PHYSICO-CHEMICAL ASSESSMENT OF WATER SAMPLES COLLECTED FROM SOME SELECTED STREAMS AND RIVERS IN DISTRICT GILGIT, PAKISTAN

Abstract

This study aims to provide information about the drinking water quality of two streams in Chakarkote Sai and Demote Sai and two rivers in Gilgit and Hunza. Parameters were tested including physical, and chemical. The physical parameters were temperature, pH, electric conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO), ammonia (NH_4),total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and reactive orthophosphate (PO₄). The ranges of these parameters set by WHO and NEQs, as most of the Asian countries also follow the WHO standards. All the samples were tested in the EPA certified laboratory of biological sciences department Karakorum international university Gilgit Baltistan. The minimum and maximum values of temperature 15.2-18.4, PH 6.78-6.09, EC 109.3-297 µS, TDS 53.8-149 ppm, Turbidity 0.29-88.4 NTU, DO 7.1-8.9 mg/l, TN 5.63-7.13 mg/l, NH_{4 0.0106}-0.0151 mg/l, TP 0.042-0.143mg/l, and PO₄ 0.0059-0.016 mg/l. Independent T test was applied separately for both streams and rivers to determine significant difference of water properties with respect to location wise. Water parameters like DO and TP were significantly, while temperature, PH, EC, TDS, turbidity, TN, NH₄, PO₄ were non-significant in streams and TDS, turbidity, DO and TN were significant, while temperature, PH, EC, NH₄, TP, PO₄ were non-significant in rivers according to area wise.