Spatial Distribution, Source Discrimination, and Health Risk Assessment of Arsenic and Fluoride in Drinking Water Around Brick Kilns of Vehari, Punjab, Pakistan.

Abstract

Abstract Water is very important to maintaining life on earth. Fluoride and Arsenic pollution in groundwater is an emerging issue in the world. Atomic absorption spectrometry was used to measure total arsenic, while ion chromatography was used to determine fluoride. The present study was conducted for the health risk assessment of fluoride and arsenic in groundwater around brick kilns. 58 samples of groundwater were collected from district Vehari Punjab and were analyzed for arsenic concentration ranges from 0.330 to 11.120 µg/L, higher than the WHO recommended permissible level of arsenic in drinking water (10 µg/L). The mean value of fluoride in the water supply for drinking is 2.599 mg/L as its concentration ranges are 0.680 to 9.690 mg/L respectively. All the values of fluoride in drinking water were higher than the permissible limit according to WHO standard 1.5 mg/L. The spatial distribution of arsenic and fluoride in groundwater indicates their direct contamination with rock weathering, coal burning, and the use of cheap fuel in brick kilns. The estimated average dose (ADD), hazards quotient (HQ), as well as cancer risk (CR), were computed using statistical formulae to determine the health risks of arsenic and fluoride. The hazard quotient (HQ) values of As and F− in this research area were higher protection and safe limits (HQ > 1), having health risks to the people in this region, caused by brick kilns. Statistical parameters correlation and cluster analysis were used to determining possible contaminant sources in the study area.