Therapeutic drug monitoring of vancomycin in surgical patients using a validated HPLC method.

BACKGROUND: Vancomycin is being used for the treatment of a variety of infections caused by methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is highly recommended for ensuring the safe and effective therapy with vancomycin. A reliable and cost-effective bioanalytical method is required for TDM as well as pharmacokinetic studies of vancomycin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A selective, sensitive, and cost effective HPLC method was developed and validated for quantification of vancomycin concentrations in human plasma. The mobile phase was a mixture of buffer (50 mM ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, pH 2.4) and acetonitrile 88 : 12 v/v. The separation was carried on C18 column (125 × 4.6 mm, particle size 5 µm) with isocratic flow rate of 0.370 mL/min at room temperature with UV detection at 215 nm. The method was validated for sensitivity, accuracy, and precision as well as stability of vancomycin in human plasma by following European Medicine Agency (EMA) guideline. Therapeutic drug monitoring of vancomycin was performed by quantifying the trough concentrations of vancomycin in 65 human plasma samples after administration of therapeutically relevant dose. RESULTS: The developed method was sensitive enough to quantify vancomycin concentrations as low as 0.25 mg/L in human plasma. Moreover, the method was proved accurate and precise in terms of quantifying the unknown concentration of vancomycin. The evaluation of short-term, long-term, and freeze-thaw stability proved the stability of vancomycin in human plasma. The TDM of vancomycin by using this method showed that 39 (60%) samples were within the target trough concentration range (TTCR), i.e. 10 - 20 mg/L, while 23 samples (35.4%) were below the TTCR, and 3 samples (4.6%) were above this range. CONCLUSION: The developed method is sensitive and cost effective for quantification of vancomycin in human plasma. The results of sample analysis shows that the developed method can be used reliably for TDM of vancomycin.

Toxicological profile and potential health concerns through metals and trace elements exposure in brick kiln workers from Lahore, Pakistan.

This study examined levels of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), and arsenic (As) in blood, hair, and nails of 18 brick kiln workers from three brick kiln units located around a metropolitan city, Lahore, Pakistan. All the trace elements except Hg and As were detected in the studied matrices of Brick kiln workers. In general, brick kiln workers reflect the highest concentration of Pb, followed by Cd, Cr, and Cu. Of the pollutants analyzed, Pb has the highest mean (min-max) concentrations at 0.35 (0.09-0.65) in blood (µg/mL), 0.34 (0.14-0.71) in hairs (µg/g), and 0.44 (0.32-0.59) in nails (µg/g) of brick kiln workers. Following Pb, the trend was Cd 0.17 (0.10-0.24), Cu 0.11(0.03-0.27), and Cr 0.07 (0.04-0.08) in blood (µg/mL), followed by Cr 0.11(0.05-0.20), Cd 0.09 (0.03-0.13), and Cu 0.08 (0.04-0.16) in hairs (µg/g) and Cu 0.16 (0.05-0.36), Cd 0.13 (0.11-0.17), and Cr 0.10 (0.05-0.14) in nails (µg/g) respectively. Relatively higher concentrations of metals and other trace elements in blood depicts recent dietary exposure. The difference of trace elements except Pb was non-significant (P > 0.05) among studied matrices of workers as well as between Zigzag and traditional exhaust-based brick kilns. The concentrations of Pb, Cd and Cr in blood of brick kilns workers are higher than the values reported to cause health problems in human populations. It is concluded that chronic exposure to metals and other trace elements may pose some serious health risks to brick kiln workers which needs to be addressed immediately to avoid future worst-case scenarios.

Evaluating the Aphrodisiac Potential of Mirabilis jalapa L. Root Extract: Phytochemical Profiling and In Silico, In Vitro, and In Vivo Assessments in Normal Male Rats.

