Abstract—This study aims to assess the potential health risks
associated with heavy metals in water supply and its relationship
with wastewater treatment in Jakarta's industrial area. Forty
samples were collected from 20 different points, including
groundwater, surface water, and wastewater effluent, during
the dry and wet seasons of 2024. The concentration of five heavy
metals—lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg),
and chromium (Cr)—was determined using an Inductively
Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) instrument.
Health risk assessment was conducted following the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) protocol. While the
overall mean concentration of all metals was within the World
Health Organization (WHO) permissible limit, lead exceeded
the tolerable limit in 25% of the samples. Seasonal variation was
statistically significant (p < 0.05), with metal concentrations
during the dry season being, on average, 35% higher than in the
wet season. The highest metal concentration was found in
wastewater effluent, which was 2.8 times higher than in
groundwater. The carcinogenic risk assessment identified
arsenic as a high-risk contaminant, with a mean risk of 2.3 × 10⁻⁴
for adults. The non-carcinogenic risk was significantly higher
for children (Hazard Index, HI = 6.1) compared to adults
(HI = 2.9). A strong correlation between lead and cadmium
(r = 0.85) suggested a common emission source. This study
underscores the urgent need to upgrade wastewater
management systems and implement protective measures for
vulnerable populations, particularly children.
Keywords—heavy metals, drinking water, health risk, wastewater, water pollution, Jakarta
Cite: Peni Pujiastuti, Iskahar Iskahar, Syarwani Canon, Sajidah Putri, Wisber Wiryanto, and Kassem Jumma, "Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Drinking Water Sources: Waste Water Management," International Journal of Environmental Science and Development vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 146-153, 2026.
Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).