AccScience Publishing / AJWEP / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/AJWEP026340242
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Water governance and population health: Evaluating the efficacy of drinking water standards in Angren, Uzbekistan

Komilakhon Khusanova1* ,  Azizkhuja Oripov2 ,  Saydobid Khusanov3 ,  Mirkamol Mirkamilov3 ,  Nilufar Komilova4
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1 Department of Economic and Social Geography, Faculty of Geography and Geoinformation Systems, National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek, Tashkent , Uzbekistan
2 Oil and Gas Geophysics Laboratory, Institute of Geology and Exploration of Oil and Gas Fields, Tashkent , Uzbekistan
3 School of Artificial Intelligence, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu , China
4 Department of Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Ecology, National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek, Tashkent , Uzbekistan
AJWEP, 026340242 https://doi.org/10.36922/AJWEP026340242
Received: 22 August 2026 | Revised: 26 September 2026 | Accepted: 19 October 2026 | Published online: 29 October 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

Ensuring safe drinking water that meets both hydrochemical and physiological standards remains a key environmental challenge. In industrial regions, evaluating local water sources against international criteria is essential to identifying hidden risks to public health. This study investigates the hydrochemical characteristics of surface and groundwater in Angren, Uzbekistan, and evaluates their specific impact on public health within the framework of national and international safety standards. The salt composition formulas of the water samples were determined, and corresponding Piper diagrams were generated. It was also found that the fluorine content in samples taken from Angren water is much lower than the norm, which may cause several issues for public health. A statistical hypothesis test was conducted to scientifically substantiate the correctness of this idea. The low fluorine content was analyzed in relation to World Health Organization data. Suggestions and recommendations were made to eliminate problems related to the impact of the fluorine element in water below the norm on public health. Although the surface and groundwater in Angren were considered suitable for consumption, some physiological deficiency in essential ions was discovered. The study recommends the adoption of Community Water Fluoridation and systemic mineralization strategies aligned with the “Uzbekistan-2030” strategy to mitigate these long-term public health risks.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Health geography
Nosogeography
Public health
Water quality
Spatiotemporal analysis
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution, Electronic ISSN: 1875-8568 Print ISSN: 0972-9860, Published by AccScience Publishing
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