Nitrate Contamination of Public Drinking Water Sources in Shendi Locality, River Nile State Sudan

Abstract

This cross-sectional study was conducted in the locality of Shendi, River Nile state, Sudan to determine the concentration of nitrates in drinking water and its potential health risk on consumers. Using random sampling technique 44 drinking water sources were selected for the purpose of this study. Data were collected directly from the field by; sanitary survey and nitrate analysis of drinking water sources. Of these points 15.9% were found to haveelevated nitrate level (excess 10 ml/l). Nitrate concentration was found to be highest among ground water sources. Anthropogenic sources were the ones that most often cause the amount of nitrate to rise to a dangerous level in this area. Four (57.1%) of the sources which have excess level of nitrate were exposed to latrine contamination and 3 (40.1%) of the sources which were highly contaminated with nitrate also exposed to more than one sources of contaminations: septic tank, soakage pits and animal manure. The study concluded that the anthropogenic sources are really the ones that most often cause the amount of nitrate to rise to a dangerous level, and there are high potentiality of public health problems in areas where nitrate concentrations elevated, specifically the risk of methemoglobinemia, increased incidence of certain cancers, and increased birth defects.