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Engineering Assessment of Antibiotic Transport, Retention, and Exposure Pathways in Wastewater impacted Rural Soil–Water Systems of Punjab, Pakistan

Authors

  • Abid Ali

    Department of Environmental Sciences, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi
    Author

  • Audil Rashid

    Department of Environmental Sciences, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
    Author

  • Shahid Mahmood

    Department of Environmental Sciences, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
    Author

  • Tariq Mahmood

    Department of Wildlife Management, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
    Author

  • Aniqa Batool

    Department of Environmental Sciences, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
    Author

  • Munnaza Khalid

    Holy Family Hospital (Gynae Unit-I), Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
    Author

  • Ismat karim

    Department of Chemistry, Chulalongkorn University. Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
    Author

  • Muhammad Shafiq

    Department of Pathology, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan
    Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22581/0740

Keywords:

Environmental Engineering, Antibiotic Transport, Soil–water Interaction, Wastewater Irrigation, Rural Exposure Pathways, HPLC Analysis

Abstract

The presence of heavy metals (HMs) and antibiotic residues together in agricultural soils is a critical environmental engineering issue in rural areas where untreated wastewater irrigation, livestock manure irrigation and poor waste management practices are prevalent. These coupled systems of soil and water have the potential to increase contaminant transport, retention, and persistence and thus increase environmental exposure pathways for rural populations. This study examines the HMs role in mediating environmental behavior and retention of antibiotics in rural soils of Punjab, Pakistan focusing on process-level interactions which are pertinent to environmental engineering systems.

Soil samples from two rural areas, Chountra and Sialkot (n = 26 and 38, respectively) were sampled and analyzed for Cd, Cr, and Pb and the antibiotics that are widely used, using atomic absorption spectrophotometry and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results revealed a higher concentration of HM in soils of Sialkot (Cd: 3.13, Cr: 26.78, Pb: 21.44 mg kg -1) than Chountra. The prevalent antibiotic residues in soil included erythromycin (38.76 mg kg -1), doxycycline (21.56 mg kg -1) and ciprofloxacin (14.32 mg kg -1). Uptake by the naturally growing vegetation found Medicago sativa to be the most important accumulator (0.7-2.9 mg kg -1) followed by Euphorbia hirta (0.8-2.5 mg kg -1).

Correlation analyses showed the complex interactions between HMs and antibiotics, especially between Cd and Pb, which contribute to the increase of adsorption and retention of antibiotics in soils. These results show that sorption processes mediated by HM are responsible for antibiotic persistence and antibiotic mobility in rural soil-water systems. Regarding environmental engineering, the article exposes gaps in the rural wastewater reuse and manure management activities, as well as the improvement of the reuse of decentralized treatment, irrigation control, and exposure mitigation measures to decrease the long-term environmental loading and chronic exposure risks.

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Published

2026-04-01

Issue

Vol. 45 No. 2 (2026): April Issue

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Mehran University Research Journal of Engineering and Technology

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How to Cite

Engineering Assessment of Antibiotic Transport, Retention, and Exposure Pathways in Wastewater impacted Rural Soil–Water Systems of Punjab, Pakistan. (2026). Mehran University Research Journal of Engineering and Technology, 45(2), 217-233. https://doi.org/10.22581/0740

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