Pollution indicators and human health risk assessment of fluoride contaminated drinking groundwater in southern Pakistan
Shakeel Ahmed Talpur,
Muhammad Rashad,
Aziz Ahmed,
Gianluigi Rosatelli,
Muhammad Yousuf Jat Baloch,
Aqib Hassan Ali Khan,
Hafeez Ahmed Talpur,
Javed Iqbal
Affiliations
Shakeel Ahmed Talpur
DiSPUTer, Department of Psychological, Health and Territory Sciences, University ′′G. d'Annunzio′′ Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; Department of Pharmacy, “G. d'Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Via Dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti,Italy; Corresponding author at: DiSPUTer, Department of Psychological, Health and Territory Sciences, University ′′G. d'Annunzio′′ Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
Muhammad Rashad
Department of Pharmacy, “G. d'Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Via Dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti,Italy
Aziz Ahmed
School of Plant, Environment and Soil Sciences, Louisiana State University Agricultural Centre, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
Gianluigi Rosatelli
DiSPUTer, Department of Psychological, Health and Territory Sciences, University ′′G. d'Annunzio′′ Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Muhammad Yousuf Jat Baloch
College of New Energy and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
Aqib Hassan Ali Khan
International Research Centre in Critical Raw Materials and Advanced Industrial Technologies, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos 09001, Spain
Hafeez Ahmed Talpur
Department of Engineering and Geology, University ′′G. d'Annunzio′′ Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Javed Iqbal
School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China
This study investigated fluoride contamination in groundwater and associated health risks in the Badin district of Pakistan. Fifty-seven groundwater samples were analyzed for fluoride, turbidity, iron, and total dissolved solids (TDS). Pollution indices and health risk models were employed to assess contamination levels and potential health impacts. Results showed that 47 % of samples exceeded the WHO fluoride limit of 1.5 mg/L, with a mean concentration of 1.92 mg/L. Spatial analysis revealed high contamination in northern and southern areas. Health risk assessments indicated that children, particularly females, faced the highest risk of fluorosis. TDS, turbidity, and iron levels also exceeded WHO limits in significant portions of the samples. This investigation uniquely combines multiple pollution indicators, spatial analysis, and age-specific health risk assessments, presenting vibrant insights for targeted interventions, policy development, and resource allocation to address this critical public health issue in fluoride-endemic regions.
