Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Shallow groundwater quality and associated non-cancer health risk in agricultural areas (Poyang Lake basin, China)

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Environmental Geochemistry and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Owing to their accessibility, shallow groundwater is an essential source of drinking water in rural areas while usually being used without control by authorities. At the same time, this type of water resource is one of the most vulnerable to pollution, especially in regions with extensive agricultural activity. These factors increase the probability of adverse health effects in the population as a result of the consumption of shallow groundwater. In the present research, shallow groundwater quality in the agricultural areas of Poyang Lake basin was assessed according to world and national standards for drinking water quality. To evaluate non-cancer health risk from drinking groundwater, the hazard quotient from exposure to individual chemicals and hazard index from exposure to multiple chemicals were applied. It was found that, in shallow groundwater, the concentrations of 11 components (NO3−, NH4+, Fe, Mn, As, Al, rare NO2−, Se, Hg, Tl and Pb) exceed the limits referenced in the standards for drinking water. According to the health risk assessment, only five components (NO3−, Fe, As, rare NO2− and Mn) likely provoke non-cancer effects. The attempt to evaluate the spatial distribution of human health risk from exposure to multiple chemicals shows that the most vulnerable area is associated with territory characterised by low altitude where reducing or near-neutral conditions are formed (lower reaches of Xiushui and Ganjiang Rivers). The largest health risk is associated with the immune system and adverse dermal effects.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abu Bakar, A. F., Yusoff, I., Fatt, N. T., & Ashraf, M. A. (2015). Cumulative impacts of dissolved ionic metals on the chemical characteristics of river water affected by alkaline mine drainage from the Kuala Lipis gold mine, Pahang, Malaysia. Chemistry and Ecology, 31(1), 22–33.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ahmed, F., Bibi, M. H., Ishiga, H., Fukushima, T., & Maruoka, T. (2010). Geochemical study of arsenic and other trace elements in groundwater and sediments of the Old Brahmaputra River Plain, Bangladesh. Environmental Earth Science, 60, 1303–1316.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Albretsen, J. (2006). The toxicity of iron, an essential element. Veterinary Medicine, 101(2), 82–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • ATSDR. (2007). Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological profile for Arsenic. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service: Atlanta.

    Google Scholar 

  • ATSDR. (2014). Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological profile for Nitrate and Nitrite. (Draft for Public Comment). Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.

  • Chen, J. P. (2012). Decontamination of heavy metals: Processes, mechanisms, and applications. New York: CRC Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, J. Y., Taniguchi, M., Liu, G. Q., & Miyaoka, K. (2007). Nitrate pollution of groundwater in the Yellow River delta, China. Hydrogeology Journal, 15, 1605–1614.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • FAO. (2002). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations World Agriculture: Towards 2015/2030. Summary Report. Rome.

  • GB 5749-2006. (2006). Standards for drinking water quality. National standard of the People’s Republic of China. (in Chinese).

  • Gräfe, M., & Sparks, D. L. (2006). Solid phase speciation of arsenic. In R. Naidu et al. (Eds.), Managing arsenic in the environment. From soils to human health (pp. 75–92). Collingwood: CSIRO Pub.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo, H., Liu, C., Lu, H., Wanty, R. B., Wang, J., & Zhou, Y. (2013). Pathways of coupled arsenic and iron cycling in high arsenic groundwater of the Hetao basin, Inner Mongolia, China: An iron isotope approach. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 112, 130–145.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoover, J. H., Sutton, P. C., Anderson, S. J., & Keller, A. C. (2014). Designing and evaluating a groundwater quality Internet GIS. Applied Geography, 53, 55–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsueh, Y. M., Wu, W. L., Huang, Y. L., Chiou, H. Y., Tseng, C. H., & Chen, C. J. (1998). Low serum carotene level and increased risk of ischemic heart disease related to long-term arsenic exposure. Atherosclerosis, 141(2), 249–257.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ihedioha, J. N., Ukoha, P. O., & Ekere, N. R. (2017). Ecological and human health risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in soil of a municipal solid waste dump in Uyo, Nigeria. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 39, 497–515.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jaishankar, M., Tseten, T., Anbalagan, N., Mathew, B. B., & Beeregowda, K. N. (2014). Toxicity, mechanism and health effects of some heavy metals. Interdisciplinary Toxicology, 7(2), 60–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, F., Zhang, J., Jiang, W., Liu, C., Zhang, Z., Zhang, C., et al. (2017). Spatial health risk assessment and hierarchical risk management for mercury in soils from a typical contaminated site. China. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 39(4), 923–934.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, X., & Zhang, Q. (2011). Estimating the potential evapotranspiration of Poyang Lake basin using remote sense data and Shuttleworth-Wallace model. Procedia Environmental Sciences, 10(Part B), 1575–1582.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liang, C.-P., Wang, S.-W., Kao, Y.-H., & Chen, J.-S. (2016). Health risk assessment of groundwater arsenic pollution in southern Taiwan. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 38, 1271–1281.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • NatGeo. (2017). MapMaker Interactive. http://mapmaker.nationalgeographic.org. Accessed August 7, 2017.

