The river–groundwater interface as a hotspot for arsenic release

Wallis, Ilka; Prommer, Henning; Berg, Michael; Siade, Adam; Sun, Jing; Kipfer, Rolf

doi:10.1038/s41561-020-0557-6

Cited by 125 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 44 publications

(72 reference statements)

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“…The two major processes that were assumed to compete with pyrite oxidation for the oxygen and nitrate were the oxidation of sediment organic matter and of ferrous iron that was present in the ambient groundwater as well as on cation exchange sites, while also being generated from dissolution of iron(II)‐bearing minerals. The oxidation of sediment organic matter was represented in the VISM by a Monod‐type reaction rate expression (Descourvieres, Hartog, et al, 2010; Parkhurst & Appelo, 1999), and a stoichiometric composition of CH 2 O(NH 4 ) 0.1 H 0.3 (PO 4 ) 0.04 was assumed for sediment organic matter (Eiche, 2009; Wallis et al, 2020). The oxidation of ferrous to ferric iron was simulated following a previously established rate expression (Eckert & Appelo, 2002; Sun et al, 2018).…”

Section: Upscaling and Downscaling Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing and Managing Large‐Scale Geochemical Impacts From Groundwater Replenishment With Highly Treated Reclaimed Wastewater

Sun

Donn

Gerber

et al. 2020

Water Resources Research

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Reuse of wastewater through a combination of advanced wastewater treatment (AWT) and managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is an important water management option. As an integral part of any AWT-MAR system, the geochemical compatibility of the recharged water with the targeted aquifer must be assessed to avoid groundwater quality deterioration. Although short-term field experiments may uncover potentially concerning sediment-water disequilibria, an advanced analysis is often required to understand the long-term geochemical impacts of large-scale MAR. Here, we develop and apply a pragmatic approach to upscale and verify the previously derived local-scale geochemical understanding to the spatial and temporal scale required for assessing and managing large-scale and long-term impacts resulting from the recharge of AWT-processed water. We use Australia's largest MAR scheme, in which aerobic, purified water is injected into deep, anaerobic, pyritic aquifers as an illustrative example. In this case, the local-scale understanding was derived from a comprehensive field trial and the interpretation of the data through a trial-scale high-resolution reactive transport model (RTM). Based on (i) the trial-scale RTM, (ii) new data from the early phase of the full-scale MAR, and (iii) downscaling of an existing, regional-scale flow model, we developed an upscaled RTM to assess two critical issues for the large-scale groundwater replenishment of Perth deep aquifers, that is, the sustainability of native pH buffering processes and the dynamics of fluoride release and attenuation. In a final step we illustrate how the upscaled RTM can be applied to assess how changes in the AWT affect long-term groundwater pH changes.

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Section: Upscaling and Downscaling Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing and Managing Large‐Scale Geochemical Impacts From Groundwater Replenishment With Highly Treated Reclaimed Wastewater

Sun

Donn

Gerber

et al. 2020

Water Resources Research

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“…This process may be occurring in allotment gardens in Złoty Stok, where the soil is characterised by a very high level of As contamination 37 , likely due to the use domestic wells 88 to water plants. Furthermore, enhanced evaporation and microbial activity, as a result of higher air temperatures, facilitate increases in As concentration in surface water 12 , 13 and increase groundwater contamination 17 . Both processes, causing water scarcity, domestic use of water and a reduction in groundwater resources, lead to higher health risks for the inhabitants of the Złoty Stok area due to contamination of water with As.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, variation in the physiochemical properties of water (e.g. pH, water temperature 12 , 13 ), meteorological conditions (evaporation 12 , 14 , 15 ), suspended sediment and organic matter transport 14 , water residence time 16 , groundwater withdrawal 17 , and concentrations of phosphate and iron oxides 14 , 18 , 19 affect the seasonal dynamics of arsenic species in surface waters. For example, the summer (as opposed to winter) season, with its high air and water temperatures, leads to an increase in As mass fluxes 12 – 14 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arsenic pollution in Quaternary sediments and water near a former gold mine

Stachnik

Korabiewski

Raczyk

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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Contamination of water and sediments with arsenic and heavy metals is a global issue affecting human health. Regions covered with Quaternary deposits have received little attention from the point of view of the flux of arsenic and heavy metals from sediments to surface water. This study aims to determine the flux of arsenic and other heavy metals from Quaternary sediments to surface waters in an area affected by the former Złoty Stok gold and arsenic mine. Contamination in surface waters and sediments was caused by arsenic, whereas concentrations of metals were usually within water quality standards. Arsenic contamination of surface water increased in the lower part of the basin covered by Quaternary sediments, and exceeded water quality standards by 2 orders of magnitude. Arsenic mass flux exceeded 8 kg/day near the confluence of the Trująca River with the Nysa Kłodzka, a main tributary of the Oder River. An increase in arsenic concentration in the lower part of the basin is related to mine tailings and preferential flow of groundwater through Quaternary sediments. In future, water resources scarcity may lead to an increase in arsenic contamination in surface and groundwater.

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“…Some metals and metalloids in the environment pose a serious threat to human health (Antoniadis et al 2017;Mukherjee et al 2019;Wallis et al 2020). Arsenic (As) is one of the most ubiquitous elements in air, rocks, soil and water (Qu et al 2020;Smedley and Kinniburgh 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Arsenic can induce a variety of cancers (lung, liver, and bladder), and Blackfoot disease (BFD) with gangrene and ulceration of the extremities (Ali et al 2020;Chen et al 1994;Wallis et al 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential relationships between exposure to arsenic (As) in the environment and endemic disease in southwestern China

Zhang

Chang

et al. 2021

Preprint

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There have been many reported cases of a strange disease exhibiting clinical features of limb gangrene, blisters, ulceration and exfoliation in Daping village, Yunnan Province in southwestern China. The prevalence rate of the disease is very high compared to other places in Yunnan Province and greater China. The pathogenesis is unknown and has bewildered doctors for many years. In this study, the content of As in soil (n=31) , water (n=55) , and plants (n=7) were systematically measured. The results show a high As concentration in plants and soil samples from the area, and the source of As linked to the weathering of black shale strata. We assessed the risks of human exposure to As through six possible exposure pathways. Ingestion of soil and plants are found to be the two main ways that children and adults are exposed to As, and children have a higher health risk than adults. Our study sheds new light on the environmental geochemistry and health links of this disease.

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The river–groundwater interface as a hotspot for arsenic release

Cited by 125 publications

References 44 publications

Assessing and Managing Large‐Scale Geochemical Impacts From Groundwater Replenishment With Highly Treated Reclaimed Wastewater

Assessing and Managing Large‐Scale Geochemical Impacts From Groundwater Replenishment With Highly Treated Reclaimed Wastewater

Arsenic pollution in Quaternary sediments and water near a former gold mine

Potential relationships between exposure to arsenic (As) in the environment and endemic disease in southwestern China

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