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Study on the Quality of Groundwater and its Impact on Human Health: A Case Study from Murshidabad District, West Bengal

  • Research Article
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Journal of the Geological Society of India

Abstract

Murshidabad is an alluvial terrain in the Gangetic plains of West Bengal. Water is mainly stored in the pore spaces of the formation and thus the yield is quite good from the aquifers of this region. But the suitability of this water for human use not only depends on quantity of groundwater available but also to a great extent on the chemical quality of groundwater. which has direct effect on human health. An extensive study on the groundwater condition of Lalbagh Municipality area in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, was carried out. There is huge extraction of groundwater from the alluvial aquifers of the region for irrigation and domestic purposes. In this study, depth to water level and water quality is assessed in twenty-three locations on the basis of pH, EC (electrical conductivity), TDS (Total dissolved solids), arsenic (As), free iron (Fe), major cations and anions. The hydrogeological study along with geochemical aspects shows presence of different chemical components beyond permissible limits in various locations. Occurrence of high levels of As and Fe with respect to normal standard can be related to the prevalence of diseases like melanosis, liver diseases, skin cancer etc. among the local population of the study area.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, 711 103, India

    Bhabani Prasad Mukhopadhyay, Amit Bera & Atin Kumar Mitra

  2. Department of Geology, Presidency University, Kolkata, 700 073, India

    Swarnali Barua

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  1. Bhabani Prasad Mukhopadhyay
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Mukhopadhyay, B.P., Barua, S., Bera, A. et al. Study on the Quality of Groundwater and its Impact on Human Health: A Case Study from Murshidabad District, West Bengal. J Geol Soc India 96, 597–602 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-020-1608-8

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