Groundwater quality and non-carcinogenic health risk assessment of nitrate in the semi-arid region of Punjab, India

Abstract

Groundwater is the main source of water in the study area (Rupnagar District, Punjab), and its quality is essential since it is the primary determinant of the suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation purposes. In this study, data from 28 years have been used to evaluate the adequacy of groundwater for domestic and irrigation purposes and assess the potential human health impacts of nitrate contaminants. Results of sodium adsorption ratio, percentage sodium, magnesium hazard ratio, Kelley ratio, and residual sodium carbonate illustrate that most of the sampling locations were suitable for irrigational purposes and drinking water quality of the region mostly belonged to ‘good’ class. The maximum nitrate concentration was observed in the northern and north-east parts of the area. Among the three age groups, children > female > male was found to be more prone to health risks with oral ingestion of nitrate. Uncertainties in the risk estimates were quantified using Monte Carlo simulation and sensitivity analyses. Thus, a proper management plan should be adopted by the decision-makers to improve the quality of drinking water in this area to avoid major health problems in the near future.

Predicting Potential Climate Change Impacts on Groundwater Nitrate Pollution and Risk in an Intensely Cultivated Area of South Asia

“…Previous studies have also indicated GW NO 3 pollution in these areas. 75 , 78 , 159 − 161 The areas in the southwest and northeast parts predominantly showed lower probabilities of GW NO 3 to be elevated. The risk map generated using the RF model predictions and the cutoff of 0.49 showed the areas exposed to high risk of excess GW NO 3 as well as the low-risk areas in the state ( Figure 4 d).…”

Ground Water Quality Assessment in the Kazaure Environs for Drinking Purpose using the Water Quality Index Tool

“…Water samples were obtained from twelve (12) sampling points. Parameters analysed include pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Temperature, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium, Iron, Sulphate, Bicarbonates, Chlorine, Nitrate and Fluoride.…”

“…Water Quality Index is a mathematical equation that provides a clear understanding of the quality of surface and groundwater (Chaudhry & Sachdeva, 2020). It is a means of integrating a wide range of information into a simpler form and as such is considered as the most effective tool in water quality assessment (Akter et al, 2016) Step 1: Assigning of weights.…”

Human Health Risk and Quality Assessment of Spring Water Associated with Nitrates, Potentially Toxic Elements, and Fecal Coliforms: A Case from Southern Mexico

“…In this paper, the health risk index was used, which considers chronic daily intake (CDI), the hazard quotient (HQ), and the hazard index (HI) [6,[28][29][30][31][32] and is one of the most widely used methods in various research projects due to its reliability. The majority of studies generally analyze Potentially Toxic Elements (PTE), nitrates, and microbiological parameters separately [33][34][35], but all these factors should be evaluated together when studying springs.…”