ABSTRACT
The primary aim of the current study was to determine the arsenic (As) concentration across an approximate streath of 61 km of River Gomti at Lucknow district. We also attempted to evaluate assess the impact of lockdown on the As concentration as compared the pre-COVID-19 lockdown. The results suggested ~28.5% reduction in As concentration after the lockdown, with only two downstream sites having As >10 µg/L. The human health risks associated with consumption of As contaminated drinking water in children and adults were also evaluated. It was found that ~40% sites for children were safe for drinking purpose for childrenduring both the sampling periods. Whereas, in case of adults, 40% sites in 2019, and 50% sites in 2020 were found to be safe. Children were more affected by the presence of As in drinking water due to their lower body weight and developing immunity.
