Determination and Mapping of Arsenic in Groundwater of Lahore, And Estimating the Health Risk Assessment

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the concentration of arsenic in ground water of Lahore and to determine the health impacts that are associated with this contamination. Moreover, the study also aimed to understand the relationship between the depth of the tube well and the concentration of Arsenic. For this purpose, initially 477 samples of ground water were collected using appropriate sampling protocols and then the concentration of As was determined using AAS. Later these concentrations were compared with WHO and NEQs guidelines. Results showed that 98% samples were exceeding WHO limits and 5% were exceeding NEQs limits. For the purpose of developing a relationship between depth of tube well and concentration of As in ground water SPSS 20.0 was used to carry out a Pearson Correlation Test which confirmed the presence of a negative linear relationship between the two variables. In order to study the health risks of the As contamination of ground water a model designed by USEPA was used to carry out a Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA). This model revealed that for now, there is moderate potential health risk on the population of Lahore for contamination in the underground water reservoirs. Therefore, this study is just in time for the authorities to act immediately, as groundwater quality of Lahore is gradually deteriorating with time and influence of anthropogenic sources.