## 3 Results and Discussion
### Health Risk Assessment  
Humans who drink water containing high levels of NO3\({}^{-}\) for extended periods of time without taking any protective measures may be exposed to grave health risks. On the other hand, children and newborns are more vulnerable to NO3\({}^{-}\) poisoning by drinking water. Humans are more at risk from direct intake of NO3\({}^{-}\) through food or drinking water than from other exposure pathways. In the non-carcinogenic health risk assessment, the effect of oral intake is much exceeding that of dermal contact. The total hazard coefficient values varied from 0.65 to 22.72 for adult males, 0.77 to 26.85 for adult females, and 0.88 to 30.71 for children during the pre-irrigation period. Post-irrigation, total hazard coefficient values varied from 0.50 to 19.18 for adult males, 0.59 to 22.67 for adult females, and 0.68 to 25.93 for adult children (Table 2). The elevated health risks for both adults and children during the pre-irrigation era, compared to the post-irrigation period, suggest that irrigation water significantly contributes to groundwater recharge in the research area. The results of the HRA indicate that children in the study area are more exposed to non-carcinogenic health risks of nitrate than adult males and females. Moreover, adult males have greater susceptibility than adult females in polluted drinking environments. In short, the non-carcinogenic HHRA among various population groups is ranked as follows: children > adult males > adult females. The fact that children have a lower body weight than adults may be considered as a reason for the increased risk for this group. The health hazards related to NO3\({}^{-}\) exposure to groundwater, particularly for children, are a growing concern in public health research. Children are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of nitrate due to their physiological characteristics and developmental stages. Regional maps created with GIS software showed the spatial distributions of non-carcinogenic human health risks. The consequences of non-carcinogenic health risks are illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. The findings indicate that the total non-carcinogenic risks for both children and adults predominantly arise in the western region of the research area. The areas exhibiting the greatest hazards throughout both periods were located adjacent to the fertilizer manufacturing facility, signifying that the fertilizer manufacturing facility poses the most significant harm to human health in the study region. The north of the research region has a lower population and greater agricultural land, whereas the southern section has a higher population and increased population density. The elevated risk in the south is also associated with human activity. Residents utilizing water at these locations must seek an alternative water source to meet their domestic requirements and mitigate health hazards associated with NO3\({}^{-}\) contamination. This study attributes NO3\({}^{-}\) pollution to agricultural activity. In the future, specific interventions for the human health concerns associated with NO3\({}^{-}\) will concentrate on enhancing agricultural practices, such as minimizing nitrogenous fertilizer usage and altering irrigation methods. Numerous studies have demonstrated the health hazards associated with NO3- exposure in drinking water are significantly higher for children compared to adults. For instance, one study indicated that the health risks for children through drinking water intake are approximately 1.54 times greater than those for adults, primarily due to their smaller body size and higher water consumption relative to their weight [46]. This heightened sensitivity is attributed to their developing gastrointestinal systems, which may absorb pollutants more readily [50]. Moreover, health risk assessments have demonstrated that children are at a higher risk of non-carcinogenic health hazards related to NO3- contamination.