Abstract
The assessment of groundwater quality and potential human health risks is crucial for the development and utilization of groundwater resources. Due to expanding human activities, groundwater quality is deteriorating in southeastern Tibet. In this study, a total of 200 groundwater samples were collected to analyze the spatial distribution characteristics of hydrochemistry, assess groundwater quality, and evaluate potential human health risks in southeastern Tibet. Hydrochemical analysis showed that the groundwater was alkaline and moderately hard type, and fluoride and arsenic were identified as the main pollutants. The entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI) results revealed that most groundwater samples reached excellent quality (86% in total). The non-carcinogenic human health risk assessment results indicated a low potential threat to human health. The total hazard index (HITotal) values for children, adult females, and adult males were 0.9024, 0.878, and 0.7445, respectively. Children were more sensitive at risk than adult females and males. The arsenic hazard index (HIAs) was higher than the fluoride hazard index (HIF−) in different groups. Monte Carlo simulations further indicated that each influencing parameter followed the order of arsenic (As) > fluoride (F) > exposure frequency (EF) > ingestion rate (IR) > body weight (BW). This study provides a valuable reference for groundwater protection in southeastern Tibet and other similar regions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
Data may be used for academic purposes only with proper citation of the publication.
References
Adimalla N (2019) Groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation purposes and potential health risks assessment: a case study from Semi-Arid Region of South India. Expo Health 11:109–123. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-018-0288-8
Adimalla N, Qian H (2019) Groundwater quality evaluation using water quality index (WQI) for drinking purposes and human health risk (HHR) assessment in an agricultural region of Nanganur, south India. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 176:153–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.03.066
Adimalla N, Qian H (2021) Groundwater chemistry, distribution and potential health risk appraisal of nitrate enriched groundwater: a case study from the semi-urban region of South India. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 207:111277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111277
Adimalla N, Venkatayogi S (2017) Mechanism of fluoride enrichment in groundwater of hard rock aquifers in Medak, Telangana State, South India. Environ Earth Sci 76:45. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-6362-2
Adimalla N, Marsetty SK, Xu P (2020a) Assessing groundwater quality and health risks of fluoride pollution in the Shasler Vagu (SV) watershed of Nalgonda, India. Hum Ecol Risk Assess Int J 26:1569–1588. https://doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2019.1594154
Adimalla N, Qian H, Nandan MJ (2020b) Groundwater chemistry integrating the pollution index of groundwater and evaluation of potential human health risk: a case study from hard rock terrain of south India. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 206:111217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111217
Anderson TW, Darling DA (1952) Asymptotic theory of certain “goodness of fit” criteria based on stochastic processes. Ann Math Stat 23:193–212
Ayoob S, Gupta AK (2006) Fluoride in drinking water: a review on the status and stress effects. Crit Rev Environ Sci Technol 36:433–487. https://doi.org/10.1080/10643380600678112
Dai L, Wang L, Liang T, Zhang Y, Li J, Xiao J, Dong L, Zhang H (2019) Geostatistical analyses and co-occurrence correlations of heavy metals distribution with various types of land use within a watershed in eastern QingHai-Tibet Plateau, China. Sci Total Environ 653:849–859. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.386
Dzwairo B, Hoko Z, Love D, Guzha E (2006) Assessment of the impacts of pit latrines on groundwater quality in rural areas: A case study from Marondera district, Zimbabwe. Phys Chem Earth Parts a/b/c 31:779–788. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2006.08.031
Fan W, Zhou J, Zhou Y, Zeng Y, Chen Y, Sun Y (2021) Water quality and health risk assessment of shallow groundwater in the southern margin of the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang, P. R. China. Hum Ecol Risk Assess Int J 27:483–503. https://doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2020.1731680
Gao Y, Qian H, Zhou Y, Chen J, Wang H, Ren W, Qu W (2022) Cumulative health risk assessment of multiple chemicals in groundwater based on deterministic and Monte Carlo models in a large semiarid basin. J Clean Prod 352:131567. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.131567
GB/T 14848–2017 (2017) Genral Administration of quality Supervision Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China (GAQSIQPRC). In: Standard for Groundwater Quality. Standard press of China, Beijing
