Abstract
The quality and quantity of groundwater resources are affected by landuse/landcover (LULC) dynamics, particularly the increasing urbanization coupled with high household wastewater discharge and decreasing open lands. This study evaluates temporal changes of groundwater quality for 2012 and 2019, its relation to Landuse/landcover, and its impact on Peshawar's residents (study area), Pakistan. A total of 105 and 112 groundwater samples were collected from tube wells in 2012 and 2019. Samples were then analyzed for seven standard water quality parameters (i.e., pH, electric conductivity (EC), turbidity, chloride, calcium, magnesium, and nitrate). Patient data for waterborne diseases were also collected for the years 2012 and 2019 to relate the impact of groundwater quality on human health. Landsat satellite images were classified for the years 2012 and 2019 to observe landuse/landcover dynamics concerning groundwater quality. Results manifested a decrease in groundwater quality for the year 2019 compared to 2012 and were more highlighted in highly populated areas. The nitrate concentration level was found high in the vicinity of agricultural areas due to the excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers and pesticides, and thus the methemoglobinemia patients ratio increased by 14% (48–62% for the year 2012 and 2019, respectively). Besides, Urinary Tract Infections, Peptic Ulcer, and Dental Caries diseases increased due to the high calcium and magnesium concentration. The overall results indicate that anthropogenic activities were the main driver of Spatio-temporal variability in groundwater quality of the study area. The study could help district health administration understand groundwater quality trends, make appropriate site-specific policies, and formulate future health regulations.
Highlights
The world’s water ecosystem is at high risk due to its changing biological, chemical, and physical properties[1]
Groundwater, which is the primary source for drinking, is deteriorating due to the increasing population growth, urbanization, land use/land cover changes, water demand, and climate c hange[2]
Longitude), which is the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province of Pakistan (Fig. 1) was selected for this research based on its exponential population growth over three decades due to the settlement of internally displaced people (IDP) and a massive influx of Afghan refugees since 197937,38
Summary
The world’s water ecosystem is at high risk due to its changing biological, chemical, and physical properties[1]. The human population suffers from water diseases such as methemoglobinemia (bluebaby syndrome) and thyroid effects in bottle-fed infants (less than 6 months old)[5,6] caused by nitrate polluted portable water This rapid increase in population transforms the natural environment into an anthropogenic environment, which means that the anthropogenic activities would take place at a massive scale, such as industrialization and massive food production activities to meet the food and fiber demand the exponential population growth[7,8]. Groundwater is a crucial element that plays a significant role in the health of humans, animals, and aquatic ecosystems This water faces high pollution risks from anthropogenic activities like massive agricultural crop production, urbanization, mining, and industrial d evelopments[10]. In-Ground modeling, groundwater samples are collected at random locations, analyzed in the laboratory for various parameters such as temperature, color, hardness, pH, chloride, sulfate, and alkalinity, and their spatial distribution are carried out to detect the aquifer pollution throughout the area which helps to guide efficient groundwater management[22,23]
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