Distribution and health risk assessment of arsenic and selected heavy metals in Groundwater of Chandigarh, India.

Groundwater quality of Chandigarh was assessed by collecting 80 groundwater samples from different depths varying between 10 ft and 1200 ft. These samples were analyzed for possible contamination with metal pollutants such as Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mo, Mg, Ni, Pb, V, Zn. Geospatial interpolation of the contaminants identified poor sanitary practices of waste management, agrarian activities, and industrial pollution as the prominent sources of groundwater contamination. Quality assessment of groundwater performed using Heavy metal Pollution Index (HPI), and Metal Index (MI) revealed HPI as a better method for health risk assessment. HPI indicate poor groundwater quality near municipal solid waste dumping sites and industrial areas of Chandigarh. The shallow aquifer was reported to be more contaminated than deeper aquifer. Further, health risk assessment of Chandigarh's groundwater indicated non-carcinogenic health impacts due to contamination of As, Cr, Co, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and carcinogenic health impacts from As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb. The study suggests that groundwater should also be regularly monitored for metal contamination as over-extraction, industrialization, disposal of municipal solid waste and informal E-waste recycling activities increases the public health risks in countries worldwide, facing similar environmental pollution problems of the groundwater.

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