Spatial Variation of Groundwater Nitrate Concentration in Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, India: Human Health Risk and Mitigation Strategy

In the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, India, the current study's objective was to evaluate the regional variation of nitrate in groundwaterGroundwater and its effects on human health. Ninety-six groundwaterGroundwater level measurements and sixty-seven measurements of nitrate in groundwaterGroundwater were obtained from the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) for the year 2018. GroundwaterGroundwater levels were found to vary between 0.2 and 39.5 m during the pre-monsoon season, with a mean value of 4.8 m, and between 0.2 and 22.4 m during the post-monsoon season, with a mean value of 3.0 m. The mean nitrate concentration in groundwaterGroundwater samples was 113.4 mg l−1, and the ranged from 1.2 to 665.0 mg l−1. Almost 60% of groundwaterGroundwater samples have nitrate levels that are beyond acceptable standards (45 mg l−1). Based on the hazard quotient (HQn), nitrate's health risks were evaluated. Almost 49.3% of groundwaterGroundwater samples were found to have HQn values more than 1 in males, while 62.7% of samples fell into risk zone for infants. Hence, to lessen the negative impacts of nitrate-contaminated drinking water on human health in the study region, adequate safety measures should be performed, such as routine inspection of the water supply, health checks, and examination of underground pipelines.