T40 Arsenic, Fluoride, and Other Geogenic Contaminants in Groundwater Basins: Linking Advances in Natural Sciences and Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science for Long-Term Risk Prediction and Policy Interventions

Sunday, 10 October 2021
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
D136 (Hybrid Room)

HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT ASSOCIATED WITH ARSENIC IN GROUNDWATER IN THE STATE OF PUNJAB, INDIA

Paper number: T40-6
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 2:35 PM – 2:50 PM

Authors

Abstract

Worldwide, millions of people are at risk of adverse health effects due to the intake of arsenic (As) through drinking water and food. Much of this exposure arises from the exploitation of groundwater. High concentrations of As are found in groundwaters in many parts of the densely populated flood plains of the South Asian region including in the state of Punjab.

In the present study, a total of 275 wells were sampled and As was detected in 53 wells. 19% of the 53 As affected groundwater wells have concentrations above World Health organization (WHO) guideline of 10 μg/L. Further, high (> 1) Health Hazard Quotients (HHQ) were found in ~ 21% of wells; this indicates a potential risk from exposure to arsenic and other contaminants in the groundwater used for drinking purposes. We are carrying out a more detailed health risk assessment to estimate the extent of the health impacts plausibly attributable to arsenic in these groundwater. There is an urgent need for a detailed depth-wise analysis of groundwater arsenic to identify depths at which the groundwater arsenic hazard is lower.

Keywords: Arsenic concentration, groundwater, health hazard quotient, Punjab, Northwest India

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 53, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2021AM-367603

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