Groundwater Quality and Health Risk Assessment in RuralAreas of District Jaffarabad, Baluchistan (Pakistan)

Water quality has considerable impact on public health especially in areas where access to safedrinking water is very difficult. Keeping in view, drinking water quality in rural areas of district,Jaffarabad was assessed by evaluating 50 groundwater and 25 surfacewater samples for variousphysicochemical parameters (color, odour, taste, conductivity, pH, turbidity, alkalinity, hardnessand TDS), metallic elements (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe and As) and microbiological organisms (totalcoliformandfaecal coliform) employing standard methods. Analysis data revealed high level ofmicrobial contamination as 62 and 84% water samples containedtotal coliformand 58 and 80%samples were havingfaecal coliformin groundwater and surface water samples,respectively. Onthe other hand 12, 36, 44, 14, 50& 32% and 84, 32, 32, 20, 44& 60% water samples were havinghigher turbidity, hardness, TDS, Cl-, SO4-2and Fe in ground and surface water samplesrespectively. Health risk assessment data due to high content of Fe and As showed thatmeanchronic daily intake (CDI) and health risk index (HRI) for As was higher than Fe in both surfaceand groundwater samples,whereas calculated HRI for all water samples is less than 1. Other thanthis, CDI and HRI values for Fe in surface water samplesare higher than groundwater samples.