<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Nitrates and heavy metals are two of the most significant groundwater pollutants that have an impact on people’s health all around the world. In order to assess their risk to children’s health, this study aims to determine the total iron, manganese, and nitrate content in drinking water sources of non-centralized water supply of the educational institutions in the rural settlements of Zhytomyr region. A total of 114 water samples from wells and bores used by the educational institutions to supply domestic and drinking water to rural residential areas were collected. The Measurement Laboratory of Polissia National University conducted analytical studies. The danger to children’s health was evaluated using the hazard quotient and following the methodology recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The software ArcGIS Pro was used to identify risk zones.</p>
<p>The average total iron content in the drinking water of the Berdichev, Zhytomyr, and Novohrad-Volinsky districts was 1.5–2.8 times higher. In all regions, the average manganese concentration did not go above the allowable level. On average, the nitrate content was also below the threshold, but in 22.6–42.9% of the samples, it exceeded the allowable level. Children aged 6–12 years were at the highest risk, and children living in Berdichev district had the highest hazard quotient at 1.972. The fact that nitrates accounted for 67–84% of the total risk indicates the danger associated with the intake of nitrates, even in amounts below the allowable concentration.</p>
</abstract>

Nitrates and heavy metals are two of the most significant groundwater pollutants that have an impact on people’s health all around the world. In order to assess their risk to children’s health, this study aims to determine the total iron, manganese, and nitrate content in drinking water sources of non-centralized water supply of the educational institutions in the rural settlements of Zhytomyr region. A total of 114 water samples from wells and bores used by the educational institutions to supply domestic and drinking water to rural residential areas were collected. The Measurement Laboratory of Polissia National University conducted analytical studies. The danger to children’s health was evaluated using the hazard quotient and following the methodology recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The software ArcGIS Pro was used to identify risk zones.
The average total iron content in the drinking water of the Berdichev, Zhytomyr, and Novohrad-Volinsky districts was 1.5–2.8 times higher. In all regions, the average manganese concentration did not go above the allowable level. On average, the nitrate content was also below the threshold, but in 22.6–42.9% of the samples, it exceeded the allowable level. Children aged 6–12 years were at the highest risk, and children living in Berdichev district had the highest hazard quotient at 1.972. The fact that nitrates accounted for 67–84% of the total risk indicates the danger associated with the intake of nitrates, even in amounts below the allowable concentration.

Gis-Based Assessment of Risk for Drinking Water Contamination to Children’s Health in Rural Settlements

Private Higher Educational Establishment «European University»

Ekológia (Bratislava)

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Nitrates and heavy metals are two of the most significant groundwater pollutants that have an impact on people’s health all around the world. In order to...

Gis-Based Assessment of Risk for Drinking Water Contamination to Children’s Health in Rural Settlements

Publicado en línea: 27 dic 2022

Páginas: 312 - 321

Recibido: 08 ago 2022

Aceptado: 17 oct 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/eko-2022-0032

Palabras clave
drinking water, children, risk, nitrates, total iron, manganese, hazard quotient, GIS

© 2022 Ruslana Valerko et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Gis-Based Assessment of Risk for Drinking Water Contamination to Children’s Health in Rural Settlements

Publicado en línea: 27 dic 2022

Páginas: 312 - 321

Recibido: 08 ago 2022

Aceptado: 17 oct 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/eko-2022-0032

Palabras clavedrinking water, children, risk, nitrates, total iron, manganese, hazard quotient, GIS

© 2022 Ruslana Valerko et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Palabras clave
drinking water, children, risk, nitrates, total iron, manganese, hazard quotient, GIS