Spatio-temporal Analysis Of Heavy Metal Contamination In Bovine Drinking Water: Assessing Environmental Risks In A Developing Agro-industrial Hub

Abstract

This Research Aimed To Quantify The Concentrations Of Key Heavy Metals—specifically Arsenic (As), Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Mercury (Hg), Copper (Cu), Chromium (Cr), And Zinc (Zn)—in Water Sources Utilized By Livestock. A Total Of 70 Samples Were Strategically Harvested From Diverse Geographic Locations Across The Western Region, Encompassing Urban, Semi-urban, And Rural Environments. Sampling Points Included Borewells, Open Wells, River/canal Systems, And Municipal Supplies. Analysis Was Performed Via Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS), With Results Benchmarked Against World Health Organization (WHO, 1998), European Union (EU, 2020), And Bureau Of Indian Standards (BIS, 2012) Guidelines. Findings Revealed That While As And Pb Concentrations Approached The Maximum Residual Limits (MRL) Defined By The WHO And EU, They Remained Within The Permissible Thresholds Of The BIS. Concentrations Of Cd, Hg, Cu, Cr, And Zn Were Consistently Below All International And Domestic Safety Standards. Notably, Urban And Semi-urban Water Sources Exhibited Significantly Higher Heavy Metal Loads Compared To Rural Sites. The Study Underscores The Necessity Of Continuous Environmental Monitoring To Mitigate Health Risks To Dairy Livestock And, By Extension, Human Consumers Through The Food Chain.

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