Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40731043›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Spatial assessment of heavy metal contamination in groundwater in the Kadaladi region, Tamil Nadu, India.

M Seeththa Sankar Narayanan, V Stephen Pitchaimani, M Sivakumar, T Dinesh Kumar, S Richard Abishek, Shankar Karuppannan

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Impact Assessment and Sustainable Remediation of Heavy Metal and Radioactive Contamination in Aquatic Systems: A Review.Water environment research : a research publication of the Water Environment Federation · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

M Seeththa Sankar NarayananManonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, 627012, India.
V Stephen PitchaimaniPG and Research Department of Geology, V. O. Chidambaram College, Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, 628008, India. stephen.geo@voccollege.ac.in.
M SivakumarCentral Ground Water Board (CGWB), Rajaji Bhavan Complex, Besant Nagar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600090, India.
T Dinesh KumarCentral Ground Water Board (CGWB), Rajaji Bhavan Complex, Besant Nagar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600090, India.
S Richard AbishekPG and Research Department of Geology, V. O. Chidambaram College, Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, 628008, India.
Shankar KaruppannanDepartment of Applied Geology, College of Applied Natural Science, Adama Science and Technology University, P.O. Box 1888, Adama, Ethiopia. geoshankar1984@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5014-7885

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Groundwater quality in Kadaladi is a critical concern due to contamination from natural and human activities. This study assesses heavy metal concentrations across pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons at 44 sampling sites, using the Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI), Metal Index (MI), and non-carcinogenic risk (HQ) assessments. Key heavy metals analysed include Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cd, Mn, and Fe, in Pre-monsoon and Post-monsoon with comparisons to WHO (2017) standards using atomic absorption spectrometry. The Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI) and Metal Index (MI) were computed to assess contamination levels, and health risks were evaluated through non-carcinogenic hazard quotient (HQ) models for adults and children. Results revealed that Mn and Fe concentrations exceeded WHO permissible limits in 20% of the samples, with Site 33 showing the highest pollution in HPI (99.1) and MI (17.89). Post-monsoon samples showed notably higher contamination, attributed to monsoonal leaching and runoff from agricultural and saltpan activities. GIS-based spatial analysis identified persistent hotspots at Sites 6, 24, and 33. Children were particularly vulnerable, with HQ values exceeding 2.0 in affected zones, especially due to Mn exposure. HQ values indicated that children face higher health risks, particularly from Mn, exceeding permissible limits in 4.55% of samples. Pearson correlation revealed strong Mn-Fe geogenic associations, while Cd-Mn correlations post-monsoon pointed to anthropogenic sources. The integration of spatial mapping using GIS and statistical methods provides insight into contamination hotspots, emphasizing the critical role of monsoonal hydrology in mobilizing pollutants. These findings underscore the need for region-specific mitigation strategies and regular water quality monitoring. The study fills a regional knowledge gap and contributes globally relevant insights on managing groundwater quality in vulnerable coastal systems.

Indexed as

Environmental MonitoringGroundwaterMetals, HeavyWater Pollutants, ChemicalChildHumansIndiaRisk AssessmentSeasonsSpatial AnalysisMetals, HeavyWater Pollutants, ChemicalHealth riskHeavy metalHPIKadaladiMetal Index

Identifiers

PMID40731043
PMCPMC12307754

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.