Nitrate Pollution and Health Risks Analysis in WaterResources in Locality of Mbankomo (Center-Cameroon)
Keywords:
Nitrate pollution, health risk, Mbankomo, Center-CameroonAbstract
Elevated nitrate levels in water resources, resulting from human activities and inadequate wastewater management, can have detrimental effects on consumer health. This article aims to analyze nitrate levels in the water resources of Mbankomo and assess the associated health risks to the local population using a determinist approach. Nitrate concentration is determined in 20 samples including 10 in the dry season (2022, March) and 10 in the rainy season (2022, October). Nitrate concentrations were determinate by High Performance Liquid Chromatography ( HPLC) ion chromatography method on Dionex ICS-1100 with a diameter of 0.45 µm. The Nitrate pollution Index (NPI) was used to quantify water nitrate pollution and Potential health risk assessment for nitrate pollution in water of Mbankomo was determined by commonly using health indices such as daily water intake (CDI), hazard quotient (HQ), and non-carcinogenic hazard index (HI). Nitrate concentrations varied from 0.03 to 0.08 mg/L, with an average of 0.05 mg/L, in the dry season and from 23.66 to 116.74 mg/L, with an average of 59.83 mg/L in the rainy season. 50% (5 samples) of points investigated have NO3- concentration higher than the WHO limit of 50 mg/L probably due to Anthropogenic inputs. Concerning the NPI, about 60% of the samples have negligible to moderate pollution and 40% have significant and very significant pollution. The average hazard index (HI) values for adults and children were 1.13, 1.88, respectively. 80% of the samples (8 samples) from children had an HI greater than 1, while 50% (5 samples) of the samples from adults exceeded an HI of 1. Accordingly, water samples from Mbankomo may expose children and adults to non-cancer health concerns. Children are more vulnerable to non-carcinogenic health risks than adults, possibly due to their lower body weight. Immediate attention and remedial measures must be implemented to protect residents from the adverse effects NO3- in the study area.
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