Abstract
Dispersed karst water is an important water supply source, or even the only water supply source, for some districts and counties in Chongqing City. It is particularly necessary to understand the distribution characteristics of metal elements in karst water and the health risks exposed. In this study, the scattered karst water in the southeastern part of Chongqing was taken as the main research object, and the concentrations of Al, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Cd, Ni, Mn, As, and Hg in 42 groups of karst spring water samples were determined. The spatial distribution of metal elements with a high detection rate was revealed using the ordinary kriging interpolation method, and the spatial distribution characteristics, sources, and health risks of metal elements were analyzed using multivariate statistical methods and health risk models. The results showed that the quality of dispersed karst water in southeastern Chongqing was generally good, and the spatial scale variability in the occurrence of metal elements in karst water was strong, especially for Ni and As. The sources of Cu, Pb, As, Zn, and Cr were mainly affected by the regional geological background; Al and Mn were mainly affected by human industrial, agricultural, and mining activities; and Ni was affected by both the natural background and human activities. The total health risk of exposure through the drinking route was higher than that of the skin infiltration route, which was the main exposure route of the human body. The total health risk of children exposed through the drinking route was higher than that of adults, and the total health risk of adults exposed through the skin infiltration route was higher than that of children. It is worth noting that Cr was the determinant of total health risk. From the perspective of drinking water safety, local residents need to pay certain attention to water quality when drinking distributed karst groundwater, in order to reduce the health risk of the population.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
