Groundwater fluoride and nitrate contamination and associated human health risk assessment in South Punjab, Pakistan

Iqbal, Javed; Su, Chunli; Wang, Mengzhu; Abbas, Hasnain; Baloch, Muhammad Yousuf Jat; Ghani, Junaid; Ullah, Zahid; Huq, Md. Enamul

doi:10.1007/s11356-023-25958-x

Cited by 33 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 114 publications

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“…This finding is similar to reports in Kakhk City and its rural areas in Iran [65], Northwest Saudi Arabia [63], and Anantapur District, South India [66]. However, the reports by [12 in Al-Qatif, Saudi Arabia, South Punjab, Pakistan [40] and [67] in the mica belt of Jharkhand, India, during post-monsoon associated higher risks with fluoride than nitrate. The ongoing use of fluoride-polluted groundwater subjects the entire population in the study region to various risks.…”

Section: Nitrate Health Risk Due To Ingestionsupporting

confidence: 87%

“…This finding is significant because it suggests that the sources of contamination for these two parameters may differ from those of different physical and chemical parameters. As has been identified in several other regions, geogenic factors are usually the primary source of fluoride contamination, but humanrelated factors can also contribute to it [40,67,75]. On the other hand, NO3 in groundwater is commonly attributed to human-related factors such as sewage disposal, agriculture, and improper municipal waste management [8,23,41,76] .…”

Section: Correlation Analysismentioning

confidence: 97%

“…𝐻𝐼 𝑐𝑢𝑚𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 = ∑ 𝐻𝑄 𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑝𝑠 𝑛 𝑖=1 (10) Additionally, the total hazard index (THI) values were computed using Equation (11) to assess the long-term risks associated with fluoride and nitrate [22,23,40].…”

Section: Human Health Risk Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…𝑇𝐻𝐼 𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = ∑(𝐻𝐼 𝑁𝑂 3 − + 𝐻𝐼 𝐹 − ) (11) When the total hazard index (THI) value is greater than 1, it indicates a high chronic health risk. Conversely, a THI value below 1 signifies a negligible health risk (USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) 1997; [22,23,40]…”

Section: Human Health Risk Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The associated health risks of nitrate via the dermal route were determined for children, women, and men using the three mathematical functions presented in this section (Equations ( 12)-( 14)) [22,23,40].…”

Section: Human Health Risks Due To Nitrate Dermal Absorptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Toward Contamination in Coastal Regions for Groundwater Quality, Fluoride, Nitrate and Human Health Risk Assessments Within Multi-aquifer Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia

Yassin,

Abba,

Shah

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Contamination in coastal regions attributed to fluoride and nitrate cannot be disregarded, given the substantial environmental and public health issues they present worldwide. Maintaining water quality is crucial for environmental well-being. This comprehensive study was performed to assess the spatial as well as indexical water quality, identify contamination sources, and evaluate associated health risks pertaining to nitrate and flouride in AlHassa region, KSA. The physiochemical results revealed a pervasive pollution of the overall groundwater. The dominant water type was Na-Cl, indicating saltwater intrusion and reverse ion exchange impact. Spatiotemporal variations in physicochemical properties suggest diverse hydrochemical mechanisms, with geogenic factors primarily influencing groundwater chemistry. The groundwater pollution index varied between 0.8426 and 4.7172, classifying samples as moderately to very highly polluted. Similarly, the synthetic pollution index (in the range of 0.5021-4.0715) revealed that none of the samples had excellent water quality, with various degrees of pollution categories. Nitrate Health Quotient (HQ) values indicated chronic human health risks ranging from low to severe, with newborns being the most vulnerable. Household use of nitrate-rich groundwater for showering and cleaning did not pose significant health risks. Fluoride HQ decreased with age, and children faced the highest risk of fluorosis. The Hazard Index (HI) yielded moderate to high-risk values. Nitrate risks were 1.21 times higher than fluoride risks, as per average HI assessment. All samples fell into the vulnerable category based on the Total Hazard Index (THI), with 88.89% classified as very high risk. This research provides valuable insights into groundwater quality, guiding water authorities, inhabitants, and researchers in identifying safe water sources and vulnerable human populations. The results highlight the need for appropriate treatment techniques and long-term coastal groundwater management plans.

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