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Assessment of arsenic exposure by drinking well water and associated carcinogenic risk in peri-urban areas of Vehari, Pakistan

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Abstract

Arsenic (As) is a highly toxic and carcinogenic element. It has received considerable consideration worldwide in recent years due to its highest toxicity to human, and currently, high concentrations observed in the groundwater. Some recent media and research reports also highlighted possible As contamination of groundwater systems in Pakistan. However, there is a scarcity of data about As contents in groundwater in different areas/regions of the country. Consequently, the current study estimated the As concentration in the groundwater used for drinking purpose in 15 peri-urban sites of district Vehari, Pakistan. In total, 127 groundwater samples were collected and examined for As contents in addition to physicochemical characteristics such as temperature, electrical conductivity, pH, total soluble salts, chloride, carbonates, bicarbonates, sodium, potassium, lithium, calcium and barium. Results indicated that the groundwater samples were not fully fit for drinking purposes with several parameters, especially the alarming levels of As (mean As: 46.9 µg/L). It was found that 83% groundwater samples of peri-urban sites in district Vehari have As concentration greater than WHO lower permissible limit (10 µg/L). The risk assessment parameters (mean hazard quotient: 3.9 and mean cancer risk: 0.0018) also showed possible carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks associated with ingestion of As-contaminated groundwater at peri-urban sites. Based on the findings, it is anticipated that special monitoring and management of groundwater is necessary in the studied area in order to curtail the health risks associated with the use of As-contaminated drinking water. Moreover, appropriate remediation and removal of As from groundwater is also imperative for the study area before being used for drinking purpose to avoid As exposure and related risks to the local community.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan for funding project (20-4423/R&D/HEC/14/980) under which the current research work was carried out. Dr. M. Shahid acknowledges MEAE, France for sponsoring the mobility Grant (2017-377906/DGM/DCERR/ESR).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Islamabad, 61100, Pakistan

    Ali Haidar Shah, Muhammad Shahid, Sana Khalid,  Natasha, Zunaira Shabbir, Hafiz Faiq Bakhat, Behzad Murtaza, Amjad Farooq, Muhammad Akram, Ghulam Mustafa Shah & Wajid Nasim

  2. Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan

    Nabeel Khan Niazi

  3. School of Civil Engineering and Surveying, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, 4350, Australia

    Nabeel Khan Niazi

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  1. Ali Haidar Shah
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  2. Muhammad Shahid
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  4. Natasha
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Shah, A.H., Shahid, M., Khalid, S. et al. Assessment of arsenic exposure by drinking well water and associated carcinogenic risk in peri-urban areas of Vehari, Pakistan. Environ Geochem Health 42, 121–133 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-019-00306-6

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