Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Carcinogenic and Non-carcinogenic Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Groundwater Wells in Neyshabur Plain, Iran

  • Published:
Biological Trace Element Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present work reports the As, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Fe concentrations of drinking water samples in Neyshabur Plain, Iran. This study aimed also to ascertain the potential consumers’ health risk of heavy metal intake. Heavy metal concentrations were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The highest and lowest average values in the analyzed water samples were observed for Fe (9.78 ± 5.61 μg/L) and As (1.30 ± 2.99 μg/L), respectively. These values were well below the limits recommended by the World Health Organization and the Iranian national standard. Heavy metal pollution index and heavy metal evaluation index were used to evaluate drinking water quality. The risk index was calculated by chronic daily intake and hazard quotient according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency approach. Heavy metal pollution index in all the samples was less than 100, indicating that it is a low-level heavy metal. The total risk of all heavy metals in the urban environment varied from 40.164 × 10−7 to 174.8 × 10−7. In this research, the maximum average of risk belonged to lead and copper with the respective values of 60.10 × 10−7and 33.99 × 10−7 from the selected wells. However, considering the toxic effect of some elements, including Pb and As, in the chronic exposure of consumers, we suggest a continuous evaluation and monitoring of drinking water resources.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Potential hazard quotient

  2. Cancer risk

Abbreviations

HMs:

Heavy metals

CERCLA:

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

ICP-OES:

Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

MDLs:

Method detection limits

HHRA:

Human health risk assessment

RfD:

Reference dose

ED:

Exposure duration

BW:

Body weight

PHQ:

Potential hazard quotient

CDCI:

Chronic daily consumption index

CDI:

Chronic daily intake

DI:

Daily absorption

CR:

Cancer risk

EPA:

Environmental Protection Agency

WHO:

World Health Organization

HPI:

Pollution evaluation indices

MAC:

Maximum admissible concentration

HEI:

Heavy metal evaluation index

GIS:

Geographic information system

References

  1. Kaushik A, Kansal A, Kumari S, Kaushik C (2009) Heavy metal contamination of river Yamuna, Haryana, India: assessment by metal enrichment factor of the sediments. J Hazard Mater 164:265–270

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Chiarugi A, Pitari GM, Costa R, Ferrante M, Villari L, Amico-Roxas M, Godfraind T, Bianchi A, Salomone S (2002) Effect of prolonged incubation with copper on endothelium-dependent relaxation in rat isolated aorta. Br J Pharmacol 136:1185–1193

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Yousefi M, Ghoochani M, Mahvi AH (2018) Health risk assessment to fluoride in drinking water of rural residents living in the Poldasht city, Northwest of Iran. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 148:426–430

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Fakhri Y, Saha N, Ghanbari S, Rasouli M, Miri A, Avazpour M, Rahimizadeh A, Riahi SM, Ghaderpoori M, Keramati H, Moradi B, Amanidaz N, Mousavi Khaneghah A (2018) Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks of metal(oid)s in tap water from Ilam city, Iran. Food Chem Toxicol 118:204–211

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Luo W, Lu Y, Wang T, Hu W, Jiao W, Naile JE et al (2010) Ecological risk assessment of arsenic and metals in sediments of coastal areas of northern Bohai and Yellow Seas, China. AMBIO 39:367–375

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Sciacca S, Oliveri Conti G (2009) Mutagens and carcinogens in drinking water. Mediterr J Nutr Metab 2:157–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Canli M, Atli G (2003) The relationships between heavy metal (cd, Cr, cu, Fe, Pb, Zn) levels and the size of six Mediterranean fish species. Environ Pollut 121:129–136

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Cristaldi A, Conti GO, Jho EH, Zuccarello P, Grasso A, Copat C, Ferrante M (2017) Phytoremediation of contaminated soils by heavy metals and PAHs. A brief review. Environmental Technology and Innovation 8:309–326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Khaniki GRJ, Dehghani MH, Mahvi AH, Nazmara S (2007) Determination of trace metal contaminants in edible salts in Tehran (Iran) by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. J Biol Sci 7:811–814

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Tapase SR, Kodam KM (2018) Assessment of arsenic oxidation potential of Microvirga indica S-MI1b sp. nov. in heavy metal polluted environment. Chemosphere 195:1–10

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Bhowmick S, Pramanik S, Singh P, Mondal P, Chatterjee D, Nriagu J (2018) Arsenic in groundwater of West Bengal, India: a review of human health risks and assessment of possible intervention options. Sci Total Environ 612:148–169

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Varol M, Sünbül MR (2018) Biomonitoring of trace metals in the Keban dam reservoir (Turkey) using mussels (Unio elongatulus eucirrus) and crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus). Biol Trace Elem Res:1–9

  13. Radfard M, Yunesian M, Nabizadeh R, Biglari H, Nazmara S, Hadi M et al (2017) Drinking water quality and arsenic health risk assessment in Sistan and Baluchestan, Southeastern Province, Iran. Hum Ecol Risk Assess:1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2018.1458210

