Abstract

The assessment of drinking water quality is an essential task that should be conducted regularly to promptly detect and warn against potential pollution risks, thereby ensuring public safety. In addition to evaluating parameters such as biological oxygen demand (BOD) and the concentration of organic compounds, the presence of inorganic substances in water is also an important indicator of water quality. Urbanization, industrial development, and the use of fertilizers and pesticides in agricultural production have significantly affected water sources. This study focuses on investigating and evaluating the concentrations of toxic trace elements, including nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb), in water samples collected from the Đankia–Suoi Vang Lake, which serves as the main drinking water supply for Da Lat City and Lac Duong Town, Lam Dong Province. The analysis of heavy metal elements and their concentrations using Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence (TXRF) revealed that the treated water samples contained these elements at concentrations below the permissible limits established by the Vietnamese Technical Regulations (QCVN 01-1:2018/BYT and QCVN 08:2023/BTNMT) for drinking water quality. However, some sampling sites located near agricultural areas around the Đankia–Suoi Vang Lake showed concentrations of Ni, Cu, Cd, and As exceeding the allowable limits for drinking water.