title: Groundwater nitrate pollution and human health risk assessment by using HHRA model in an agricultural area, NE China.
abstract: In order to learn the pollution circumstance of groundwater nitrate detailedly in Songnen Plain of Northeast China and estimate its potential risk to human health of local residents, a total of 389 groundwater samples were collected in 2014 and studied from residential areas and public water supply wells in 11 cities and counties in southeastern of Songnen Plain. The analysis results showed that the spatial distributions of main chemical components in groundwater had great variations with statistical concentrations in the order of TDS> HCO3> Ca> NO3> Cl> Na> SO4> Mg> K> NH4> NO2. As for NO3, it ranged from less than 0.02mg/L to 497mg/L with an average value of 39.46mg/L indicating an obviously anthropogenic pollution. Even more than 32% of the samples exceeded the Grade III threshold (20mg/L of N) according to China's standard. The results obtained from principal component analysis showed that high NO3concentration could be attributed to human activities, especially the excessive use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture. Further, a human health risk assessment (HHRA) model derived from the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) was applied to estimate the potential health risk of groundwater nitrate considering both drinking water and dermal contact pathways. The results indicated that potential health risks of adult males and females within about 60% of the area were at the acceptable level, while those within about 40% were beyond the acceptable level. The area at the acceptable level for children covered 49% of the total area while the same value for infants was 37%. The NO3concentration in southeast and northeast of the study area was the highest so that residents in these regions were at the highest health risk. In conclusion, risk levels for different crowds in the study area varied obviously, generally in the order of infants> children> adult females> adult males, and the potential health risks of residents, especially minors and rural residents, should cause enough attention both from the society and the academic community.
authors.affiliation: Engineering Research Center of Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation of Ministry of Education of China, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
authors.forename: Yuanzheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.affiliation: Engineering Research Center of Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation of Ministry of Education of China, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China. Electronic address: xiao66cy@163.com.
authors.forename: Xiaobing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Engineering Research Center of Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation of Ministry of Education of China, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China. Electronic address: teng1974@163.com.
authors.forename: Yanguo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.affiliation: Shenyang Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, CGS, Shenyang 110034, China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Engineering Research Center of Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation of Ministry of Education of China, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
authors.forename: Junjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Resources Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Engineering Research Center of Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation of Ministry of Education of China, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zuo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D002947:Cities; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005308:Fertilizers / Q000032:analysis; D060587:Groundwater / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis*; D019055:No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014881:Water Supply; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D005308:Fertilizers; D009566:Nitrates; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Groundwater chemistry; Health risk assessment; Nitrate pollution; Northeast China; Songnen Plain