title: Assessment of some potential harmful trace elements (PHTEs) in the borehole water of Greater Giyani, Limpopo Province, South Africa: possible implications for human health.
abstract: The present investigation was conducted in order to evaluate the occurrence and distribution patterns of some potentially harmful trace elements in the borehole water of the Greater Giyani area, Limpopo, South Africa, and their possible implications on human health. Twenty-nine borehole water samples were collected in the dry season (July/August 2012) and another 27 samples from the same localities in the wet season (March 2013) from the study area. The samples were analysed for trace elements arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), selenium (Se), and lead (Pb) using the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry technique. The average concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Se, and Pb were 11.3, 0.3, 33.1, 7.1, and 6.0 µg/L in the dry season and 11.0, 0.3, 28.3, 4.2, and 6.6 µg/L in the wet season, respectively. There was evidence of seasonal fluctuations in concentrations of all analysed elements except for As, though Cd and Pb displayed low concentrations (<0.2 and <6.0 µg/L, respectively) in almost all sampled boreholes. Se and Cr concentrations slightly exceed the South African National Standard permissible limits for safe drinking water in few boreholes. A total of four boreholes exceeded the water quality guideline for As with two of these boreholes containing five times more As than the prescribed limit. The spatial distribution patterns of elevated As closely correlate with the underlying geology. The findings of this investigation have important implications for human health of the communities drinking from the affected boreholes.
authors.affiliation: Limpopo Unit, Council for Geoscience, 30A Schoeman Street, Polokwane, 0700, South Africa.|Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, 2006, South Africa.
authors.forename: Portia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Munyangane
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, 2006, South Africa. hmouri@uj.ac.za.
authors.forename: Hassina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mouri
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, 2006, South Africa.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kramers
mesh_terms: D004782:Environmental Health; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D060587:Groundwater / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D013019:South Africa; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D060753:Water Quality
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements
keywords: Borehole water; Greater Giyani; Human health; Potentially harmful trace elements (PHTEs)