Health Risk Assessment by Determining Heavy Metals (As and Fe) in Tube Wells Water of Tangail Municipality, Bangladesh

Tangail Municipality is a rapidly urbanizing area in Bangladesh that faces challenges in maintaining safe drinking water due to natural and anthropogenic contamination. The presence of heavy metals, particularly arsenic (As) and iron (Fe), in groundwater poses potential health risks to residents. The study was conducted to assess the water quality of tube wells water of Tangail Municipality in February 2023. A total of 18 water samples from 6 wards were collected from Tangail Municipality. The concentrations of pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Arsenic (As), and Iron (Fe) ranged from 6.32±0.01 to 7.48±0.01; 185±1 μS/cm^-1 to 1305±1 μS/cm^-1; 0.0021 to 0.0068 mg/l and 0.658 to 2.194 mg/l, respectively. The study found that the water samples’ pH, EC, and As values were suitable for drinking, domestic activities, irrigation, farming, and other purposes according to Environmental Conservation Rules (ECR) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. However, all the Iron values of water samples exceeded the standard value of WHO and ECR. The Target Hazard Quotient of Arsenic in all water samples was less than 1. Nevertheless, the Target Hazard Quotient values of Iron in each sample exceeded the limiting value except for sample 17. The highest Target Hazard Quotient value of Fe is found at 9.37 in sample 15 at Ward 5. The reasons for Fe prevalence might be natural, i.e., weathering and erosion of bedrock, ore deposits, or anthropogenic, such as excessive groundwater use. The highest Carcinogenic Risk of Arsenic was found to be 0.001119 in sample 12 at Ward 4, and the lowest value was 0.000018 in sample 17 at Ward 6. The findings underscore the urgent need for regular monitoring and alternative water sources to ensure safe drinking water in Tangail Municipality.

Keywords: Arsenic; Iron; Water Quality; Target Hazard Quotient; Carcinogenic Risk.