TY - JOUR
T1 - Preliminary Health Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Metals in Surface Water of the Himalayan Rivers, Nepal
AU - Tripathee, Lekhendra
AU - Kang, Shichang
AU - Sharma, Chhatra Mani
AU - Rupakheti, Dipesh
AU - Paudyal, Rukumesh
AU - Huang, Jie
AU - Sillanpää, Mika
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York.
PY - 2016/12/1
Y1 - 2016/12/1
N2 - This study investigates the contamination levels and risk assessments of 14 elements (Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Pb, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sb, Sr, V and Zn) in three sub-basins of Himalayan rivers. Water samples were collected and the hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), and water quality index (WQI) were calculated. Total average concentrations of the metals were 135.03, 80.10 and 98.34 µg/L in Gandaki, Indrawati and Dudh Koshi rivers, respectively. The results of HQ and HI were less than unity, suggesting a low risk of metals in the region. However, HQ for antimony (Sb) was found to be 4.4 × 10−1, 2.1 × 10−1 and 5.4 × 10−1 in three river basins and HI near unity, suggesting its potential risk. Additionally, HI for Cd in Indrawati was 5.4 × 10−1 also close to unity, suggesting that Cd could have a potential risk to the local residents and aquatic ecosystems. Further, WQI suggested that the rivers Gandaki and Indrawati fell into the excellent water quality and river Dudh Koshi fell into good water quality.
AB - This study investigates the contamination levels and risk assessments of 14 elements (Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Pb, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sb, Sr, V and Zn) in three sub-basins of Himalayan rivers. Water samples were collected and the hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), and water quality index (WQI) were calculated. Total average concentrations of the metals were 135.03, 80.10 and 98.34 µg/L in Gandaki, Indrawati and Dudh Koshi rivers, respectively. The results of HQ and HI were less than unity, suggesting a low risk of metals in the region. However, HQ for antimony (Sb) was found to be 4.4 × 10−1, 2.1 × 10−1 and 5.4 × 10−1 in three river basins and HI near unity, suggesting its potential risk. Additionally, HI for Cd in Indrawati was 5.4 × 10−1 also close to unity, suggesting that Cd could have a potential risk to the local residents and aquatic ecosystems. Further, WQI suggested that the rivers Gandaki and Indrawati fell into the excellent water quality and river Dudh Koshi fell into good water quality.
KW - Himalayas
KW - Nepal
KW - Risk assessment
KW - River
KW - Trace metal
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84991083738&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00128-016-1945-x
DO - 10.1007/s00128-016-1945-x
M3 - Article
C2 - 27734088
AN - SCOPUS:84991083738
SN - 0007-4861
VL - 97
SP - 855
EP - 862
JO - Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
JF - Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
IS - 6
ER -
