Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Potential health risks assessment associated with arsenic-contaminated groundwater in the eastern district of Uttar Pradesh, India: a case study

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Sustainability Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The intrusion of arsenic (As) into groundwater has prompted extensive investigation and research on various aspects of its spatial distribution and mobilization in aquifers, posing a global risk to human health. Arsenic is a known carcinogen and it is essential to understand the associated health risks before implementation of mitigation measures. In this study, an As-contaminated area i.e. district Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, India, was identified for comprehensive groundwater monitoring and health risk assessment. A total 195 groundwater samples were collected from nine blocks for analysis. Various physicochemical water quality parameters were analysed along with comprehensive monitoring of As in the groundwater samples. Of total, 32% of the groundwater samples exhibited As concentrations surpassing the safe limit set by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Additionally, the study also highlighted the potential contamination of As in groundwater and associated risks for human health. The calculated hazard quotient (HQ) and cancer risk (CR) at most monitoring stations exceeded the limits prescribed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (HQ > 1; CR > 10−6), indicating a significant risk to the population living in vicinity of the locations subjected for study.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • 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

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alka S, Shahir S, Ibrahim N, Ndejiko MJ, Vo D, Manan FA (2021) Arsenic removal technologies and future trends: a mini review. J Clean Prod 278:123805. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123805

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • APHA (2017) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 23rd edn. American Water Works Association (AWWA) and Water Environment Federation (WEF), Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) (2021) Arsenic toxicological profile. ATSDR. https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/substances/ToxSubstance.aspx?toxid=3. Accessed 10 Feb 2021

  • Banerji T, Chaudhari S (2017) A cost-effective technology for arsenic removal: case study of zerovalent iron-based IIT Bombay arsenic filter in West Bengal. Water and sanitation in the new millennium. Springer, New Delhi, pp 127–137

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Banerji T, Kalawapudi K, Salana S, Vijay R (2019) Review of processes controlling arsenic retention and release in soils and sediments of Bengal basin and suitable iron-based technologies for its removal. Groundw Sustain Dev 8:358–367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhattacharya P, Adhikari S et al (2020) Health risk assessment of co-occurrence of toxic fluoride and arsenic in groundwater of Dharmanagar region, North Tripura (India). Groundw Sustain Dev 11:100430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2020.100430

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BIS (2012) Indian standard for drinking water IS 10500–2012 (second revision)

  • Caylak E (2012) Health risk assessment for arsenic in water sources of Cankiri province of Turkey. Clean: Soil, Air, Water 40:728–734

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Central Ground Water Board CGWB (2023) Report on national compilation of dynamic groundwater resources of India, 2023. https://cgwb.gov.in/cgwbpnm/public/uploads/documents/17014272111704550895file.pdf. Accessed 06 Oct 2023

  • Chakraborty M, Abhijit M, Ahmed KM (2022) Regional-scale hydrogeochemical evolution across the arsenic-enriched transboundary aquifers of the Ganges River Delta system, India and Bangladesh. Sci Total Environ 823:153490

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chaurasia N, Mohan D, Pandey SK, Singh GP (2015) Fate of arsenic in Belhari Block: arsenic affected endemic area of Belahri District, India. J Forensic Sci 3(2):1–5

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen S, Arnold LL, Beck BD, Lewis AS, Eldan M (2013) Evaluation of the carcinogenicity of inorganic arsenic. Crit Rev Toxicol 43:711–752

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fuoco I, De Rosa R, Barca D, Figoli A, Gabriele B, Apollaro C (2022) Arsenic polluted waters: application of geochemical modelling as a tool to understand the release and fate of the pollutant in crystalline aquifers. J Environ Manag 301:113796

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghosh NC, Singh RD (2009) Groundwater arsenic contamination in India: vulnerability and scope for remedy. National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee

