Potential hazards and health assessment associated with different water uses in the main industrial cities of Egypt

Abstract

Deterioration of water quality has become an ecological threat in many industrial areas worldwide due to unmanaged anthropogenic activities. Contaminants therein find out their ways to drinking water-pipes via broken or leak old- pipes. The current study aims at evaluating the suitability of tap water, collected from the main-ten-industrial cities of Egypt, for drinking purposes. Shallow and deep ground waters were also sampled from the same locations. This is one of the few research projects that are interested in quantifying the acrylamide in drinking water. The obtained results indicate that concentrations of COD, BOD, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Cd, Zn and Hg were within the permissible levels in tap water while surpassed these levels in both shallow and deep ground waters. Acrylamide levels did not exceed the acceptable levels in all water samples (drinking, surface and deep ground waters). Overall, no potential risks were associated with the oral ingestion of tap water in all studied locations for both adults and children (all hazard quotient (HQ) values, defined as exposure intake dose of contaminants relative to the maximum permissible daily intake dose were below “1″). However, inorganic pollutants that exist in ground waters may cause undesirable dermal impacts when used for irrigating the green areas in these cities (used for picnics and as playgrounds). In this context, most HQ values associated with ground water dermal contact were above “1”. Specifically, Mn, Ni, Pb and Cd hazards exist for children (HQ > 1) while Ni, Pb and Cd toxicity detected for adults. This result; therefore, highlights the indirect negative impacts of industrialization on human health.

Keywords

• Health risks
• Water contamination
• Acrylamide
• Drinking water
• Potentially toxic elements
• Industrial cities