1Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan. 2Southern Cross GeoScience, Southern Cross ...
Arsenic Research and Global Sustainability – Bhattacharya, Vahter, Jarsjö, Kumpiene, Ahmad, Sparrenbom, Jacks, Donselaar, Bundschuh & Naidu (Eds) © 2016 Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 978-1-138-02941-5
Speciation and health risk assessment of arsenic in groundwater of Punjab, Pakistan M.B. Shakoor1, N.K. Niazi1,2, I. Bibi1,2, M.M. Rahman3,4, R. Naidu3,4, M. Shahid5, M.F. Nawaz6 & M. Arshad1 1
Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan Southern Cross GeoScience, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia 3 Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, Faculty of Science and Information Technology, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia 4 Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia 5 Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Vehari, Pakistan 6 Department of Forestry, Range Management and Wildlife, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan 2
ABSTRACT: In this study, we examined the total and speciated Arsenic (As) concentrations and other drinking water quality parameters for unraveling the health risk of As from drinking water to humans. Groundwater samples (n = 62) were collected from three previously unexplored rural areas (Chichawatni, Vehari, Rahim Yar Khan) of Punjab, Pakistan. The As concentration in the groundwater samples ranged from 7–8.3). For health risk assessment of As, the ADD, HQ and CR values ranged from 3.6 × 10−5 to Table 1. Summary statistics of arsenic in groundwater samples collected from three rural areas of Punjab, Pakistan. Chichawatni (CW) (n = 8)
Vehari (Vh) (n = 28)
Rahim Yar Khan (RYK) (n = 26)
5.6 × 10−3 mg/kg/day, 0.12 to 18.53 and 5.4 × 10−5 to 8.3 × 10−3, respectively. Hazard quotient and CR are considered to be present if the values are HQ > 1.00 and CR > 10−6 and in the present study the HQ and CR values calculated by both the US-EPA model and bootsrap method were higher (HQ: 11–18 and CR: 46–600 times) than the US-EPA limit suggesting that the people in the study area are at high risk of As-induced carcinogenicity from drinking water. In addition, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), Cl, NO3, SO4, Fe, Na, Mg, Mn and Pb also exceeded than their permissible limits set by WHO and Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA). 4
CONCLUSIONS
The results showed that over 60% groundwater samples collected from various sites of CW, Vh and RYK were unfit for drinking purpose having high values of EC, Cl-, NO3, SO4, Fe, Mn and Pb. High levels of As were detected in groundwater of the study area. Both the US-EPA model and bootstrap methods provided high carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic As risks to the individuals of the study area. The ADD and HQ were in the order of CW > Vh> RYK with the maximum HQ value of 18.5 reported in CW. The CR values were significantly (46–600 times) higher than its default acceptable level (10−6) exposing people to chronic As carcinogenicity. Higher cancer risk values were obtained by bootstrap method compared to USEPA model. Given the health risk associated with extent of groundwater As contamination, government of Pakistan should reduce current (50 μg/L) safe limit of As to 10 μg/L, so that people should be protected from mass poisoning of As. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors are thankful to the Grand Challenges Canada–Stars in Global Health (GCC Grant No. 0433–01) for providing financial support. We acknowledge financial support from the CRCCARE (project 3.1.3.11/12), Australia.
Mean Range Mean Range Mean Range 120 ± 55 23–201 42 ± 38 1.3–144 9 ± 5 1.6–35
REFERENCES
Figure 1. Comparison of mean As concentration in groundwater in this study with other studies.
Shakoor, M.B., Niazi, N.K., Bibi I., Murtaza, G., Kunhikrisnan, A., Seshadri, B., Shahid, M., Ali, S., Bolan, N.S., Sik, Y., Abid, M., Ali, F. 2015. Remediation of arsenic-contaminated water using agricultural wastes as biosorbents. Crit. Rev. Env. Sci. Tec. 46(5): 467–499. Sultana, J., Farooqi, A., Ali, U. 2014. Arsenic concentration variability, health risk assessment, and source identification using multivariate analysis in selected villages of public water system, Lahore, Pakistan. Environ. Monit. Assess. 186: 1241–1251.
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