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Evaluation of groundwater quality with health risk assessment of fluoride and nitrate in Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu, India

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Abstract

The present investigation deals with the health risks due to fluoride and nitrate ions in drinking water of Virudhunagar district, Tamilnadu. A total of 143 water samples were collected for the assessment of fluoride and nitrate in groundwater. After the analysis of samples, it was found that the fluoride concentration exceeds the permissible limit of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in 61% of the analyzed samples, while nitrate concentration exceeds 37% of the samples. The water quality index of the samples employed suggests that of the analyzed samples, 19%, 33%, 36%, and 10% are excellent, good, poor, and very poor respectively, and the remaining 2% is unsuitable for drinking purposes. Piper, Chadha, and Gibbs plots were used for estimating the hydro-geochemical behavior of the samples. A correlation analysis was derived between the various parameters calculated. The non-carcinogenic health risk assessment of fluoride and nitrate was established by using the model recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The calculated non-carcinogenic risk of fluoride and nitrate is between 0.1  to 12 with a mean of 1.8. A total of 63% of the samples exceed the acceptable limit of non-carcinogenicity recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The spatial distribution plots were used to establish the non-carcinogenic risks and other water quality parameters.

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  1. Chemistry Research Centre, National Engineering College, K.R. Nagar, Thoothukudi District, Kovilpatti, Tamil Nadu, 628503, India

    Velayutham Raja & Mallanpillai Anathakrishnan Neelakantan

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  1. Velayutham Raja
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Correspondence to Mallanpillai Anathakrishnan Neelakantan.

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Raja, V., Neelakantan, M.A. Evaluation of groundwater quality with health risk assessment of fluoride and nitrate in Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu, India. Arab J Geosci 14, 52 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-06385-5

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