Achieving the One Health Goal: Highlighting Groundwater Quality and Public Health

Abstract

In many regions of the world, groundwater is the main water source for multiple uses, including for drinking, irrigation, and industry. Groundwater quality, therefore, is closely related to human health, and the consumption of contaminated groundwater can induce various waterborne diseases. In the last ten years, the world has witnessed a rapid development in groundwater quality research and the assessment of associated health risks. This editorial introduced the foundation of the current Special Issue, Groundwater Quality and Public Health, briefly reviewed recent research advances in groundwater quality and public health research, summarized the main contribution of each published paper, and proposed future research directions that researchers should take into account to achieve the one health goal. It is suggested that groundwater quality protection should be further emphasized to achieve the one health goal and the UN’s SDGs. Modern technologies should be continuously developed to remediate and control groundwater pollution, which is a major constrain in the development of a sustainable society.