Spatial Variation, Speciation, and Carcinogenic Hazards of Chromium Formulations in Groundwater Networks Near Tanneries

International Journal of Chemistry | Vol. 7, No. 8, August 2016 | pp. 57–64

DOI: 10.46882/2016/IJC/000095

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: Spatial Variation, Speciation, and Carcinogenic Hazards of Chromium Formulations in Groundwater Networks Near Tanneries

Names of Authors: T. H. Awotunde¹, R. A. Silva²*

Authors’ Affiliations:
¹Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.
²Department of Environmental Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

Abstract: Industrial leather tanning operations discharge massive amounts of chromium-rich effluents into surrounding topsoils, causing heavy metal leaching into shallow drinking water wells. This study monitors the spatial variations, chemical speciation, and carcinogenic health risk profiles of chromium compounds across twenty household wells positioned around an active tannery industrial estate. Water monitoring was carried out over consecutive wet and dry cycles. Total chromium levels and carcinogenic hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] fractions were quantified utilizing ion chromatography coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (IC-ICP-MS). Total chromium concentrations ranged from 12.5 to 145.8 μg/L, with 45% of monitored groundwater sites surpassing the strict WHO drinkable contaminant threshold of 50.0 μg/L. Speciation analysis showed that toxic Cr(VI) was the dominant species, accounting for up to 68.4% of the total metal burden profiles at down-gradient coordinates. Seasonal mapping confirmed elevated chromium mobilization during the rainy period, indicating rain-induced plume leaching. Chronic Daily Intake (CDI) projections and Lifetime Cancer Risk (LCR) indices for child consumption cohorts surpassed 2.4 in 10,000 near industrial boundaries, emphasizing an immediate public healthcare concern and a need for local membrane filtration arrays.

Keywords: Groundwater pollution; Chromium speciation; Hexavalent chromium; Ion chromatography; Tannery effluents; Cancer risk assessment

Manuscript Timeline: Received: December 02, 2015; Revised: January 14, 2016; Accepted: February 10, 2016; Published: August 03, 2016.

Citation: Awotunde, T. H., & Silva, R. A. (2016). Spatial Variation, Speciation, and Carcinogenic Hazards of Chromium Formulations in Groundwater Networks Near Tanneries. International Journal of Chemistry, 7(8), 57–64.

Subscribe to read the full article: https://www.internationalscholarsjournals.org/subscribe-to-read