Present study was designed to monitor organochlorine and pyrethroids pesticides, possible sources, their spatial and temporal variations, bioaccumulation pattern in fish through water and sediments and human risk assessment. Levels of aldrin, o, p′, DDT p, p′, DDT o, p′, DDE p, p′, DDE, α-Endosulfan, β-Endosulfan from organochlorine and cypermethrin, deltamethrin, permethrin and bifenthrin from pyrethroids class were monitored in the present study. During the study, five fish species, four carnivores (Channa marulius, Anguilla rostrata, Channa punctatus and Wallagu attu) and one herbivore (Labeo boga) were sampled from the four headworks of the river Chenab. Samples were collected from three major aquatic matrices (water, sediments and fish) from the eight sampling sites situated at Marala, Khanki, Qadirabad and Trimu Headworks of River Chenab, during summer and winter seasons. Prior to analysis, liquid phase extraction technique was applied for water samples while all the collected sediment and fish samples were extracted by Soxhlet Extraction Technique. Samples were then processed to column chromatography for cleanup and analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) after achieving LOD and LOQ and assuring all the quality control procedures. BCF and BSAF were calculated for the presence of relevant pesticides in water, fish and sediments. Human health risk was assessed for organochlorine and pyrethroids pesticides by consuming the contaminated fish. Physical and chemical parameters of both water and sediments collected from all the sampling sites of the river Chenab were determined. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), cluster analysis and PCA were applied for significance, classification of sites and source identification of pesticides. Concentrations of pesticides in surface waters of River Chenab ranged from 15 to165 and 23 to 275 ngL- 1 for organochlorine and 0.087 to 0.189 and 0.094 to 0.355 µgL-1 for pyrethroids during summer and winter seasons, respectively. Among organochlorine pesticides, DDTs exhibited the highest concentration in all water, sediments and fish samples, followed by Endosulfan and then aldrin while from pyrethroids group, deltamethrin showed highest values followed by cypermethrin, permethrin and then bifenthrin in descending order. Concentrations of DDT in water exceeded from the CCC concentration guidelines of USEPA while aldrin levels were higher than the PSQCA set criteria. Concentrations of pesticides in sediments ranged from 4.3 to 156.3 and 8.15 to 239.19 ngg-1 for organochlorine and 0.147 to 1.162 and 0.254 to 1.248 µgg-1 for pyrethroids during summer and winter seasons respectively. The risk assessment estimated that the 12.5-100% of sediments exceeded than the sediment quality guidelines while total DDTs level exceeded in 75-100% of sediments samples compared to the sediments quality standards. Indicative ratios of DDT with its isomer and metabolites suggested the past and current application and long transport range of organochlorine. Deltamethrin, cypermethrin and permethrin concentrations in water were found to be higher than their LC50 while levels of pyrethroids in sediments were below its LC50 values. Statistical analysis reflected the intensive agro-industrial activities and municipal effluents as major sources of organochlorine and pyrethroids in the freshwater ecosystem of river Chenab. The level of organochlorine monitored at Khanki Headworks (S3, S4) was relatively higher than the other three Headworks while level of pyrethroids was higher at Trimu Headworks (S7, S8) as compared to Marala, Khanki and Qadirabad Headworks. Organochlorine and pyrethroids levels in all the samples of water, sediments and fish were higher during winter season as compared to summer season. Organochlorine concentrations in fish ranged from 23.79 to 387.12 ngg-1 but 0.35 to 1.272 µgg-1 for pyrethroids during summer and winter seasons respectively indicated their bio-magnification in fish. Risk assessments of organochlorine pesticides showed that DDT contaminated fish intake would pose a health risk to humans. However, no immediate risk was assessed by pyrethroid contaminated fish consumption. Present study results highlighted both organochlorine (outdated) and pyrethroids (current) pesticides associated pollution in the riverine ecosystem of the river Chenab to mitigate the adverse situation. Current study also evaluated the phytoremediation potential of aquatic macrophytes (Eichhornia crassipes, Pistia stratiotes) and algae (chaetomorphasutoria, sirogoniumsticticum and zygnema sp.) for organochlorine and pyrethroids pesticides. Eleven treatments (T1- T11) with and without plants were used for phytoremediation of organochlorine and pyrethroid pesticides. Water and plant samples were extracted by liquid phase and solid phase extraction respectively and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. During the experiment, P. stratiotes, E. crassipes and algae (C. sutoria, S. sticticum and Zygnema sp.) showed good removal efficiency with 62% (71% root, 29% shoot), 60% (67% root, 33% shoot), and 58% respectively for organochlorine and 76% (76% root, 24% shoot), 68% (69% root, 31% shoot), and 70% respectively for pyrethroids. Dissipation rate constant of treatments with plants (T2, T3, T5, T6, T8, and T9) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) as compared to treatments without plants i.e. T10 and T11 (control) for both organochlorine and pyrethroids. Bioconcentration factor of pyrethroids treatments (T3, T6, and T9) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) as compared to that of organochlorine treatments (T2, T5 and T8). The removal efficiency of E. crassipes, P. stratiotes and algae (C. sutoria, S. sticticum and Zygnema sp.) for pyrethroids was significantly higher (p < 0.01) as compared to that of organochlorine. Present study concluded that organochlorine and pyrethroids pesticides were abundantly found in the three aquatic environmental compartments (water, sediments and fish) that may cause a severe ecological risk to humans and other biota due to continuous and irregular use of these chemicals which ultimately add to the river Chenab via surface runoff or atmospheric deposition.
