2. Materials and methods
2.1. Site description
The study area is situated in district Swabi, Pakistan (Fig. 1).
Across the eastern hills, the famous Tarbella dam occurs along the
river Indus. Topographically, the study area is consisting of flood
deposits, uneven ground and natural drains. It contains extensive
gravel deposits with shingle beds, silt and clay stratifications,
generally flat in the south and west of the industrial estate. The
industrial effluents were discharged into environment without any
treatment that led to pollute the surrounding environment
including soil and surface and subsurface water.