Geochemistry of Groundwater in the Semi-Arid Crystalline Terrain of Sri Lanka and Its Health Implications among Agricultural Communities

Abstract

Chronic kidney disease with uncertain etiology (CKDu) is an emerging health problem in Sri Lanka, particularly among the dry-zone farming communities that use groundwater for drinking. We investigated the quality of groundwater in an area where both high- and low-prevalence clusters of CKDu have been recorded. Eighty-four groundwater and five surface water samples, covering the selected region, were collected and analyzed for both major anions and cations. The groundwater in the region is mainly of the Ca-Mg-HCO3 type, probably due to the long residence time in fractured hard rock aquifers in this region. Irrespective of the CKDu prevalence, over 50% of samples exceeded the recommended limits for EC/TDS, alkalinity, hardness, and Mg2+ content in groundwater. Water hardness in CKDu clusters was dominated by Mg2+. High fluoride content up to 4.0 mg/L was also found in most groundwater samples from the region. The water quality index (WQI) values indicated that 42% of the groundwater samples in regions with no or low CKDu prevalence and 49% of the samples in regions with high prevalence were poor in quality. The spatial distribution of WQI and fluoride concentration overlapped, indicating the direct influence of fluoride on the groundwater quality in the study region. In addition, regions with higher WQI values overlapped with the CKDu hotspots, indicating the direct impact of groundwater quality on the disease prevalence in the studied river basin. The WQI can be used to effectively demarcate areas with possible groundwater-related health effects in the dry-zone regions of Sri Lanka.