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Nowicki S, Birhanu B, Tanui F, Sule MN, Charles K, Olago D, Kebede S. Water chemistry poses health risks as reliance on groundwater increases: A systematic review of hydrogeochemistry research from Ethiopia and Kenya. Sci Total Environ 2023; 904:166929. [PMID: 37689199 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Reliance on groundwater is increasing in Sub-Saharan Africa as development programmes work towards improving water access and strengthening resilience to climate change. In lower-income areas, groundwater supplies are typically installed without water quality treatment infrastructure or services. This practice is underpinned by an assumption that untreated groundwater is typically suitable for drinking due to the relative microbiological safety of groundwater compared to surface water; however, chemistry risks are largely disregarded. This article systematically reviews groundwater chemistry results from 160 studies to evaluate potential health risk in two case countries: Ethiopia and Kenya. Most studies evaluated drinking water suitability, focusing on priority parameters (fluoride, arsenic, nitrate, or salinity; 18 %), pollution impacts (10 %), or overall suitability (45 %). The remainder characterised general hydrogeochemistry (13 %), flow dynamics (10 %), or water quality suitability for irrigation (3 %). Only six studies (4 %) reported no exceedance of drinking water quality thresholds. Thus, chemical contaminants occur widely in groundwaters that are used for drinking but are not regularly monitored: 78 % of studies reported exceedance of contaminants that have direct health consequences ranging from hypertension to disrupted cognitive development and degenerative disease, and 81 % reported exceedance of aesthetic parameters that have indirect health impacts by influencing perception and use of groundwater versus surface water. Nevertheless, the spatiotemporal coverage of sampling has substantial gaps and data availability bias is driven by a) the tendency for research to concentrate in areas with known water quality problems, and b) analytical capacity limitations. Improved in-country analytical capacity could bolster more efficient assessment and prioritisation of water chemistry risks. Overall, this review demonstrates that universal and equitable access to safe drinking water (Sustainable Development Goal target 6.1) will not be achieved without wider implementation of groundwater treatment, thus a shift is required in how water systems are designed and managed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia Nowicki
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3QY Oxford, United Kingdom.
| | - Behailu Birhanu
- School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Arat Killo Campus, NBH1 King George VI St, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Florence Tanui
- Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 29053, Nairobi, Kenya; Institute for Climate Change and Adaptation, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - May N Sule
- Cranfield Water Science Institute, School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, College Road, MK43 0AL Cranfield, United Kingdom
| | - Katrina Charles
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3QY Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Olago
- Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 29053, Nairobi, Kenya; Institute for Climate Change and Adaptation, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Seifu Kebede
- School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Arat Killo Campus, NBH1 King George VI St, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Centre for Water Resources Research, University of KwaZulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg Private Bag X01, Scottsville, South Africa
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Hailu K, Birhanu B, Azagegn T, Kebede S. Regional groundwater flow system characterization of volcanic aquifers in upper Awash using multiple approaches, central Ethiopia. Isotopes Environ Health Stud 2023; 59:269-289. [PMID: 37327136 DOI: 10.1080/10256016.2023.2222221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACTCharacterization of the groundwater flow systems is important for sustainable water resource management decision-making. We have used vertical profiles of electrical conductivity (EC) and water temperature taken at 2 m intervals during drilling of 109 boreholes, and samples for stable isotope analysis (δ18O, δ2H) taken from 47 boreholes to characterize groundwater recharge, flow and discharge. 222Rn measurements and piezometric evidence were used to complement results from the EC and stable isotopes. The converging evidence shows that groundwater in the study area is characterized by a mix of two different groundwater flow systems: i) the deep groundwater systems are connected to the regional groundwater flow originating from the highlands, outside the surface water basin, ii) the shallow groundwater systems get recharge from local rains. The local recharge zones are located in highly urbanized and industrialized zones posing risk to recharge reduction and pollution. Therefore, attention should be given to protect groundwater resources from contamination and increase groundwater resilience to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kidist Hailu
- School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Behailu Birhanu
- School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tilahun Azagegn
- School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Seifu Kebede
- Center for Water Resources Research, School of Agricultural Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
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Tiruneh G, Karim A, Betemariam W, Yihun B, Birhanu B, Ameha A, Mathiwos B, Wanboru A. Effectiveness of Supportive Supervision Visits on the Consistency of
Community-Based Neonatal Sepsis Management Skills of the Health Extension
Workers in 167 districts of Ethiopia. Ann Glob Health 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aogh.2017.03.104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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