Abstract
The study was conducted to evaluate the quality of effluents/ waste water samples from Rawalpindi region for
irrigation purpose and to elucidate effects of their application on heavy metal contents in soils of area. Results
indicated that the EC, SAR, RSC and TDS of most effluent/ waste water samples were above the critical limits.
Cadmium and Cr were above the critical limits in almost all the effluent samples, whereas Ni was high in 14, Pb
was high in 10, Cu was high in 5 and the Fe was high in 3 effluent samples as compared to critical limits.
Regarding heavy metals contents of soils irrigated by these effluents/ waste water, total Fe, total Cd and total Ni
were higher in almost all the sampled sites, whereas total Cr was high at 7 sampled sites. AB-DTPA extractable
Fe and Zn were higher at all the sampled sites, while the extractable Cd was higher at 2 sampled sites. Overall,
the effluent samples collected from Adiala showed high concentrations of heavy metals, whereas soils of Wah
factory and Islamabad area had higher heavy metal contents (total & AB-DTPA extractable). On the basis of
results it is concluded that quality of effluents/ waste water samples collected from different locations of
Rawalpindi is not good for irrigation and the long term use of these effluents for crop production caused
accumulation of some toxic metals in soils above critical limits which is harmful for soil health and may lead to
elevated levels of heavy metals in crop plants.
