Imtiyaz Uzma, Rather Mushtaq Ahmad
Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Srinagar, India.
Water Environ Res. 2025 Jun;97(6):e70078. doi: 10.1002/wer.70078.
The ecosystem and human health are seriously at risk from contamination of heavy metals in water. A variety of pollution indices are used in this study to analyze the presence of heavy metal contamination in groundwater and used Monte Carlo simulation to quantify the health hazards associated with it. In two seasons the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon groundwater samples were taken in triplicate from 25 sites in South Kashmir, which is situated in the southern portion of the northwest Himalayas. The research area had higher than average quantities of heavy metals, according to the results. The cold climate probably had no seasonal influence on groundwater quality, but concentrations were generally greater in pre-monsoon than in the post-monsoon. To evaluate contamination, the study employed the following pollution indices: NPI (80%), HEI (76%), MI (80%), CoD (76%), and HPI (0%). There were found to be strong correlations between these indices, with R values of 0.96, 0.94, 0.96, and 0.95 between HEI and HPI, HEI and MI, HEI and Cd, and HEI and NPI, among other high correlations. The results of the Monte Carlo simulation for many exposure pathways showed that youngsters had a greater 95th percentile of carcinogenic risk than adults. The heavy metals were graded according to their non-carcinogenic risk using the Hazard Index (HI) as follows: Pb > Ni > Mn > Cd > Cu > Fe > Zn. For adults, the non-carcinogenic risk was shown to be 4.92E-01, while for children, it was 1.41E+01. Human health risk evaluations also showed that youngsters had a greater overall cancer risk (OCR) (1.61E-01) than adults (4.74E-03). PRACTITIONER POINTS: Groundwater Quality Monitoring: The study highlights the critical need for regular groundwater quality monitoring, particularly in areas prone to heavy metal contamination, like South Kashmir. This is essential for the early detection of hazardous metal levels and the mitigation of public health risks. Use of Pollution Indices: Pollution indices such as NPI, HEI, MI, and CoD can be effective tools for assessing and quantifying heavy metal contamination in water sources, providing a comprehensive understanding of the contamination levels. Health Risk Assessment: Monte Carlo simulations for human health risk assessments underscore the importance of prioritizing children's health, as they are at greater risk of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects from heavy metal exposure. Seasonal Impact on Contamination: While seasonal variations in groundwater quality were not significant due to the cold climate, higher contamination levels were detected during the pre-monsoon period. This indicates the need for heightened monitoring before monsoon seasons in similar climatic regions.
水体重金属污染正严重威胁着生态系统和人类健康。本研究使用了多种污染指数来分析地下水中重金属污染的情况，并采用蒙特卡洛模拟来量化与之相关的健康风险。在两个季节，即季风来临前和季风过后，从位于喜马拉雅山脉西北部南部的克什米尔南部的25个地点采集了地下水样本，每个地点采集三份。结果显示，研究区域的重金属含量高于平均水平。寒冷的气候可能对地下水质量没有季节性影响，但季风来临前的浓度通常高于季风过后。为了评估污染情况，该研究采用了以下污染指数：NPI（80%）、HEI（76%）、MI（80%）、CoD（76%）和HPI（0%）。发现这些指数之间存在很强的相关性，例如HEI与HPI、HEI与MI、HEI与Cd以及HEI与NPI之间的R值分别为0.96、0.94、0.96和0.95等。多种暴露途径的蒙特卡洛模拟结果表明，青少年的致癌风险第95百分位数高于成年人。使用危害指数（HI）根据非致癌风险对重金属进行分级如下：Pb＞Ni＞Mn＞Cd＞Cu＞Fe＞Zn。对于成年人，非致癌风险为4.92E - 01，而对于儿童，为1.41E + 01。人类健康风险评估还表明，青少年的总体癌症风险（OCR）（1.61E - 01）高于成年人（4.74E - 03）。从业者要点：地下水质量监测：该研究强调了定期进行地下水质量监测的迫切需求，特别是在像克什米尔南部这样容易受到重金属污染的地区。这对于早期发现有害金属水平和减轻公共卫生风险至关重要。污染指数的使用：诸如NPI、HEI、MI和CoD等污染指数可以成为评估和量化水源中重金属污染的有效工具，全面了解污染水平。健康风险评估：用于人类健康风险评估的蒙特卡洛模拟强调了优先考虑儿童健康的重要性，因为他们因接触重金属而面临更大的致癌和非致癌风险。季节性对污染的影响：虽然由于寒冷气候地下水质量的季节性变化不显著，但在季风来临前检测到更高的污染水平。这表明在类似气候区域的季风季节之前需要加强监测。
