The aquatic geochemistry of arsenic in volcanic groundwaters from southern Italy

Aiuppa, Alessandro; D’Alessandro, W.; Federico, C.; Palumbo, Barbara; Valenza, M.

doi:10.1016/s0883-2927(03)00051-9

Cited by 97 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Average arsenic values measured in the rocks of the Cimino and Vico volcanic complexes are 27 mg/kg and 61 mg/kg, respectively, with maximum values of 42 mg/kg and 166 mg/kg, much higher than reported for other volcanic rocks in Italy. In fact, for the volcanoes of Southern Italy, values of about 1 mg/kg are reported for hawaiite lavas of Etna, and mean values of 9 mg/kg and 12 mg/kg are reported for the potassic volcanics of Vulcano Island and Vesuvius, respectively [7,[57][58][59].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is related to the presence of the element as a minor constituent of volcanic gases and geothermal fluids and to the leaching of rocks containing the element as a minor constituent [1][2][3][4]. The presence of arsenic in groundwater of the volcanic areas of central and southern Italy has been documented for about thirty years [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. These studies show that several factors control the arsenic mobility in groundwater, such as water temperature, host-rock composition, water chemistry, and the influence of magma-derived volatiles.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An Integrated Approach to Identify Water Resources for Human Consumption in an Area Affected by High Natural Arsenic Content

Armiento

Baiocchi

Cremisini

et al. 2015

Water

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This study concerns the occurrence of arsenic in the groundwater system of the Cimino-Vico volcanic area (central Italy), different parts of which are currently widely used for local drinking water supply and for irrigation. The system shows a complex groundwater circulation, including a continuous basal aquifer, discontinuous perched aquifers, groundwater flows at high altitude, and local interactions with rising thermal fluids. Data on arsenic contents in 250 water samples from springs and wells and in 68 samples from rock outcrops were measured and combined with already existing information. Results highlight that arsenic concentrations of groundwater are influenced by type of aquifer, groundwater flow path, arsenic content of the aquifer rocks, and interaction with fluids rising from depth. Waters circulating in the Vico volcanics, one of the prominent rock units of the area, have high concentrations of arsenic, both for the basal OPEN ACCESSWater 2015, 7 5092 and the perched aquifers. A large fraction of the waters associated with this rock unit have arsenic contents higher than 10 μg/L (82 percent for basal, 40 percent for perched). In contrast, waters circulating in the Cimino volcanics have lower arsenic contents: 30 percent of the basal and 10 percent of the perched aquifers have arsenic concentrations greater than 10 μg/L. Through an integrated approach, including leaching tests to investigate the arsenic behavior concerning the water-rock interaction and a geostatistical modeling of data, it has been possible to identify and tentatively quantify suitable water resources that have arsenic content not exceeding the quality standards for human consumption.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Integrated Approach to Identify Water Resources for Human Consumption in an Area Affected by High Natural Arsenic Content

Armiento

Baiocchi

Cremisini

et al. 2015

Water

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“…Many countries in Europe, including Greece, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Serbia, Turkey, Italy, and Spain, are significantly affected by elevated As concentrations in groundwater [2,3,7,8,[85][86][87][88]. Among these nations, Greece is of particular concern because many of its groundwater resources contain large amounts of As.…”

Section: Europementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among these nations, Greece is of particular concern because many of its groundwater resources contain large amounts of As. Geothermal-affected waters, the alluvial deposits of rivers, and aquifers have been identified as major sources that directly contribute to As release into groundwater [87,88]. Arsenic concentrations in geothermal waters vary from 30 to 4500 μg/L; in the regions close to alluvial deposits, they vary from 15 to 100 μg/L and in areas affected by mining activities from 20 to 60 μg/L [7].…”

Section: Europementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Arsenic concentrations in geothermal waters vary from 30 to 4500 μg/L; in the regions close to alluvial deposits, they vary from 15 to 100 μg/L and in areas affected by mining activities from 20 to 60 μg/L [7]. Arsenic concentrations in groundwater in the volcanic regions of central and southern Italy are widely variable, ranging from <0.1 to 6940 μg/L [87] with variable hydrochemical characteristics [87].…”

Section: Europementioning

confidence: 99%

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Natural Arsenic in Global Groundwaters: Distribution and Geochemical Triggers for Mobilization

et al. 2016

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The elevated concentration of arsenic (As) in the groundwaters of many countries worldwide has received much attention during recent decades. This article presents an overview of the natural geochemical processes that mobilize As from aquifer sediments into groundwater and provides a concise description of the distribution of As in different global groundwater systems, with an emphasis on the highly vulnerable regions of Southeast Asia, the USA, Latin America, and Europe. Natural biogeochemical processes and anthropogenic activities may lead to the contamination of groundwaters by increased As concentrations. The primary source of As in groundwater is predominantly natural (geogenic) and mobilized through complex biogeochemical interactions within various aquifer solids and water. Sulfide minerals such as arsenopyrite and As-substituted pyrite, as well as other sulfide minerals, are susceptible to oxidation in the near-surface environment and quantitatively release significant quantities of As in the sediments. The geochemistry of As generally is a function of its multiple oxidation states, speciation, and redox transformation. The reductive dissolution of As-bearing Fe(III) oxides and sulfide oxidation are the most common and significant geochemical triggers that release As from aquifer sediments into groundwaters. The mobilization of As in groundwater is controlled by adsorption onto metal oxyhydroxides and clay minerals. According to recent estimates, more than 130 million people worldwide potentially are exposed to As in drinking water at levels above the World Health Organization's (WHO's) guideline value of 10 μg/L. Hence, community education to strengthen public awareness, the involvement and capacity building of local stakeholders in targeting As-safe aquifers, and direct action and implementation of best practices in identifying safe groundwater sources for the installation of safe drinking water wells through action and enforcement by local governments and international water sector professionals are urgent necessities for sustainable As mitigation on a global scale.

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Arsenic in Natural Environments

Henke

2009

Arsenic

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The aquatic geochemistry of arsenic in volcanic groundwaters from southern Italy

Cited by 97 publications

References 44 publications

An Integrated Approach to Identify Water Resources for Human Consumption in an Area Affected by High Natural Arsenic Content

An Integrated Approach to Identify Water Resources for Human Consumption in an Area Affected by High Natural Arsenic Content

Natural Arsenic in Global Groundwaters: Distribution and Geochemical Triggers for Mobilization

Arsenic in Natural Environments

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