Non-cancer Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Groundwater of Qassim Region in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

ABSTRACT: In Qassim Region of Saudi Arabia, the groundwater water has been affected due to presence of naturally occurring salts, radionuclides, and heavy metals. Municipalities are providing safe water to the community after efficient treatment processes in urban settings. While in villages and farms outside the cities’ boundaries, the population is using untreated water supplies for drinking and bathing drawn from private wells, thus is exposed to possible health risks. In present research, health risk assessment has been carried out for possible non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic hazards of naturally occurring heavy metals in groundwater. Quantitative risk assessment is performed for the population living outside the boundary of Buraydah’s water supply system. Data of thirty-seven groundwater samples, analyzed for eighteen heavy metals, was obtained from the municipality. In 8% of the samples, Manganese (Mn) concentration was higher than WHO drinking water quality guidelines while the levels of remaining metals were found lower than the guideline values. In few samples, Sb, Cu, Mo, Se, Ag, and TI, were found in very low concentrations which shows that these metals are not the elements of importance. Study results show that the population is exposed to ‘medium’level of non-carcinogenic risk (i.e., HIING> 1.0) through oral ingestion. Mn, V, Cr, and Ar are the main contributors to non-carcinogenic risk and should be given importance in subsequent investigations for health risk assessment in the study area. Non-carcinogenic risk due to dermal exposure is found to be ‘low’ with HIDER< 1.0.