Assessment of groundwater geochemistry and human health risk of an intensively cropped alluvial plain, NW Italy

Abstract

Groundwater chemistry data play an essential role to identify the water quality status and assess the exposure to human health. Therefore, in the present research, combined approaches used to assess the geochemistry, sources of ions and human health risk in the groundwater of the Tronzano Vercellese. Moreover, a geographic information system (GIS) technique was applied to identify locations have the most risk to human health. The results of the present study show that the groundwater samples had sequence of Ca²⁺>Mg²⁺>Na⁺>K⁺ in cationic, HCO₃⁻>SO₄²⁻>NO₃⁻>Cl⁻>F⁻ in anionic and Zn > Fe > Ba > Ni > Mn > Cu > Cr > As in metals abundance. The hydrogeochemical approaches indicate that the major ions chemistry was mainly controlled by the weathering of carbonate and silicate minerals, and ion-exchange reactions. Furthermore, statistical analysis reveals that the non-lithogenic origin was the primary sources of some elements (Mn, Zn, Ba, NO₃⁻ and K⁺) in the water samples. The hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) were estimated to assess the risk to human health using the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) methods. Estimated HQ and HI values were higher for the child as compared to the adult and suggesting that the elements posed little hazard individually in the case of the child.

Keywords:

• Tronzano Vercellese
• hydrogeochemistry
• risk to human health
• sources identification
• GIS

Acknowledgements

The data were collected as part of a project “Studio idrogeologico di dettaglio finalizzato ad una miglior conoscenza del territorio del Comune di Tronzano Vercellese” drawn up between Politecnico di Torino and Tronzano V.se Municipality, financed by Agatos Energia S.r.l. The authors are grateful to the DIATI - Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering, Politecnico di Torino for their support and assistance during the field survey and for allowing the publication of the data. Our hearty thanks to the anonymous Reviewers and Editors for their valuable suggestions to improve the study in the present form.