The traditional use of Mirabilis jalapa L. roots to enhance male sexual performance prompted us to assess the in silico, in vitro, and in vivo aphrodisiac activities of its hydroethanolic extract using normal male rats. Spectroscopic characterization indicated the presence of ß-D-glucopyranoside, methyl-1,9-benzyl-2,6-dichloro-9H-purine, and Bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate; these compounds have a significant inhibitory effect on the phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) enzyme in silico evaluation and minerals (including zinc, cadmium, and magnesium). Other phytochemical analyses revealed the presence of phenolic compounds and flavonoids. These phytochemicals and minerals may contribute to the aphrodisiac activities of the extract. Additionally, the in vivo study revealed that the administration of M. jalapa root extract (300 mg/kg) significantly enhanced (p < 0.01, p < 0.03) mount, intromission, and ejaculation frequencies while significantly (p < 0.05) decreasing the mount and intromission latencies, as well as the post-ejaculatory interval time, in comparison with the standard drugs sildenafil and ginseng, resulting in enhanced erection and sexual performance in the rats. Furthermore, the extract significantly (p < 0.05) increased penile reflexes and also elevated the levels of testosterone and luteinizing hormones. Extract (300 mg/kg) significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited the PDE-5 enzyme in an in vitro study. Concludingly, the comprehensive findings of this study suggest that a standardized herbal extract derived from M. jalapa roots alleviates erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation in male rats. M. jalapa root extract proved to be an alternative treatment for erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation.

Perceptions of oncology as a career choice among the early career doctors in Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Lack of oncologists is a growing global concern. With the rise in cancer burden across the world, the supply-demand mismatch of the oncology workforce is projected to increase. Furthermore, oncology is a low-ranked field of choice among medical students, and without understanding the perceptions and concerns of early-career doctors regarding oncology, any investments made in cancer care will be futile. This study aims to determine the opinions of young doctors and the factors most affecting their preferences in order to devise focused strategies to attract more doctors into oncology. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 early-career doctors across various public and private hospitals in Pakistan, from March to November 2019. A close-ended, self-administered questionnaire was used to assess their opinions in terms of the workplace environment, scope, and the emotional and financial aspects of oncology. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23 and the influence (positive or negative) of the perceptions on the choice of oncology as a career was determined by binary logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Almost three-quarters of the participants did not want a career in oncology. The top positive perceptions about oncology in descending order were: progressive field, gender-neutral, stable working hours, financially healthy, and work-family balance. Top negative perceptions were: lack of oncologic facilities in hospitals, radiation exposure, need for private practice, poor patient prognosis, high patient load, and depressing environment. Participants who attended private medical school (p < 0.10), planned to live abroad (p < 0.10), had an oncologist (p < 0.05), cancer survivor or death due to cancer in the family (p < 0.05), were more likely to adopt oncology as a career. Those who believed that poor patient prognosis can have an impact on career choice were less likely to prefer oncology (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Despite the rising cancer burden, early career doctors are reluctant to join oncology. Curricular, infrastructural and policy changes are needed at the level of medical school, oncology training and practice to recruit more young doctors and minimize the existing paucity of the oncologic workforce.

Wolfram-like syndrome with bicuspid aortic valve due to a homozygous missense variant in CDK13.

BACKGROUND: Wolfram syndrome (WFS) is characterized by deafness, diabetes mellitus, and diabetes insipidus along with optic atrophy. WFS has an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance and is due to variants in WFS1 and CISD2. METHODS: We evaluated the underlying molecular etiology of three affected members of a consanguineous family with hearing impairment, bicuspid aortic valve, diabetes mellitus and insipidus, clinodactyly, and gastrointestinal tract abnormalities via exome sequencing approach. We correlated clinical and imaging data with the genetic findings and their associated phenotypes. RESULTS: We identified a homozygous missense variant p.(Asn1097Lys) in CDK13, a gene previously associated with autosomal dominant congenital heart defects, dysmorphic facial features, clinodactyly, gastrointestinal tract abnormalities, intellectual developmental disorder, and seizures with variable phenotypic features. CONCLUSION: We report a homozygous variant in CDK13 and suggest that this gene causes an autosomal recessive disorder with hearing impairment, bicuspid aortic valve, diabetes mellitus and insipidus, clinodactyly, and gastrointestinal tract abnormalities.

Exploring the linkage between PM2.5 levels and COVID-19 spread and its implications for socio-economic circles.

