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Groundwater, the vital natural resource is used throughout the world for irrigation and drinking purposes due to its easy availability, dependability and cost effectiveness. Abstraction of this resource in the Bengal Delta Plain resulted in high arsenic groundwater contamination exhibiting severe health hazards among the affected population. Several remedial options though adopted for alternative supply, remained unsuccessful on long term basis. In sedimentary system arsenic remain adsorbed on Fe / Al oxides / hydroxides; therefore application of natural geo-chemical material with Fe / Al hydroxides in different ratios phases ‘Laterite’ is a suitable low cost fixed bed arsenic adsorber. The material is developed, tested and effectively used as filter media in field trial to gauge the techno-commercial viability.

The last glacial period can be identified in groundwater globally in hydrochemistry and groundwater turnover. To illustrate this, three examples representing very different conditions are presented ...

Elevated Arsenic (As) and Fluoride (F) concentrations in groundwater have been studied in the shallow aquifers of northeastern of La Pampa province, in the Chaco-Pampean plain, Argentina. The source of As and co-contaminants is mainly geogenic, from the weathering of volcanic ash and loess (rhyolitic glass) that erupted from the Andean volcanic range. In this study we have assessed the groundwater quality in two semi-arid areas of La Pampa. We have also identified the spatial distribution of As and co-contaminants in groundwater and determined the major factors controlling the mobilization of As in the shallow aquifers. The groundwater samples were circum-neutral to alkaline (7.4 to 9.2), oxidizing (Eh ~0.24 V) and characterized by high salinity (EC = 456–11,400 μS/cm) and Na+–HCO3– water types in recharge areas. Carbonate concretions (“tosca”) were abundant in the upper layers of the shallow aquifer. The concentration of total As (5.6 to 535 μg/L) and F (0.5 to 14.2 mg/L) were heterogeneous and exceeded the recommended WHO Guidelines and the Argentine Standards for drinking water. The predominant As species were arsenate As(V) oxyanions, determined by thermodynamic calculations. Arsenic was positively correlated with bicarbonate (HCO3−), fluoride (F), boron (B) and vanadium (V), but negatively correlated with iron (Fe), aluminium (Al), and manganese (Mn), which were present in low concentrations. The highest amount of As in sediments was from the surface of the dry lake. The mechanisms for As mobilization are associated with multiple factors: geochemical reactions, hydrogeological characteristics of the local aquifer and climatic factors. Desorption of As(V) at high pH, and ion competition for adsorption sites are considered the principal mechanisms for As mobilization in the shallow aquifers. In addition, the long-term consumption of the groundwater could pose a threat for the health of the local community and low cost remediation techniques are required to improve the drinking water quality.

In order to understand the interaction between groundwater, surface water and sediments, there is a need for speciation analysis of trace elements in the mentioned matrices. This could be done experimentally or by calculation with e.g. thermodynamic codes. This article will give a short overview of methods with some examples and results. Speciation in water could be determined by thermodynamic calculations with e.g. PHREEQC or Visual MINTEQ. Experimental speciation in water could be done by ultrafiltration or dialysis in situ. If applicable, in situ dialysis in the field is simple with little need of equipment. Speciation of trace elements in drinking water is of special interest to assess possible health effects. Speciation of trace elements in sediments and soils can be done by any one of the numerous selective extractions. Which speciation approach depends on which trace elements are of interest. A common need is to get information about plant uptake of specific elements.

