A Review on the Existing Scenario of Nitrate ...

A Review on the Existing Scenario of Nitrate Contamination in Drinking Water of India and its Potential Health Risk

Author Name : Mohd. Ishaq, RC Chippa, Anupama Sharma

ABSTRACT

Nitrate (NO3 ⁻) is one of the wide spread and potent pollutant in ground water,and becoming a great concern all over the world, especially in arid and semi-arid regions.It arises naturally through atmospheric fixation and lightning; however,majority is released throughanthropogenic exercises,includingproduction and practice of nitrate fertilizers, fossil fuel combustion,coal mining, uncontrolled and unmanaged domestic and industrial sewage systems, huge pile of waste dumping andnitrogen-fixing crops replacement in agricultural land. Nitrate is essential components for growth of plants and consequently N- fertilizers are extensively used in agricultural fields, farm lands and gardens to meet the increasing demand of crops. The fertilizers consequently run off and leach down to ground water bodies andsubsequently pile up in the soilduring several decades. The existing scenario of nitrate pollution of freshwaters systems are therefore, the testament of current and past anthropogenic activities. Nitrate contamination has been recognized as a concern, since the problem was first reported in 1945. Excessive intake of Nitrate poses serious health hazards in humans being like blue baby syndrome in infants, carcinogenic effect and many more beside degradation of water ecosystemthrough eutrophication.In view of this, WHO has prescribed the maximum nitrate level in drinking water as 50 mg/L and the value of 45mg/L is prescribed by the BIS/ICMR.Nitrate Concentration in drinking water above the prescribed values poses serious health hazard and consequently extensive research on nitrate exposure-related health risk assessments are being carrying out in differentpart of the world.

Many previous studies and reports of Govt. agencies like central ground water board(CGWB 2019), stated that India is going through a water emergency and Nitrate contaminationin the states of India, like Punjab, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Delhi are a big concern.An attempt is made byreviewing and analysing available information of nitrate contamination in water systems of various part of India, so that a current contamination scenario, origin of contamination,negative effects and consciousness be communicated to public and institutional organizations forframing a sustainable drinking water management and policies in the country.

Key word: anthropogenic activities, waste water, nitrogen cycle, fertilizer, methaemoglobin, aquifer, eutrophication, geological source, agro-system