Groundwater quality and people’s awareness – A case study in Hoang Tay commune, Kim Bang district, Ha Nam province

Abstract

Abstract In this study, groundwater quality in Hoang Tay commune, Kim Bang districts, Ha Nam province was investigated. The results show that the groundwater in this area was highly polluted by arsenic (As), iron (Fe), ammonium (NH4 +), and coliform. Total As concentrations in the groundwater ranged from 0.06 to 0.178 mg/L. Although total As concentrations remarkably decreased after sand filtration (0.013-0.109 mg/L), As in the sand-filtered groundwater was still up to 10 times higher than the As safety limit (0.01 mg/L). In addition, the high concentration of Fe and the Fe/As ratio in Hoang Tay’s groundwater play a critical function in effectively removing As from groundwater. NH4 + level in groundwater was also remarkably high (8.62–58.8 mg/L), which is roundly 28 to 196 times higher than the NH4 + safety standard in Vietnam’s technical guideline on domestic water quality (QCVN 01:2018/BYT). The structured interview showed that most of interviewed people (69%) are aware of groundwater quality issues. However, due to the issues of tap water supply in the area, the majority of the households (78.3%) were still using groundwater for their drinking purposes and other daily activities. There is a high demand for safe water in this commune.