Abstract
Generally industrial sector in Pakistan is impairing the surface as well as groundwater qualities by indiscriminately routing
their effluents into streams, watercourses, agricultural fields, river, lakes and ocean that are invariably resulting in human
ailments apart from threatening the health of water. In Pakistan, little wastewater treatment facilities are available for the
municipal discharges. Consequently, the effluents are dumped into the water bodies causing surface and groundwater
pollution which is endangering biodiversity, health of the people and other ecosystems. Gujranwala waste effluents are no
exception either. The present study has, therefore, been planned to investigate quality status of the city effluents from
Gujranwala; a hub of several industries in Pakistan. A field survey was conducted to locate where effluent samples may be
collected from different industrial wastewater discharge outlets or locations. The study involved determination of water
quality parameters at different points. The values of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD),
total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, turbidity, electric conductivity (EC),
Carbonates (CO3
-1) and Bicarbonates (HCO3
-1) varied for the different industries as 337-617mgl-1, 115-301 mgl-1 , 385-820
mgl-1, 195-6537 mgl-1, 0.2-1.8 mgl-1, 5.63-8.8 mgl-1, 18-540FTU, 389-9950µs/cm, 0-390 mgl-1 and 60-750 mgl-1,
respectively. The measured values of different parameters were compared with those of National Environmental Quality
Standards (NEQS) for precise assessment of their quality. The analysis of the parameters showed that almost all of the
samples were unfit according to NEQS. This situation is indeed a serious threat for the environment and biodiversity and
hence policy makers in the region have to start wastewater monitoring program with the help of local wastewater
management authorities. Based upon the measured data, wastewater treatment plants should be installed to make the water
clean which latter can be used for other purposes e.g., agriculture. It is added that the highest amount of the industrial effluent
is coming from the leather and textile industries followed by ceramic and ghee industries, respectively. Excepting Ghee
industries, all other releases are extremely toxic and therefore demand immediate remedial action.
