VI-1-Groundwater Quality Evaluation in Relation to Health Hazards - A Case Study.

Abstract

It is well known that Mansa and Bathinda districts of Punjab, shows very high incidence of cancer. In order to evaluate the quality of groundwater in relation to health hazards, the eighty representative groundwater samples from study area are collected and analysed for major cations and anions. Groundwater is unfit for drinking purpose as higher than permissible values of EC (93% samples), NO3 (43% samples), SO4 (46% samples), Na (72% samples), Uranium (93% samples), F (93% samples). These higher concentrations may attributed due to subsurface geology, higher use of NPK fertilizers, pesticides etc. There appears to be correlation between these high values and uranium and radon activity in ground water. (Kochhar and Dadwal, 2004). The interaction of groundwater with the soils formed from the weathering of Malani granites and basement rocks (Delhi quartzite) encountered in the region might have been the cause of uranium and radon values recorded in groundwater. Further, the evaporites and foetid limestone/dolomite might have been the cause of salinity, and high SO4, Mg, Na and F content in groundwater. (Kochhar et. al, 2007, Kochhar and Dadwal, 2011),