    Google Scholar 

  • Jha M, Kumar S, Singh TBN, Srivastava SK, Kumar AG, Yasmin S (2023) Potential health risk assessment through the consumption of arsenic-contaminated groundwater in parts of the middle Gangetic plain. Bull Natl Res Centre 47:77. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42269-023-01054-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanel SR, Das TK, Verma RS, Kurwadhar S, Chakraborty S, Joshi TP, Bezbaruah AN, Nadagouda MN (2023) Arsenic contamination in groundwater: geochemical basis of treatment technologies. ACS Environ Au 3:135–152

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karim MD (2000) Arsenic in groundwater and health problems in Bangladesh. Water Res 34:304–310

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Katsoyiannis IA, Zouboulis AI (2004) Application of biological processes for the removal of arsenic from groundwater. Water Res 38:17–26

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khan KM, Chakraborty R, Bundschuh J, Bhattacharya P, Parvez F (2020) Health effects of arsenic exposure in Latin America: an overview of the past eight years of research. Sci Total Environ 710:136071

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khan I, Khan MU, Umar R et al (2023) Occurrence, speciation, and controls on arsenic mobilization in the alluvial aquifer system of the Ghaghara basin, India. Environ Geochem Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-023-01691-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar M, Ramanathan AL, Ranjan S, Singh VB, Kumar N, Rao SK, Ritcha S, Bhattacharya P (2018) Groundwater evolution and its utility in upper Ganges-Yamuna Alluvial plain of Northern India, India: evidence from solute chemistry and stable isotopes. Groundw Sustain Dev 7:400–409

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar A, Ali M, Kumar R, Kumar M et al (2021) Arsenic exposure in Indo Gangetic plains of Bihar causing increased cancer risk. Sci Rep 11(2376):1–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar M, Patel AK, Singh A (2022) Anthropogenic dominance on geogenic arsenic problem of the groundwater in the Ganga-Brahmaputra floodplain: a paradox of origin and mobilization. Sci Tot Environ 807:151461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151461

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee MK, Saunders JA, Wilson T, Levitt E, Saffari GS, Dhakal P, Redwine J, Billor ZM, Marks J, Miller B et al (2019) Field-scale bioremediation of arsenic-contaminated groundwater using sulfate-reducing bacteria and biogenic pyrite. Bioremd J 23:1–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li S, Zhang Q (2010) Risk assessment and seasonal variations of dissolved trace elements and heavy metals in the Upper Han River, China. J Hazard Mater 181(1–3):1051–1058

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maity JP, Chen CY, Bundschuh J, Bhattacharya P, Mukherjee A, Chang YF (2017) Hydro-geochemical reconnaissance of arsenic cycling and possible environmental risk in hydrothermal systems of Taiwan. Groundw Sustain Dev 5:1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra H, Karmakar S, Kumar R, Singh J (2017) A framework for assessing uncertainty associated with human health risks from MSW landfill leachate contamination. Risk Anal 37(7):1237–1255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra H, Karmakar S, Kumar R (2018a) A systematic development of uncertainty modeling in the assessment of health risk to environmental contaminants. Environmental contaminants. Springer, Singapore, pp 195–220

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra H, Karmakar S, Kumar R, Kadambala P (2018b) A long-term comparative assessment of human health risk to leachate-contaminated groundwater from heavy metal with different liner systems. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25(3):2911–2923

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra H, Singh J, Karmakar S, Kumar R (2021) An integrated approach for modeling uncertainty in human health risk assessment. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28:56053–56068

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra D, Chakrabortty R, Sen K, Pal SC, Mondal NK (2023) Groundwater vulnerability assessment of elevated arsenic in Gangetic plain of West Bengal, India; using primary information, lithological transport, state-of-the-art approaches. J Contam Hydrol 256:104195

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muhammad S, Shah MT, Khan S (2010) Arsenic health risk assessment in drinking water and source apportionment using multivariate statistical techniques in Kohistan region, northern Pakistan. Food Chem Toxicol 48:2855–2864

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen VA, Bang S, Viet PH, Kim KW (2009) Contamination of groundwater and risk assessment for arsenic exposure in Ha Nam province, Vietnam. Environ Int 35:466–472

