Residual Assessment of Emerging Pesticides in Aquatic Sinks of Lahore, Pakistan

Hafiza Hira Iqbal, Abdul Qadir, Sajid Rashid Ahmad, Muhammad Ahsan Riaz, Ayesha Riaz, Naeem Shahid () and Muhammad Arslan ()
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Hafiza Hira Iqbal: College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
Abdul Qadir: College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
Sajid Rashid Ahmad: College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
Muhammad Ahsan Riaz: Centre for Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
Ayesha Riaz: Department of Zoology, Government College Women University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Naeem Shahid: System-Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Muhammad Arslan: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 21, 1-14

Abstract: In recent decades, the use of pesticides has become fundamental to agricultural growth. However, the persistent and toxic nature of pesticides has led to significant concerns regarding their ecological and human health consequences. Therefore, for a better understanding of pesticide contamination and its potential risks, here we assessed the levels of five emerging pesticides—acetochlor, imidacloprid, MCPA, atrazine, and allethrin—in soil samples from ponds used for irrigation and in drinking water samples from nearby areas in Lahore, Pakistan. Our findings revealed that 100% of the samples were contaminated, posing substantial ecological and human health risks. Based on the toxic units (TU sum ), all the soil samples showed higher toxic pressure, exceeding acute and chronic toxicity thresholds for earthworms, while 100% of water samples posed chronic toxicity risks to crustaceans and 10% to algae. Pollution index (PI) analysis further classified 100% of the soil samples and 10% of the water samples as highly polluted. These findings show high-pesticide residues in both soil and water and highlight immediate risk assessment and mitigation measures to protect non-target organisms. This preliminary information can be used to adopt risk assessment monitoring programmes and help higher authorities in making policies and guidelines to mitigate the escalating risk for ecology and humans.

Keywords: emerging pollutants; water bodies; soil contamination; water contamination; risk assessment; non-target organisms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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