Assessment of drinking water quality and non-carcinogenic health risk associated with the feed and treated water of water treatment devices (WTDs) in southwest Punjab, India

Abstract

The present study emphasizes the quality of feed and treated water of water treatment devices (WTDs) of Muktsar district, Punjab. Altogether 72 water samples were analyzed for major ions to identify the contaminant of concern that have potential risk to human health. An elevated level of F⁻, NO₃⁻, HCO₃⁻, Mg²⁺, Cl⁻, and TDS were observed in the feedwater. The removal efficiency of WTDs was found high for Na⁺, NO₃⁻, Cl⁻, and SO₄²⁻ and low for K⁺, PO₄^3-, and F⁻. The WTDs seem to be very effective in improving the overall water quality and significantly reduces the non-carcinogenic risk in all studied age groups.

Keywords:

• Human health
• non-carcinogenic
• risk
• water quality
• water treatment devices

Acknowledgment

The first author is highly thankful to the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), Government of India, New Delhi, for providing fellowship for the doctoral degree. The authors express special thanks to Mr Kuldeep Bist, Centre of Advanced Study in Geology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, for his help during the chemical analysis.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).