Seerah is a separate Islamic science from Hadith as their primary sources are different. Although there are some extents where there is over laying between them, but traditionally Seerah has different principles as compared to Hadith. The Scholars of Hadith were very strict in applying their rules whereas the scholars of Seerah were more flexible. The reason is, when academics were dealing with Ahadiths and deducingdivine rulings, they wanted to make sure they were founding the rulings on Ahadiths that were authentic and sound. So that is why they applied very stringent rules to accept Ahadith. However, when it came to Seerah, they were more flexible in their rules, because they study this as history of The Prophet PBUH which does not touch the Sharia rulings. So, we find that writers of Seerah would accept narrations, they would not usually accept if they were dealing with Ahadith. This practice with Seerah narrations was followed by our early scholars. But recently, there is a new movement among some of our researchers that they wanted to apply the rules of Ahadith on Seerah. We do not agree this approach and in this article, we have had a humble effort to compile a set of rules for acceptance of Seerah narrations.
Global warming due to fossil fuel emissions, depletion of petroleum product reserves, population growth and crude oil price hikes have stimulated researchers to search for economical and environment friendly alternative energy resources. This study firstly reports the development of a novel, cheap, easy and environmental friendly regeneration method of waste automotive oil. Secondly, efforts were made to convert Pakistani waste oils such as waste engine oil, waste transformer oil, waste tyre pyrolysis oil and waste cooking oil into biodiesel and biodiesel-diesel fuel blends to be used in diesel engines without any engine modification. A new method was developed to regenerate waste automotive engine oils into valuable base oil using cheaply available Rice Husk Ash (RHA) as raw material.Optimum results were observed only with 6% activated RHA. The advantage of using an activated rice husk ash is that it does not react with base oils and involves use of only 1% acetic acid as compared to conventional acid clay method involving the use of 6-8% Conc. H2SO4 which is harmful to the environment. Another advantage of using acetic acid is that it does not emit poisonous gases like sulfur dioxide to the atmosphere. Efforts were made to prepare biodiesel like fuel blends derived from pretreated waste engine oil, waste transformer oil, waste tyre pyrolysis oil and waste cooking oil. Experimental investigations on these Pakistani waste oils were carried out in a 5.5kW four-stroke single-cylinder water cooled direct-injection diesel engine for combustion, performance and emission characteristics. Results obtained were compared with those of petroleum diesel. All the fuel blends run in the diesel engine have shown slightly higher fuel consumptions and shorter ignition delays in comparison to petroleum diesel. The engine was successfully operated with waste oil derived biodiesel fuel blends without engine failure but the best performance was observed with CFB10, vii BLF15, BLF20, FMWO10, WCOB10 and WCOB15 biodiesel fuel blends. Biodiesel blends derived from regenerated waste engine oils have shown significantly lower HC, CO and smoke emissions as compared to petroleum based diesel. Biodiesel fuel blends derived from waste transformer oil have indicated lower HC, CO and smoke emissions as 10.92-31.17%, 3.80-6.32% and 1.39-5.21% respectively in comparison to those of petroleum diesel. Fuel blends derived from waste tyre pyrolysis oil have shown 3.12-15.62%, 16.5-33.2% and 1.83 - 4.5% lesser CO, HC and smoke emissions compared to petroleum diesel fuel. Similarly, biodiesel fuel blends derived from waste cooking oil have shown significantly reduced pollutant emissions. All the biodiesel-diesel fuel blends derived from waste oils mentioned above were characterized by FTIR and the results were compared with those of petroleum diesel. Like petroleum diesel, the obtained FTIR analysis results also confirmed the presence of saturated alkanes in the investigated biodiesel fuel blends. Biodiesels derived from regenerated waste oils and their blends were characterized for physico chemical properties using ASTM (American Society for Testing and Material) standard methods and the results were compared with petroleum diesel. Analysis results were found within the permissible limits of biodiesel fuel as specified by European (EN14214) and American (ASTM 6751) standards. Current research demonstrates the beneficial and environment friendly conversion of waste oils into useful commodity i.e. biodiesel to be used as alternative fuels for diesel engines. On the whole, this will reduce hazardous waste oil disposal problems, minimize environmental issues and boost the economy of Pakistan by minimizing its dependence on foreign origin crude oil reserves for mineral diesel fuel.