Fluoride and nitrate in groundwater of rural habitations of semiarid region of northern Rajasthan, India: a hydrogeochemical, multivariate statistical, and human health risk assessment perspective

In arid and semiarid regions, groundwater is required for the drinking, agriculture, and industrial activities due to scarcity of surface water. Groundwater contaminated with high concentrations of fluoride and nitrate can severely affect human health in these regions. Twenty-eight groundwater samples from rural habitations of Jhunjhunu district, Rajasthan, India, were collected in March 2018 and subjected to analysis for water quality parameters. Fluoride and nitrate concentrations in groundwater varied from 0 to 5.74 mg/L and 10.22-519.64 mg/L, respectively. Nitrate content of about 86% samples and fluoride content of about 54% exceeded the permissible limit of Bureau of Indian Standards (IS:10,500) as well as World Health Organization standards. All groundwater samples belonged to poor to unfit drinking water quality index. Principle component analysis elucidates the anthropogenic contribution to high nitrate concentrations observed in this area. Noncarcinogenic human health risk evaluated from high nitrate and fluoride in drinking water for children, men, and women points to the fact that noncarcinogenic risk is exceeding the allowable limit to human health. The predominating hydrochemical facies in the area is Na+-HCO3--Cl- followed by Na+-Mg2+-HCO3--Cl-. The Gibbs plot and bivariate ionic cross-plots suggest the noncarbonate weathering (rock dominance), evaporation dominance, and ion exchange process to be the predominating geochemical mechanisms governing the evolution of groundwater hydrogeochemistry. Giggenbach diagram shows the immature character, i.e., incomplete equilibration of the groundwater.

Automated summary

In the rural areas of Jhunjhunu district, Rajasthan, India, groundwater is contaminated with high concentrations of fluoride and nitrate, exceeding the permissible limits set by Bureau of Indian Standards and World Health Organization. The study indicates that anthropogenic factors contribute to the high nitrate concentrations observed in the area, leading to poor water quality index and potential health risks for the residents. The dominant hydrochemical facies and geochemical mechanisms governing the evolution of groundwater hydrogeochemistry in the region are identified through principle component analysis and Gibbs plot.