Health Risk and Irrigational Water Quality From Hand Dug Wells in Adani Community, Uzo Uwani L.G.A. Enugu State

Adani is a popular rice farming community in Enugu State with agriculture as the predominant economic activity. Water from hand dug wells are used for irrigation though the inhabitants of the area have limited knowledge of the quality index on health and irrigation purposes. This study assessed health risk and irrigational water quality from hand dug wells in Adani community in Uzo Uwani LGA Enugu state. Two water samples from each of the 8 villages in the community were taken and analyzed for eighteen (18) physicochemical parameters. The irrigational parameters are: sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), sodium percentage (Na%), residual sodium bicarbonate (RSBC), magnesium hazard (MH) and kelly index (KI). Health risk was evaluated using the Hazard index which gave results < 1 for both adult and children populations and Carcinogenic risk. Water in the area was deemed suitable for irrigation as 3 indices (SAR, RSBC and KI) recorded a complete suitability of water at all sampled sites though the Sodium Percentage gave a contrary view with 10 of 16 sites classed as unsuitable (> 80%). The main parameter with some associated health risk was found to be Arsenic, a carcinogen, as it presented unacceptable values for Carcinogenic risk. The results suggest that groundwater in the area is suitable for irrigation but poses a health risk to both the adult (CR(Arsenic) = 2.9 × 10 ^− 1 ) and children (CR(Arsenic) = 2.8 × 10 ^− 1 ) population as arsenic which increases the likelihood of cancer is a predominant threat to water quality in the area.