In the Southern part of Hanoi, high ammonium (NH4 + ) concentrations in reducing groundwater have been an issue over the last 25 years. Elevated NH4 + concentrations in groundwater, in general, are an indicator of influences from anthropogenic sources, but the buried peat layers in the Red River delta formation are also hypothesized to contribute to the high NH4 + levels (up to 100 mg/l). We traced the sources of NH4 + at the Nam Du well field of the Hanoi water works by means of isotope ratios (15N/14N). The d15N values were determined for total sedimentary N and exchangeable NH4 + of the peat material, and for NH4 + dissolved in deep and shallow groundwater, sewage, and surface water. Groundwater NH4 + of the upper (Holocene) and the lower (Pleistocene) aquifers had higher d15N values than did total N and NH4 + of the sediments, and were somewhat higher than the d15N values of NH4 + in sewage and surface water. We conclude that the present conditions of temperature and pH tend to promote deprotonation of NH4 + to ammonia (NH3), which eventually degasses from the groundwater table to the unsaturated pore space. This can cause an enrichment of 15N in the remaining NH4 + , as the lighter 14N inNH3 is volatilized at a slightly faster rate. The intermediate d15N values within the Pleistocene aquifer can be explained by the recharge thereto, which is a mixture of the high d15N values of the Holocene aquifer and the low d15N values of water infiltrating from the Red River into the Pleistocene aquifer. Some part of the increased groundwater NH4 + is likely to arise from anthropogenic activities, as supported by several indications: a large drawdown in the Pleistocene aquifer caused by Hanoi’s extensive water abstraction and subsequent downward gradient from the upper Holocene aquifer; the presence of coliforms in groundwater; and a positive correlation between ammonium and DOC, Cl, Br and Ni, but a lack of correlation with As. However, the much higher concentrations of NH4 + in the groundwater compared to the potential Surface sources, the positive correlation between NH4 + and DOC, the abundance of natural organic matter (OM), the amount of exchangeable NH4 + in the sediments, and the highly reducing conditions in the aquifers indicate that N-mineralization of organic N from the peat contribute substantially to the high NH4 + levels in groundwater of the Nam Du well field. (Less)

Study region Arsenic enriched groundwater regime within low-industrialized Brahmaputra floodplains in Assam, NE India. Study focus We examined the origin, distribution and processes of As release by investigating the salient groundwater chemistry and subsurface sedimentological characteristics. Besides collection of groundwater samples from domestic and public water supply wells, sediment samples from boreholes were investigated for textural and colour linkages. New hydrological insights for the region Arsenic concentrations above the WHO guideline value of 10 μg/L were present in 33 wells and above the previous Indian national drinking standard of 50 μg/L were present in 15 wells. The green-olive colour sediments were more likely to yield As-enriched groundwater. The supersaturation of groundwater with respect to Fe(II) minerals, such as siderite and vivianite, explained the poor correlation between dissolved As and Fe. The result reinforced the phenomenon of reductive dissolution of Fe(III) oxyhydroxides releasing As to groundwater. This study throws light on the processes and mechanisms involved with As release in groundwater. The homogenous floodplain terrain makes the hydrological As imprint unambiguous and the hydrogeological signatures untarnished. Considering the absence of anthropogenic sources in the study area, the conclusions on the nature and causes for As release to groundwater looked dependable although the final contamination at specific subsurface sites would be influenced by advection–dispersion of groundwater flow accompanied by retardation, ion exchange, surface complexation and possible biodegradation.

The transport of metals was investigated at 15 sites in the River Fani and the River Mati in N. Albania. There are numerous abandoned copper mine sites and one active mine upstream in the River Fani catchment. Upstream in the Mati catchment, there is a large chromium smelter and several chromium mines. Water samples and sediment samples were collected at all the sites. Moreover, the water samples at a number of the sites were fractionated by filtering and by dialysis to assess in which form the metals were transported. There was a relatively larger abundance of metals in the suspended (unfiltered water) and colloidal phases (filtered by 0.2-μm filters). Metal concentrations in water and in sediments decreased rapidly downstream away from point sources, approaching background levels within 10 km, indicating that the larger fractions could settle in the sediments. The River Mati recharges a large coastal aquifer via an alluvial fan at the entrance into the coastal plain. There does not seem to be any risk of metals appearing in the groundwater, as the transport mode is that of largely suspended and colloidal matter. The offshore metals in the Adriatic Sea are likely to be flushed out during rainy seasons with high discharge. The bioavailability of the metals is likely to be low except for just downstream of point sources. In view of the relatively large fractions of metals found in the suspended and colloidal phases, the establishment of sedimentation basins downstream point sources would decrease the export to the rivers.

A detailed understanding of the geochemical processes that regulate the spatial, temporal and vertical variation of dissolved arsenic (As) in shallow aquifers (

The River Mati in Albania has formed a coastal plain with Holocene and Pleistocene sediments. The outer portion of the plain is clay, with three underlying aquifers that are connected to an alluvial fan at the entry of the river into the plain. The aquifers supply water for 240,000 people. Close to the sea the aquifers are brackish. The brackish water is often artesian and found to be thousands of years old. Furthermore, the salinity, supported by δ18O results, does not seem to be due to mixing with old seawater but due to diffusion from intercalated clay layers. Heavy metals from mines in the upstream section of River Mati are not an immediate threat, as the pH buffering of the river water is good. Moreover, the heavy metals are predominantly found in suspended and colloidal phases. Two sulphur isotope signatures, one mirroring seawater sulphate in the brackish groundwater (δ34S >21 ‰) and one showing the influence of sulphide in the river and the fresh groundwater (δ34S

