Kumar Suraj, Maurya Nityanand Singh
Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology Patna, Bihar, India.
Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology Patna, Bihar, India E-mail:
J Water Health. 2025 May;23(5):630-647. doi: 10.2166/wh.2025.348. Epub 2025 Apr 16.
The occurrence of heavy metal contamination in groundwater poses significant health risks through ingestion and dermal exposure, with potential links to cancer and other diseases. This study evaluated groundwater samples for 10 heavy metals (Al, As, Cr, Cu, Cd, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) using ICP-OES. While cadmium and chromium levels were within acceptable limits prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards, aluminum and iron exceeded these limits in 56 and 58% of samples, respectively. Other metals surpassed limits in 2-20% of cases. Health risk analysis revealed non-carcinogenic risks for 28% of adults and 44% of children, alongside carcinogenic risks from arsenic (36% of samples) and nickel (46% of samples), especially affecting children. Sensitivity analysis highlighted heavy metal concentration as the key variable influencing risk, and principal component analysis suggested geogenic sources, like rock weathering, as major contributors to contamination. Despite these risks, the heavy metal pollution index remained within acceptable limits for all samples. The study emphasizes the necessity for continuous monitoring and targeted mitigation strategies to address heavy metal contamination and protect public health.
地下水中重金属污染的出现通过摄入和皮肤接触带来了重大健康风险，与癌症和其他疾病存在潜在联系。本研究使用电感耦合等离子体发射光谱仪（ICP - OES）对地下水样本中的10种重金属（铝、砷、铬、铜、镉、铁、锰、镍、铅和锌）进行了评估。虽然镉和铬的含量在印度标准局规定的可接受限度内，但铝和铁分别在56%和58%的样本中超出了这些限度。其他金属在2% - 20%的案例中超出了限度。健康风险分析显示，28%的成年人和44%的儿童存在非致癌风险，同时砷（36%的样本）和镍（46%的样本）存在致癌风险，对儿童影响尤为严重。敏感性分析突出了重金属浓度是影响风险的关键变量，主成分分析表明地质成因，如岩石风化，是污染的主要来源。尽管存在这些风险，但所有样本的重金属污染指数仍在可接受限度内。该研究强调了持续监测和有针对性的缓解策略对于解决重金属污染和保护公众健康的必要性。