A pneumonia-like disease of unknown origin caused a catastrophe in Wuhan city, China. This disease spread to 215 countries affecting a wide range of people. World health organization (WHO) called it a pandemic and it was officially named as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona virus 2 (SARS CoV-2), also known as Corona virus disease (COVID-19). This pandemic compelled countries to enforce a socio-economic lockdown to prevent its widespread. This paper focuses on how the particulate matter pollution was reduced during the lockdown period (23 March to April 15, 2020) as compared to before lockdown. Both ground-based and satellite observations were used to identify the improvement in air quality of Pakistan with primary focus on four major cities of Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi and Peshawar. Both datasets have shown a substantial reduction in PM2.5 pollution levels (ranging from 13% to 33% in case of satellite observations, while 23%-58% in ground-based observations) across Pakistan. Result shows a higher rate of COVID-19 spread in major cities of Pakistan with poor air quality conditions. Yet more research is needed in order to establish linkage between COVID-19 spread and air pollution. However, it can be partially attributed to both higher rate of population density and frequent exposure of population to enhanced levels of PM2.5 concentrations before lockdown period.

Population pharmacokinetics of ciprofloxacin in Pakistani patients suffering from enteric fever.

BACKGROUND: Ciprofloxacin, a potent carboxy-fluoroquinolone is proved to be effective against some resistant strains of Gram-negative bacteria. Being a hydrophilic drug, it is primarily excreted through the kidney; almost 66% of the clearance from the body occurs through glomerular filtration. Therefore, renal status of the patient can have a significant effect on ciprofloxacin clearance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 158 samples were collected from 32 patients treated with ciprofloxacin in the Surgical Unit-I of Lahore General Hospital, Pakistan. The data was used for the development of a population pharmacokinetic model by using non-linear mixed-effect modeling (NONMEM) software. The influence of different covariates (age, sex, body weight, serum creatinine (SeCR), and creatinine clearance (CRCL)) was observed on ciprofloxacin clearance (CL) and volume of distribution (Vd) by stepwise covariate modeling (SCM). RESULTS: A one-compartment model was used for ciprofloxacin population pharma-cokinetik (popPK) analysis, and the values for ciprofloxacin CL and Vd in the final model were estimated at 19.8 L/h and 74.9 L, respectively. Among all the tested covariates, only CRCL was proven to have significant influence on ciprofloxacin CL. CONCLUSION: A strong relationship was found between the ciprofloxacin CL and renal status of the patients. The model can be used for dose tailoring in patients based on their CRCL values before the start of therapy with ciprofloxacin among Pakistani patients.

Population pharmacokinetics of meropenem among post-operative patients in Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Meropenem, a potent carbapenem is considered the first choice for the empirical treatment of severe infections. Being a hydrophilic drug, more than 83% of the administered dose is eliminated through the renal route, and therefore, the kidney status of the patient may have a significant effect on meropenem clearance (CL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data of 205 samples obtained from 59 patients treated with meropenem at the General Hospital Lahore, Pakistan, was used for the development of a population pharmacokinetic (-popPK) model by using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling software. The effect of age, body weight, creatinine clearance (CRCL), and gender was observed on meropenem CL through a stepwise covariate modeling approach. Simulations of 1,000 mg q8h and 1,500 mg q12h over 3-hour infusion were performed based on the renal status of the patients. RESULTS: A two-compartment model was used for popPK analysis, and the values of the pharmacokinetic parameters for CL, V1, V2, and Q were 12.2 L/h, 21.7 L, 7.74 L, and 3.28 L/h, respectively. Meropenem CL was significantly influenced by CRCL, while no significant effect of body weight, age, and sex was observed. Both simulated dosage regimens were equally effective if CRCL of the patient was ≤ 100 mL/min, while 1,000 mg q8h produced better results if CRCL was > 100 mL/min. CONCLUSION: The CL of meropenem depends on the renal status of the patients. The model can be used for dosing simulations based on the CRCL of the patients in order to tailor the dose of meropenem in Pakistani patients.

Giant lipoma of submandibular region; an unusual presentation.

