Abstract:
Health risk assessment is an important method to quantitatively describe the relationship between pollution and human health. Concentrations distribution of the Cd, Cr, Pb and Cu in karst groundwater in Gaoping Area in Zunyi City was studied based on a total of 21 random samples. Health risks associated with 4 heavy metals in drinking water were assessed using USEPA health risk assessment mode1. The results showed that among the health risks caused by heavy metals in groundwater in high water period, the largest risk was 3.52×10
-5 a
-1, which was lower than the maximum allowance levels recommended by ICRP (5.00×10
-5 a
-1); the health risks levels caused by heavy metals in groundwater in low water period ranged from 10
-8 to 10
-7 a
-1, much lower than the maximum allowance levels recommended by ICRP. The health risks in low water period were much lower than in high water period in the study area. Cr is the highest priority pollutant in the4 heavy metals.