Irrigation suitability and health risk assessment of groundwater resources in the Firozabad industrial area of north-central India: An integrated indexical, statistical, and geospatial approach

Abstract

The recent global upsurge in anthropogenic activities has resulted in a decline in the quality of water. This by extension has resulted in increased ubiquity of water pollution in terms of sources. The application of traditional water quality assessment methods usually involves the use of conventional water quality parameters and guideline values. This may be associated with bias and errors during the computation of various sub-indices. Hence, to overcome this limitation, it is critical to have a visual appraisal of the water quality in terms of source and human health risks exposure for sustainable water resource management and informed decision-making. Therefore, the present study has integrated multiple water quality assessment indices, spatio-temporal, and statistical models to assess the suitability of fifty groundwater samples (n = 50) within the Firozabad industrial area for irrigation and drinking; as well as the likely health risks from oral intake and dermal contact by inhabitants. Electrical conductivity (mean = 1,576.6 μs/cm), total hardness (mean = 230.9 mg/L), dissolved sodium (mean = 305.1 mg/L) chloride (mean = 306.1 mg/L) and fluoride (mean = 1.52 mg/L) occurred in the water at concentrations above the recommended standards; attributed influxes from agricultural and industrial wastewater. The pollution index of groundwater and water quality index revealed that 100% of the groundwater samples are extremely polluted; this was also supported by the joint multivariate statistical analyses. The majority of the irrigational water quality indices (sodium adsorption ratio, Kelly’s Ratio, permeability index, percent sodium) revealed that the long-term use of the groundwater for irrigation in the area will result in reduced crop yield unless remedial measures are put in place. Higher Hazard index (HI > 1) for nitrate and fluoride ingestion was recorded in water for the children population compared to adult; an indication that the children population is more predisposed to health risks from the oral intake of water. Generally, risk levels from ingestion appear to increase in the western and north-eastern parts of the study area. From the findings of this study, it is highly recommended that adequate agricultural practices, land use, and water treatment regulatory strategies be put in place for water quality sustainability for enhanced agricultural production and human health protection.

Combining Fuzzy, Multicriteria and Mapping Techniques to Assess Soil Fertility for Agricultural Development: A Case Study of Firozabad District, Uttar Pradesh, India

“…The CV is the most important measure for defining the variability in soil parameters [49]. A CV value of ≤20% is categorized under the low variability class, a value of 21% < CV ≤ 50% is categorized as moderate variability, a value of 51% < CV ≤ 100% is categorized as high variability, and CV > 100% indicates very high variability [50].…”

Synthesis and Characterization of Chitosan Encapsulated Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and its Application in Maize under Zinc Deficit Soil

“…However, the composition of nanoparticles (NPs) has a considerable impact on their applicability. About 40% of the nutrients in traditional fertilizers are absorbed by plants, whereas the rest is leached away, creating an imbalance in soil nutrients [5,6]. To combat these problems, scientists are focusing on creating new nano fertilizers with enhanced nutrient use efficiency.…”