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<p>Groundwater, a vital source of drinking and irrigation water in the Lower Ganga Delta region of West Bengal, is facing critical problems of groundwater depletion and contamination due to over-exploitation and unregulated chemical usage, posing a threat to water quality and public health. Therefore, the present study has been carried out to explore the quality of groundwater and potential non-carcinogenic human health risks of nitrate exposure based on 527 water samples covering 14 districts of the Lower Ganga Delta (West Bengal). The methods applied are NFWQI, the health index, and Getis-Ord Gi, the statistics. The WQI reveals that 7.76% of the samples are ‘very poor’ (restricted to irrigation use) while 14.20% are unsuitable for all uses. The study also explores that males and children have higher proportions in the no-risk category (HI &lt; 1), but children (12.88%) are disproportionately impacted by higher health hazards (HI &gt; 2), compared to the females (4.92%) and males (4.55%). The Getis-Ord Gi* statistics identify the presence of nitrate hotspots in the Bankura, Burdwan, Birbhum, and Nadia districts. Finally, negative correlations between the four seasonal fluctuations in groundwater levels and the nitrate concentration are recorded (i.e., <i>r</i> = -0.15 with pre-monsoon water level), indicating that the lower groundwater level is more susceptible to nitrate pollution. The study also observed that the variation in the groundwater quality is governed mainly by natural factors (variation in aquifer mineralogy and seawater intrusion) and anthropogenic influx, dominantly the leaching of agrochemicals and nutrients.</p>

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Evaluating groundwater quality and non-carcinogenic human health risks of nitrate exposure in the lower Ganga delta: hotspot detection, driving factors and management strategies

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月4日

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  • Aznarul Islam,
  • Biplab Sarkar,
  • Pravat Kumar Shit,
  • Harun Al Rasid Gazi

摘要

Groundwater, a vital source of drinking and irrigation water in the Lower Ganga Delta region of West Bengal, is facing critical problems of groundwater depletion and contamination due to over-exploitation and unregulated chemical usage, posing a threat to water quality and public health. Therefore, the present study has been carried out to explore the quality of groundwater and potential non-carcinogenic human health risks of nitrate exposure based on 527 water samples covering 14 districts of the Lower Ganga Delta (West Bengal). The methods applied are NFWQI, the health index, and Getis-Ord Gi, the statistics. The WQI reveals that 7.76% of the samples are ‘very poor’ (restricted to irrigation use) while 14.20% are unsuitable for all uses. The study also explores that males and children have higher proportions in the no-risk category (HI < 1), but children (12.88%) are disproportionately impacted by higher health hazards (HI > 2), compared to the females (4.92%) and males (4.55%). The Getis-Ord Gi* statistics identify the presence of nitrate hotspots in the Bankura, Burdwan, Birbhum, and Nadia districts. Finally, negative correlations between the four seasonal fluctuations in groundwater levels and the nitrate concentration are recorded (i.e., r = -0.15 with pre-monsoon water level), indicating that the lower groundwater level is more susceptible to nitrate pollution. The study also observed that the variation in the groundwater quality is governed mainly by natural factors (variation in aquifer mineralogy and seawater intrusion) and anthropogenic influx, dominantly the leaching of agrochemicals and nutrients.