Groundwater pollution and human health risk based on Monte Carlo simulation in a typical mining area in Northern Anhui Province, China

There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to evaluate eight kinds of trace element pollutants in groundwater from a typical coal mine area, and carry out a corresponding health risk assessment for the local populace. To do this, 34 shallow groundwater (SG) samples and 18 mid-layer groundwater (MG) samples were collected from the Sulin mining area. To minimize the uncertainties in the health risk assessment, this paper relied on Monte Carlo simulations and sensitivity analysis. The results revealed that Sr and Mn contents exceeded their corresponding WHO (Guidelines for drinking water quality, 4th edn. Geneva, 2011) guidelines and Chinese groundwater standards (GB/T14848–2017), while the other analyzed trace elements remain below those threshold values. The calculated hazard quotient and hazard index values for adults from ingestion exposure to SG and MG were well below the threshold limit of 1. Probabilistic simulations further show that the total cancer risk value above the limit of 1 × 10 ⁻⁶ is 0% for SG and 29.39% for MG. Sensitivity analysis identified the Sr and Cr contents as the most relevant element variables affecting the probabilistic non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk values in the model, respectively.

Related collections

Most cited references 24

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Industrial metal pollution in water and probabilistic assessment of human health risk.

Narottam Saha, M Rahman, Mohammad Boshir Ahmed … (2017)

Concentration of eight heavy metals in surface and groundwater around Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ) industrial area were investigated, and the health risk posed to local children and adult residents via ingestion and dermal contact was evaluated using deterministic and probabilistic approaches. Metal concentrations (except Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn) in Bangshi River water were above the drinking water quality guidelines, while in groundwater were less than the recommended limits. Concentration of metals in surface water decreased as a function of distance. Estimations of non-carcinogenic health risk for surface water revealed that mean hazard index (HI) values of As, Cr, Cu, and Pb for combined pathways (i.e., ingestion and dermal contact) were >1.0 for both age groups. The estimated risk mainly came from the ingestion pathway. However, the HI values for all the examined metals in groundwater were 1 × 10-4 for adult and children, respectively. Deterministic and probabilistic estimations of cancer risk through exposure to groundwater were well below the safety limit. Overall, the population exposed to Bangshi River water remained at carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health threat and the risk was higher for adults. Sensitivity analysis identified exposure duration (ED) and ingestion rate (IR) of water as the most relevant variables affecting the probabilistic risk estimation model outcome.