Quantification and health risk assessment of nitrate in southern districts of Tehran, Iran

Pollution, spatial distribution, and health risks assessment of nutrient concentration in surface water resources of Maroon-Jarahi Basin in southwestern Iran

Nowadays, the introduction of nutrients caused by human activities is considered an environmental issue and a significant problem in river basins and coastal ecosystems. In this study, the concentration of nutrients (NO 3 - andPO 4 3 - ) in the surface water sources of the Maroon-Jarahi watershed in the southwest of Iran was determined, and the pollution status and health risk assessment were done. The average concentration of nitrate and phosphate in Ludab, Maroon, Zard, Allah, Jarahi rivers, and Shadegan wetland were obtained at 2.25-0.59, 4.59-1.84, 4.07-2.02, 5.40-2.81, 11.51-4.67, 21.63 and 6.20 (mg/l), respectively. A comparison of the results with the World Health Organization (WHO) limit showed that nitrate was lower than in all stations, but phosphate was higher than the limit in some stations of the Maroon, Allah, Jarahi rivers, and Shadegan wetland. Calculation of linear regression analysis showed significant positive relationships between nitrate and phosphate in all surface water sources (except Ludab) and based on the N/P ratio, nitrogen was estimated as the limiting factor in phytoplankton growth (N/P < 16). The evaluation of the status of the Nutrient pollution index (NPI) was observed as: Shadegan > Jarahi > Allah > Maroon > Zard > Ludab that the Jarahi River and Shadegan wetland were in the medium pollution class (1 < NPI ≤ 3) and other waterbodies were in the non-polluted to low pollution state (NPI < 1). Calculation of the chronic daily intake (CDI) showed that water body nutrients cause more non-carcinogenic health risks through the oral route than dermal exposure, and according to HI, children's health is more at risk than adults. Findings showed that surface water resources especially downstream of the Maroon-Jarahi watershed are at eutrophication risk, and to control the nearby human activities and as a result increase the nutrients in these water resources, measures should be taken.

Exposure assessment of nitrate and phenol derivatives in Tehran's water distribution system

The presence of organic and inorganic contaminants in drinking water is a global concern. Nitrate and phenol derivatives are examples of pollutants that could be of anthropogenic origin. They are associated with numerous health risks, underscoring the importance of monitoring their presence in drinking water. This study aimed to measure nitrate and phenol derivatives, including 2,4-Dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), Pentachlorophenol (PCP), 2,4,5-Trichlorophenol (2,4,5-TCP), 2-Chlorophenol (2-CP), 4-Chlorophenol (4-CP), and phenol, in Tehran's water distribution system (WDS). The pollutants in Tehran's WDS were significantly and positively correlated with precipitation. The Hazard Quotient (HQ) and the Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) of the detected pollutants were estimated. The results showed that the regional mean of nitrate and PCP in Tehran's WDS were 35.58±8.71mg L-1 and 76.14±16.93 ng L-1 lower than the guideline values of 50 mg L-1 and 1000 ng L-1, respectively. Some districts exhibited nitrate concentration exceeding the allowable limit by a factor of 1.2 to 2.3. Consequently, the nitrate intake in some districts constituted approximately 50% of the reference dose. While PCP as a phenol derivative with more health concerns was identified in Tehran's WDS, the likelihood of its health effects was determined to be negligible.

Estimating human health risks associated with heavy metal exposure from bottled water using Monte Carlo simulation

Water is the most important non-organic compound for living cells, and the life of all living organisms depends on it. Water is not found purely in nature, but it always contains some solutes, suspended matters and soluble gases. In this study, 11 bottled water brands (500 mL) were sampled across the Kashan city market to determine the concentration of selected heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Pb, Ni and As) and evaluated their potential risks following consumption. The concentration range of Cr, Cd, Pb, Ni and As were 5-34 μg/L, 1.5-7 μg/L, 1-7 μg/L, 2-29 μg/L, Collapse

Key Words

• Bottled water
• Heavy metals
• Human risk assessment
• Kashan

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Affiliation(s)

Nezam Mirzaei Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Social Determinants of Health (SDH) Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
Safa Kalteh Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Hakime Zamani-Badi Department of Health, Safety and Environment Management, Faculty of Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
Heshmatallah Moradpour Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Social Determinants of Health (SDH) Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
Zeinab Parmoozeh Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Social Determinants of Health (SDH) Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
Mansour Baziar Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Ferdows Faculty of Medical Sciences, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran

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