Analysis of heavy metal sources in groundwater and assessment of health:An example from the chemical industrial park in northern Zhejiang
To elucidate the sources of heavy metal contamination in the groundwater of a chemical industrial park in northern Zhejiang,and assess the associated health risks,the current study conducted analyses on eight heavy metal elements(As,Cr,Al,Cu,Zn,Ni,Co and Mn)detected in 11 groundwater samples from the region.The Nemero comprehensive pollution index,principal component analysis,correlation analysis,and the USEPA health risk assessment model were adopted to index the evaluation process.The results showed that:1)Except for Al,the average concentrations of heavy metal elements in groundwater within the study area do not exceed the Class Ⅳwater standards limit(GB/T 14848-2017).In terms of crest value of concentration,Al,Ni and Mn were observed to surpass the prescribed limits.Zn and Mn exhibited high skewness,indicating a notable variability in heavy metal elements across the research area.2)The Nemero comprehensive pollution indices(PN)for Al,Ni and Mn all exceeded clean water standards,and the study area was thus categorized as a moderately polluted region.3)The spatial distribution of heavy metal concentrations was closely aligned with industrial production patterns.As,Cr,Al,Cu,Ni and Co might share similar origins or migration-transformation processes.Specifically,Cr,Al,Cu,Ni and Co mainly originated from industrial sources;As was found of a mix of both industrial and agricultural origins;And Zn originated from anthropogenic sources.4)Within the research area,carcinogenic heavy metal elements have posed the primary threat to public health.People could be exposed to heavy metal elements by assorted routes:Children would face higher risks than adults when being exposed to drinking water,while adults tend to be more vulnerable to dermal absorption compared to children.Cr and As are two main culprits for health problems and dermal absorption is identified as the primary exposure route for heavy metals.If the groundwater from the research area and its vicinity is to be utilized as a potable water source in the future,requisite remediation measures must be taken.
Heavy metalgroundwatermultivariate statistical analysishealth risk
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