Toxic Aluminium and Heavy Metals in Groundwater of Middle Russia: Health Risk Assessment

Abstract

Two approaches are distinguished in modern ecological monitoring. The first one is physicochemical analysis of environmental objects with respect to maximum allowable concentrations (MACs) of chemical substances, which is performed by standards methods in accordance with state regulations. The second approach (biological monitoring) is based on the methodology of biotesting and bio indication. The task of this work is to create biotests for estimation of Al and other metals toxicity in ground water and to compare these results with physicochemical analysis dates. Risk assessment for heavy metals contaminated groundwater was also performed. Risk assessment was performed accordingly EPA US recommendation and gave results about 90 per 100000 citizens for Al and 402 per 100000 for mixture of different heavy metals. For comparison: risk for earth background radiation for Middle Russia is (Individual dose 1 millisivert per year) consist 5 per 100000 people. It was shown that groundwater consist HCO ₃ ⁻ ions (360 mg/l), sometimes Al compounds 0.21–0.65 mg/l (MAC for Al is 0.5 mg/l for Russia). Other groundwater contain Hg – 0.004 mg/l (MAC – 0.0005 mg/l); Cr – 0.072 mg/l (MAC – 0.05 mg/l); As – less than 0.03 mg/l (MAC – 0.05 mg/l). We developed plant biotest for estimation of groundwater quality with barley roots, tradescatia and others. Some biotests parameters correlate with HCO ₃ ⁻, Cl ⁻, SO ₄ ²⁻ and metal ions content positively, for another biotest this correlation is strongly negative. The quality of groundwater near Obninsk and in Kaluga Region is very different but hasn’t been changed since the year 1998.