Heavy Metal Contamination in the Kali River: Irrigation Unsuitability and its Adverse Effects on Human Health

This study evaluates the concentration of heavy metals in the Kali River, Uttar Pradesh (from Bhavanpur, Saharanpur to Pithlokhar, Meerut). Some heavy metals (HMs) (Cr 10.3-479.6 µg/l, Mn (128.3-9054.5 µg/l), Fe (0-14534 µg/l), Ni (0-789.7 µg/l), Cu (57.2-32720.1 µg/l), Zn (89.7-6487.8 µg/l), As (17.3-90 µg/l), Cd (7.8-184.7 µg/l), and Pb (57.3-1860.1 µg/l) were among the HMs that exceeded allowable limits. Few risk assessment metrics (Degree of Contamination (Cd), Hazard Quotient (HQ), Carcinogenic Risk (CR), Heavy Metal Evaluation Index (HEI), and Total Hazard Index (THI) ) were applied to check the hazardous effect. However, the S2 sampling location had the greatest HPI indices, whereas Dable village (S19) had the highest values of Cd, HEI, and THI. Health risks are more likely to affect adults and children, especially in rural locations. The pollution also seriously impairs the water’s suitability for irrigation, which affects the quality of the crops and the health of the soil. To protect agricultural and human populations, immediate regulatory actions and routine water quality monitoring are required.