Open AccessHealth risk assessment on heavy metal pollutants of groundwater on human safety in rural areas
Author(s) -
Xingyi Chen
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
work
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.5
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1875-9270
pISSN - 1051-9815
DOI - 10.3233/wor-205356
Subject(s) - groundwater , pollutant , health risk assessment , heavy metals , environmental science , pollution , environmental health , human health , water resource management , rural area , arsenic , groundwater pollution , environmental engineering , environmental chemistry , medicine , ecology , aquifer , geology , chemistry , geotechnical engineering , biology , organic chemistry , pathology
BACKGROUND: The rapid social and economic development is accompanied by the increasingly serious water pollution. OBJECTIVE: This study is to analyze the pollution of heavy metals in groundwater in rural areas, and to assess the health risks to human safety. METHODS: 11 administrative villages in Xihuo Town in Shangdang District in Changzhi City of Shanxi Province are selected as groundwater sampling points to measure the lead (Pb), arsenic (As), copper (Cu), and chromium (Cd) in groundwater. RESULTS: The three sampling points show different annual average highest concentration of four heavy metals in groundwater, but the concentration of As is the highest. In terms of the route of ingestion, the health risk assessment results of the four heavy metals are all expressed as adults > children; As, Cu, and Cd through skin contact are all expressed as adults > children, and the adult health risk value of Pb is slightly larger in the children. CONCLUSIONS: The distribution characteristics of heavy metals in rural groundwater are obvious, and As exbibits the most most prominent health risk value to the human body.