Physico-chemical studies of groundwater quality in Shahdadkot City and its suitability for drinking purpose: A case study for clean water security
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Abstract
Present comparative study was aimed to evaluate the ground water quality of in Shahdadkot City, District Kambar Shahdadkot Sindh. The water samples were taken at random locations based on the population density and water consumption pattern of each site. A total of ten sites were selected. The standard physicochemical parameters i.e. electrical conductivity (EC), pH, water salinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), alkalinity, hardness, chlorides, nitrates, turbidity etc. were analyzed following standard APHA methods. The averageresults found were as pH 6.99, E.C 7398.3(µS/cm),TDS 4493.7mg/L, chlorides 848.4 mg/L, alkalinity 239.2mg/L, Turbidity 1.28 NTU, D.O 2.28 mg/L, nitrates 2.75 mg/L etc. The findings of present study show that the concentration of some physicochemical parameters i.e. E.C, hardness, TDS, were found exceeding the safe limits of WHO for drinking water. This indicates that drinking water at study sites is not suitable for human consumption. To ensure the safety of local resident, a regular assessment should be carried out at different time intervals and appropriate measures must be taken to treat contamination in drinking water prior to its human consumption