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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Hydrochemical characteristics and health risk assessment of groundwater in Wudalianchi County

Youtao Xin1,2 ,  Jiajia Xu3* ,  Zhongkai Liang1,2* ,  Haonan Song1,2
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1 Environmental Geological Survey Office, Harbin Natural Resources Comprehensive Survey Center, China Geological Survey, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
2 Observation and Research Station of Earth Critical Zone in Black Soil, Ministry of Natural Resources, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
3 Analytical Laboratory, Heilongjiang Institute of Ecological Geological Survey, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
AJWEP, 026190133 https://doi.org/10.36922/AJWEP026190133
Received: 6 May 2026 | Revised: 9 June 2026 | Accepted: 9 June 2026 | Published online: 3 July 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Groundwater quality in volcanic regions is critical for public health and ecological stability, yet systematic assessments integrating hydrochemical evolution and health risks remain limited. A comprehensive investigation was conducted to elucidate the hydrochemical signatures, governing mechanisms and potability of groundwater in Wudalianchi County. In July 2023, 34 monitoring wells were sampled, and physicochemical parameters—including pH, total dissolved solids, and major cations and anions—were quantified. Multivariate statistics, correlation matrices, and geochemical diagrams were integrated to explore hydrochemical evolution, while the Entropy-weighted Water Quality Index and the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s non-carcinogenic risk models were adopted to evaluate water quality and health risks. The groundwater had a pH of 5.87–8.10 (mean = 7.07) and total dissolved solids of 27.75–515.40 mg/L, with dominant hydrochemical facies of HCO3–Ca and HCO3–Ca·Na. The average Entropy-weighted Water Quality Index was 44.01 (range = 5.87–197.37), and 35.29% of samples exceeded the nitrate limit. Hazard quotient values for children ranged from 0.03 to 4.36 (mean 0.90), with 29.41% exceeding the threshold; adult hazard quotient values ranged from 0.02 to 3.48 (mean = 0.72), and 23.53% failed to meet the safety standard. Hydrochemical compositions were mainly controlled by lithogenic weathering. Nitrate was the primary pollutant. While most samples were suitable for drinking, groundwater in western urban and industrial areas posed obvious non-carcinogenic risks, especially to children, due to agricultural runoff and domestic sewage discharge. Targeted protection measures are urgently required for these human-disturbed regions.

Keywords
Groundwater
Hydrochemistry
Entropy-weighted Water Quality Index
Health Risk Assessment
Wudalianchi County
Funding
This study was financially supported by the Northeast Permafrost Region 1:250,000 Surface Material Survey Project (Grantnos. DD20240100902).
Conflict of interest
The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.
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