Abstract
Due to various geological, hydrogeological conditions and human activities, groundwater of different regions has distinct hydrochemical characteristics. The harmful chemical components of groundwater affect human health, and thus, the groundwater quality health risk assessment (GQHR) is important to local residents. It is vital to select GQHR factors combined with hydrochemical features, and to explore their formation, concentration characteristics and the prominent controlling role of influencing risk distribution from natural and human reasons. The factors of NO3−, NO2−, NH4+ and F− were extracted as assessment factors to evaluate the GQHR. The factors NO3−, NO2− and NH4+ are derived by human activities and F− stems from irrigation of geogenic high-fluoride groundwater and fertilizer use. The results of GQHR showed the risk order as children > adult females > adult males. The low- and medium-risk regions correspond to high groundwater levels, which are mainly controlled by natural factors. The high-risk regions located in eastern part of the study area, which were affected by both natural and human reasons. The targeted measures to prevent the increase of groundwater health risk caused by different dominant controlling effects were put forward. The research provides a scientific basis for the safety of groundwater supply and environmental exposure in this area. The research ideas and methods can be a reference for similar studies.
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Abbreviations
- GQHR:
-
Groundwater quality human health risk
- NO3 − :
-
Nitrate
- NO2 − :
-
Nitrite
- NH4 + :
-
Ammonia
- NO3-N:
-
Nitrate nitrogen
- NO2-N:
-
Nitrite nitrogen
- NH4-N:
-
Ammonia nitrogen
- F− :
-
Fluorine
- K+ :
-
Calcium
- Na+ :
-
Sodium
- Ca2+ :
-
Calcium
- Mg2+ :
-
Magnesium
- Cl− :
-
Chlorine
- SO4 2 − :
-
Sulfate
- HCO3 − :
-
Bicarbonate
- CO3 2 − :
-
Carbonate
- TDS:
-
Total dissolved solids
- WHO:
-
The World Health Organization
- USEPA:
-
The United States Environmental Protection Agency
- CRAPFU:
-
Upper of Chaobai River alluvial-pluvial fan
- CRAPFL:
-
Lower of Chaobai River alluvial-pluvial fan
- YRAPFU:
-
Upper of Yongding River alluvial-pluvial fan
- YRAPFL:
-
Lower of Yongding River alluvial-pluvial fan
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Funding
This work has been funded by the Graduate Innovation Fund of Jilin University (No. 101832020CX236) and geological survey project of China Geological Survey (No. DD20160229).
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The content of the manuscript was drafted by T L and revised by Y C, S B and F W. J M, Y B and S J provided the basic data of this paper. All authors provided written feedback and edits on the manuscript and agreed with its content.
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Lan, T., Wang, F., Bao, S. et al. The human health risk assessment and countermeasures study of groundwater quality. Environ Geochem Health 45, 3215–3228 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-022-01384-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-022-01384-9