  14. Mishra H, Karmakar S, Kumar R, Kadambala P (2018) A long-term comparative assessment of human health risk to leachate-contaminated groundwater from heavy metal with different liner systems. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25:2911–2923

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Ke X, Gui S, Huang H, Zhang H, Wang C, Guo W (2017) Ecological risk assessment and source identification for heavy metals in surface sediment from the Liaohe River protected area, China. Chemosphere 175:473–481

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Kunter İ, Hürer N, Gülcan HO, Öztürk B, Doğan İ, Şahin G (2017) Assessment of aflatoxin M1 and heavy metal levels in mothers breast milk in Famagusta, Cyprus. Biol Trace Elem Res 175:42–49

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Georgopoulos AR, Yonone-Lioy MJ, Opiekun RE, Lioy PJ (2001) Environmental copper: its dynamics and human exposure issues. J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev 4:341–394

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. World Health Organization (2001) Iron deficiency anaemia: assessment, prevention and control: a guide for programme managers. WHO

  19. Karim Z (2011) Risk assessment of dissolved trace metals in drinking water of Karachi, Pakistan. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 86:676–678

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Sun F, Chen J, Tong Q, Zeng S (2007) Integrated risk assessment and screening analysis of drinking water safety of a conventional water supply system. Water Sci Technol 56:47–56

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Zabin SA, Foaad M, Al-Ghamdi AY (2008) Non-carcinogenic risk assessment of heavy metals and fluoride in some water wells in the Al-Baha Region, Saudi Arabia. Hum Ecol Risk Assess 14:1306–1317

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Ghaderpoori M, Jafari A, Ghaderpoury A (2018) Heavy metals analysis and quality assessment in drinking water-Khorramabad city, Iran. Data Brief 16:685–692

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Jafari A, Kamarehie B, Ghaderpoori M, Khoshnamvand N, Birjandi M (2018) The concentration data of heavy metals in Iranian grown and imported rice and human health hazard assessment. Data Brief 16:453–459

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Zheng N, Wang Q, Zhang X, Zheng D, Zhang Z, Zhang S (2007) Population health risk due to dietary intake of heavy metals in the industrial area of Huludao city, China. Sci Total Environ 387:96–104

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Abtahi M, Fakhri Y, Oliveri Conti G, Keramati H, Zandsalimi Y, Bahmani Z, Hosseini Pouya R, Sarkhosh M, Moradi B, Amanidaz N, Ghasemi SM (2017) Heavy metals (As, Cr, Pb, Cd and Ni) concentrations in rice (Oryza sativa) from Iran and associated risk assessment: a systematic review. Toxin Rev 36:331–341

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Filippini T, Cilloni S, Malavolti M, Violi F, Malagoli C, Tesauro M, Bottecchi I, Ferrari A, Vescovi L, Vinceti M (2018) Dietary intake of cadmium, chromium, copper, manganese, selenium and zinc in a Northern Italy community. J Trace Elem Med Biol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtemb.2018.03.001

  27. Dadar M, Adel M, Ferrante M, Nasrollahzadeh Saravi H, Copat C, Oliveri Conti G (2016) Potential risk assessment of trace metals accumulation in food, water and edible tissue of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) farmed in Haraz River, northern Iran. Toxin Rev 35(3–4):141–146

  28. Mazzei V, Longo G, Brundo MV, Sinatra F, Copat C, Oliveri Conti G, Ferrante M (2014) Bioaccumulation of cadmium and lead anits effects on hepatopancreas morphology in three terrestrial isopod crustacean species. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 110:269–279

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Conte F, Copat C, Longo S, Oliveri Conti G, Grasso A, Arena G, Brundo MV, Ferrante M (2015) First data on trace elements in Haliotis tuberculata (Linnaeus, 1758) from southern Italy: safety issues. Food Chem Toxicol 81:143–150

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Ni F, Liu G, Ye J, Ren H, Yang S (2009) ArcGIS-based rural drinking water quality health risk assessment. Journal of Water Resource and Protection 1:351–361

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Falk-Filipsson A, Hanberg A, Victorin K, Warholm M, Wallén M (2007) Assessment factors applications in health risk assessment of chemicals. Environ Res 104:108–127

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Clesceri H, Greenberge A, Eaton A (1998) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 20th edn. APHA, Washington DC

    Google Scholar 

  33. Brraich OS, Jangu S (2015) Evaluation of water quality pollution indices for heavy metal contamination monitoring in the water of Harike Wetland (Ramsar Site), India. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications 5:1–6

    Google Scholar 

  34. Tiwari AK, De Maio M, Singh PK, Mahato MK (2015) Evaluation of surface water quality by using GIS and a heavy metal pollution index (HPI) model in a coal mining area, India. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 95:304–310

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Sobhanardakani S (2016) Evaluation of the water quality pollution indices for groundwater resources of Ghahavand plain, Hamadan province, western Iran. Iranian Journal of Toxicology 10:35–40

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Ameh E (2013) Geo-statistics and heavy metal indexing of surface water around Okaba coal mines, Kogi State, Nigeria. Asian Journal of Environmental Science 8:1–8

