Health risk assessment from exposure to dissolved trace element concentration in drinking groundwater resources of Central Ganga Alluvial Plain: a case study of Lucknow region

This study explores 'Indicator Kriging' approach for assessment of health risk from exposure to trace elements concentration (delta(te)) in drinking water resources of the Central Ganga Alluvial Plain (CGAP), northern India. The estimates for delta(te) were generated using analysis of groundwater samples (n = 100) collected from the Lucknow monitoring area to map the predicted area of health risk. The predicted probability maps have reclassified into a unified scale to generate Trace Element Risk Index (TERI), which has further integrated with human population count data to generate Health Risk Index of Lucknow. The results indicate that the risk is potentially alarming in urban areas as relatively high delta(te) there are referring to the local (point) sources of contamination. Approximately 23.15% human population residing in about 69.77% of the total area is at moderate-to-high health risk probability. The findings of this study could help planning substantial remediation measures on long-term basis.

Automated summary

This study used the 'Indicator Kriging' approach to assess health risks from trace elements concentration in drinking water resources in the Central Ganga Alluvial Plain of northern India. The results indicate potentially alarming health risks in urban areas, which account for a significant percentage of the population and area, pointing to the need for substantial remediation measures.