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eISSN: 2083-5906
ISSN: 1230-1485
ISSN: 1230-1485
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Carcinogenic and Non-Carcinogenic Health Risk
Assessment of Heavy Metals in Drinking Water
near the Batang Masumai River, Indonesia
1
Doctoral Program in Environmental Science, Graduate School of Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang,
South Sumatra, 30139, Indonesia
2
Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang, South Sumatra, 30139, Indonesia
3
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang,
South Sumatra, 30139, Indonesia
Submission date: 2026-01-25
Final revision date: 2026-03-18
Acceptance date: 2026-04-07
Online publication date: 2026-07-31
Corresponding author
Syurmi Astuti
Doctoral Program in Environmental Science, Graduate School of Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang, South Sumatra, 30139, Indonesia, Indonesia
Doctoral Program in Environmental Science, Graduate School of Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang, South Sumatra, 30139, Indonesia, Indonesia
Muhammad Irsan Saleh
Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang, South Sumatra, 30139, Indonesia
Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang, South Sumatra, 30139, Indonesia
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Contamination of drinking water by heavy metals poses a serious public health concern due to their
persistence, bioaccumulation, and potential toxic effects on human health. This study evaluated both
carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks associated with seven heavy metals (Hg, Cd, Ni, Fe, Cu,
Mn, and Pb) in drinking water sources surrounding the Batang Masumai River, Indonesia. A total of
30 water samples were collected from municipal water supplies (PDAM), refill drinking water depots
(AMIU), and groundwater wells, and analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS). Health
risk assessment was conducted based on the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
model, including Chronic Daily Intake (CDI), Hazard Quotient (HQ), Hazard Index (HI), and Total
Cancer Risk (CRtotal). The results showed that all PDAM samples had HI values below the acceptable
limit (HI<1), indicating negligible non-carcinogenic risk. However, HI values exceeding the acceptable
threshold were observed in one AMIU sample and one groundwater sample (HI = 1.4), suggesting
potential health concerns. In contrast, carcinogenic risk was found to be significantly higher across all
water sources, with 90% of PDAM samples and 100% of AMIU and groundwater samples exceeding the
acceptable limit (CRtotal>1×10⁻4). The highest carcinogenic risk was detected in groundwater, reaching
4.6×10-3, which is substantially above the recommended safety threshold. The findings reveal that while
non-carcinogenic risks are generally within acceptable limits, carcinogenic risks are widespread and
pose serious long-term health threats. This study highlights the urgent need for stricter water quality
control, continuous monitoring, and targeted mitigation strategies to reduce heavy metal exposure in the
study area.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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| eISSN: | 2083-5906 |
| ISSN: | 1230-1485 |
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