过去 10 年，拉达克地区癌症相关死亡率显着上升。最常见的病例类型是胃肠道癌症，医学研究理论上将其与生活方式因素、高海拔条件以及卫生条件差导致的幽门螺杆菌流行联系起来。然而，癌症病例增加的确切原因仍不清楚。与此同时，由于发展、基础设施的改善和相关职业的转变，拉达克的用水实践发生了重大变化。当地居民越来越依赖地下水，因为地下水为家庭和农业用途提供全年持续的供水。在这项研究中，我们评估了地下水中的重金属污染和相关的人类健康风险。结果表明，46-96%的地下水样本存在重金属污染，健康危害指数 > 1，这意味着使用这些地下水进行饮用、食品加工和农业可能会导致致癌和非致癌的健康危害。列城地区地下水中发现的主要重金属污染物包括铬、砷、汞和铀。根据健康风险评估，46-76%的地下水样品中铬和砷含量超标。长期接触这些水平可能会导致当地人群患胃肠道癌症。急性或长期暴露于某些地下水样本中的铀和汞浓度可能会导致各种非致癌健康风险。© 2024。作者获得 Springer Nature B.V. 的独家许可。

There has been a significant rise in cancer-related mortality in the Ladakh region during the past 10 years. The most common type of case is gastrointestinal cancer, which has been linked in theory by medical research to lifestyle factors, high altitude conditions, and the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori bacteria brought on by poor hygiene. Nevertheless, the precise cause of the rise in cancer cases is still unknown. Concurrently, there has been a significant change in Ladakh's water use practices due to development, improved basic utilities, and related vocational shifts. The local population has become increasingly reliant on groundwater since it provides a year-round, continuous water supply for home and agricultural uses. In this study, we assessed heavy metal contamination in groundwaters and associated human health risks. The results indicate that 46-96% of the groundwater samples have heavy metal pollution with a health hazard index > 1, which means using these groundwaters for drinking, food preparation, and agriculture is likely to result in carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health hazards. The main heavy metal contaminants found in the groundwater of the Leh district include Cr, As, Hg, and U. According to the health risk assessment, 46-76% of the groundwater samples contain unsafe levels of Cr and As. Prolonged exposure to these levels is likely to cause gastrointestinal cancer in the local population. Acute to chronic exposure to U and Hg concentrations present in some groundwater samples is likely to result in various non-carcinogenic health risks.© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.