article · Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances
Borehole water sources situated near a dumpsite in Awka, Nigeria, face contamination from potentially toxic elements caused by leachate infiltration. Testing revealed that levels of cadmium and lead exceeded both World Health Organization and Nigerian national standards for drinking water, while manganese and nickel surpassed national limits. Consequently, water quality index values confirmed that the groundwater is unsuitable for domestic consumption and drinking. Metal pollution indices demonstrated an urgent need for treatment prior to utilisation. Health risk assessments indicated that children face higher non-cancer risks than adults, while both demographics experience elevated cancer risks. In contrast, overall ecological risks remained low. Statistical analyses identified human activities at the landfill as the common origin of the contaminants, pointing to an immediate requirement for targeted water remediation solutions, effective municipal waste management strategies, and community awareness initiatives to address groundwater contamination.
Unregulated waste disposal threatens subterranean drinking water supplies vital to local communities. Identifying toxic elements such as lead and cadmium near dumpsites highlights immediate health dangers, particularly high cancer and non-cancer hazards for children and adults. These findings underline the urgent requirement for public water testing, community awareness, and effective waste containment policies to safeguard domestic water security in expanding urban environments.
The findings highlight clear opportunities for water treatment providers and waste management enterprises to develop targeted remediation technologies for boreholes near landfills. Potential users include municipal utilities, environmental regulators, and private groundwater consumers. However, this study represents early-stage diagnostic research assessing contamination levels and risks, meaning direct commercial solutions or water purification products would require separate technical development, field validation, and deployment trials.
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Contamination of borehole water by leachates from dumpsites has significantly affected the health of those who use polluted water for domestic activities. This study evaluated the seasonal variations of risks associated with potentially toxic elements in underground water sources near a dumpsite in Awka, Nigeria. The levels of the potentially toxic elements (PTEs) were compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ) standard limits. The, sources of PTEs, metal pollution index, water quality index, ecological risk, and health-related risks of using the underground water were evaluated. The chemical results indicated that levels of Cd and Pb were above the WHO and NSDWQ threshold limits for potable water. The Mn and Ni values were above the NSDWQ limits for potable water. The study borehole samples had PTE levels higher than the control samples due to their proximity to the landfill. The water quality index ranged from 1290.29–2243.04, showing that the water is unsuitable for drinking and other domestic uses. The metal pollution indices of the underground water samples were above 1, indicating that the water needs treatment before use. The health risk examination highlighted that children are more disposed to non-cancer risk than adults based on the hazard indices obtained. Also, the probability of cancer risks was high, showing that both children and adults are likely to be in danger of cancer risks. However, the ecological risk indices ranged from 11.187 to 51.581, indicating a low ecological risk. Pearson's correlation and principal component analysis revealed that the sources of pollution are from similar origins/sources linked to anthropogenic activities. Awareness programs are necessary to educate the populace about the dangers of using contaminated water. Effective waste management strategies and water treatment techniques should be implemented.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.hazadv.2024.100440
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