Drinking water quality assessment according to water quality index and health risk assessment: а case study of Pedro Vicente Maldonado canton, Ecuador

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Abstract

The effluent water quality of a treatment plant in a canton of Ecuador according to water quality index (WQI) and health risk assessment was investigated in this study. The quality of the influent and effluent water of the treatment plant was monitored monthly from January 2017 to December 2019. Physicochemical and microbiological parameters, such as temperature, pH, turbidity, color, suspended solids, electrical conductivity, free chlorine, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia nitrogen, sulfates, fluorides, manganese, iron, fecal coliforms and total coliforms were determined. To evaluate the impacts of studied water on human health, health risk assessment for non-cancerogenic elements, including hazard index (HI) and risk of olfactory-reflex effects for organoleptic indicators were performed in accordance with Russian and foreign guidelines. Water quality parameter results were compared with WHO drinking water standards, revealing that the influent was contaminated microbiologically and other parameters such as color, turbidity, and iron were also above the limit values. The WQI results showed that water after purification is suitable for drinking (I class - excellent). Hazard Index (HI) results showed that the non-carcinogenic substances studied had a low risk for both adults and children (<1). Additionally, the risk of olfactory-reflex effect was characterized as acceptable for all the collected purified water samples.

About the authors

Cristian A. Salazar Flores

Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University)

Author for correspondence.
Email: cristian_salazarf@hotmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6927-7863

PhD student, Institute of Environmental Engineering

6 Miklukho-Maklaya St, Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation

Anna I. Kurbatova

Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University)

Email: kurbatova-ai@rudn.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7763-5034

PhD in Environmental Sciences, Associate Professor, Institute of Environmental Engineering

6 Miklukho-Maklaya St, Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation

Kseniya Yu. Mikhaylichenko

Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University)

Email: mikhaylichenko-kyu@rudn.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8051-8528

PhD in Environmental Sciences, Associate Professor, Institute of Environmental Engineering

6 Miklukho-Maklaya St, Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation

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Copyright (c) 2022 Salazar Flores C.A., Kurbatova A.I., Mikhaylichenko K.Y.

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