| Abstrakt: |
In arid and semi-arid regions, where groundwater serves as the main source of drinking and domestic water for the population. Continuous consumption of water that does not meet drinking water standards can have a negative effects on human well-being. The purpose of this study is to investigate the quality and composition of groundwater in the Kherlen river basin, as well as to estimate the risk of non-cancerous diseases caused by fluoride and nitrate pollution to human health. Fieldwork was conducted in June 2023, and a total of 37 samples were collected and analyzed from the deep and shallow groundwater in the study area. Water quality (major ions) was analyzed according to approved standard methods and procedures. The assessment of non-carcinogenic health risks rising from nitrate and fuoride in different age groups (infants, children, and adults) using the methodology outlined by the United States Environmental Production Agency (USEPA). The findings revealed that 73% (27 out of 37 samples) failed to meet the requirements outlined in the drinking water standard MNS 0900:2018 and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for various parameters, including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), fluoride, nitrate, total hardness, calcium, and magnesium. Specifically, 43.2% of all samples exhibited fluoride concentrations higher (ranging from 1.57 to 7.9 mg/l) than the MNS 0900:2018 and WHO-recommended levels (0.7-1.5 mg/l). Moreover, 21.6% fell below the specified limits, registering fluoride concentrations ranging from 0.29 to 0.67 mg/l. The nitrate concentration in the studied wells ranged from 1.0 to 582.3 mg/l, with 24.3% of all samples exceeding the MNS 2018 standard (50 mg/l) and only 2.7% surpassing the WHO-recommended limit of 45 mg/l. Human health risk indices (HI) were calculated for different age groups. The resulting HIs ranged from 0.182 to 12.985 for adult males, 0.224 to 22.209 for females, and 0.261 to 28.582 for children. Notably, 78.34% of children, 67.57% of adult women, and 64.86% of men exhibited HI values greater than 1, indicating a potential risk to human health posed by fluoride and nitrate-induced non-carcinogenic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
