Integral assessment of drinking water from underground sources of the Salgir river basin

Abstract

Introduction. Most of the steppe zone of Crimea has a shortage of surface water resources. Therefore, groundwater is used for drinking water supply. Over the past few decades, the growth of anthropogenic activities has led to its widespread pollution. The daily use of water that doesn’t meet the standards can have a negative impact on the health of local residents. The problem of satisfying the population with water that is harmless in its chemical composition makes it necessary to conduct studies to assess its quality and determine the risk to public health according to the regulatory documents in force to develop measures to bring their quality composition to the normative level. The purpose of the study is to assess the risk to the health of the population from pollutants of underground water sources contained in drinking water located in the Salgir river basin. Materials and methods. This work presents the results of the study of the groundwater quality. The samples were extracted in the Salgir river basin. The study was based on the testing of health risk calculations set forth in P 2.1.10.1920-04 and MR 2.1.4.0032-11. The initial data were information on the results of chemical analyses of groundwater for 2018 and 2019. Results. As a result of the calculation of olfactory-reflex and non-carcinogenic risks of 178 drinking water sources, as well as calculation of an integral indicator characterizing the dangerous impact of water on health, the most significant role in the formation of organoleptic effects was revealed to be provided by the smell of water and its stiffness, and non-carcinogenic - by nitrates and in one case by boron. Limitations. Firstly, a carcinogenic risk assessment was not carried out due to the lack of data on toxic components (arsenic, cadmium, lead and others) in water. Secondly, not all settlements located in the Salgir river basin are included in the study, because of the lack of data on the quality of groundwater for these villages. Conclusion. The calculated values of integral indicators, combining these risks, made it possible to assess the quality of water in each water intake and the most significant harmful effects of damage to the organs and systems of the human body. The method used to assess the safety of drinking water makes it possible to develop measures to increase the efficiency of its post-treatment before supplying it to the consumer.