Spatial Analysis and Health Risk Assessment of Pollutants in the Ground Water of District Narowal, Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

Abstract Because of the importance of water in maintaining life and socio-economic development, drinking water quality of District Narowal, Punjab, Pakistan has been assessed using spatial techniques like IDW and Kriging, WQI approach, Non-Carcinogenic and Carcinogenic Health Risk Assessment. Water quality was assessed for the time period between 2014–18, using 17 different physicochemical parameters from 1743 sites each, from two time periods 2014–16 and 2016–18 respectively. The drinking water of Narowal was categorized into 5 different classes on the basis of WQI i.e., Excellent, good, poor, very poor and not suitable for drinking. WQI Values of 210.1537 and 267.75 was observed during 2014–16 and 2016–18 showed very poor quality of drinking water during 2014–18. 28.5% of the study area during time period 2014–16 and 36.1% during time period 2016–18 showed substandard drinking quality. 3.3% of the study area during 2014–16 and 7.9% during 2016–18 showed health risks related to chloride for adults while 0.1% of study area during 2014–16 and 11.1% during 2016–18 showed health risks related to nitrite in adults. Results indicated that due to the human intervention the quality of the drinking water and risks related to drinking sub-standard water of District Narowal become getting worse in a very fast rate, so water should be drink after suitable treatment. These risks can also be eliminated by decreasing the use of chemical and synthetic fertilizers and pesticides for agriculture.