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Natural and man-made activities can introduce nitrate and hazardous metals into the groundwater, which can affect ecological systems and human health. Kumba is the largest city in southwestern Cameroon and faces significant groundwater contamination by nitrate and trace metals. In this study, groundwater samples from shallow aquifers in Kumba were analysed for their physicochemical parameters, including nitrate, to evaluate their quality and potential risks to human health. Nitrate and analysed toxic trace metals (As, Cd, Pb) concentrations in some samples exceeded the World Health Organization recommended standard, indicating anthropogenic pollution from sources such as agricultural runoff from applications of chemical fertilisers and pit latrines. Pollution Index in Groundwater and Metal Index classified most groundwater sources as pure and of low pollution. Similarly, the ecological risk factor indicated that only one site was identified as being of the high ecological risk category, with Pb > Ni > Cr > Cd > As as the order of potential ecological risk. Furthermore, based on the estimated Nitrate Pollution Index (NPI), 63.9% of the sites were found to be unpolluted, 9.8% to be slightly and significantly polluted, and 16.4% to be very considerably polluted. Pollution of groundwater by nitrate through time can constitute a serious public health hazard to humans. Prolonged intake of nitrate has been linked to diseases such as gastric cancer, high blood pressure, thyroid issues and genetic defects. Infants consuming water containing high nitrate levels can result in methemoglobinemia, also referred to as ‘blue baby syndrome’. The chronic health hazard quotient associated with the potential non-carcinogenic risk via oral and dermal contact pathways indicates that exposure to waterborne nitrate poses a potential non-cancer risk to the residents of Kumba, especially infants. These serious public health hazards and their deleterious environmental implications are rarely appreciated in developing economies like Cameroon. Protective measures like reducing the number of agricultural and non-agricultural nitrogen sources that enter the aquifer as well as the groundwater recharge zones, should be implemented, especially in the agricultural zones of the study area, to ensure sustainable use of groundwater resources.

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Ecological and Non-carcinogenic Health Risk of Nitrate in Groundwater of Kumba, Cameroon

  • 章节

  • 发表日期：

    2026年

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  • T. N. Nganje,
  • L. E. Okon,
  • E. E. Agbor,
  • P. Ebai,
  • E. E. Besong,
  • E. E. Ukwang,
  • V. N. N. Mbiaboh,
  • G. A. Eyong,
  • N. M. Onrwa,
  • J. N. Mogaba,
  • J. E. Ayeline

摘要

Natural and man-made activities can introduce nitrate and hazardous metals into the groundwater, which can affect ecological systems and human health. Kumba is the largest city in southwestern Cameroon and faces significant groundwater contamination by nitrate and trace metals. In this study, groundwater samples from shallow aquifers in Kumba were analysed for their physicochemical parameters, including nitrate, to evaluate their quality and potential risks to human health. Nitrate and analysed toxic trace metals (As, Cd, Pb) concentrations in some samples exceeded the World Health Organization recommended standard, indicating anthropogenic pollution from sources such as agricultural runoff from applications of chemical fertilisers and pit latrines. Pollution Index in Groundwater and Metal Index classified most groundwater sources as pure and of low pollution. Similarly, the ecological risk factor indicated that only one site was identified as being of the high ecological risk category, with Pb > Ni > Cr > Cd > As as the order of potential ecological risk. Furthermore, based on the estimated Nitrate Pollution Index (NPI), 63.9% of the sites were found to be unpolluted, 9.8% to be slightly and significantly polluted, and 16.4% to be very considerably polluted. Pollution of groundwater by nitrate through time can constitute a serious public health hazard to humans. Prolonged intake of nitrate has been linked to diseases such as gastric cancer, high blood pressure, thyroid issues and genetic defects. Infants consuming water containing high nitrate levels can result in methemoglobinemia, also referred to as ‘blue baby syndrome’. The chronic health hazard quotient associated with the potential non-carcinogenic risk via oral and dermal contact pathways indicates that exposure to waterborne nitrate poses a potential non-cancer risk to the residents of Kumba, especially infants. These serious public health hazards and their deleterious environmental implications are rarely appreciated in developing economies like Cameroon. Protective measures like reducing the number of agricultural and non-agricultural nitrogen sources that enter the aquifer as well as the groundwater recharge zones, should be implemented, especially in the agricultural zones of the study area, to ensure sustainable use of groundwater resources.