Human Health Risk Assessment due to Nitrate concentration in the groundwater of Haridwar District, Uttarakhand, India

Groundwater contamination by nitrate is a matter of global concern and reactive nitrogen is awidespread contaminant of ground and surface water bodies worldwide. The groundwater ofHaridwar district is mainly contaminated by nitrate-nitrogen. Nitrate contaminationassociated with N-based fertilizers use, geology of sub-surface, pit latrines, sewerage,industrial effluents, and manure storage. The study aims to investigate the possible healthhazards in local residents of Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India due to presence of high nitrate inthe groundwater of study area. Amount of nitrate in ground water of Haridwar region inranges between 0.1 - 89mgL -1 . Some locations showed the high level of nitrate than the safelimits as decided by the Bureau of Indian standards (higher than 45 mgL -1 ) and World HealthOrganization (50 mg L -1 ). There is a strong and direct relation between drinking water nitrateingestion and associated health risks like methemoglobinemia (Blue baby syndrome) amonginfants and specific type of cancer. The crude current rate of cancer in Uttarakhand is91(incident rate per 100000 in 2016). Nearly 59 deaths are reported due to cancer only inHaridwar district during the year 2018-19. People who consume high nitrate have a higherrisk of Cardio Vascular Disease, Inflammatory Arthritis and enlargement of Thyroid gland.The study tends to show that the people of Haridwar district are at risk of chronic toxicity dueto excess intake of nitrate in drinking water. Therefore, this is call to take some immediatepreventive measures to safeguard the health of local residents. Keywords: Groundwater, Nitrate pollution, Health risk assessment.