Assessment of groundwater suitability using water quality index and health risk analysis in upper catchment area of Kangsabati river, India

Abstract

In the upper catchment area of the Kangsabati river basin, local people are highly dependent on groundwater for drinking purpose. The objectives of the present study are to assess the status of groundwater quality in this area and to examine the appropriateness of groundwater resource for drinking purpose in this region based on geochemical analysis. In this study, 20 sites have been selected to collect water samples from the four Community Development (CD) blocks under the study area amid the pre- and post-monsoon seasons during 2018, 2019, and 2020. A total of 13 hydro-chemical parameters have been selected to examine the groundwater quality status. In this study, the Water Quality Index (WQI) and Health Risk Analysis (HRA) have been applied to examine the health of groundwater resources and assess the non-carcinogenic risk to human health through the intake of fluoride-contaminated drinking water individually. The result reflects that the concentration of the selective hydro-chemical parameters has been accentuated from 2018 to 2020. The concentration of a few parameters like TH, Mg2+, K+, NO3–, and HCO3– has exceeded the desirable limit as per BIS guidelines. According to the WQI analysis, maximum groundwater samples (total of 12 samples) are categorized as poor, very poor, and not suitable for drinking purpose category. The outcomes of the HRA analysis reflect that local women are more vulnerable to the threats of fluoride contamination compared with male and children. The toxic agricultural and domestic effluents are considered vital factors in case of groundwater health deterioration in the study area.