Author(s)

Hervé Achié N’cho^1*, Ruth Baï², Euclide Kouadio N’Goran¹, Kouadio Koffı¹, Lazare Kouakou Kouassı³, Innocent Kouassi Kouamé¹

¹Laboratoire de Géosciences et Environnement, UFR Sciences et Gestion de l’Environnement, Université Nangui Abrogoua, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
²Laboratoire de Sciences du Sol, de l’Eau et des Géomatériaux, UFR Sciences de la Terre et des Ressources Minières, Université Félix Houphouet Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
³Laboratoire de Génie de l’Eau et de l’Environnement, UFR Environnement, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé de Daloa, Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire.

Nitrate contamination of groundwater is a worldwide problem, particularly in agricultural countries. Exposure to high levels of nitrates in groundwater can have adverse effects on the health of residents who use groundwater for drinking. This study aims to assess the health risk associated with the ingestion of nitrates in well water in the town of M’bahiakro. Health risk maps were created on the basis of hazard quotients (HQ) using the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) health risk assessment model. The results indicate that residents of the Koko, Dougouba and Baoulekro neighbourhoods, whatever their age, are potentially exposed to the toxic effects of ${\text{NO}}_3^{-}$ during their daily intake of nitrate-contaminated well water, with reference to hazard quotients (HQ) greater than 1. Nitrate concentrations in the groundwater should therefore be controlled in order to prevent their harmful effects on the health of the population and guarantee its use in rice-growing activities in M’Bahiakro.

Nitrate, Well, Health Risks, M’Bahiakro

N’cho, H.A., Baï, R., N’Goran, E.K., Koff?, K., Kouass?, L.K. and Kouamé, I.K. (2025) Assessment of Health Risks Associated with Nitrate in Drinking Well Water: Case Study, M’Bahiakro (Central-Eastern Côte d’Ivoire). Journal of Water Resource and Protection, 17, 35-46. doi: 10.4236/jwarp.2025.171003.