Integrated geo-environmental evaluation of groundwater contamination using PLI and Igeo in Kanker, Central India

To identify source distribution and evaluate risk, groundwater samples were collected from 15 different sampling areas around the Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, India. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) was used to measure the concentrations of various hazardous metals, including As, Cu, Pb, Co, Fe, Ni, Zn, and Cr, at specific points within the research region. Statistical methods were then used to assess the distribution of these metals. Using analytical findings, the pollution load index (PLI), modified degree of contamination (mCdeg), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), contamination factor (CF), and metal index (MI) were assessed, along with a comprehensive evaluation of heavy metal pollution. The amount of Fe, Zn, Pb, Mn, Ni, and Cr in the groundwater was measured at 5.47, 0.45, 1.41, 0.32, 0.70, and 0.94 ppm, respectively. The concentrations of As, Cd, and Cu were below the acceptable limits. Based on the concentration and metal pollution indices, the total number of examined samples was classified as having no pollution and being moderately affected, indicating that the collected groundwater samples were of high quality. The results will provide comprehensive knowledge about the concentrations of heavy metals and contribute to efforts aimed at reducing pollution and enhancing environmental sustainability in this area.