Appraisal of Groundwater Quality with Human Health Risk Assessment in Parts of Indo-Gangetic Alluvial Plain, North India

Groundwater contamination in the Indo-Gangetic alluvial plain has reportedly been affected by various factors, such as mineral dissolution, overexploitation, precipitation, and ion exchange. This study was designed to interpret the hydrochemical fluctuations in the groundwater sources of a rural area in Raebareli district. Groundwater is slightly alkaline and affected by the issues of fluoride, salinity, hardness, and nitrate. The Pollution Index of Groundwater significantly categorize 57% and 79% of the samples under the “insignificant pollution” category during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon periods. The Health risk assessment indicated the high susceptibility of children toward health risks. It also indicated that fluoride had greater impact than nitrate in the study area. The multivariate statistical analysis indicates that anthropogenic activities, such as agricultural practices, including excessive fertilizer application and improper domestic and cattle waste management, are probable causes of groundwater contamination through NO3−, Cl−, Na+, and K+. Furthermore, the base exchange index classified 71.43% samples in pre-monsoon and 78.57% in post-monsoon as Na-HCO3 type. The meteoric genesis index suggested that 78.57% and 85.71% of the samples belong to shallow meteoric water percolation type during pre- and post-monsoon periods, respectively. The Piper plots revealed that HCO3–Ca·Mg and SO4·Cl–Na + K type are the prominent facies in the area, with dominance of alkalis and weak acids. According to Gibbs plot, majority of the samples fall under “rock dominance” suggesting that “rock-water” interaction was the dominant natural process controlling the groundwater chemistry.