Health Risk Assessment of Carcinogenic and Non- Carcinogenic Contaminants in Drinking Water from Hand Dug Wells in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State

This research assessed the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk factors associated with the ingestion of the heavy metals in water from hand dug wells in Gboko Local Government area of Benue State. The concentrations of selected heavy metals namely; arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead and zinc in the water were determined using AAS, and the results obtained were used to carry out the assessment for both adults and children in the area. Hazard Quotient (HQ) and Hazard Index (HI) were used to assess the non-carcinogenic risk factors, while the Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) factor was used to determine the carcinogenic risk factor. The research found that HQ ≤ 1 and HI ≤ 1 for both adults and children in the study area, and was lower than the reference dose for all the metals. The ILCR was found to be 9.85 x 10-4 and 9.1 x 10-4 for adult and children respectively in the wells studied. The values of ILCR obtained fell within the safe limit of 10-6 < ILCR <10-4 for one or more heavy metals. The result of the research showed that, both the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic contaminants in the wells are within safe limits and there is no cancer and non-cancer scare in the area under study. Based on these findings, continuous monitoring of the sources of water (groundwater and surface water) and types of pollutants discharged in the area should be maintained.