Air of Peshawar, Mardan possesses high values of PM25, NO2: survey

The air of Peshawar and Mardan has too much high values of Particulate Matters (PM25) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), ie 56.6 & 144.3, respectively, said a survey conducted by the Environment Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The survey was conducted by the department of different divisional headquarters of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ie Peshawar, Kohat, D I Khan, Mardan, Hazara and Malakand.
The result of the survey shows a prominent division from the permissible limits of national environment. The samples were checked for air, water and soil qualities. Similarly, in other districts like D I Khan, Hazara, Malakand, Kohat and Bannu, the PM25 value were too high reaching at alarming rates while Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) were within the limits.
The permissible limits issued by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are 15 and 80 for PM25 and NO2 respectively and the air were checked for other parameters as well where all the other parameters were in the limit. The PM have adverse effects on the environment as well as health problems are directed associated with its size. Small size directly enters lungs or blood stream and affects hearts, causes irritation, coughing and decreases the function of lungs too.
Other than health hazard, they have some environmental issue like they reduce visibility, damages sensitive forest and farm crops and contribute in Acid rain too and reduces the aesthetic value of environment. Same is the case with the high or increase amount of NO2. It creates chronic and mortality level effects.
The second parameter checked was the quality of drinking water of these divisions. Safe drinking water plays the key role in health safety. The water checked for Peshawar contains PH, TDS, Fluorides, Arsenic, Manganese. Nitrogen level and Calcium level exists in the permissible limits. Some parameters are at the peak of limits in two locations ie Babo Ghari and Sardar Colony on Charsadda Road and also the Turbidity level crossed the limit but, the overall situation is good but the only problem was that Faecal Coliform (FC) were defected somewhere which is hazardous to health. Same is the case with Mardan having all the parameters were within limits, but Arsenic level exceeded in Akbar Colony and NO3 level exceeded in Nehar Chowk and Fazal Colony. The main problem was of faecal Coliform in drinking water, which is a serious threat to health.
Whereas in Kohat all the parameters were within limits except some places, The TDS and Chloride exceeded at Gumbat, Ghorzai, where Turbidity and NO3 exceeded at Kohat Cantonment, Ghamkol Afghan camp. The overall result shows that the Faecal coliform is not within limit, it is at very high rate, which is a risk for health. All other parameters are in the limit in all divisions except of the Faecal Coliform rate, which is increasing at alarming rate.