Lipomas in the submandibular region are very uncommon. Large submandibular neck mass (greater than 10 cm) with a rapid growth rate, may raise concern about possible malignancy of salivary glands. Failure to distinguish salivary gland tumour and liposarcoma from a lipoma may represent a medico-legal pitfall. It is very important for the surgeon to rule out liposarcomas when dealing with giant lipomas in such regions. We report a case of a 65-year-old male who presented in the OPD with complains of pain and a 15x12 cm, giant submandibular solitary lipoma of anterior neck which had rapidly increased in size. The diagnosis of lipoma was confirmed on physical examination, radiological investigations and Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC). The Patient underwent surgical excision. The surgery produced excellent cosmetic results and no functional impairment. This study illustrates the literature regarding aetiology, epidemiology, followed by diagnostic and treatment modalities of submandibular lipomas.

Fodder cutter (Tokka) injuries: A preventable morbidity.

Pakistan is an agricultural country where fodder cutter (Tokka) is a commonly used machine on the farms. While using it, farmers often meet with accidents causing injuries which are disastrous, and mainly involve the young generation often causing lifelong disability. This is a hospital-based case series, conducted from June 2018 to January 2019 in the Department of Surgery, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore. For this study the patient's demographic data, site of injury, procedure performed and post-operative outcome were recorded. The study includes a total of 30 cases of tokka injury, (23 males and 07 females) with median age of 25 years. Most commonly injured part of the body was the upper limb, in 26 patients, while the lower limb was involved in 2 patients. There were 18 amputations, 8 stumps formation and 4 debridements. Out of the 18, 9 had to be amputated at the wrist, and 9 amputations were performed higher than the wrist. Post-op recovery was uneventful in all cases. Measures such as safer machine design and education of farmers about the safety procedures can significantly avoid these tragedies.

Examining the relationship of tropospheric ozone and climate change on crop productivity using the multivariate panel data techniques.

Home to one-fourth of the world's population and ranked amongst the fastest growing economies, the South Asian countries are marred with the predicament of inexorable pollution. Amidst the growing pollutants, ground-level ozone has become an important component in understanding health, and productivity of agricultural crops. In this regard spatio-temporal analysis of tropospheric ozone for wheat, rice and cotton crops was carried out. Followed-up with a multivariate regression model; establishing a statistical relationship between tropospheric ozone (TO) and crop productivity. The results indicate that predominantly ozone is increasing, with a significant trend visible in all crop growing seasons. Observations indicate higher concentrations of TO in the rice & cotton growing seasons, with a seasonal average of 68 ppb, compared to wheat growing season (55 ppb). Regression results specify that with an increase of 1% in tropospheric ozone concentration within the study area; crop productivity decreases for cotton (-4.0%), rice (-2.3%), and wheat (-0.7%). Furthermore, with the presence of the dominant tropospheric ozone in the regression model, the temperature's impact on productivity becomes statistically inconsequential.

Radiotherapy alone with concurrent chemoradiotherapy plus temozolamide in locally advanced soft tissue sarcoma at Mayo Hospital Lahore: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of combining an oral chemotherapeutic agent temozolamide with radiotherapy in the management of the un-resectable non-metastatic soft tissue sarcomas compared with radiotherapy alone. METHODS: The randomised controlled phase 3, double-arm study was conducted at King Edward Medical University/Mayo Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan, from December 2012 to July 2017. Patients with all sub-types of locally advanced un-resectable soft tissue sarcomas were randomised into two groups. Group-A received radiotherapy alone while Group-B received concomitant chemoradiotherapy with temozolamide after receiving two cycles of standard chemotherapy. Response was evaluated according to response evaluation criteria in solid tumours through computed tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging after 6 weeks following completion of radiotherapy. SPSS 21 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Of the 64 patients, 32(50%) were assigned to each group. The mean age of Group-A was 36.25±20.31 and of Group-B 37.84±15.79 years .There were 18(56.3%) males in Group-A and 20(62.5%) in Group-B. Improvement in trends of overall response rate was observed in Group-B 24(75%) compared to 18(56.3%) in Group-A (p=0.12).. CONCLUSIONS: Though not statistically significant, there was improvement in response rate with the addition of temozolamide to standard radiation therapy.