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rahman MM, Chowdhury UK, Mukherjee SC et al (2001) Chronic arsenic toxicity in Bangladesh and West Bengal India—a review commentary. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 39:683–700

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rahman MM, Dong Z, Naidu R (2015) Concentrations of arsenic and other elements in groundwater of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India Potential cancer risk. Chemosphere 139:54–64

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rahman MA, Kumar S, Lamb D, Rahman MM (2021) Health risk assessment of arsenic, manganese and iron from drinking water for high school children. Water Air Soil Poll 232(7):1–13

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ravindra K, Mor S (2019) Distribution and health risk assessment of arsenic and selected heavy metals in groundwater of Chandigarh, India. Environ Pollut 250:820–830

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Richards LA, Casanueva-Marenco MJ, Magnone D et al (2019) Contrasting sorption behaviors affecting groundwater arsenic concentration in Kandal Province, Cambodia. Geosci Front 10:1701–1713

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saha N, Rahman MS (2020) Groundwater hydrogeochemistry and probabilistic health risk assessment through exposure to arsenic-contaminated groundwater of Meghna floodplain, central-east Bangladesh. Ecotoxicol Environ Safety 206:111349

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Samuel B, Khan AS, Patti AF (2021) Arsenic contamination of groundwater and its implications for drinking water quality and human health in under-developed countries and remote communities—a review. Appl Sci 11(4):19–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Santha N, Sangkajan S, Saenton S (2022) Arsenic contamination in groundwater and potential health risk in Western Lampang Basin, Northern Thailand. Water 14(3):465. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14030465

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sarkar A, Paul B (2016) The global menace of Arsenic and its conventional remediation—a critical review. Chemosphere 158:37–49

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shaji E, Santosh M, Sarath K et al (2021) Arsenic contamination of groundwater: a global synopsis with focus on the Indian Peninsula. Geosci Front 12:101079

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma DC (2016) Cancer data in India show new patterns. Lancet Oncol 17(7):272

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh AL, Singh VK (2015) Arsenic contamination in ground water of Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, India. J Appl Geochem 17(1):78–85

    Google Scholar 

  • Smedley PL, Kinniburgh DG (2002) A review of the source, behavior and distribution of arsenic in natural waters. Appl Geochem 17:517–568

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Syafiuddin A, Boopathy R, Hadibarata T (2020) Challenges and solutions for sustainable groundwater usage: Pollution control and integrated management. Curr Pollut Rep 6:310–327

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tabassum RA, Shahid M, Dumat C, Niazi NK, Khalid S, Shah NS, Khalid S (2019) Health risk assessment of drinking arsenic-containing groundwater in Hasilpur, Pakistan: effect of sampling area, depth, and source. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26(20):20018–20029

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • USEPA (1989) Risk assessment guidance for human health evaluation manual (part A). EPA/540/1-89/002. Office of emergency and remedial response, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • USEPA (2005) Guidelines for carcinogen risk. EPA/630/P-03/0018

  • Verma SK, Chaurasia SR (2023) A hydrogeochemical study of groundwater of district Ballia, U.P. India. Water Supply 23(8):3221–3238

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zuzolo D, Cicchella D, Demetriades A, Birke M, Albanese S, Dinelli EDVB (2020) Arsenic: geochemical distribution and age-related health risk in Italy. Environ Res 182:109076

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the Zonal laboratory, Central Pollution Control Board, Lucknow for providing analysis facilities.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Central Pollution Control Board, Regional Directorate, Ground Floor PIC UP Bhawan, Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, India

    Devendra Kumar Soni, Pradeep Kumar Mishra & Poonam Pandey

Authors
  1. Devendra Kumar Soni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pradeep Kumar Mishra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Poonam Pandey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Poonam Pandey.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Soni, D.K., Mishra, P.K. & Pandey, P. Potential health risks assessment associated with arsenic-contaminated groundwater in the eastern district of Uttar Pradesh, India: a case study. Environmental Sustainability 7, 61–75 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42398-024-00303-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42398-024-00303-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation