Levels of Heavy Metals and Potential Human Health Risks in Drinking Water Sources from Arbegona District and Surrounding Communities of Sidama Regional State, Ethiopia

The objective of this paper was to investigate the levels of heavy metals and potential human health risks in drinking water sources from Arbegona district and surrounding communities of Sidama Regional State, Ethiopia, including Arsenic (As), Mercury (Hg), Cadmium (Cd), Cobalt (Co), Chromium (Cr), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn) and other minerals such as nitrates (NO3-) and phosphates (PO43-) using ICP-OES standard laboratory methods. The mean concentrations of heavy metals investigated in this study were presented in the order: Fe (0.1457 mg/L) > Zn (0.10195 mg/L) > Cr (0.0346 mg/L) > Mn (0.02571 mg/L) > Cu (0 0.01795 mg/L) > Co (0.0159 mg/L) > Hg (0.01495 mg/L) > Cd (0.00605 mg/L) > As (0.002). The results revealed concerning levels of heavy metals, with the heavy metal pollution index (HPI) indicating severe contamination across all sampling sites. The HPI values ranged from 162.3074 to 4944.791, with a mean value of 1064.4112, denoting unsafe drinking water. The heavy metal evaluation index (HEI) values ranged from 5.94 to 84.16, further confirming that the water is unfit for domestic use. Non-carcinogenic risk assessments indicated hazard index (HI) values exceeding 1 for children, highlighting intolerable health risks, while adults exhibited acceptable risk levels via dermal exposure. Carcinogenic risk assessments showed incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) values for both children (1.07 × 10-1) and adults (7.90 × 10-2), indicating a high risk of developing cancer related to heavy metal exposure. Overall, the study underscores the urgent need for remedial measures to mitigate heavy metal pollution in Arbegona drinking water, emphasizing the importance of regular monitoring and public health interventions.