Human and Ecological Risk Assessment ( IF 4.3 ) Pub Date : 2020-07-26 , DOI: 10.1080/10807039.2020.1794787 Nisbah Mushtaq 1 , Noshin Masood 1 , Junaid Ali Khattak 1 , Ishtiaque Hussain 1 , Qasim Khan 1 , Abida Farooqi 1
Abstract
Geogenic contamination of Arsenic (As) poses major health threat to people living in Indus Plain of Pakistan particularly in Punjab. In this paper, we described in detail the hydrogeochemistry of As contaminated groundwaters in selected sites from Lahore, Kasur and Okara districts and its associated potential health risks. Sampling was done in 2019 and 141 groundwater samples were collected. High variability in As concentrations was observed varying between below detection level (<0.1 µg/L) and 655 µg/L. More than 85% of these samples exceeded WHO limit of 10 µg/L while 30% exceeded national limit of 50 µg/L. The results of statistical analysis and agglomerative hierarchical cluster (HCA) analyses indicate mainly pH-dependent desorption of As from mineral oxide surfaces under alkaline conditions to be responsible for As pollution with some minor controls from NO3− and Fe-reduction in groundwaters was also seen. Furthermore, higher potential health risks were found to be associated with elevated As levels in terms of estimated average daily dosage (EDI), hazard quotient (HQ) and carcinogenic risk assessment (CR). The average values for HQ for adults, teenagers and children were found to be 9.06, 13.6 and 13.07, respectively. Meanwhile average CR values were found to be 0.004, 0.01, 0.006 mg/Kg/day in adults, teenagers and children respectively. These results suggest an increased risk of adverse health impacts in current study sites and require effective remedial measures at urgent basis.
中文翻译:
在巴基斯坦旁遮普省上东部地区的选定地点,通过聚集层次聚类分析对地下水砷污染进行健康风险评估和源识别
摘要
砷的基因组污染对生活在巴基斯坦印度河平原特别是旁遮普邦的人们构成重大健康威胁。在本文中,我们详细描述了拉合尔,卡苏尔和奥卡拉等地区选定地点的砷污染地下水的水文地球化学及其相关的潜在健康风险。在2019年进行了采样,收集了141个地下水样品。在低于检测水平(<0.1 µg / L)至655 µg / L的范围内观察到了砷浓度的高变异性。这些样品中超过85%超过了WHO的10 µg / L限量,而30%超过了50 µg / L的国家限量。3 -和Fe-减少在地下水也被看作。此外,在估计的平均日剂量(EDI),危险系数(HQ)和致癌风险评估(CR)方面,发现较高的潜在健康风险与砷水平升高相关。成人,青少年和儿童的总部平均值分别为9.06、13.6和13.07。同时,成人,青少年和儿童的平均CR值分别为0.004、0.01、0.006 mg / Kg /天。这些结果表明,当前研究地点的不良健康影响风险增加,因此需要紧急采取有效的补救措施。