INDIA: Children at higher risk from groundwater contamination: Chikkaballapur study

[pfpcnews]

Children at Higher Risk from Groundwater Contamination: Chikkaballapur Study

Deccan Herald - September 25, 2024

Bengaluru: A new study has revealed alarming levels of fluoride and nitrate contamination in groundwater across Chikkaballapur taluk, placing children who consume the water at higher health risk. The contamination stems from leaching of agricultural fertilizers, septic tank leaks, organic matter discharge, and human activities like coal burning.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) sets the permissible concentration limits for nitrate and fluoride in drinking water at 45 mg/L and 1.5 mg/L, respectively. In Chikkaballapur urban, 2.43% of the water samples contained fluoride concentrations above the prescribed limit. The situation was more concerning in Chikkaballapur rural, where fluoride levels ranged from 0.03 to 2.43 mg/L, with 15.17% of samples exceeding the safe threshold.

Nitrate concentrations also varied significantly. In urban areas, the average concentration was 24.8 mg/L (range: 8-41 mg/L), while in rural regions, the mean concentration reached 27.35 mg/L, with values ranging from 0.8 mg/L to an alarming 252 mg/L.

The study, conducted during the post-monsoon period of 2021 by researchers from the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), Bengaluru, and other collaborators, assessed health risks based on water consumption. Total Hazard Index (THI) values, used to measure non-carcinogenic risk, exceeded the permissible limit of 1 in many cases. Men and women in rural areas reported THI values ranging from 0.157 to 6.506 and 0.185 to 7.689, respectively, while children recorded even higher values, ranging from 0.212 to 8.796.

Fluoride exposure can lead to conditions like calcium deficiency and skeletal fluorosis, which weaken bones, while nitrate-heavy water can cause blue baby syndrome in infants and increase the risk of stomach cancer in adults.

Shashank Palur, a senior hydrologist at WELL Labs, stressed the need for community-level interventions, such as demineralization through Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants. However, he noted that RO plants are costly and can result in significant water wastage. Anjaneya Reddy of Shashwatha Neeravari Horata Samiti attributed the issue to administrative negligence and a lack of scientific oversight in installing RO plants in the district.

SOURCE:
https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karn ... dy-3205231