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Introduction: Contamination of water is a critical threat to human health at a global level. Water pollutants, such as heavy metals, can have adverse effects on the well-being of humans, animals, and the natural ecosystem of a region. Study Area: Murree is the most visited tourist destination in Pakistan. The rural population of Murree uses natural spring water for drinking, household use, and irrigation. Methods: This study assessed the elemental concentration of water from 20 natural springs in Murree using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy. Source apportionment and spatial distribution of heavy metals were assessed using statistical approaches such as Pearson's correlation coefficient, principal component analysis, and interpolation. The study assessed the quality of water for drinking and irrigation in Murree's natural spring water using the metal index, sodium absorption ratio, magnesium absorption ratio, percentage sodium, Kelly's ratio, and salinity hazard. The health risks associated with heavy metals were assessed by computing Average daily dose, Hazard quotient, Hazard Index, and Cancer Risk. Results: The mean concentration of metals in mgL-1 varied in the following order: Ca (51.23) > Na (22.3) > Mg (16.26) > Si (6.51) > K (1.59) > Se (1.17) > Sr (0.48) > Ba (0.209) > Al (0.060) > Li (0.015) > Zn (0.005) > Fe (0.0033) > Ni (0.0032) > Cr (0.001). Metal index was calculated for Al (0.3), Ba (0.29), Cr (0.024), Ni (0.14), Fe (0.004), Zn (0.002), Sr (0.07), Mg (0.32), and Ca (0.25), revealing low levels of metal pollution. The geology of the study area was identified as the primary source of heavy metals in the water. The estimated values of health hazards showed that ingestion is the primary exposure pathway, with children having a higher risk. The health hazards posed by the heavy metal contact from the waters of Murree are not alarming. Quality indices show that the irrigation water sourced from the natural springs is of satisfactory quality. Conclusion: The study concluded that the spring water of Murree has low concentrations of heavy metals; their concentration is dependent upon the geology of the study area and is good for drinking and irrigation.

Introduction: Heavy metal pollution in industrial areas around the world is a significant problem that is worsening day by day. Heavy and toxic metals are detrimental to human health and ecology in a region. Hence, determining their level and potential is critical to form effective pollution control strategies for reducing the risks associated with them. Study area: Islamabad is the capital city of Pakistan with a dedicated industrial zone. Purpose: This study evaluated the heavy metal pollution levels in the soil and water of Islamabad's industrial area and radionuclides activity in the soil using statistical, geospatial tools as well as their subsequent health and ecological hazards. Materials and methods: Elemental analysis in this study was performed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The radionuclides activity in the soil was quantified using High Purity Germanium Detector (HPGe). Results: The soil of Islamabad's industrial area is highly polluted with heavy and toxic metals. The risk posed by heavy metals to the eco-system was calculated using Ecological risk factor and was found to be above recommended level. Principal component analysis (PCA), Pearson's correlation and inverse distance weighting interpolation (IDW) revealed that the soil near the steel mills, landfill and marble processing plants is extremely polluted with heavy metals. Health hazards from heavy metal exposure through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact were also calculated. Cr posed a carcinogenic risk to children via the three exposure pathways with the value being 4 × 10−4. Natural radioactivity levels for Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40 were found to be 25.96±12.50, 15.84±2.59, 469.48±52.38 Bqkg−1, respectively. Elemental analysis of water samples coupled with geospatial analysis showed that water samples collected near the industrial complexes have elevated levels of Sb. The water quality for irrigation was assessed and the water from Islamabad's industrial area was found to be suitable for irrigation. Conclusion: In conclusion, the soil of Islamabad's industrial area is highly polluted with heavy metals and has lower levels of natural radioactivity. The water near the industries also has elevated levels of some heavy metals.

Rice, a primary food source in many countries of the world accumulate potentially harmful elements which pose a significant health hazard to consumers. The current study aimed to evaluate potentially toxic and mineral elements in both paddy soils and rice grains associated with allied health risks in Malakand, Pakistan. Rice plants with intact root soil were randomly collected from paddy fields and analyzed for mineral and potentially toxic elements (PTEs) through inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP‒OES). Through deterministic and probabilistic risk assessment models, the daily intake of PTEs with allied health risks from consumption of rice were estimated for children and adults. The results of soil pH (< 8.5) and electrical conductivity (EC > 400 μs/cm), indicated slightly saline nature. The mean phosphorus concentration of 291.50 (mg/kg) in soil samples exceeded FAO/WHO permissible limits. The normalized variation matrix of soil pH with respect to Ni (0.05), Ca (0.05), EC (0.08), and Mg (0.09), indicated significant influence of pH on PTEs mobility. In rice grains, the mean concentrations (mg/kg) of Mg (463.81), Al (70.40), As (1.23), Cr (12.53), Cu (36.07), Fe (144.32), Mn (13.89), and Ni (1.60) exceeded FAO/WHO safety limits. The transfer factor >1 for K, Cu, P and Zn indicated bioavailability and transfer of these elements from soil to rice grains. Monte Carlo simulations of hazard index >1 for Cr, Zn, As, and Cu with certainties of 89.93% and 90.17%, indicated significant noncarcinogenic risks for children and adults from rice consumption. The total carcinogenic risk (TCR) for adults and children exceeded the USEPA acceptable limits of 1×10−6 to 1×10−4, respectively. The sensitivity analysis showed that the ingestion rate was a key risk factor. Arsenic (As) primarily influenced total cancer risk (TCR) in children, while chromium (Cr) significantly impacted adults. Deterministic cancer risk values slightly exceeded probabilistic values due to inherent uncertainties in deterministic analysis. Rice consumption poses health risks, mainly from exposure to Cr, Ni and As in the investigated area.

