Assessment of groundwater quality of CKDu affected Uddanam region in Srikakulam district and across Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract Uddanam region in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, India, is a CKD hotspot with high prevalence of CKD of unknown etiology (CKDu). A number of investigators have suggested that groundwater contamination could be one of the factors contributing to the high prevalence of CKDu in this region. This study was focused on the monitoring and assessment of groundwater quality of Uddanam region and also in identifying potential etiological factors of CKDu from drinking water. Composite groundwater sampling was carried out in 40 selected villages in Uddanam region and 100 villages of other nine districts in Andhra Pradesh including Chimakurthy mandal (another CKD hotspot in this state) of Prakasam district during August 2018–May 2019. About 35% of villages in the study area had acidic groundwater (pH