Assessing quality of drinking water in the Southern coastal area of Cambodia

Abstract

In order to investigate drinking water sources of inhabitants residing in the South coastal area of Cambodia, fifty-nine and twenty-three water samples were collected from Kampot and Kep provinces, respectively. On-site and chemical measurements were performed following USEPA methods. Analytical results revealed that 28.6% of tube well, 28.6% of dug well and 40% of pond were saline. Approximately, 2.6% of tube well and 17.9% of dug well had As > 10 ppb. Likewise, 29.3% of tube well, 28.6% and 60% of pond had Fe > 0.3 mg L-1 whereas 47.5% of tube well, 45.7% of dug well and 20% of pond had Mn > 0.1 mg L-1. Moreover, 2.5% tube well had F- > 1.5 mg L-1; 5.7% of tube well and 14.3% of dug well had NO3- > 50 mg L-1. This study suggests that some inhabitants residing in the Southern coastal area of Cambodia are exposed to contaminants of health concern (As, F-, NO3-) and experienced water salinization and esthetic properties through their water consumption. As such, water treatment technologies for removing As, F- and NO3- are necessary for coastal inhabitants to minimize their potential health risks.