Evaluation of non-carcinogenic causing health risks (NCHR) associated with exposure of fluoride and nitrate contaminated groundwater from a semi-arid region of south India

Groundwater is the foremost resource for drinking water supply in arid and semi-arid regions of the world, and also intake of contaminated drinking water is the major source for creating a several health risk for humans. To estimate the groundwater suitability for drinking and also to measure the non-carcinogenic health risk for infants, children, and adults, a total of 35 groundwater samples were collected from the semi-arid region of India and analyzed major ions including fluoride and nitrate. The results revealed that the concentration of fluoride ranges from 0.6 to 3.6 mg/L and is about 2.4 times higher than the maximum allowable limit of 1.5 mg/L for drinking water purposes. And nitrate contents varied from 17 to 120 mg/L in which 54.29% of the groundwater samples exceeded the recommended limit of 50 mg/L. The estimated individual non-carcinogenic health risk (INCHR) frequency is evidently displayed that intake of higher concentration of nitrate creates the greater detrimental health effects than fluoride. The contribution of individual non-carcinogenic health risk (INCHR) of nitrate is greater detrimental health effects than the fluoride. The results of total non-carcinogenic health risk (TNCHR) reflect the infants and also children were found to be more susceptible towards fluoride and nitrate-associated health risks in the investigated region. Fluoride-bearing minerals and different anthropogenic sources such as septic tank leakages, nitrogen fertilizers, domestic, agricultural, and animal wastes played a vital role in groundwater pollution and thereby non-carcinogenic human health risks. Therefore, a proper sustainable future plan is most important to mitigate the fluoride and nitrate contamination in the groundwater of the study region.