  • NBSC. (2014). National Bureau of Statistics of China. Annual data. http://www.stats.gov.cn. Accessed August 7, 2017. (in Chinese).

  • Putilina, V. S., Galitskaya, IV, & Yuganova, T. I. (2011). Arsenic behaviour in soils, rocks and groundwater. Transformation, adsorption/desorption, migration. Novosibirsk: GPNTB SB RAS. (in Russian).

    Google Scholar 

  • Qiu, J. (2010). China faces up to groundwater crisis. Nature, 466, 308.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • R 2.1.10.1920-04 (2004). Human health risk assessment from environmental chemicals. Moscow. (in Russian).

  • Rasool, A., Farooqi, A., Masood, S., & Hussain, K. (2016). Arsenic in groundwater and its health risk assessment in drinking water of Mailsi, Punjab, Pakistan. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 22(1), 187–202.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ravenscroft, R., Brammer, H., & Richards, K. (2009). Arsenic pollution: A global synthesis. Oxford: Wiley.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Rojas Fabro, A. Y., Pacheco Ávila, J. G., Esteller Alberich, M. V., Cabrera Sansores, S. A., & Camargo-Valero, M. A. (2015). Spatial distribution of nitrate health risk associated with groundwater use as drinking water in Merida, Mexico. Applied Geography, 65, 49–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shvartsev, S., Shen, Z., Sun, Z., Wang, G., Soldatova, E., & Guseva, N. (2016). Evolution of the groundwater chemical composition in the Poyang Lake catchment, China. Environmental Earth Sciences, 75(18), 1239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smedley, P. L., & Kinnniburgh, D. G. (2002). A review of the source behavior and distribution of arsenic in natural waters. Applied Geochemistry, 17(5), 517–568.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Soldatova, E., Guseva, N., & Bychinsky, V. (2017a). Modelling of redox conditions in the shallow groundwater: A case study of agricultural area in the Poyang Lake basin, China. Procedia Earth and Planetary Science, 17, 197–200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeps.2016.12.068.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soldatova, E., Guseva, N., Sun, Z., Bychinsky, V., Boeckx, P., & Gao, B. (2017b). Source and behavior of nitrogen compounds in the shallow groundwater of the Poyang Lake basin, China. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 202, 59–69.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Soldatova, E. A., Guseva, N. V., Sun, Z., & Mazurova, I. S. (2015). Size fractionation of trace elements in the surface water and groundwater of the Ganjiang and Xiushui River basin, China. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 27, 012037.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping. (2008). Map of the People’s Republic of China. Edition of Administrative Region.

  • Sun, Z., Soldatova, E. A., & Guseva, N. V. (2014). Impact of human activity on the groundwater chemical composition of the south part of the Poyang Lake basin. IERI Procedia, 8, 113–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • The Chinese residents of nutrition and chronic disease status report. (2015). The National Health and Family Planing Commission of PRC. (in Chinese).

  • Thomas Brinkhoff: City Population. http://www.citypopulation.de. Accessed August 7, 2017.

  • US EPA. (1986). United States environmental protection agency. Guidelines for the health risk assessment of chemical mixtures. Washington: US EPA.

    Google Scholar 

  • US EPA. (1989). United States Environmental Protection Agency. Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund: Volume I—human health evaluation manual (Part D. Standardized Planning, Reporting, and Review of Superfund Risk Assessments). Washington.

  • US EPA. (1991). United States Environmental Protection Agency. Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund: Volume I—Human health evaluation manual (Supplemental guidance “Standard default exposure factors). Washington.

