Canadian Journal of Pure & Applied Sciences

Abstract: Karachi city produces discharge of wastewater of 300 mil gallons per day. There are three sewerage plants in Karachi but they are able to treat only 45 million gallon per day (15% of the total wastewater). A large number of industries discharge deadly and toxic waste into storm-drains, open nullahs or in the Lyari and Malir rivers. These include leather tanning units, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, refineries, chemical, textile, engineering works and thermal power plants. The Lyari River has become a putrid and toxic gutter due to discharge of effluents. Almost all chemical waste is dumped untreated into the river system from where it is taken out to sea. In this study, estrogenic activities of wastewater were determined with the samples collected from seven selected sites of Karachi city. A study of estrogenic activities was done between these seven selected areas, using the samples collected, estrogenic activity found in Site A 1.46 ng/L, site B 2.15 ng/L, site C 0.76 ng/L, site D 7.47 ng/L, site E 0.77 ng/L, site F 0.12 ng/L and site G 0.21 ng/L estradiol equivalents. While the highest estrogenic activity was found in site D 7.47 ng/L estradiol equivalents.