Impact of marble industry effluents on surface water and associated human health risks

What is it about?

The current research work highlighted impacts of marble industry effluents on surface water quality and associated health risk. Water is a vital, finite resource whose quantity and quality are deteriorating with an increase in world population. The process of industrialization and urbanization is beneficial, especially in terms of shaping demographic characteristics. However, rapid, unplanned, and uncontrolled changes in the physical landscape can lead to degradation and scarcity of water resources. The agricultural sector consumes approximately 70% of all water resources, and by 2025, almost 60% of the world population could face physical water stress from overconsumption [4]. The increasing demand for water to meet the food needs of a growing population is one of the main reasons for reusing wastewater for urban and peri-urban irrigation. Reusing wastewater for irrigation can alleviate the intense pressure on freshwater abstraction and provide nutrients to plants and crops [6]. Without proper management, a significant amount of wastewater can affect water availability, general economic conditions, quality of life, and even the cultural and religious values of human society.

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Photo by Tarek Badr on Unsplash

Photo by Tarek Badr on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The current work explained the usage of contaminated surface water for irrigation of crops which contain heavy metals which are toxic and exposure to these potentially toxic metals through the exposure pathway leads to development of carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic diseases.

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