarrhea, and cancers (kidney, liver, and lungs).

Novelty statement: Therefore, a thorough water quality assessment of Khairpur city is done in this study by integrating detailed physicochemical characterization with mathematical modeling. Beyond evaluating the current groundwater status, the developed models were calibrated and validated to accurately predict groundwater quality, offering a robust decision-support framework for sustainable water resource management and future monitoring.

Material and Method: For this, 58 samples were collected according to the major residential areas of the city. Whereas mathematical modeling was done by using WQI and SPI mathematical tools.

Result and Discussion: The analysis showed that all water samples complied with the WHO permissible pH range, while 19 of 58 samples (32.8%) exceeded the WHO limit for total dissolved solids (TDS). Temperature remained within acceptable limits at all sampling locations. Turbidity exceeded the WHO guideline (5 NTU) in 5 samples (8.6%), dissolved oxygen (DO) was below the recommended level in 10 samples (17.2%), and arsenic concentrations exceeded the permissible limit in 9 samples (15.5%). The Water Quality Index (WQI) classified 1 location (1.7%) as excellent, 26 (44.8%) as good, 24 (41.4%) as poor, and 3 (5.2%) as very poor. Similarly, the Synthetic Pollution Index (SPI) identified 25 locations (43.1%) as suitable, 1 (1.7%) as slightly contaminated, 27 (46.6%) as moderately contaminated, 2 (3.4%) as highly contaminated, and 3 (5.2%) as unsuitable for drinking. A strong positive agreement between the WQI and SPI models was observed, with a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.78, indicating the reliability and consistency of both assessment approaches.

Concluding Remarks: This study has revealed a minor violation of WHO water quality standards. However, the required thresholds have been achieved at the most of the study locations.

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