Assessment of Toxic Heavy Metals in Water Samples from Various Region of Mekran Using Spectroscopic Technique

Abstract

Heavy metals are the metals that are found at the bottom of the periodic table and have a higher density than 5 g/cm³. Even though heavy metals are necessary for organisms in little amounts but they can be poisonous to the living environment in high amounts. chemical wastes of industries, dumping of hospitals wastes into rivers and other materials which contain heavy metals are main causative ways of serious health hazards. Water is an important component of life on earth and it helps all activities carry out in living creatures. Clean and healthy water is the basic need for living organisms. This research was carried out on heavy metal analysis in drinking water in two districts of Balochistan named Kech and Gwadar. 13 water samples were collected from both districts. The concentration of zinc, chromium, iron, copper, arsenic, nickel, manganese of water samples was analyzed using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS) and colorimetric methods. The highest concentration was analyzed in heavy metals in District Kech, Copper (Cu) 0.09 ppm, Iron (Fe) 5.55 ppm, Zinc (Zn) 0.35 ppm, Nickel (Ni) 0.22 ppm, Manganese (Mn) 0.743 ppm, Chromium (Cr) 0.05 ppm and Arsenic (As) was not detected. The highest concentration was analyzed in heavy metals in District Gwadar, Copper (Cu) 0.08 ppm, Iron (Fe) 3.36 ppm, Zinc (Zn) 0.43 ppm, Nickel (Ni) 0.22 ppm, Manganese (Mn) 0.140 ppm, Chromium (Cr) and Arsenic (As) were not detected. The aims and objectives of this study are to determine the mean concentrations of heavy metals including Cu, Cr, Zn, Ni, As, Mn, and Fe in water samples of different regions of Mekran Balochistan. People of Mekran mostly use water from lakes, rivers, and stream water for drinking and other purposes. There is no water purification system in the Mekran region and people are being affected by drinking contamination of water, in which heavy metals are one of the main causative ways of health effects. This research will enhance the knowledge of the local people of the Mekran division about the toxicity of water contamination, especially heavy metals.