Temporal assessment of heavy metal concentration and surface water quality representing the public health evaluation from the Meghna River estuary, Bangladesh

The Meghna River, the largest and the widest river in Bangladesh, is important for navigation, irrigation, fish spawning and shelter, industrial usages, and drinking water sources for millions of people living in nearby areas. The present study illustrated the seasonal variation of some physicochemical parameters and the four heavy metals (Cr, As, Cd, and Pb) distribution in the surface water of Meghna River estuary. It also evaluated the human health risk for adult and children due to directly contact with the surface water through ingestion and dermal pathways. The ranges of metal concentration in the study area were found in the descending order as: Cr (0.036–0.054; mean 0.045 ± 0.005) > As (0.012–0.036; mean 0.024 ± 0.007) > Cd (0.009–0.050; mean 0.018 ± 0.012) > Pb (0.007–0.014; mean 0.009 ± 0.007). In most cases, the concentrations of As, Cr, Pb, and Cd surpassed the guideline limits of human consumption. However, the one-way ANOVA study revealed that the average concentrations of the selected metals in the ten sampling sites were not significantly different at a 95% confidence level. Therefore, it is assumed that the metal contamination in the study area might have been caused due to the anthropogenic sources along with the natural phenomenon. The distribution of the metal contents and the physicochemical parameters in the surface water greatly were significantly different concerning both winter and summer seasons at a 95% confidence level. The evaluated hazard quotient (HQ) and the hazard index (HI) for the investigated metal compounds were in the acceptable limit (< 1). In addition, the attribution of metal contents did not overweigh the carcinogenic risk (CR) range (10–6 to 10–4), and the adults are more susceptible than the children. Although the risk is within the acceptable level, but adequate monitoring aspects should be implemented to control surface water pollution especially for the metal discharge to the river estuary.