Risk assessment of heavy metals in tap drinking water in different age group; in Baghdad city, Iraq

Abstract

The heavy metals such as lead Pb, copper Cu and iron Fe that found in drinking water resources causes toxicity and biological effects which is hazardous to human health. Kidney damage, headache and brain are the chronic effects on human resulting from long term exposure. In this study, samples are taken from six stations distributed in three places in Baghdad city from tap drinking water for the months of March to December 2014. The first two stations located in Al-Kadmyai area, the 3rd and 4th located in Al- Doora while the last two stations located in Al-Amryai area. Carcinogenic and non- carcinogenic risk assessment of lead, copper, and iron are implemented in order to show the probable cancer risk for inhabitants in Baghdad city. The determinations consist of the chronic daily intake for each pollutant, hazard quotient and total risk for adults' men, women and children, using Environmental Protection Agency EPA equations, ingestion, and dermal are the exposure pathways. The averages non- carcinogenic chronic daily intake through ingestion of water CDIing and through dermal adsorption CDIderm are as the following order: Pb>Cu>Fe for adult men, adult women and children respectively. The CDIing and CDIderm order for the three age groups is: children>adult women>adult men for all stations. The hazard index HI for ingestion and dermal contact of drinking water in six stations is less than 1, this means that population in Baghdad city which consumed tap water are in a safe place. The carcinogenic risk order through ingestion for lead is adult women>adult men>children in all stations. For all stations the values of carcinogenic risk CRing are between 10-6 and 10-4, it can be said that all stations are with the agreeable limit for carcinogenic risk for lead, so the population in three areas in Baghdad city is also in a safe area.