Integrated assessment of groundwater quality, agriculture suitability and health risk assessment in the Upper Indus Basin, District Gujranwala, Pakistan
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Public health protection, sustainable agricultural practices, and environmental degradation mitigation, all depend on the quality of groundwater. Groundwater quality remains a critical concern in the densely populated cities of Pakistan. Integrated assessment of groundwater quality in an area provides a comprehensive understanding to support effective resource management and policy-making. The focus of this study is to evaluate the ionic concentration of groundwater and subsequent consequences based on twenty-eight groundwater samples acquired from different water schemes in the Gujranwala District, Punjab, Upper Indus Basin, Pakistan. This study analyzes the type of ions, the effect of contamination on agriculture and groundwater contamination-based health risks. Results show that the concentration of major ions in nearly all the groundwater samples lies within World Health Organization (WHO) limits except for arsenic (As). In about 64% of the total samples, the arsenic concentration exceeds the limit recommended by WHO which is 10 μg/L. The chemical composition of groundwater is influenced by rock weathering according to the Gibbs plot. Magnesium, bicarbonate, and sodium ions contribute to the groundwater's total dissolved solids as indicated by a Piper plot. Most of the water samples are suitable for irrigation purposes, except magnesium hazard values of about 57% substantially impact soil alkalinity. Hazard quotient (HQ) and carcinogenic risk (CR) assessments were also used in the study. The HQ values in the study area lie in the range of 0.012 to 4.97, with an average value of 1.21, and about 57% of samples exceed the toxic risk index values. The CR value range is 5.41667×10-6 to 0.001, indicating a serious health threat to the residents in the area. Prolonged use of arsenic-contaminated water will cause severe health issues for the area's residents. Appropriate remedial and preventive actions should be undertaken to mitigate arsenic pollution in the area.
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