Assessment of toxic metals in groundwater and saliva in an arsenic affected area of West Bengal, India: A pilot scale study

Communities in many parts of the world are unintentionally exposed to arsenic (As) and other toxic metals through ingestion of local drinking water and foods. The concentrations of individual toxic metals often exceed their guidelines in drinking water but the health risks associated with such multiple-metal exposures have yet to receive much attention. This study examines the co-occurrence of toxic metals in groundwater samples collected from As-rich areas of Nadia district, West Bengal, India. Arsenic in groundwater (range: 12–1064µgL−1; mean ± S.D: 329±294µgL−1) was the most important contaminant with concentrations well above the WHO guideline of 10µgL−1. Another important toxic metal in the study area was manganese (Mn) with average concentration of 202±153µgL−1, range of 18–604µgL−1. The average concentrations (µgL−1) of other elements in groundwater were: Cr (5.6±5.9), Mo (3.5±2.1), Ni (8.3±8.7), Pb (2.9±1.3), Ba (119±43), Zn (56±40), Se (0.60±0.33), U (0.50±0.74). Saliva collected from the male participants of the area had mean concentrations of 6.3±7.0µg As L−1 (0.70–29µgL−1), 5.4±5.5µg Mn L−1 (0.69–22µgL−1), 2.6±3.1µg Ni L−1 (0.15–13µgL−1), 0.78±1.0µg Cr L−1 (更多