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oa Groundwater Quality Assessment using Health Risk-Based Weighting
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, 18th International Conference Monitoring of Geological Processes and Ecological Condition of the Environment, Apr 2025, Volume 2025, p.1 - 5
Abstract
The study assesses groundwater quality using the Health Risk Weighting Model (HRWM) and compares it with traditional methods: the Importance Scale Weighting Model (ISWM) and the Entropy Weighting Model (EWM). The main objective is to determine the most reliable method for evaluating groundwater quality and associated health risks. Based on the collected data, the Water Quality Index (WQI) was calculated using three methods: ISWM, which relies on expert assessments and may be subjective; EWM, which considers the statistical variability of pollutant concentrations; and HRWM, which incorporates toxicological indicators such as the reference dose (RfD) and carcinogenic coefficient (CIC). The results showed that HRWM identified manganese, sulfates, and iron as the most hazardous pollutants, assigning them the highest weighting coefficients. The highest levels of contamination and health risks were observed in wells N82 and N62, whereas well N63 exhibited the best water quality indicators. The WQI values varied significantly depending on the assessment method, with HRWM yielding the most critical results. The study confirmed that HRWM provides a more accurate risk assessment by considering the actual toxicological impact of pollutants, whereas traditional methods such as ISWM and EWM may underestimate hazards, particularly for highly toxic substances present in low concentrations.