The mechanisms and the rate of groundwater recharge were assessed for the uppermost aquifer used for water supply by local settlements in the area surrounding Timbuktu, Republic of Mali, using chloride budgets. The area receives a mean rainfall of 225 mm annually. Three clusters of wells and three soil water profiles were sampled for the study. The well cluster in the vicinity of the River Niger showed effects of induced infiltration via an active wetland fed by the old canal, which once connected Timbuktu with the River Niger. For the well clusters further away from the river, an annual mean recharge of 4 mm was found. A similar recharge, 1–2% of the precipitation, was found by assessing the recharge from the soil water chloride in three pits dug to 2.2-m depth. The recharge occurs preferably in depressions between dunes and due to channeling by soil crusts on the slopes of the dunes. This runoff-runon regime is probably the mechanism that allows any recharge to occur at all. The depressions, cal...

Arsenic has emerged as a problem element in groundwater. The most common mechanism of mobilising As from the solid phase into water is through the reductive dissolution of ferric oxyhydroxides. Thi ...

The presence of high levels of arsenic (As) in rice fields has negative effects on the health of those consuming rice as their subsistence food. This study determined the variation in total As concentration in local aromatic rice (LAR) (kalijira) and two high-yielding varieties (HYVs) (BRRI dhan 32 and BRRI dhan 28) grown in paddy fields in Matlab, Bangladesh, an As hotspot with elevated As levels in groundwater. Mature rice grain samples and soil samples were collected from different paddy fields, and the As concentrations in both the de-husked grains and the husks of the three rice cultivars were analysed to identify the safest of the three cultivars for human consumption. The results showed that the total As concentration was higher (0.09–0.21 mg As kg−1) in the de-husked grains of LAR than in the husks, while the opposite was found for the HYV rice. Moreover, the As concentration in soil samples was 2 to 5-fold higher for the LAR than for the HYVs, but the As accumulation factor (AF) was lower in the LAR (0.2–0.4%) than in the HYVs (0.9–1%). Thus, LAR can be considered the safest of the three cultivars for human consumption owing to its low AF value. Furthermore, due to the low AF, growing LAR instead of HYVs in soils with slightly elevated As levels could help improve the food safety level in the food chain.

This study investigates the risk of arsenic (As) exposure to the communities in rural Bengal, even when they have been supplied with As safe drinking water. The estimates of exposure via dietary and drinking water routes show that, when people are consuming water with an As concentration of less than 10 μg L(-1), the total daily intake of inorganic As (TDI-iAs) exceeds the previous provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI) value of 2.1 μg day(-1) kg(-1) BW, recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 35% of the cases due to consumption of rice. When the level of As concentration in drinking water is above 10 μg L(-1), the TDI-iAs exceeds the previous PTDI for all the participants. These results imply that, when rice consumption is a significant contributor to the TDI-iAs, supplying water with an As concentration at the current national drinking water standard for India and Bangladesh would place many people above the safety threshold of PTDI. We also found that the consumption of vegetables in rural Bengal does not pose a significant health threat to the population independently. This study suggests that any effort to mitigate the As exposure of the villagers in Bengal must consider the risk of As exposure from rice consumption together with drinking water.

Delineation of safe aquifer(s) that can be targeted by cheap drilling technology for tubewell (TW) installation becomes highly imperative to ensure access to safe and sustainable drinking water sources for the arsenic (As) affected population in Bengal Basin. This study investigates the potentiality of brown sand aquifers (BSA) as a safe drinking water source by characterizing its hydrogeochemical contrast to grey sand aquifers (GSA) within shallow depth (70 m) over an area of 100 km(2) in Chakdaha Block of Nadia district, West Bengal, India. The results indicate that despite close similarity in major ion composition, the redox condition is markedly different in groundwater of the two studied aquifers. The redox condition in the BSA is delineated to be Mn oxy-hydroxide reducing, not sufficiently lowered for As mobilization into groundwater. In contrast, the enrichments of NH(4)(+), PO(4)(3-), Fe and As along with lower Eh in groundwater of GSA reflect reductive dissolution of Fe oxy-hydroxide coupled to microbially mediated oxidation of organic matter as the prevailing redox process causing As mobilization into groundwater of this aquifer type. In some portions of GSA the redox status even has reached to the stage of SO(4)(2-) reduction, which to some extent might sequester dissolved As from groundwater by co-precipitation with authigenic pyrite. Despite having low concentration of As in groundwater of the BSA the concentration of Mn often exceeds the drinking water guidelines, which warrants rigorous assessment of attendant health risk for Mn prior to considering mass scale exploitation of the BSA for possible sustainable drinking water supply.

