Evaluation of Groundwater Quality in Wogera District, Ethiopia: Implication of Health Risk

The groundwater quality in Wogera district was assessed based on physicochemical parameters and levels of nutrients and metals. The water quality index (WQI) values ranged from 87.65 to 110.53, and about 62.5% of the samples were good, while 37.5% were poor for drinking. The principal component analysis (PCA) results showed six components cumulatively account for 96.54% of total variance in the constituents of drinking groundwater. Hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), and cancer risk analysis were used to estimate the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks (CRs) of heavy metals, nitrate, and nitrite exposure for children and adults. Health risk assessment indicated that children are more susceptible to non-CR than adults, and Cr and Cd posed a high risk of carcinogenicity in children and adults. Thus, the results infer that the responsible body should take immediate action to raise the groundwater's quality.