Groundwater from the shallow alluvial aquifers of the Meghna floodplain is the primary source of drinking water in southeastern Bangladesh, yet its quality is critically compromised by arsenic contamination. This study analyzed eighteen groundwater samples from Chandina Upazila to evaluate drinking water quality and potential health risks associated with arsenic and key physicochemical parameters. Water Quality Index (WQI) and Contamination Factor (CF) were computed alongside Pearson correlation, principal component analysis (PCA), and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) to assess pollution levels and identify contamination sources. Deterministic and probabilistic health risk assessments were conducted for ingestion and dermal exposure pathways in adults and children. Arsenic concentrations ranged from 0.12 to 0.55 mg L -1 , exceeding the world health organization (WHO) guideline value. WQI results indicated that 44.4% of samples were unsuitable for drinking, while CF assessment classified 55.6% of samples as very highly contaminated. Multivariate statistical analyses (PCA, and HCA) and correlation analysis revealed that groundwater quality is governed by redox conditions, mineral dissolution, and localized anthropogenic inputs, with distinct spatial contamination clusters across the study area. Both non-carcinogenic risk (HI > 1) and carcinogenic risk (TCR > 1.0E-04) exceeded acceptable thresholds for all exposure pathways and age groups, indicating that current groundwater use in this region poses a significant public health hazard. These findings indicate widespread groundwater contamination and underscore the urgent need for spatially targeted arsenic mitigation interventions, including adsorption-based household filters and subsurface arsenic removal at high-risk sites, complemented by alternative safe water sources and sustained monitoring programs across the affected region.
Rahman et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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