Hassan M (2018) Arsenic in groundwater: poisoning and risk assessment. Crc Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315117034
Hong Y-S, Song K-H, Chung J-Y (2014) Health effects of chronic arsenic exposure. J Prev Med Public Health 47:245–252. https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.14.035
Information Office of the State Council of China, 2020. 2020 report on Chinese nutrition and chronic disease
Kaur L, Rishi MS, Siddiqui AU (2020) Deterministic and probabilistic health risk assessment techniques to evaluate non-carcinogenic human health risk (NHHR) due to fluoride and nitrate in groundwater of Panipat, Haryana, India. Environ Pollut 259:113711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113711
Kumari M, Kumar A (2020) Human health risk assessment of antibiotics in binary mixtures for finished drinking water. Chemosphere 240:124864. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.124864
Li Z, Yang Q, Yang Y, Xie C, Ma H (2020) Hydrogeochemical controls on arsenic contamination potential and health threat in an intensive agricultural area, northern China. Environ Pollut 256:113455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113455
Li X, Huang X, Zhang Y (2021) Spatio-temporal analysis of groundwater chemistry, quality and potential human health risks in the Pinggu basin of North China Plain: evidence from high-resolution monitoring dataset of 2015–2017. Sci Total Environ 800:149568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149568
Li Z, Yang Q, Xie C, Wang H, Wang Y (2022) Spatiotemporal characteristics of groundwater quality and health risk assessment in Jinghe River Basin, Chinese Loess Plateau. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 248:114278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114278
Liu S, Liu Y, Wang C, Dang X (2022) The distribution characteristics and human health risks of high-fluorine groundwater in coastal plain: a case study in Southern Laizhou Bay, China. Front Environ Sci 10:901637. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.901637
Ma B, Huang T, Li J, Li Z, Long Y, Zhang F, Pang Z (2021) Tracing nitrate source and transformation in a semiarid loess aquifer with the thick unsaturated zone. CATENA 198:105045. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2020.105045
Mahlknecht J, Aguilar-Barajas I, Farias P, Knappett PSK, Torres-Martínez JA, Hoogesteger J, Lara RH, Ramírez-Mendoza RA, Mora A (2023) Hydrochemical controls on arsenic contamination and its health risks in the Comarca Lagunera region (Mexico): implications of the scientific evidence for public health policy. Sci Total Environ 857:159347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159347
Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, 2018. 2017 Report on the State of the Ecology and Environment of China
Mirzabeygi M, Abbasnia A, Yunesian M, Nodehi RN, Yousefi N, Hadi M, Mahvi AH (2017) Heavy metal contamination and health risk assessment in drinking water of Sistan and Baluchistan, Southeastern Iran. Hum Ecol Risk Assess Int J 23:1893–1905. https://doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2017.1322895
Mukherjee I, Singh UK, Singh RP, Anshumali, Kumari D, Jha D, Singh PK, Mehta P (2020) Characterization of heavy metal pollution in an anthropogenically and geologically influenced semi-arid region of east India and assessment of ecological and human health risks. Sci Total Environ 705:135801. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135801
Palma-Lara I, Martínez-Castillo M, Quintana-Pérez JC, Arellano-Mendoza MG, Tamay-Cach F, Valenzuela-Limón OL, García-Montalvo EA, Hernández-Zavala A (2020) Arsenic exposure: a public health problem leading to several cancers. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 110:104539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2019.104539
Peng S, Xiao X, Zou H, Yang Z, Ahmad UM, Zhao Y, Chen H, Li G, Liu G, Duan X, Mao G, Yang P (2022) Levels, origins and probabilistic health risk appraisal for trace elements in drinking water from Lhasa, Tibet. Environ Geochem Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-022-01424-4
Qiao W, Guo H, He C, Shi Q, Xing S, Gao Z (2021) Identification of processes mobilizing organic molecules and arsenic in geothermal confined groundwater from Pliocene aquifers. Water Res 198:117140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2021.117140
Qu S, Duan L, Shi Z, Mao H, Wang G, Liu T, Yu R, Peng X (2022) Identifying the spatial pattern, driving factors and potential human health risks of nitrate and fluoride enriched groundwater of Ordos Basin, Northwest China. J Clean Prod 376:134289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134289
Rahman MA, Rahman A, Khan MZK, Renzaho AMN (2018) Human health risks and socio-economic perspectives of arsenic exposure in Bangladesh: a scoping review. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 150:335–343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.12.032
