Rising Metals Concentration in the Environment: A Response to Effluents of Leather Industries in Sialkot

• Published in: Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology Vol. 106; no. 3; pp. 493 - 500
• Main Authors: Khalid, Noreen, Rizvi, Zarrin Fatima, Yousaf, Nousheen, Khan, Shujaul Mulk, Noman, Ali, Aqeel, Muhammad, Latif, Komal, Rafique, Asmara
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.03.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Cadmium; Calcium; Chromium; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Effluents; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Irrigation; Irrigation practices; Irrigation water; Laboratories; Leather; Magnesium; Manganese; Metal concentrations; Metals; Metals - analysis; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Nickel; Pakistan; Plant sciences; Pollution; Soil; Soil contamination; Soil fertility; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil pollution; Soil quality; Soil Science & Conservation; Soils; Tannery wastes; Tanning; toxicity; Toxicology; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Zinc; Pakistan; Tanneries; Industrial pollution; Effluents; Waste water
• ISSN: 0007-4861; 1432-0800; 1432-0800
• DOI: 10.1007/s00128-021-03111-z

Many leather processing industries in Sialkot, Pakistan, discharge their wastes freely into the environment which then enters nearby water bodies. Irrigation practices with these polluted waters pose a great threat to the soil quality. Hence, the soils and effluent waters of five famous leather processing sites were evaluated for the presence of As, Cr, Cd, Ni, Zn, Mn, Mg, Na, K, and Ca. High mean concentrations of As (112.6 mg kg −1 ), Cr (45.9 mg kg −1 ), Cd (2.0 mg kg −1 ), Ni (58.2 mg kg −1 ), Zn (117.6 mg kg −1 ), Mn (12.8 mg kg −1 ), Mg (34,511 mg kg −1 ), Na (16,292 mg kg −1 ), K (1765 mg kg −1 ), and Ca (4387 mg kg −1 ) were found in soils at our study sites. Effluents were found to be highly acidic with high TDS content and high EC values. Index of Geoaccumulation ( Igeo ) confirmed the extremely toxic nature of these soils. Plants growing at these sites also showed high concentrations of As, Cr, and Cd in their leaves.