Research Article
Vikas Duggala, Asha Ranib,*and
Abstract
Arsenic contamination of drinking water is a global problem. Groundwater is the primary source of drinking water for the population in Northern Rajasthan, India. This study consisted of the determination of arsenic content in 39 groundwater samples collected from Hanumangarh, SriGanganagar, Churu and Sikar districts of Northern Rajasthan, where drinking water samples are not treated before it is consumed. The water samples were collected from hand pumps. The arsenic in the drinking water samples were analyzed by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). The arsenic concentration in drinking water samples ranges from 1.48 μg L-1 in village 3H to 45.10 μg L-1 in village Rajgarh with a mean value of 7.31 μg L-1. The arsenic concentration in 18% of the water samples has been found to be higher than the safe limit of 10 μg L-1 recommended by World Health Organization and United States Environmental Protection Agency