Version 1
: Received: 14 June 2023 / Approved: 16 June 2023 / Online: 16 June 2023 (14:22:40 CEST)
How to cite:
Mashau, F. Groundwater Contamination in Rural Communities and Its Potential Impact on Human Health. Preprints2023, 2023061257. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202306.1257.v1
Mashau, F. Groundwater Contamination in Rural Communities and Its Potential Impact on Human Health. Preprints 2023, 2023061257. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202306.1257.v1
Mashau, F. Groundwater Contamination in Rural Communities and Its Potential Impact on Human Health. Preprints2023, 2023061257. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202306.1257.v1
APA Style
Mashau, F. (2023). Groundwater Contamination in Rural Communities and Its Potential Impact on Human Health. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202306.1257.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Mashau, F. 2023 "Groundwater Contamination in Rural Communities and Its Potential Impact on Human Health" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202306.1257.v1
Abstract
Groundwater use for domestic and agricultural purposes is every day in rural communities. However, groundwater quality in those communities is still being determined due to the lack of water quality monitoring programs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate groundwater quality in rural communities using physiochemical parameters. Eight communities using communal boreholes were selected. Water samples were analysed for temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite as Nitrogen. The pH means ranged from 6.6 to 8.1, whereas high TDS levels of 1390 mg/L and 1470 mg/L were observed in two boreholes. Three boreholes had higher electrical conductivity. Two boreholes had elevated nitrate levels of 15 and 21.5 mg/L. The high nitrate level correlates with the pH, EC, and TDS values. Our results suggest that high nitrate levels measured in communities’ boreholes pose ill health to the community, especially children, infants, and elders. Prenatal exposure to high nitrate has been found to have acute health effects in infants. Therefore, there is a need for further longitudinal studies on health risks among vulnerable groups in these communities.
Keywords
Groundwater; Physicochemical properties; Water quality; Human Health; Rural (domestic) communities
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Life Sciences
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
