Groundwater Quality and Health: Making the Invisible Visible

Abstract

Linking groundwater quality to health will make the invisible groundwater visible, but there are knowledge gaps to understand the linkage which requires cross-disciplinary convergent research. The substances in groundwater that are critical to health can be classified into five types according to the sources and characteristics: geogenic substances, biogenic elements, anthropogenic contaminants, emerging contaminants, and pathogens. The most intriguing questions are related to quantitative assessment of human health and ecological risks of exposure to the critical substances via natural or induced artificial groundwater discharge: What is the list of critical substances released from discharging groundwater, and what are the pathways of the receptors' exposure to the critical substances? How to quantify the flux of critical substances during groundwater discharge? What procedures can we follow to assess human health and ecological risks of groundwater discharge? Answering these questions is fundamental for humans to deal with the challenges of water security and health risks related to groundwater quality. This perspective provides recent progresses, knowledge gaps, and future trends in understanding the linkage between groundwater quality and health.

Bacterial Sulfate Reduction Facilitates Iodine Mobilization in the Deep Confined Aquifer of the North China Plain

“…Insufficient or excessive intake of iodine results in iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs) and iodine excess disorders (IEDs), respectively . Geogenic iodine-rich groundwater poses a severe threat to human health, especially in global arid and semiarid areas where groundwater is used as the main source of drinking water. , Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of iodine mobilization is critical to the remediation of geogenic iodine-rich groundwater and the safety of drinking water supply …”

“…2,3 Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of iodine mobilization is critical to the remediation of geogenic iodine-rich groundwater and the safety of drinking water supply. 4 Thermodynamically, iodide is the dominant species in reducing and weakly alkaline geogenic high-iodine groundwater, while iodate and organic iodine are mainly bound to aquifer sediments. 5,6 Given the low affinity of iodide to solid matrices, microbially mediated reduction of iodate is considered to be the main mechanism for iodide generation and enrichment in groundwater.…”

“…B304 was cultured anaerobically at 30 °C in basal medium. One liter of the medium contained in 1 g NH4 Cl, 0.65 g KH 2 PO 4 , 0.2 g MgCl 2 •6H 2 O, 0.1 g CaCl 2 • 2H 2 O, 1 g yeast extract, 3.2 g sodium lactate and 2.84 g Na 2 SO 4 (20 mM as sulfate). Biotic reduction of iodate was conducted in the medium supplemented by 0.25 or 0.50 mM iodate, respectively.…”

Tailoring Fe0 Nanoparticles via Lattice Engineering for Environmental Remediation

“…Environmental contamination from inappropriate industrial and agricultural activities poses a serious threat to ecosystems and human health. − Fe 0 nanoparticles (nFe 0 or NZVI) have been widely used for environmental remediation over the last 2 decades. − It is a strong reductant that dechlorinates industrial solvents and reduces heavy metals in water and soil. − However, it does not discriminate, also reacting with the water itself (a large electron acceptor) and reducing water to hydrogen gas that fizzes away, i.e., hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). , Breaking the reactivity–selectivity trade-off of nFe 0 remains challenging, and researchers throughout the field are searching for a way to alter the material so it would react with water less and the contaminants more.…”

Mitigating Matrix Effects in Groundwater: A Simple and Versatile Method for Quantifying Contaminants in Groundwater Using Online SPE-UHPLC-MS/MS

“…In recent years, ensuring water quality has become increasingly concerning due to the presence of various sources and chemicals that pose potential risks to human health. − Regulatory and government agencies worldwide are continuously expanding the list of monitored chemicals while imposing stricter limits on their permissible levels in different water sources. − Consequently, analytical instruments and methods face the challenge of becoming more comprehensive, sensitive, and accurate . To meet these rigorous demands, it is imperative to employ liquid and gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/MS) as they provide the essential analytical capacity required. , …”