The aim of this study was to investigate the groundwater chemistry with special concern to metal pollution in selected communities in the Wassa West district, Ghana. In this mining area, 40 ground water samples, mainly from drilled wells, were collected. The groundwaters have generally from neutral to acidic pH values and their Eh values indicate oxidising conditions. The dominating ions are calcium, sodium, and bicarbonate. The metal concentrations in the study area are generally lower than those typically found in mining regions. Only 17 wells show metal concentrations exceeding WHO guidelines for at least one metal. The main contaminants are manganese and iron, but arsenic and aluminium also exceed the guidelines in some wells probably affected by acid mine drainage (AMD). Metal concentrations in the groundwater seem to be controlled by the adsorption processes. Hydrogeochemical modelling indicates supersaturation of groundwater with respect to several mineral phases including iron-hydroxides/oxides, suggesting that adsorption on these minerals may control heavy metal and arsenic concentrations in groundwater. The area is hilly, with many groundwater flow divides that result in several local flow systems. The aquifers therefore are not strongly affected by weathering of minerals due to short groundwater residence times and intense flushing. The local character of groundwater flow systems also prevents a strong impact of acid mine drainage on groundwater systems in a regional scale.

Dynamics of arsenic adsorption in the targeted arsenic-safe aquifers in Mat lab, south-eastern Bangladesh : Insight from experimental studies

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of soil geochemistry on the concentrations of Ca, K, Mg, P, Co, Ni, Zn, Mn, Cu, and Fe in cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) grown on acid sulfate (AS) soils in Western Finland. A total of 11 topsoil (0–20 cm) and corresponding cabbage samples and three whole-soil profiles (≈ 0–260 cm) were collected on three agricultural fields. The concentrations of Co and Zn in cabbage were correlated with the NH4Ac-extractable (easily available) concentrations in the topsoil, indicating that the uptake of these elements in cabbage is largely governed by soil geochemistry. Yet, the concentrations of Co and Zn in cabbage were not in general elevated relative to that of Finnish average values, although some AS soils showed enriched concentrations of these metals in the soil and cabbage. Significant geochemical differences (e.g., oxidation depth, organic-matter and S content, pH) were observed among the studied AS soils, while, on the other hand, the concentrations of Ca, K, Mg, P, Ni, Mn, Cu, and Fe in cabbage were relatively similar. The hydroxylamine-extractable concentrations of these elements in the topsoil were not correlated to those in cabbage, suggesting that uptake is not governed by the oxide-bound fraction of these elements in the soil. Similarly, the easily available concentrations of Ca, P, Ni, Mn, Cu, and Fe in the topsoil were not correlated to those in cabbage, indicating that uptake is independent of the easily available concentrations in the soil. Hence, it is suggested that cabbage can regulate and thus optimize its concentrations of Ca, P, Ni, Mn, Cu, and Fe. Oxidation depth affected neither the easily available concentrations of Co, Ni, Zn, and Mn in the topsoil nor the concentrations in cabbage. However, the subsoil with a lower oxidation depth, which is to a smaller extent affected by leaching, may partly be enriched in these metals. Nevertheless, these showed no increased concentrations in cabbage. Based on these findings, it is suggested that the large amounts of metals mobilized in AS soils are easily lost to drains, subsequently contaminating nearby waterways and estuaries whereas they are only partly enriched in cabbage and other previously studied crops (oat).

Clinoptilolite is a natural zeolite with exceptional adsorption capacity. Integrated into an appropriate technical set-up it has been tested with raw-water mimicking the situation in emergencies where the requirement of safe drinking water has been critical for the public health. These results have been verified in practice in Chechenya and in Belgrade during the Balkan conflict. More recently the units have been used in Thailand in the aftermath of the tsunami and in Sudan. Future developments in treating water affected by radioactive fallout and arsenic are promising.