Valuation of Groundwater Contaminated with Nitrates and Human Health Risks (HHR) Between Villages of Sinjar and Tal Afar Districts, Iraq

Abstract

Nitrates are one of the most common pollutants in groundwater. To assess the risk of exposure to nitrates in drinking water for age groups, we monitored the concentration of nitrates in the drinking water of the Al-Jazeera region. The climate of this region is characterized between dry and semi-arid, and its inhabitants depended on the water in the aquifers as a source of drinking for many years, without monitoring, treatment, or filtration system, as there is no public drinking water network. A model was also used to assess the risks of nitrate pollution in groundwater to human health. Samples were taken from 30 wells distributed equally over the three villages to collect water samples and measure the concentration of nitrate ions in groundwater. The concentration of nitrate ions in well water is less than 50 mg. L-1 and ranged between (4.2 – 48.1) mg. L-1 . The mathematical model results showed that the ages under 11 years and pregnant women have a higher hazard quotient of nitrate value (HQ) than one Except for wells No. 2 and 9, which are higher than the permissible limits for drinking. As for age groups above 11, well water was suitable for drinking, and the HQ value was mainly less than one. The reason for this age group's lower chronic daily intake (CDI). In other words, the groundwater was suitable for adults and not for children under 11 years and pregnant women.