Environmental and health impacts of industrial wastewater effluents in Pakistan: a review

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Pakistan possesses developed industrial estate facilities in all provinces of the country. Most of these industrial estates are confined to a particular territory, however some industries are spread over near residential and commercial areas. They cater to all types of industry needs and are well supplied with a wide range of infrastructure and related services. These industrial zones are comprised of various kinds of industries such as textiles, paper and pulp, steel, ghee, chemical, pesticides, fertilizer, petroleum, detergents, dairy products, pharmaceuticals, plastics and others. In the area effluents of all industries are discharged into small drains which eventually join big drains and ultimately thrown into the rivers. Effluents discharged from industries usually contain hazardous and toxic substances that eventually settle down as bottom sediment in the river water. In developing countries the urban population is mostly affected by using this water for domestic purposes. Irrigation with these industrial wastewater is common in the urban areas. The effluents containing mainly heavy metals can pollute the water stream, which is of great concern because of their persistency and non-biodegradability in the environment.

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