ASSESSING THE EFFECTS OF GROUNDWATER QUALITY ON HUMAN HEALTH USING GIS: A CASE STUDY OF BAHAWALNAGAR

Abstract

Water is a vital natural resource for human life. Water quality is a basic standpoint that needs to be deliberated while seeing sustainable development as well as health risks. The aim of this research is the analysis of drinking groundwater quality parameters of the Bahawalnagar District of Punjab, Pakistan, and the potential health risks associated. A total of 116 samples were obtained from three study regions from Bahawalnagar District namely Bahawalnagar city, Minchinabad, and Dounga Bounga town. Each sample was tested for a total of nine water quality parameters (pH, Turbidity, TDS, Calcium, Magnesium, Total Hardness, Total Alkalinity, Chloride, and Electrical Conductivity). The spatial interpolation approach named Inverse Distance Weighting through GIS is used to provide spatially dispersed groundwater quality mapping of the water quality index. This research shows that across the study area, the percentage of polluted groundwater samples varies spatially, as, in Dounga Bounga, Minchinabad, and Bahawalnagar city, a total of 96%, 63%, and 64% sample are polluted respectively. Laboratory analysis reveals that pH total dissolved solids, magnesium, calcium, total hardness are considerably higher than WHO-permissible standards. Such low quality of the water might exacerbate severe waterborne diseases in the region.