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Urbanization and the intensive use of chemical fertilizers are leading to increased groundwater nitrate pollution, affecting both human health and ecological health. Despite high nitrate levels linked to both noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risks in drinking water, these health risks have not been thoroughly studied yet. Therefore, this study assessed risks due to nitrate contamination in Kathmandu, using both deterministic and Monte Carlo simulation approaches. A total of 64 groundwater samples were taken and analyzed in a dry period (December 2024 – January 2025) to determine nitrate concentration in groundwater and associated health risk across end users’ groups. Results showed that 18.8% of groundwater samples exceeded the 50 mg/L nitrate threshold. Hazard index values were highest for infants, while pregnant women faced a maximum excess gastric cancer risk (ER) with 29.69% of samples exceeding acceptable limits. Approximately 21.88% of groundwater has a noncarcinogenic risk for any age group, whereas 18.75% has an ER. The overall cancer risk linked to a nitrate level of about 10 mg/L in groundwater emphasizes the urgent need to lower NO 3 – levels in groundwater to safeguard public health through proper management and control policies.
Shrestha et al. (Thu,) studied this question.