Evaluation of the sustainability of deep groundwater as an arsenic-safe resource in the Bengal Basin

Michael, Holly A.; Voss, Clifford I.

doi:10.1073/pnas.0710477105

Cited by 149 publications

(150 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Such wells outside villages would be inconvenient, and any program to install these would require further testing and long-term monitoring. Finally, our results support moving drinking-water wells into deeper Pleistocene aquifers where arsenic concentrations are low, while leaving irrigation wells in the shallow aquifer 43 . The hydraulic barrier imposed by shallow irrigation pumping 43 could prevent local recharge from reaching the deep aquifer.…”

Section: Broader Impactssupporting

confidence: 69%

Anthropogenic influences on groundwater arsenic concentrations in Bangladesh

et al. 2009

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The origin of dissolved arsenic in the Ganges Delta has puzzled researchers ever since the report of widespread arsenic poisoning two decades ago. Today, microbially mediated oxidation of organic carbon is thought to drive the geochemical transformations that release arsenic from sediments, but the source of the organic carbon that fuels these processes remains controversial. At a typical site in Bangladesh, where groundwater-irrigated rice fields and constructed ponds are the main sources of groundwater recharge, we combine hydrologic and biogeochemical analyses to trace the origin of contaminated groundwater. Incubation experiments indicate that recharge from ponds contains biologically degradable organic carbon, whereas recharge from rice fields contains mainly recalcitrant organic carbon. Chemical and isotopic indicators as well as groundwater simulations suggest that recharge from ponds carries this degradable organic carbon into the shallow aquifer, and that groundwater flow, drawn by irrigation pumping, transports pond water to the depth where dissolved arsenic concentrations are greatest. Results also indicate that arsenic concentrations are low in groundwater originating from rice fields. Furthermore, solute composition in arsenic-contaminated water is consistent with that predicted using geochemical models of pond-water-aquifer-sediment interactions. We therefore suggest that the construction of ponds has influenced aquifer biogeochemistry, and that patterns of arsenic contamination in the shallow aquifer result from variations in the source of water, and the complex three-dimensional patterns of groundwater flow.

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Section: Broader Impactssupporting

confidence: 69%

Anthropogenic influences on groundwater arsenic concentrations in Bangladesh

et al. 2009

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“…It has been discussed in literature that excessive groundwater withdrawal could induce downward migration of As-enriched groundwater or organic matter and eventually lead to the contamination of currently As-free Pleistocene aquifers, for example in the most severely As-affected Bengal Basin, and elsewhere (21,33,(35)(36)(37)(38). Both Vietnam and Bangladesh exploit deep aquifers for urban water supply.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arsenic pollution of groundwater in Vietnam exacerbated by deep aquifer exploitation for more than a century

Winkel

Trang

Lan

et al. 2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

266

173

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Arsenic contamination of shallow groundwater is among the biggest health threats in the developing world. Targeting uncontaminated deep aquifers is a popular mitigation option although its long-term impact remains unknown. Here we present the alarming results of a large-scale groundwater survey covering the entire Red River Delta and a unique probability model based on three-dimensional Quaternary geology. Our unprecedented dataset reveals that ∼7 million delta inhabitants use groundwater contaminated with toxic elements, including manganese, selenium, and barium. Depth-resolved probabilities and arsenic concentrations indicate drawdown of arsenic-enriched waters from Holocene aquifers to naturally uncontaminated Pleistocene aquifers as a result of >100 years of groundwater abstraction. Vertical arsenic migration induced by large-scale pumping from deep aquifers has been discussed to occur elsewhere, but has never been shown to occur at the scale seen here. The present situation in the Red River Delta is a warning for other As-affected regions where groundwater is extensively pumped from uncontaminated aquifers underlying high arsenic aquifers or zones.three-dimensional risk modeling | anthropogenic influence | drinking water resources | geogenic contamination | health threat

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“…To provide As-safe drinking water, the groundwater in deep aquifers (>150 m) is suggested as an alternative source (Michael and Voss 2008). However, such large-scale exploitation could facilitate the downward migration of As-enriched shallow groundwater and ultimately contaminate the deep aquifers (Erban et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Groundwater arsenic removal using granular TiO2: integrated laboratory and field study

Cui

et al. 2014

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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High concentrations of arsenic (As) in groundwater pose a great threat to human health. The motivation of this study was to provide a practical solution for As-safe water in As geogenic areas using granular TiO 2 (GTiO 2 ). The kinetics results indicated that the As (III/V) adsorption on GTiO 2 conformed to the Weber-Morris (WM) intraparticle diffusion model. The Langmuir isotherm results suggested that the adsorption capacities for As (III) and As (V) were 106.4 and 38.3 mg/g, respectively. Ion effect study showed that cationic Ca and Mg substantially enhanced As (V) adsorption, whereas no significant impact was observed on As (III). Silicate substantially decreased As (V) adsorption by 57 % and As (III) by 50 %. HCO 3 − remarkably inhibited As (V) adsorption by 52 %, whereas it slightly reduced As (III) adsorption by 8 %. Field column results demonstrated that ∼700 μg/L As was removed at an empty bed contact time (EBCT) of 1.08 min for 968 bed volumes before effluent As concentration exceeded 10 μg/L, corresponding to 0.96 mg As/g GTiO 2 . Two household filters loaded with 110 g GTiO 2 in the on-off operational mode can provide 6-L/day As-safe drinking water up to 288 and 600 days from the groundwater containing ∼700 μg/L As and ∼217 μg/L As, respectively. Integration of batch experiments and column tests with systematic variation of EBCTs was successfully achieved using PHREEQC incorporating a charge distribution multisite complexation (CD-MUSIC) model and one-dimensional reactive transport block.

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Evaluation of the sustainability of deep groundwater as an arsenic-safe resource in the Bengal Basin

Cited by 149 publications

References 22 publications

Anthropogenic influences on groundwater arsenic concentrations in Bangladesh

Anthropogenic influences on groundwater arsenic concentrations in Bangladesh

Arsenic pollution of groundwater in Vietnam exacerbated by deep aquifer exploitation for more than a century

Groundwater arsenic removal using granular TiO2: integrated laboratory and field study

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