Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID AL_2024_Loop

Rates of Private Well Use and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in Alabama

Institute: Alabama
Year Established: 2024 Start Date: 2024-09-01 End Date: 2025-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $34,765 Total Non-Federal Funds: $34,765

Principal Investigators: Matthew Loop

Project Summary: Alabama has one of the highest rates of death from cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This study will determine if water hardness, influenced by minerals in groundwater, affects CVD rates. Hard water, rich in magnesium, might protect against CVD, while soft water could harm due to pipe corrosion. Most studies focus on treated municipal water, but private well water, which is often untreated, provides a better context for understanding this link. The project aims to overcome data gaps about private well users, water quality, and local CVD mortality. By using detailed mortality data and estimates of private well use, the study will examine the relationship between well water use and CVD rates at a more localized level. It will also assess how groundwater composition and agricultural land use, associated with nitrate contamination, impact these relationships. Findings could inform targeted interventions to reduce CVD mortality in Alabama, especially benefiting rural areas reliant on well water.