Rahman MdM, Bodrud-Doza Md, Siddiqua MT, Zahid A, Islam ARMdT (2020) Spatiotemporal distribution of fluoride in drinking water and associated probabilistic human health risk appraisal in the coastal region, Bangladesh. Sci Total Environ 724:138316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138316
Shen J, Schäfer AI (2015) Factors affecting fluoride and natural organic matter (NOM) removal from natural waters in Tanzania by nanofiltration/reverse osmosis. Sci Total Environ 527–528:520–529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.04.037
Shil S, Singh UK (2019) Health risk assessment and spatial variations of dissolved heavy metals and metalloids in a tropical river basin system. Ecol Indic 106:105455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.105455
Tiwari TN, Mishra M (1985) A preliminary assignment of water quality index of major Indian rivers. Indian J Environ Prot 5(4):276–279
USEPA (2008) User’s guide: human health risk assessment. United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington
Wagh VM, Panaskar DB, Mukate SV, Aamalawar ML, Laxman Sahu U (2020) Nitrate associated health risks from groundwater of Kadava River Basin Nashik, Maharashtra, India. Hum Ecol Risk Assess Int J 26:654–672. https://doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2018.1528861
Wang Y, Li P (2022) Appraisal of shallow groundwater quality with human health risk assessment in different seasons in rural areas of the Guanzhong Plain (China). Environ Res 207:112210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.112210
Wen D, Zhang F, Zhang E, Wang C, Han S, Zheng Y (2013) Arsenic, fluoride and iodine in groundwater of China. J Geochem Explor 135:1–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2013.10.012
WHO (1996) Guidelines for drinking-water quality. Volume 2. Health criteria and other supporting information, 2nd edn. World Health Organization, Geneva
Yadav KK, Kumar S, Pham QB, Gupta N, Rezania S, Kamyab H, Yadav S, Vymazal J, Kumar V, Tri DQ, Talaiekhozani A, Prasad S, Reece LM, Singh N, Maurya PK, Cho J (2019) Fluoride contamination, health problems and remediation methods in Asian groundwater: a comprehensive review. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 182:109362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.06.045
Yang F, Jia C, Yang X, Yang H, Chang W (2022) Probabilistic potential health risk quantification, hydrochemistry, driving forces of groundwater nitrate and fluoride in a typical irrigation district, Northern China. J Environ Manage 323:116171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116171
Yu X, Zhang Y, Liu P, Huang H, Huang X (2022) Hydrochemical characteristics and D-O–Sr isotopes of groundwater and surface water in the northern Longzi county of southern Tibet (southwestern China). Open Geosci 14:111–119. https://doi.org/10.1515/geo-2020-0334
Zhang L, Huang D, Yang J, Wei X, Qin J, Ou S, Zhang Z, Zou Y (2017) Probabilistic risk assessment of Chinese residents’ exposure to fluoride in improved drinking water in endemic fluorosis areas. Environ Pollut 222:118–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.12.074
Zhang Q, Xu P, Qian H, Yang F (2020) Hydrogeochemistry and fluoride contamination in Jiaokou Irrigation District, Central China: assessment based on multivariate statistical approach and human health risk. Sci Total Environ 741:140460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140460
Zhang L, Li P, He X (2021a) Interactions between surface water and groundwater in selected tributaries of the Wei River (China) revealed by hydrochemistry and stable isotopes. Human Ecol Risk Assess. https://doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2021.2016054
Zhang Y, Dai Y, Wang Y, Huang X, Xiao Y, Pei Q (2021b) Hydrochemistry, quality and potential health risk appraisal of nitrate enriched groundwater in the Nanchong area, southwestern China. Sci Total Environ 784:147186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147186
Acknowledgements
We thank two anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions, which improved our manuscript.
Funding
This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China grant number 42072313.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
YW—field survey, collection of samples, software, investigation, wrote the main manuscript. JL—experimental part, instrumentation, data curation, and validation. XY—conceptualization, review, and editing of the manuscript, supervision. YY—field survey, prepared figures, visualization. QC—field survey, collection of samples. SC—data curation and validation.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Wang, Y., Liu, J., Yu, X. et al. Evaluation of groundwater quality and health risk assessment in southeastern Tibet, China. Environ Earth Sci 82, 455 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-023-11111-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-023-11111-x