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| GIS-based human health risk assessment of groundwater contamination in the Jinghuiqu irrigation district of China |
| Received:September 14, 2017 |
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| KeyWord:groundwater;contamination;human health;risk assessment;Jinghuiqu irrigation district;GIS |
| Author Name | Affiliation | | XU Bin | School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, China
Key Laboratory of Subsurface Hydrology and Ecological Effects in Arid Region, Ministry of Education, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, China | | ZHANG Yan | School of Earth Science and Resources, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, China |
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| Abstract: |
| This study was carried out to assess the potential hazards of groundwater contamination in the Jinghuiqu irrigation district of China and discuss the role of GIS in human health risk assessment. Samples of groundwater were collected, and their physical and chemical characteristics were analyzed via laboratory testing. Their contamination was evaluated using the single factor index method. Considering the age, sex, and exposure pathways of residents, health risks were estimated using the models recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The statistical and spatial distribution characteristics of health risk of different populations were analyzed and visualized using GIS. The results showed that the concentrations of As, Cr(Ⅵ), and NO3--N in the groundwater of the study area exceeded their limits. The carcinogenic risk of As was higher for male adults than for female adults, at 3.73×10-4 and 3.26×10-4, respectively, and significantly exceeded the limit of 1.00×10-4. The long-term exposure to As led to the exceeded risk of getting cancer. The noncarcinogenic hazard indices of As, Cr(Ⅵ), and NO3--N decreased in the order of Cr(Ⅵ) > NO3--N > As,and the noncarcinogenic hazard indices of Cr(Ⅵ) for effects to children reached 8.693 7, significantly exceeding the limit of 1. The carcinogenic risk caused by As covers 45.82% of the total study area. The area ratios of the noncarcinogenic risk caused by As, Cr(Ⅵ), and NO3--N were 69.19%, 69.06%, and 66.55%. Thus, the area of total noncarcinogenic risk covered most of the study area, indicating that problems with water safety are outstanding. The study proved that GIS was applicable and useful in the acquisition of risk spatial distribution, information visualization, and statistical analysis of exposure risk for human health risk assessment. |
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