Discipline: Ecology Environmental and Earth Sciences
Subcategory: Water
Session: 1
Room: Exhibit Hall
Raymond Rhodes - Texas Southern University
Co-Author(s): Hwang Hyun-Min, Texas Southern University, Houston, TXDiana Garcia, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX
Groundwater quality has been a concern of Texas for many years due to elevated levels of toxic chemicals such as nitrate and trace metals. Many communities primarily rely on groundwater for their drinking water. This study was to estimate health risk of residents in urban and rural communities through ingestion of groundwater as drinking water. Concentrations of these chemicals in groundwater in 10 urban and 10 rural communities were utilized to determine if the hazard quotient is greater than the reference dose of arsenic, nitrate and uranium. Drinking water ingestion rates and body weights in each age group and reference doses reported by US EPA were used to calculate cumulative daily intake of these chemicals.Hazardous quotients of arsenic and uranium were significantly lower than one in all communities, indicating that non-cancer risk of these two chemicals were negligible. However, hazardous quotient of nitrate in 2 communities were higher than one. This indicates residents in these communities may experience health problems when they utilize groundwater for drinking water for long period of time (e.g., 30 years). Primary source of nitrate is artificial fertilizer applied to crop lands. With the mining industry growing in Texas it is expected that uranium would pose the biggest threat on Texas residents. As of 2021, there has been approximately more than a million of Texas residents without safe drinking water at home. The results of this study indicate that groundwater in many communities need to be purified before consumption.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): HBCU-UP
Faculty Advisor: Hwang Hyun-Min, hyun-min.hwang@tsu.edu
Role: I did the finding of reference dose for arsenic, nitrate and uranium, counties concentration range, calculation for hazard quotient and hazard index, finding of male and females drinking water intake. Also, I am preparing a manuscript for publication.