Abstract
Groundwater is a key water source for drinking and irrigation in Bangladesh, and nearly 69% of the total population of Bangladesh lives in rural areas and depends on shallow tube-wells for direct drinking purposes. Literature published from the year 2005 to 2021 along with N-fertilizers data from the fiscal year 1985–1986 to 2021–2022 has been reviewed in this study to understand the current status of groundwater nitrate (NO3−) pollution in rural areas of Bangladesh. The review showed that the farm inputs (N-fertilizers, manure) have the highest contribution (64%) to groundwater NO3− pollution followed by pit latrines (18%) in rural areas of Bangladesh. Based on the urea consumption rate, elevated NO3− concentration in groundwater in some rural areas, and the estimated duration of N-fertilizers accumulation into groundwater, a total of 23 districts are classified as the most vulnerable areas facing severe future NO3− pollution and may cause new concerns to local people's health within the next 3 decades. Most of these districts lie within hydrogeological Zone-I (Tista fan), Zone-II (flood plains), and Zone-III (Pleistocene tracts). After conducting the health risk assessment, this study implies that the safe standard limit of nitrate in drinking water for consumption is below 31 mg/L as NO3− for children. Governments must take immediate and long-term measures to protect public health from groundwater NO3− pollution in rural areas of Bangladesh.
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The authors are grateful for the useful comments from editors and reviewers.
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This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42072286 and 41761144059), the Qinchuangyuan "Scientist + Engineer" Team Development Program of the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology (2022KXJ-005), the Fok Ying Tong Education Foundation (161098), and the National Ten Thousand Talent Program (W03070125).
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SMK Alam contributed to conceptualizing the key idea, analyzing the data, and writing the draft of the paper. P Li contributed to refining the ideas, detailed review, supervision, additional analyses, and finalizing this paper. M Fida contributed to drawing maps, reviewing, error checking, and editing.
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Alam, S.M.K., Li, P. & Fida, M. Groundwater Nitrate Pollution Due to Excessive Use of N-Fertilizers in Rural Areas of Bangladesh: Pollution Status, Health Risk, Source Contribution, and Future Impacts. Expo Health 16, 159–182 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-023-00545-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-023-00545-0