Recent literature has raised concerns over crop safety due to nickel (Ni) contamination of irrigation water and agricultural soil in Pakistan. Consequently, wheat crop has suffered in terms of nutrient disbalance and yield reduction. Therefore, it is important to screen tolerant wheat cultivars against Ni toxicity with the ability to accumulate low concentration in grains. In this regard, two wheat cultivars (SKD-1 and Borlaug-16) were exposed to Ni stress (100 mg/L) in a pot experiment for 21 days. In the present study, trace elements (As, Cr, Cu, Cd, Mn, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and mineral nutrients (Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, and P) were tested by ICP-OES. To understand tolerance mechanisms, wheat tissues were tested for morphological parameters, anatomical alteration, oxidative stress, and antioxidant capacity. The translocation of Ni was higher in SKD-1 (0.62) compared to Borlaug-16 (0.45) due to low Ni accumulation in roots of Borlaug-16. In the roots of Borlaug-16, trace elements (Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn) were comparatively higher than SKD-1. On the contrary, nutrients (Ca, Fe, Mg, Na, and P) were higher in leaves of SKD-1. Under Ni stress, the root anatomy of Borlaug-16 exhibited a marked increase in the cellular thickness of the cortex by 130.38% and stele by 46.2%. Conversely, the bundle sheath cell thickness rose by 68.36% in the SKD-1. In terms of leaf anatomy, Borlaug-16 showed enhanced thickness in the xylem by 13.01% and bundle sheath cells by 84.95%. Meanwhile, the upper epidermis and phloem of SKD-1 registered thickness increases of 21.80% and 24.47% under Ni stress. Oxidative stress (MDA and H2O2) was comparatively highly induced in SKD-1 tissues compared to Borlaug-16. On the other hand, antioxidants (SOD, CAT, and APX) were comparatively higher in root and leaf tissues of Borlaug-16. The lower Ni uptake, less cellular damage, and high antioxidant capacity of Borlaug-16 makes it more tolerant to Ni stress. Such findings will pave the way towards sustainable crop production.

Water is a vital, finite resource whose quantity and quality are deteriorating as the world population increases. The current study aims to investigate the concentration of heavy metals (HM) in surface water for irrigation purposes with associated human health risks and pollution sources near the marble industry in Malakand, Pakistan. Twenty-seven water samples were randomly collected and analyzed for HM concentration by inductively coupled plasma‒optical emission spectrometry (ICP‒OES). pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), biological oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were measured using standard methods of American Public Health Association (APHA). Irrigation suitability was assessed using specific water quality parameters. The associated health risks from ingestion and dermal exposure to heavy metals were calculated by USEPA health risk indices. Pollution sources and spatial distribution mapping were studied using compositional data analysis (CoDa) and the application of a geographic information system (GIS) to understand the changing behavior of heavy metals in surface waters. The concentrations of BOD (89%), COD (89%), Al (89%), Ca (89%), Cr (56%), Cu (78%), Fe (56%), K (34%) Mg (23%), Mn (56%), Na (89%), Ni (56%), P (89%), and Zn (11%) exceeded the safety limits of National Environmental Quality standards (NEQs) of Pakistan. The results of Kelly's ratio (KR) classified surface water as unsuitable for irrigation. The average daily doses (ADD, mg/kg/day) for Al, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn were higher in children than in adults. The hazard index (HI) for children and adults was above the threshold (HI > 1), indicating a significant risk of non-carcinogenic toxicity. The carcinogenic risk values for Cr and Ni were above the USEPA limit (1 × 10-6 to 1 × 10-4), suggesting a potential carcinogenic risk for the target population. Principal component analysis (PCA), biplot (CLR), and the CoDa-dendrogram allowed for the identification of elemental associations, and their potential source was anthropogenic rather than natural in origin. Regular monitoring and phytoremediation strategies are proposed to safeguard crops and human health.

Due to high biocompatibility, bioactivity, and natural occurrence in bones and teeth, synthetic calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHAp) is a widely applied biomaterial in tissue engineering, including orthopedic surgery and dentistry. However, the brittle nature and low strength reduce its durability, which can be improved by doping metal ions. Rubidium (Rb) is an essential trace element that works as an antibacterial agent in the human body; therefore, it can be doped in synthetic Ca-HAp to promote its durability. In this work, Rb-doped calcium hydroxyapatite (Rb-HAp) nanoparticles are synthesized by the coprecipitation method at low temperatures. Phase purity, crystallinity, doping level, and mechanical properties are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), and micro-hardness tester. It is observed that a minute quantity (≈ 0.02%) of Rb remained in the apatite structure when 5% of Rb+ is doped via in situ method. Moreover, small dopant concentration did not affect the crystal structure and the tensile strength of HAp.