  • US EPA. (1992). United States Environmental Protection Agency. Guidelines for Exposure Assessment. Washington.

  • US EPA. (1998). United States Environmental Protection Agency. Guidelines for Exposure Assessment. Washington.

  • US EPA. (2003). United States Environmental Protection Agency. Framework for Cumulative Risk Assessment. Washington.

  • US EPA. (2014). United States Environmental Protection Agency. Region 4 Human Health Risk Assessment Supplemental Guidance. Washington.

  • US EPA. (2015). United States Environmental Protection Agency. Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris2/atoz.cfm Accessed August 7, 2017.

  • Wang, Q., Riemann, D., Vogt, S., & Glaser, R. (2014). Impacts of land cover changes on climate trends in Jiangxi province China. International Journal of Biometeorology, 58(5), 645–660.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wen, D., Zhang, F., Zhang, E., Wang, C., Han, S., & Zheng, Y. (2013). Arsenic, fluoride and iodine in groundwater of China. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 135, 1–21.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • WHO. (2011). World Health Organization. In Guideline for drinking water quality (4th ed.). Geneva.

  • Wu, M. M., Kuo, T. L., Hwang, Y. H., & Chen, C. J. (1989). Dose-response relation between arsenic well water and mortality from cancers and vascular diseases. American Journal of Epidemiology, 130(6), 1123–1132.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, J., Wang, L., Wang, S., Tian, R., Xue, C., Feng, W., et al. (2017). Spatiotemporal variation of groundwater quality in an arid area experiencing long-term paper wastewater irrigation, northwest China. Environmental Earth Sciences, 76(13), 460.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yan, B., Xing, J., Tan, H., Deng, S., & Tan, Y. (2011). Analysis on water environment capacity of the Poyang Lake. Procedia Environmental Sciences, 10(Part C), 2754–2759.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ye, X., Zhang, Q., Liu, J., Li, X., & Xu, C.-Y. (2013). Distinguishing the relative impacts of climate change and human activities on variation of streamflow in the Poyang Lake catchment, China. Journal of Hydrology, 494, 83–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu, C. (2011). China’s water crisis needs more than words. Nature, 470, 307.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, C. Y., Zhang, S., Yin, M. Y., Ma, L. N., He, Z., & Ning, Z. (2013). Nitrogen isotope studies of nitrate contamination of the thick vadose zone in the wastewater-irrigated area. Environmental Earth Sciences, 68, 1475–1483.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, R., Li, H. X., Wu, X. F., Fan, F. C., Sun, B. Y., Wang, Z. S., et al. (2009). Current situation analysis on China rural drinking water quality. Journal of Environment and Health, 26, 3–5. (in Chinese).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, X.-N., Guo, Q.-P., Shen, X.-X., Yu, S.-W., & Qiu, G.-Y. (2015). Food Safety Special Issue: Water quality, agriculture and food safety in China: Current situation, trends, interdependencies, management. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 14(11), 2365–2379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhen, L., Li, F., Huang, H., Dilly, O., Liu, J., Wei, Y., et al. (2011). Households’ willingness to reduce pollution threats in the Poyang Lake region, southern China. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 110, 15–22.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The research of health risk from exposure to N-compounds and factors of its distribution is funded from Russian Science Foundation (RSF), Project No 17-77-10017. Chemical analysis and chemical composition data processing were carried out at Tomsk Polytechnic University within the framework of Tomsk Polytechnic University Competitiveness Enhancement Program Grant. Authors would like to thank colleagues from East China University of Technology and Tomsk Polytechnic University who took part in fieldwork and conducted chemical analysis.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, 30 Lenina Avenue, Tomsk, Russia, 634050

    Evgeniya Soldatova, Sofya Maier & Valeriia Drebot

  2. East China University of Technology, 418 Guanglan Avenue, Nanchang, 330013, China

    Zhanxue Sun & Bai Gao

Authors
  1. Evgeniya Soldatova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zhanxue Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sofya Maier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Valeriia Drebot
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Bai Gao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Evgeniya Soldatova.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Soldatova, E., Sun, Z., Maier, S. et al. Shallow groundwater quality and associated non-cancer health risk in agricultural areas (Poyang Lake basin, China). Environ Geochem Health 40, 2223–2242 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-018-0094-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-018-0094-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation