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Unraveling Health Risk and Speciation of Arsenic from Groundwater in Rural Areas of Punjab, Pakistan

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  • Muhammad Bilal Shakoor

    (Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan)

  • Nabeel Khan Niazi

    (Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
    Southern Cross GeoScience, Southern Cross University, Lismore 2480, NSW, Australia)

  • Irshad Bibi

    (Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
    Southern Cross GeoScience, Southern Cross University, Lismore 2480, NSW, Australia)

  • Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman

    (Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation (CERAR), Mawson Lakes Campus, University of South Australia, SA 5095, Australia
    Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), Faculty of Science and Information Technology, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
    Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), P.O. Box 486, Salisbury South, SA 5106, Australia)

  • Ravi Naidu

    (Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), Faculty of Science and Information Technology, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
    Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), P.O. Box 486, Salisbury South, SA 5106, Australia)

  • Zhaomin Dong

    (Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), Faculty of Science and Information Technology, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
    Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), P.O. Box 486, Salisbury South, SA 5106, Australia)

  • Muhammad Shahid

    (Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Vehari 61100, Pakistan)

  • Muhammad Arshad

    (Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan)

Abstract

This study determined the total and speciated arsenic (As) concentrations and other health-related water quality parameters for unraveling the health risk of As from drinking water to humans. Groundwater samples ( n = 62) were collected from three previously unexplored rural areas (Chichawatni, Vehari, Rahim Yar Khan) of Punjab in Pakistan. The mean and median As concentrations in groundwater were 37.9 and 12.7 µg·L −1 (range = 1.5–201 µg·L −1 ). Fifty three percent groundwater samples showed higher As value than WHO safe limit of 10 µg·L −1 . Speciation of As in groundwater samples ( n = 13) showed the presence of inorganic As only; arsenite (As(III)) constituted 13%–67% of total As and arsenate (As(V)) ranged from 33% to 100%. For As health risk assessment, the hazard quotient and cancer risk values were 11–18 and 46–600 times higher than the recommended values of US-EPA ( i.e ., 1.00 and 10 −6 , respectively). In addition to As, various water quality parameters (e.g., electrical conductivity, Na, Ca, Cl − , NO 3 − , SO 4 2− , Fe, Mn, Pb) also enhanced the health risk. The results show that consumption of As-contaminated groundwater poses an emerging health threat to the communities in the study area, and hence needs urgent remedial and management measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Muhammad Bilal Shakoor & Nabeel Khan Niazi & Irshad Bibi & Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman & Ravi Naidu & Zhaomin Dong & Muhammad Shahid & Muhammad Arshad, 2015. "Unraveling Health Risk and Speciation of Arsenic from Groundwater in Rural Areas of Punjab, Pakistan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-20, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:12:y:2015:i:10:p:12371-12390:d:56758
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ross Nickson & John McArthur & William Burgess & Kazi Matin Ahmed & Peter Ravenscroft & Mizanur Rahmanñ, 1998. "Arsenic poisoning of Bangladesh groundwater," Nature, Nature, vol. 395(6700), pages 338-338, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Shuai Lu & Yimeng Yang & Xiaosi Su & Kaining Yu & Xinzhou Wang, 2022. "Arsenic Adsorption and Desorption in Various Aqueous Media in the Nearshore Zone and Influencing Factors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-17, September.
    2. Sana Khalid & Muhammad Shahid & Natasha & Irshad Bibi & Tania Sarwar & Ali Haidar Shah & Nabeel Khan Niazi, 2018. "A Review of Environmental Contamination and Health Risk Assessment of Wastewater Use for Crop Irrigation with a Focus on Low and High-Income Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-36, May.
    3. Muhammad Afnan Talib & Zhonghua Tang & Asfandyar Shahab & Jamil Siddique & Muhammad Faheem & Mehak Fatima, 2019. "Hydrogeochemical Characterization and Suitability Assessment of Groundwater: A Case Study in Central Sindh, Pakistan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-21, March.
    4. Ghulam Abbas & Behzad Murtaza & Irshad Bibi & Muhammad Shahid & Nabeel Khan Niazi & Muhammad Imran Khan & Muhammad Amjad & Munawar Hussain & Natasha, 2018. "Arsenic Uptake, Toxicity, Detoxification, and Speciation in Plants: Physiological, Biochemical, and Molecular Aspects," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-45, January.
    5. Muhammad Yousuf Jat Baloch & Wenjing Zhang & Baig Abdullah Al Shoumik & Anam Nigar & Adil A. M. Elhassan & Ali. E. A. Elshekh & Maaz Osman Bashir & Ahmed Fathi Mohamed Salih Ebrahim & Khalaf alla Adam, 2022. "Hydrogeochemical Mechanism Associated with Land Use Land Cover Indices Using Geospatial, Remote Sensing Techniques, and Health Risks Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-20, December.
    6. Muhammad Yousuf Jat Baloch & Wenjing Zhang & Dayi Zhang & Baig Abdullah Al Shoumik & Javed Iqbal & Shuxin Li & Juanfen Chai & Muhammad Ansar Farooq & Anand Parkash, 2022. "Evolution Mechanism of Arsenic Enrichment in Groundwater and Associated Health Risks in Southern Punjab, Pakistan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-18, October.

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