Rojas Fabro, AY, Pacheco Avila, JG, Esteller Alberich, MV et al. (2 more authors) (2015) Spatial distribution of nitrate health risk associated with groundwater use as drinking water in Merida, Mexico. Applied Geography, 65. 49 - 57. ISSN 1873-7730
Abstract
Water containing nitrate levels above 45 mg/l is not recommended for human consumption and its prolonged intake is associated with various health conditions. In Merida city, Mexico, the only source for water supply is a karstic aquifer, but the absence of sewerage and drainage networks makes it highly vulnerable to anthropogenic contamination. In this work, the concentration and spatial distribution of nitrate in the Merida’s karstic aquifer were assessed by statistical and geostatistical techniques. The sources of nitrate contamination were tracked by making statistical correlations between nitrate concentrations and key ions; the potential risk to human health was also estimated by using the Hazard Index (HI). A total of 177 groundwater samples were collected from the four water supply systems serving Merida, during 2012 and 2013. Nitrate concentrations from collected samples varied between 15.51 and 70.61 mg/l, with maximum and minimum concentrations per sampling point ranging from 47.47 to 70.61 mg/l and from 15.51 to17.32 mg/l, respectively. Significant positive correlations (P < 0.05) between nitrates and chlorides, sulphates and potassium were found, which may indicate potential contamination from domestic wastewater and agricultural activities. The spatial distribution of nitrate concentrations in the aquifer revealed an increase in nitrates following a trajectory South – North West, towards central and northwestern zones within Merida Metropolitan Area. From the health risk analysis, it was found that infants exposed at current nitrate levels are at a higher risk (HIMAX = 1.40) than adults (HR<1.0) and therefore, there is a clear need for implementing effective strategies to protect groundwater quality and to better manage and control nitrate pollution sources.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Applied Geography. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Nitrates; health risks; spatial distribution,; karstic aquifer; drinking water; groundwater |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Civil Engineering (Leeds) > Inst for Pathogen Control Engineering (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 18 Nov 2015 14:16 |
Last Modified: | 17 Jul 2017 18:21 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2015.10.004 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.apgeog.2015.10.004 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:91750 |