Concentration and human health risk assessment of heavy metals in groundwater from around the area of Ruppur Nuclear Power Plant, Pabna district, Bangladesh

Abstract

Ruppur nuclear power plant (RNPP) is under construction in the study area (Ruppur, Pabna, Bangladesh), which has schedule for power production in 2023. Most of the local people generally consume groundwater from hand-tube wells, and groundwater also is used for cultivation. Therefore, this study has been designed to collect ground water samples from twelve different sampling points surrounding RNPP site for determining the present status of heavy metals concentration in groundwater and to assess human health risk related to heavy metals contamination in groundwater. The concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, As, Ni, Cu, and Zn in the groundwater samples were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (GTA 120-AA240Z, Varian, Australia) at Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR). This study revealed that the concentrations of heavy metals in groundwater samples for this study area in decreasing order was as follows: manganese > iron > lead > chromium > cadmium  respectively. As, Ni, Cu, and Zn concentrations in the water samples were found to be below detection level. The level of target hazard quotient (THQ) in ingestion in the study area followed the order: Mn > Cr > Pb > Cd > Fe respectively. Subsequently, this study revealed that THQ values for Mn were lower than 1 in five sampling points but higher than one in seven sampling points, which indicating that the adverse health effects on human body and potential non carcinogenic concern for manganese via ingestion water except all other studied metals. THQ values of dermal for all the heavy metals were less than 1. However, this study also revealed that the HI ingestion values for Pb, Cd, Cr, and Fe were higher than 1 for all sampling points, which indicating the adverse health effects on human body and potential non carcinogenic concern via ingestion of water. On the other hand, the HI dermal values for Pb, Cd, Cr, Fe and Mn are smaller than 1 indicating that there is no adverse health effects on human body and potential non carcinogenic concern via dermal adsorption of water.