The spectrum of injuries from motorcycle induced road traffic accidents from level one trauma center: A prospective observational study.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the role of motorcycles in causing Road Traffic Accidents and assess the demographics of the drivers, the injury patterns and their outcomes. METHODS: This prospective observational study was conducted at the Surgical Unit 1, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore for a period of 6 months from November 2017 to May 2018. All patients presenting in ER with RTA secondary to motorcycle trauma were included in the study. Data of patients including demographic and medical data, helmet use, spectrum of injuries, specific injury diagnosis, and final disposition of patients was analyzed. The distribution and associations of both victim- and crash-related variables such as crash mechanism, types of involved vehicles, types of injuries, and demographic characteristics were investigated. Data were analyzed by SPSS v23. RESULTS: A total of 835 patients were included in this study with 685 (82%) being male (mean age 28.38 ± 13.89 years) and775 (92.7%) were motorcycle users. The majority of road traffic crashes, traffic accident's mechanism were motorcycle-vehicle accident 579 (69.3%), followed by collision with slow moving carts and bicycles 104 (12.5%). Inner city main roads were the site for 563 (67.4%) accidents. Only 168 (2.2%) patients were wearing helmets at the time of trauma. CONCLUSIONS: Motorcycle traffic morbidities and mortalities remain to be a major public health issue in Lahore as well as all over Pakistan. There is an urgent need for an efficacious interventional programs to decline the burden of motorcycle related morbidity and mortalities.

Formulation of Phaseolus vulgaris L. cream and its characterization.

Red kidney beans have antioxidant effect and thereby can help in skin smoothening, moisturizing, whitening and have anti-wrinkles effect. The study was based on the formulation of a stable w/o emulsion possessing extract of Phaseolus vulgaris L. seeds, using paraffin oil with the aim to investigate its effect on various skin parameters. The extract, achieved by concentrating ethanolic extract of red kidney beans was embedded in the internal aqueous part of w/o emulsion. An active formulation possessing concentrated extract of red kidney beans and a placebo formulation having no active material in the aqueous phase were formulated and placed at various conditions for the duration of 28 days, to observe the stability of cream. The placebo and formulation were stable at different storage conditions in terms of phase separation and colour changes. Minute liquefaction was observed from 21stday up to 28th day in formulations which were kept at 40°C +75% RH (relative humidity). With the passage of time significant changes were observed in formulation pH while insignificant changes were observed at basic pH. Different effects of creams i.e., placebo and formulations were observed on the human skin by applying them on the volunteer's cheeks for about 8 weeks. A stable w/o emulsion can be formulated by using red kidney beans' extract without any phase separation, liquefaction and colour change over 28 days storage.

Investigating the impact of Glyoxal retrieval from MAX-DOAS observations during haze and non-haze conditions in Beijing.

This study presents the Multi Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) measurements for Glyoxal (CHOCHO) in Beijing, China (39.95°N, 116.32°E). CHOCHO is the smallest compound of di-carbonyl group. As a primary sink of CHOCHO, its photolysis with NOx (oxides of nitrogen) results in the production of tropospheric ozone. Therefore, the focus of CHOCHO DOAS measurements is increasing in trend. We did the measurements from 09 May 2017 to 09 September 2017. The study was conducted to compare different retrieval settings in order to reveal best DOAS fit settings for CHOCHO; furthermore, effect of haze and non-haze days on CHOCHO concentration was examined. The root mean square of residual and Differential Slant Column density (dSCD) error was reduced when measurements were done with lower wavelength limit around 432-438 nm and upper intervals around 455-460 nm. Thus, lower wavelength intervals around 432-438 nm and upper intervals around 457-460 nm were best for the retrieval of dSCDs for CHOCHO. Meteorological conditions like haze or non-haze days did not have significant effect on DOAS fit parameters. The CHOCHO vertical column densities range from 1.33E+14 to 9.77E+14 molecules/cm2 during the study period with average of 6.16E+14 molecules/cm2. The results indicated that during haze days CHOCHO concentration was higher because of lower rate of photolysis and atmospheric oxidation potential. Our results did not show any significant weekend effect on CHOCHO atmospheric concentration.

Spatial variance and assessment of nitrogen dioxide pollution in major cities of Pakistan along N5-Highway.

