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4 Heavy Metal Contamination in Groundwater Sources
Pinki Rani Agrawal, Sanchita Singhal, and Rahul Sharma
Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR‐National Physical Laboratory campus, New Delhi, India
4.1 Introduction
“We drink water but are always hesitant about the quality.” This seems to be miserable, that though we have plenty of water around, the supply of fresh potable water is still a heavy burden on our pockets (Vanloon and Duffy 2017). Being a key supportive system in daily livelihood and industrial development, ensuring the continuous supply of fresh water is an essential aspect. As per the United Nations Human Right Council (UNHRC), safe drinking water and sanitation are the fundamental right of every citizen for a sustainable healthy environment. The Council commits that by 2030 all people in the world should benefit from clean water assistance so as to allow equity for social and economic development. Such reforms and targets are already getting positive results in some developed countries but it seems that the situation is much more challenging for developing nations. In fact, it has been reported that developing countries like China, India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, Indonesia, Philippines, Bangladesh, etc. account for around 90% of debris disposed in oceans (Tran et al. 2020). Every day around two million tons of sewage and other waste get into water bodies, which corresponds to around eight million deaths every year where untreated water consumption is a direct cause (WHO, 14 May 2019).
Considering the water in the world, only ~2.5% is available as non‐saline freshwater but unfortunately, this is continuously undergoing contamination and thus a water crisis arises. From big quantities of garbage to some nano‐sized chemicals, a wide range of pollutants indulge in these water bodies and make them unfit for potable purposes. Along with these sources, the exploding population, lack of sustainable usage of water, climate change, rising industrial demand, farming and domestic sectors, and changing consumption patterns have also contributed in the freshwater crisis. It has been reported that water use has been increasing by about 1% per year since the 1980s and if this persists, then by 2050 an increase of ~20–30% above the current level of water use is expected (Islam and Karim 2019). Recently, the World Economic Forum in 2019 has categorized water pollution in one of the largest global risks due to human interventions (Băhnăreanu 2019). It has been reported that one‐sixth of the world’s population is suffering from freshwater unavailability (Elimelech 2006).
Water contamination could be natural or man‐made. Natural contaminants include geological materials from sedimentary rocks, floods, volcanic eruption, etc. with a wide range of elements like magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), iron (Fe), etc. These are essential for human health at some acceptable limits, but beyond that cause acute health effects (Vörösmarty et al. 2005; Ghrefat et al. 2014). Artificial contaminants include by‐products of petroleum, dyes, chemical, oil, batteries, and foodstuff industries. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reports Hepatitis A virus, norovirus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, fluoride ions, heavy metals like As, Pb, Cd, Hg, Cr, Zn, perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), chlorinated solvents, pesticides, nitrates, and carbonates as the leading causes of these waterborne diseases (Cramer et al. 2008).
In addition, the use of pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers in agricultural practices also add to this section (Kass et al. 2005). Pathogens and parasites, spread by human and animal waste, also pollute water to some extent; however, their proportion is comparatively less than natural and artificial contaminants.
Volatile