Hydrochemical characteristics and a health risk assessment groundwater area of Warri and its adjoining environs, in Delta State Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract In Warri, Delta State, Nigeria, 17 groundwater samples were collected and examined using the American Public Health Association (APHA) method. to evaluate the hydrochemical characteristics and health risks connected with using them as drinking water. For the assessment of the impact of heavy metal contamination in groundwater resources within the region, statistical index analysis using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Pearson correlation, heavy metal index such as Contamination Index (CI), Contamination Factor (Cf), Pollution Load Index (PLI), Metal Pollution Index (MPI), Quantification of Contamination (QoC), Potential Ecological Risk Index (ERI), and Pollution Index of Groundwater (PIG) were successfully applied. Additional findings from Pearson correlation and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) suggested that there is an interaction within the groundwater aquifer system and that there are weak to moderate relationships between parameters. PCA also suggests that loadings within the groundwater system may have resulted from anthropogenic activities in the area that are affecting the water chemistry. Results from hydrogeochemical facies showed that in the cation area, Na+K > Mg > Ca > Cl > SO4 > HCO3 with a tendency of 35.3 percent SO4 > 5.9 percent HCO3 > 41.2 percent Cl > 17.6 percent no dominant ionic specie. Findings from heavy metals indexes like Cf and PLI suggested that there is no connection between them and the groundwater that is readily available. Additional MPI results showed that the research area's groundwater is regarded as clean, whereas QoC and ERI findings showed that geological processes promote the transport of heavy metals, the possible ecological danger associated with groundwater. The HI for all indicators was higher in children than in adults, according to health risk data. This increasing HI in the studied area may be primarily due to anthropogenic sources. According to the findings, ongoing groundwater assessment is necessary to warn against a decline in groundwater quality in the research region.