This paper discusses the findings of the first car MAX-DOAS (multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy) field campaign (300km long) along the National Highway-05 (N5-Highway) of Pakistan conducted on 13 and 14 November, 2012. The main objective of the field campaign was to assess the spatial distribution of tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) columns and corresponding concentrations along the N5-Highway from Islamabad to Lahore. Source identification of NO2 revealed that the concentrations were higher within major cities along the highway. The highest NO2 vertical column densities (NO2 VCDs) were found around two major cities of Rawalpindi and Lahore. This study also presents a comparison of NO2 VCDs measured by the ozone monitoring instrument (OMI) and car MAX-DOAS observations. The comparison revealed similar spatial distribution of the NO2 columns with both car MAX-DOAS and satellite observations, but the car MAX-DOAS observations show much more spatial details. Maximum NO2 VCD retrieved from car MAX-DOAS observations was up to an order of magnitude larger than the OMI observations in urban areas.

Failure in HiRes Ultra Series Recall Devices Does Not Necessarily Lead to Decrement in Performance.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the impact on speech perception for patients experiencing Advanced Bionics V1 series Ultra and Ultra 3D cochlear implant failure. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary academic center. PATIENTS: Adult patients implanted with V1 series devices. INTERVENTIONS: Device integrity and speech perception testing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: consonant-nucleus-consonant and AzBio in quiet speech recognition scores. RESULTS: At our institution, 116 V1 series cochlear implants were placed in 114 patients. Thirteen devices in prelingual patients were excluded, leaving 103 (89%) for final analysis. Forty-eight (46.6%) devices were considered as failed using the company provided EFI analysis tool. There were 36 (65.5%) of the remaining 55 devices that consistently tested within normal range; the remainder lost to follow-up with unknown status. Among the 48 device failures, 29 were revised and 19 patients were not revised. Among those not revised, 11 self-opted for observation (57.9%). Observed patients, despite impedance changes meeting failure criteria, had no subjective or objective changes in speech perception. Sentence testing scores for failure patients who elected observation (82.9 ± 11.4%) were significantly higher at failure compared with those opting for revision (55 ± 22.8%, p = 0.006). For those undergoing revision surgery, significant improvement in post-activation scores was noted as compared with time of failure with a mean improvement of 12.9% (p = 0.002, n = 24) for consonant-nucleus-consonant word scores and 17.2% (p = 0.001, n = 19) for AzBio in quiet scores. CONCLUSIONS: Proactive monitoring using EFI identifies a higher rate of Ultra Series V1 device failure than previously reported. However, about 20% of these patients may not have subjective change in hearing or objective decline in test scores and could be observed. Should performance worsen, reimplantation provides significant improvement in speech recognition.

In-depth characterization of particulate matter in a highly polluted urban environment at the foothills of Himalaya-Karakorum Region.

In recent years, the rising levels of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) have an impact on the earth's system, leading to undesirable consequences on various aspects like human health, visibility, and climate. The present work is carried out over an insufficiently studied but polluted urban area of Peshawar, which lies at the foothills of the famous Himalaya and Karakorum area, Northern Pakistan. The particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 10 µm, i.e., PM10 are collected and analyzed for mineralogical, morphological, and chemical properties. Diverse techniques were used to examine the PM10 samples, for instance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy along with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, proton-induced x-ray emission, and an OC/EC carbon analyzer. The 24 h average PM10 mass concentration along with standard deviation was investigated to be 586.83 ± 217.70 µg/m3, which was around 13 times greater than the permissible limit of the world health organization (45 µg/m3) and 4 times the Pakistan national environmental quality standards for ambient PM10 (150 µg/m3). Minerals such as crystalline silicate, carbonate, asbestiform minerals, sulfate, and clay minerals were found using FTIR and XRD investigations. Microscopic examination revealed particles of various shapes, including angular, flaky, rod-like, crystalline, irregular, rounded, porous, chain, spherical, and agglomeration structures. This proved that the particles had geogenic, anthropogenic, and biological origins. The average value of organic carbon, elemental carbon, and total carbon is found to be 91.56 ± 43.17, 6.72 ± 1.99, and 102.41 ± 44.90 µg/m3, respectively. Water-soluble ions K+ and OC show a substantial association (R = 0.71). Prominent sources identified using Principle component analysis (PCA) are anthropogenic, crustal, industrial, and electronic combustion. This research paper identified the potential sources of PM10, which are vital for preparing an air quality management plan in the urban environment of Peshawar.