本研究对印度河上游流域(UIRB)的微量元素浓度进行了全面分析,喜马拉雅山西部(WH)的冰川区,旨在辨别它们的环境和人为来源和影响。尽管先前的数据有限,2019年从UIRB的不同来源收集了69个样本,包括主流,支流,和地下水,评估微量元素浓度。富集因子(EF)结果以及与区域和全球平均值的比较表明,锌含量的上升,Cd,以及可能对饮用水质量构成安全问题。先进的多元统计技术,如主成分分析(PCA),绝对主成分得分(APCS-MLR),蒙特卡罗模拟(MCS),等用于估计相关的人类健康危害,并确定了微量元素的关键来源。MCS结果的第95百分位数表明,儿童的估计总癌症风险显着大于(>1000倍)USEPA的可接受风险阈值1.0×10-6。结果将大多数微量元素分为两个不同的组:A组(Li,Rb,Sr,U,Cs,V,Ni,TI,Sb,Mo,Ge),与地质来源有关,显示中下游河流的浓度较低,包括支流和下游地区。B组(Pb,Nb,Cr,Zn,Be,Al,Th,Ga,Cu,Co),受地质活动和人为活动的影响,在城市中心和中游地区附近表现出更高的浓度,与增加的城市垃圾和农业活动保持一致。此外,APCS-MLR源解析表明,微量元素起源于自然地质过程,包括岩水相互作用和矿物溶解,以及人为活动。这些发现强调需要采取有针对性的措施,以减轻IRB和WH沿线社区的人为影响并保护水资源。
This study conducted a comprehensive analysis of trace element concentrations in the Upper Indus River Basin (UIRB), a glacier-fed region in the Western Himalayas (WH), aiming to discern their environmental and anthropogenic sources and implications. Despite limited prior data, 69 samples were collected in 2019 from diverse sources within the UIRB, including mainstream, tributaries, and groundwater, to assess trace element concentrations. Enrichment factor (EF) results and comparisons with regional and global averages suggest that rising levels of Zn, Cd, and As may pose safety concerns for drinking water quality. Advanced multivariate statistical techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA), absolute principal component scores (APCS-MLR), Monte Carlo simulation (MCS), etc were applied to estimate the associated human health hazards and also identified key sources of trace elements. The 95th percentile of the MCS results indicates that the estimated total cancer risk for children is significantly greater than (>1000 times) the USEPA\'s acceptable risk threshold of 1.0 × 10-6. The results classified most of the trace elements into two distinct groups: Group A (Li, Rb, Sr, U, Cs, V, Ni, TI, Sb, Mo, Ge), linked to geogenic sources, showed lower concentrations in the lower-middle river reaches, including tributaries and downstream regions. Group B (Pb, Nb, Cr, Zn, Be, Al, Th, Ga, Cu, Co), influenced by both geogenic and anthropogenic activities, exhibited higher concentrations near urban centers and midstream areas, aligning with increased municipal waste and agricultural activities. Furthermore, APCS-MLR source apportionment indicated that trace elements originated from natural geogenic processes, including rock-water interactions and mineral dissolution, as well as anthropogenic activities. These findings underscore the need for targeted measures to mitigate anthropogenic impacts and safeguard water resources for communities along the IRB and WH.