Physicochemical properties of water in an intensive agricultural region in Bangladesh: a preliminary study for water quality and health risk assessment

ABSTRACT

There are many reservoirs, ponds and Korotoa River in the capital of ancient Pundranagar, Bangladesh, which is an intensive agricultural region. Since different industries are operated for the preparation of different agricultural instruments and agrochemicals are extensively applied to the agricultural soils which mix with the river and pond water and these water bodies may be contaminated with trace elements. In this study, levels of nine trace elements (Cr, As, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd, Fe, Mn and Pb) and physicochemical properties in surface water from one river and five ponds were measured and compared with water quality guidelines. In addition, health risks, pollution status and possible sources of trace elements were assessed. The mean concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn in pond water were 0.059, 0.033, 0.067, 0.136, 0.133, 0.280, 0.733, 0.127 and 0.266 mg/L and river water were 0.055, 0.037, 0.054, 0.104, 0.120, 0.230, 0.702, 0.125 and 0.200 mg/L, respectively. Except Cu and Zn, the mean concentrations of trace elements were above the water quality permissible standards indicating water from these sources is not safe for human use. The WQI values suggested that the water quality is excellent to poor water quality class. Health risk indices indicated that As in water via ingestion exposure pathway may pose both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks to the residents where the non-carcinogenic risk to the residents is raised from ingestion of As, Cd, Cr and Pb from water.

KEYWORDS:

• Surface water
• river
• pond
• ancient city
• health risk

Acknowledgments

The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University for funding this work through Group Research Project under grant number (R.G.P.2/146/43). This research was funded by Prince of Songkla University and Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation under the Reinventing University Project (Grant Number REV64057). The author is thankful to the authority of Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU), Dumki, Patuakhali-8602, Bangladesh for sample processing and the University of Tokyo, Japan for sample analysis.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.