title: Non-carcinogenic risk assessment of groundwater in South Gobi, Mongolia.
abstract: Thirty-nine groundwater samples were collected from wells near the Tavan Tolgoi and Oyu Tolgoi mines in Mongolia and at a relatively pristine site in northern Mongolia during August to September 2013, and analyzed for the concentrations of F-, NO3-, Hg, As, Al, V, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Mo, Cd, Sb, and Pb. A probabilistic risk assessment found that >95% of the population in the areas was at risk from drinking well water. The hazard index (HI) was >1, indicating a non-carcinogenic risk to human health. At Oyu Tolgoi, the hazard quotient (HQ) of the As concentration (mean 6.63 μg/L) was >1. At the northern site, the 95th percentile HQ was <1 but the 95th percentile HI was >1. The ratios of nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes indicated that NO3-contamination of groundwater at Oyu Tolgoi and Tavan Tolgoi was caused by livestock waste. Mercury accumulation in livestock was examined from concentrations in livestock forage and in hair and wool samples from livestock in the South Gobi region. Sheep wool had the same level of mercury as in Japan, but camel, horse, and goat hair had high levels.
authors.affiliation: The Kyushu University Museum, 6-10-1, Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan; Comprehensive Research Organizations of Fukuoka Institute of Technology, 3-30-1 Wajiro-higashi Higashiku, Fukuoka 811-0295, Japan; and The Institute of Statistical Mathematics, 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8562, Japan E-mail: nagafuchi@bene.fit.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Koyomi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakazawa
authors.affiliation: The Kyushu University Museum, 6-10-1, Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan; Comprehensive Research Organizations of Fukuoka Institute of Technology, 3-30-1 Wajiro-higashi Higashiku, Fukuoka 811-0295, Japan; and The Institute of Statistical Mathematics, 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8562, Japan E-mail: nagafuchi@bene.fit.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nagafuchi
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Sciences, University of Shiga Prefecture, Hassaka cho 2500, Hikone, Shiga prefecture 522-8533, Japan.
authors.forename: Kanji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okano
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Sciences, University of Shiga Prefecture, Hassaka cho 2500, Hikone, Shiga prefecture 522-8533, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken'ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Osaka
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Sciences, University of Shiga Prefecture, Hassaka cho 2500, Hikone, Shiga prefecture 522-8533, Japan.
authors.forename: Etsuji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hamabata
authors.affiliation: Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geography, Baruun Selbe-15, Ulaanbaatar 15170, Mongolia.
authors.forename: Jamsran
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tsogtbaatar
authors.affiliation: Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geography, Baruun Selbe-15, Ulaanbaatar 15170, Mongolia.
authors.forename: Javzan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Choijil
mesh_terms: D060766:Drinking Water / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D060587:Groundwater / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008986:Mongolia; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical