The human health risk assessment and countermeasures study of groundwater quality

Abstract

Background：Groundwater serves as the drinking water source, which chemical components directly affect human health. Different regions own their groundwater hydro-chemical characteristics based on various geological, hydro-geological conditions, human activities. From the perspective of human health, it is necessary to select groundwater quality health risk assessment (GQHR) factors combined with 2 hydro-chemical characteristics of different regions. Methods：In this paper, taking Tongzhou of Beijing,China as the study area, according to the groundwater hydro-chemical characteristics, NO3 -, NO2 -, NH4 + and Fwere extracted as assessment factors to evaluate the GQHR. Based on GQHR results, the formation and concentration characteristics of health risk factors and the prominent controlling role of influencing risk distribution were explored from natural and human factors. Furthermore, the targeted measures to prevent the increase of groundwater health risk were put forward. Results：Assessment factors: NO3 -, NO2and NH4 + are derived by human factors, such as sewage irrigation, fertilization, and Fstems from irrigation of geogenic high fluoride groundwater and fertilizer use. Still, their distribution is affected by natural factors (geology, geomorphology, and climate). The GQHR follows the order: children > adult females > adult males. The low and medium risk regions are located in upper groundwater, which are mainly controlled by natural factors (groundwater depth, aquifer medium, hydraulic conductivity coefficient, etc.) The measures to prevent the increase of groundwater health risk are to control the pollution sources and reduce the change of groundwater hydrodynamic conditions. The high-risk regions are located in eastern part of the study area, which are affected by both natural and human factors. The preventative measures are to reduce pollution caused by human factors and scientific groundwater resource exploitation and management.

Groundwater Environment and Health Risk Assessment in an In Situ Oil Shale Mining Area

“…This paper uses a health risk assessment model recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to evaluate the groundwater quality in the oil shale mining areas [28][29][30][31]. There are many ways for pollutants in water to enter the human body [32,33], and many studies have confirmed that direct consumption is the most harmful to human health [34][35][36][37].…”

Achieving the One Health Goal: Highlighting Groundwater Quality and Public Health

“…In addition to books, there has been a large number of journal articles published over the past two decades, with the number of journals focusing on geological factors and human health also increasing. Some examples of these journals include Exposure and Health, Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, and Environmental Geochemistry and Health, presenting many papers reporting on the effects of geoenvironmental factors on human health [26][27][28][29][30]. In addition, some water-and geology-related journals also published a number of papers regarding water quality and public health [31][32][33].…”

Microbial community structural response to variations in physicochemical features of different aquifers

“…Compared with surface water, groundwater is less disturbed by external factors and can ensure a continuous and stable supply of good-quality fresh water over long time periods ( Aeschbach-Hertig and Gleeson, 2012 ; Griebler and Avramov, 2015 ). However, human reliance on groundwater is increasing, and human activities are gradually affecting the quality of groundwater and ecological balance ( Danielopol et al, 2003 ; Gerth and Förstner, 2004 ; Li et al, 2018 ; Ren and Zhang, 2020 ; Zhou B. et al, 2021 ; Lan et al, 2022 ).…”