Groundwater Quality Monitoring and Assessment of Human Health Risk

Access to the sustainable supply of clean and safe water remains a global challenge in many peri urban and rural communities in the world and groundwater is often used as an alternative. Groundwater is the largest reserve of freshwater on earth and its exploitation will continue to increase globally. Groundwater has been widely used for drinking and other purposes without any form of treatment, due to its perceived clearness and clarity linked to decreased turbidity when compared to surface waters. Groundwater has been shown to harbour pathogenic organisms such as Salmonella, some strains of E. coli, S. faecalis, and enteroviruses in varying degree. Furthermore, from geogenic sources such as groundwater aquifer and several anthropogenic activities like mining, agriculture, waste disposal on land, several inorganic water pollutants like fluoride, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and nitrates also affect the safe water use potential of groundwater. In addition to this, the high salinity levels of groundwater, due to the intrusion of sea water, also affect the potability of the water. Some health risks associated with groundwater consumption such as water-borne diseases, fluorosis, and non-fluorosis diseases have been reported. For the reasons underlined, it is critical to ensure safe sources of water to the majority of people across the globe, and to establish that humans as well as other species, continue to be protected from pollution.

This Research Topic welcomes contributions related to:
• Baseline monitoring of groundwater resources
• Impact of solid waste disposal on groundwater quality
• Impact of mining activities on groundwater quality
• Impact of agricultural activities on groundwater quality
• Impact of sanitation facilities on groundwater quality
• Impact of petroleum waste on groundwater quality
• Impact of sea intrusion on groundwater quality
• Hydrogeochemical analyses of groundwater.
• Ecological and human risk assessment from exposure to contaminated groundwater.
• Indices that assess the suitability of groundwater as a safe water source.
• Simple point-of-use groundwater treatment devices