Heavy Metal Contamination and Human Health Risk of Groundwater Around the Sanganer Textile Cluster Jaipur India

Groundwater near small textile units is widely used for drinking, yet the metals it carries and the risk they pose are poorly known. Eleven heavy metals, including hexavalent chromium, were measured in 45 groundwater samples from 15 wells around the Sanganer textile cluster of Jaipur before, during and after the 2025 monsoon. Lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel and mercury exceeded the Indian drinking water limits in most wells within 500 m of the units, and mean lead in the industrial core was 0.063 mg/L. Metal levels fell exponentially with distance, with half distances of about 1.5 to 1.8 km. The heavy metal pollution index was above 100 in 7 wells. Principal component analysis separated an industrial group (Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, Ni and Hg with salts) from a natural group (F, Fe and As). The hazard index reached 5.52 for adults and 6.20 for children, and the adult cancer risk was 1.09 × 10−3, mostly from Cr(VI). Families living close to the units need a safe drinking water supply.