    Google Scholar 

  37. Al-Ani MY, Al-Nakib SM, Ritha NM, Nouri AH (1987) Water quality index applied to the classification and zoning of Al-Jaysh canal, Baghdad–Iraq. J Environ Sci Health A 22(4):305–319

    Google Scholar 

  38. World Health Organization (1998) Guidelines for drinking-water quality. Health criteria and other supporting information Addendum to Vol. 2 WHO/EOS/98.1. World Health Organization, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  39. Jaishankar M, Tseten T, Anbalagan N, Mathew BB, Beeregowda KN (2014) Toxicity, mechanism and health effects of some heavy metals. Interdiscip Toxicol 7:60–72

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  40. Asare-Donkor NK, Boadu TA, Adimado AA (2016) Evaluation of groundwater and surface water quality and human risk assessment for trace metals in human settlements around the Bosomtwe Crater Lake in Ghana. Springerplus 5:1812

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  41. Fallahzadeh RA, Khosravi R, Dehdashti B, Ghahramani E, Omidi F, Adli A, Miri M (2018) Spatial distribution variation and probabilistic risk assessment of exposure to chromium in ground water supplies; a case study in the east of Iran. Food Chem Toxicol 115:260–266

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Mirzabeygi M, Abbasnia A, Yunesian M, Nodehi RN, Yousefi N, Hadi M, Mahvi AH (2017) Heavy metal contamination and health risk assessment in drinking water of Sistan and Baluchistan, Southeastern Iran. Hum Ecol Risk Assess: Int J 23:1893–1905

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Edokpayi JN, Enitan AM, Mutileni N, Odiyo JO (2018) Evaluation of water quality and human risk assessment due to heavy metals in groundwater around Muledane area of Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Chem Cent J 12(1):2

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  44. Boateng TK, Opoku F, Acquaah SO, Akoto O (2015) Pollution evaluation, sources and risk assessment of heavy metals in hand-dug wells from Ejisu-Juaben Municipality, Ghana. Environmental Systems Research 4:18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) (1984) Health Assessment Document for Heavy Metal . Final Report. EPA 600/8-83-021F. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Health and Environmental Assessment, Environmental Criteria and Assessment Office, Cincinnati

    Google Scholar 

  46. Sakizadeh M, Mirzaei R (2016) Health risk assessment of Fe, Mn, Cu, Cr in drinking water in some wells and springs of Shush and Andimeshk, Khuzestan Province, Southern Iran. Iranian Journal of Toxicology 10:29–35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Hadzi GY, Essumang DK, Ayoko GA (2018) Assessment of contamination and health risk of heavy metals in selected water bodies around gold mining areas in Ghana. Environ Monit Assess 190:406

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Khan K, Lu Y, Khan H, Zakir S, Khan S, Khan AA et al (2013) Health risks associated with heavy metals in the drinking water of Swat, northern Pakistan. J Environ Sci (China) 25:2003–2013

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Zhang S, Liu G, Sun R, Wu D (2016) Health risk assessment of heavy metals in groundwater of coal mining area: a case study in Dingji coal mine, Huainan coalfield, China. Hum Ecol Risk Assess: Int J 22:1469–1479

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Fallahzadeh RA, Ghaneian MT, Miri M, Dashti MM (2017) Spatial analysis and health risk assessment of heavy metals concentration in drinking water resources. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24:24790–24802

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Zhang Q, Wei Y, Cao J, Yu S (2018) Heavy metal pollution of the drinking water sources in the Liujiang River Basin, and related health risk assessments. Huan Jing Ke Xue 39:1598–1607

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Çelebi A, Şengörür B, Kløve B (2014) Human health risk assessment of dissolved metals in groundwater and surface waters in the Melen watershed, Turkey. J Environ Sci Health A 49:153–161

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Li M, Du Y, Chen L, Liu L, Duan Y (2018) Assessment of trace elements in terminal tap water of Hunan Province, South China, and the potential health risks. Environ Monit Assess 190:318

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors want to thank authorities of Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences for their comprehensives support for this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Torbat Heydarieh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydarieh, Iran

    Hossein Najafi Saleh

  2. Environmental Research Institute, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Rasht, Iran

    Maryam Panahande

  3. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mahmood Yousefi & Farzaneh Baghal Asghari

  4. Environmental and Food Hygiene Laboratories (LIAA), Department of Medical Sciences, Surgical and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, University of Catania, Catania, Italy

    Gea Oliveri Conti

  5. Central Laboratory, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

    Elham Talaee

  6. Department of Environmental Health, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran

    Ali Akbar Mohammadi

Authors
  1. Hossein Najafi Saleh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Maryam Panahande
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mahmood Yousefi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Farzaneh Baghal Asghari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Gea Oliveri Conti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Elham Talaee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Ali Akbar Mohammadi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ali Akbar Mohammadi.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Saleh, H.N., Panahande, M., Yousefi, M. et al. Carcinogenic and Non-carcinogenic Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Groundwater Wells in Neyshabur Plain, Iran. Biol Trace Elem Res 190, 251–261 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-018-1516-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-018-1516-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation