土著细菌对江汉平原浅层含水层沉积物中砷迁移的影响

对江汉平原水文地质调查发现,该地区地下水砷含量已远超国家饮用水标准。以沉积物培养的土著细菌混合液为生物材料,以江汉平原高砷含水层沉积物为研究对象,在实验室内模拟地下水系统,研究厌氧环境条件下,不同生物量土著细菌和pH值对沉积物中砷迁移转化的影响,以及土著细菌活动下砷在不同沉积物中的迁移转化。结果表明,不同生物量菌悬液都能促进沉积物中As的释放,增加总As和As(III)的浓度,但150mL处理组,在研究后期,总As和As(III)的浓度呈现减缓趋势;在初始生物量一定的条件下,沉积物中As含量越高,细菌活动下总As相对释出量就越低,而且As(III)占所释出总As的比值就越高,但两个高砷含量沉积物组的差异较小;在初始pH值为5、7和9的培养条件下,细菌都能加速砷的迁移,但pH值为5的处理组(简称pH5处理组)最弱,在前8天,pH9处理组较pH7处理组的低,随后超过pH7处理组。研究表明,土著细菌悬液能加速As从沉积物中释出,并且释出的As以As(III)为主;在耐受的弱碱性环境条件下,细菌对砷的迁移和转化随环境的pH值增加而增强。     

大同盆地富砷地下水的水化学与地球化学研究

为弄清大同盆地地下水中影响砷的迁移、富集的主要地球化学与生物地球化学过程,为区域供水安全提供指导作用,针对高砷地下水系统开展了水文地球化学与含水层沉积物全岩地球化学研究;并在此基础上探讨了研究区高砷地下水成因。结果表明,研究区高砷地下水为偏碱性、强还原环境,砷含量为0.31～452μg·L-1,主要以砷酸盐形式存在,地下水中砷与三价铁的浓度有显著的相关性。高砷含水层沉积物中有机质、铁与砷含量表现出显著相关性。以上结果说明,碱性还原环境有利于地下水中砷的富集;微生物参与下,沉积物相有机质的氧化和Fe氧化物/氢氧化物的还原过程是本区高砷地下水形成的主控因素。     

黄海西部海域沉积物细菌群落及其对环境因子的响应

黄海是西太平重要的边缘海。微生物群落在有机污染物生物地球化学循环中起着十分关键的作用,它们的群落结构、多样性及变化一定程度上反映了沉积物质量的变化。宏基因组学能够在整体水平解析微生物群落结构,真实地揭示原位环境中微生物群落的复杂性和多样性。2016年10月对黄海西部海域19个监测站位的微生物群落及环境因子开展了深入调查。应用Illumina MiSeq宏基因组高通量测序技术,共鉴定海域沉积物中微生物41门266属,变形菌门为明显的优势门类,其相对丰度占总数的47%。其他较为丰富的门类包括酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria),放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes),浮霉菌门(Planctomycetes)和沈微菌门(Verrucomicrobia)。各站位细菌多样性非常高,但站位间差异较大。其中Chaol指数均值为7 365.3;Shannon指数平均为9.65;Simpson指数平均为0.995。应用Past软件,采用CCA分析法研究细菌群落与环境因子的相关性,结果显示总磷和沉积物粒径对微生物门水平的群落分布具有显著性影响。计算细菌与环境因子间Pearson相关系数并绘制热图分析,发现酸杆菌、衣原体(Chlamydiae)和硝化螺旋菌(Nitrospirae)与总磷呈较明显的负相关。     

富营养化太湖沉积物中微生物群落及对环境因子的响应

沉积物是水生态系统重要的组成部分,研究沉积物中的微生物多样性及群落结构有助于从侧面了解水体的水质状况.采集太湖中具有不同富营养化水平的梅梁湾(ML)与湖心区(HX)表层沉积物(0--2 cm),测定沉积物样品中的总有机碳(TOC)、总氮(TN)、无机氮(NH4+-N与NO3--N)、pH、氧化还原电位(Eh)与溶解氧(DO),利用基于16S rRNA基因的Illumina Miseq宏基因组测序技术研究沉积物样品中的微生物群落结构,并分析沉积物中微生物群落结构与环境因子的潜在关系.从太湖两处采样点6个沉积物样品中共获得234 408条有效序列,Sobs指数在1 811-2 442之间,Shannon指数在6.16-6.49之间,Coverage值在96.2%-97.7%之间,说明序列信息量足够大且微生物多样性较高.沉积物中细菌相对丰度为99%以上,共检测到48个门118个纲.其中变形菌门(Proteobacteria)为优势菌门,在ML和HX沉积物中的相对丰度分别为40.5%和35.4%,主要包括δ-proteobacteria和β-proteobacteria纲.其他较为丰富的门类包括绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi)、硝化螺菌门(Nitrospirae)和拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)等.将沉积物中纲水平微生物群落组成与理化因子进行Spearman相关分析可知,Eh、DO、pH、NH4+-N和TOC含量能显著影响纲水平优势微生物类群(OTU1%),且以Eh影响的微生物类群种类最多.上述研究表明,太湖沉积物中微生物资源丰富,不同富营养湖区理化因子是影响其中微生物群落结构的重要因素.(图4表3参42)     

包头南海湖冰封期沉积物细菌群落多样性

为了探究包头南海湖冰封期沉积物细菌群落多样性,采用高通量测序技术对不同湖区4个采样点表层沉积物细菌进行测定.结果显示,不同区域物种多样性有一定差异.从门水平来看,沉积物细菌主要为变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi)、蓝藻门(Cyanobacteria)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)和酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria);从属水平分析,优势类群集中在硫杆菌属(thiobacillus)、未命名厌氧绳菌科(norank-f-anaerolineaceae)、未分类绿弯菌科(unclassified-p-Chloroflexi).对沉积物细菌群落与环境因子的关系进行冗余分析,结果表明,TN、NH_3-N、C/N对沉积物细菌群落结构影响较大.thiobacillus在南海湖冰封期沉积物的生物地球化学循环中扮演着重要的角色,对预防黑臭水体发生具有重要作用,应在以后研究中得到更多关注.     

基于高通量测序的冬季太湖竺山湾浮游细菌和沉积物细菌群落结构和多样性研究

为了探究太湖竺山湾浮游细菌及沉积物细菌群落的结构及多样性变化,考察细菌与环境因子之间的生态耦合关系,基于16S rRNA基因的高通量测序技术,研究冬季太湖竺山湾的浮游细菌和沉积物细菌群落结构和多样性,对相对丰度排名居前10位的优势浮游细菌属与p H值、溶解氧浓度、叶绿素a浓度、藻密度、总氮浓度和总磷浓度等环境因子进行冗余分析。结果表明,从门水平来看,水样和沉积物中蓝藻细菌门(Cyanobacteria)平均相对丰度均较高,分别为46.95%和22.19%;从纲水平来看,水样中的优势细菌主要为未分类的放线菌纲(unidentified Actinobacteria)和未分类的蓝藻细菌纲(unidentified Cyanobacteria),相对丰度分别为31.87%和30.46%,而沉积物中则主要为Chloroplast(14.34%)、γ-变形菌纲(Gammaproteobacteria,10.97%)和硝化螺旋菌纲(Nitrospira,9.89%);从属水平来看,水样中微囊藻属(Microcystis)占优势,其次为hgc I clade,沉积物中微囊藻属和未分类的硝化螺旋菌属(unidentified Nitrospiraceae)占优势。通过研究发现水体中微囊藻属相对丰度最高,且与藻密度、溶解氧浓度和p H值呈正相关。     

外源洛克沙胂对水生态系统砷蓄积及底泥微生物生长的影响

为探明洛克沙胂(ROX)对水生态系统的毒性效应,采用模拟水生态系统,研究了外源添加不同浓度洛克沙胂(0、10、20、40、80和160 mg·L-1)对水生态系统砷含量及底泥微生物生长的影响。结果表明,水体及底泥砷含量随外源ROX用量增加而增加,但随暴露时间延长水体砷含量降低的同时底泥砷含量逐渐增加。金鱼藻和鲫鱼体内均出现明显砷蓄积现象,且160 mg·L-1ROX处理的水生态系统鲫鱼毒害效应明显,暴露1 d的死亡率为100%。金鱼藻对砷具有较强的富集能力,暴露32 d后砷富集量达398.1~1 538.91 mg·kg-1。不同浓度ROX对底泥真菌、细菌和反硝化细菌生长均具有不同程度的抑制效应,而对放线菌和氨化细菌生长具有一定的促进作用,且低浓度ROX(10 mg·L-1)对放线菌生长的促进作用明显。总体上,外源ROX进入水生态系统导致水体砷污染的同时在生物及非生物媒介中再次迁移、分配和蓄积,进而对鲫鱼及部分底泥微生物生长产生毒害。     

浅水湖泊沉积物中水生植物残体降解过程及微生物群落变化

通过长期(700 d)的室内模拟实验,研究太湖优势沉水植物——马来眼子菜(Potamogeton malaianus)在不同深度沉积物中的分解过程,并通过454焦磷酸高通量测序方法研究了此过程中微生物群落结构的变化。结果表明:有机质在0~8、8~18和18~28 cm的沉积物中的降解率分别为49.6%、40.7%和38.7%,降解率随着深度增加而降低;沉积物腐殖化程度加强,腐殖质(包括HA和FA)含量均随着沉积物深度增加而增加,并且18~28 cm处的腐殖质含量均极显著高于其他深度的含量(P0.01);经过长时间的分解,沉积物中的有机碳库从易降解有机质(LP)转化为难降解有机质(RP),植物残体中的木质素难以被微生物降解,大部分仍残留在沉积物中。从门的分类水平来看,初始沉积物和驯化后沉积物中的优势细菌相同,均为变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)、绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi)、螺旋菌门(Spirochaetes)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes);从属的分类水平来看,与初始沉积物相比,驯化后的表层沉积物中的细菌群落并未发生明显改变,优势细菌为Flavobacterium、GOUTA19、LCP-6、Crenothrix,但是驯化后深层沉积物中细菌群落结构发生明显改变,主要以厌氧细菌为主,如属于螺旋菌门中的密螺旋体属Treponema,在8~18和18~28 cm的沉积物中的含量分别为7.4%和8.8%。本研究旨在为水生植物残体在沉积物中的归属以及湖泊富营养化提供科学的理论指导和依据。     

府河水体及沉积物细菌群落结构分布特征及其影响因素

城市河流承接不同类型的废水导致水质恶化,影响河流生态系统.通过分析河流细菌群落结构变化,不仅可以判断河流污染特征,还将有助于河流污染治理与生态修复.笔者研究了府河夏季上下游水体和沉积物理化性质,并采用高通量测序法分析了细菌群落结构特征.结果 表明,府河上游水质化学需氧量(COD)、氨氮(NH3-N)和总磷(TP)浓度显著高于下游(P＜0.05),沉积物中重金属镉、锌和铅含量较高,均值分别为(0.44±0.03)、(182.17 ±0.34)和(35.76±0.20) mg· kg-1.府河沉积物细菌多样性及丰富度明显高于相应上覆水体,变形菌门(Proteobacteria)是水体和沉积物中的第一优势菌,水体中参与氮循环的蓝藻菌门(Cyanobacteria)的高丰度说明府河存在一定的富营养化,此外,可以分解有机物的放线菌门(Actinobacteria)在下游丰度高于上游;沉积物中具有致病作用的拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)在上游城市河段丰度较高.细菌群落空间异质性结果表明下游硝化细菌(nitrifying bacteria)和反硝化细菌(denitrifying bacteria)的丰度(分别为62.25％和31.29％)明显比上游高.水体细菌多样性和温度、pH、总有机碳有显著相关性(P＜0.05),冗余分析显示NH3-N、总氮(TN)、TP和pH对细菌群落结构影响较大;而pH、TN和重金属镉是影响下游沉积物细菌群落结构的主要环境因子.     

云南玉溪烟区轮作与连作土壤细菌群落多样性比较研究

为评价云南玉溪烟区轮作和连作对土壤细菌群落多样性影响,从土壤中直接提取土壤细菌总DNA,用细菌16S rDNA特异性引物进行PCR扩增和变性梯度凝胶电泳(DGGE),每个处理样品3次重复,在DGGE图谱中相似性较高,基本聚在一起,从整体证明了试验操作方法较为精确.从泳道分析图可知,轮作土壤细菌群落各泳道条带数量13～29条不等,平均为21条.连作土壤细菌群落各泳道条带数量从4～20条不等,平均为12条.从每条泳道的条带数方面和光密度值分别进行细菌群落多样性各指标的比较,结果表明,轮作处理细菌群落丰富度指数均大于连作处理,轮作香农-威纳和辛普森指数(1/D)均大于连作,表明轮作微生物多样性较连作高,轮作方式可以提高植烟土壤细菌群落的多样性.     

Assessment of natural arsenic in groundwater in Cordoba Province,Argentina

Groundwater in the central part of Argentina contains arsenic concentrations that, in most cases, exceed the value suggested by international regulations. In this region, Quaternary loessical sediments with a very high volcanic glass fraction lixiviate arsenic and fluoride after weathering. The objectives of this study are to analyze the spatial distribution of arsenic in different hydrogeological regions, to define the naturally expected concentration in an aquifer by means of hydrogeochemistry studies, and to identify emergent health evidences related to cancer mortality in the study area. The correlation between arsenic and fluoride concentrations in groundwater is analyzed at each county in the Cordoba Province. Two dimensionless geoindicators are proposed to identify risk zones and to rapidly visualize the groundwater quality related to the presence of arsenic and fluoride. A surface-mapping system is used to identify the spatial variability of concentrations and for suggesting geoindicators. The results show that the Chaco-Pampean plain hydrogeologic region is the most affected area, with arsenic and fluoride concentrations in groundwater being generally higher than the values suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water. Mortality related to kidney, lung, liver, and skin cancer in this area could be associated to the ingestion of arsenic-contaminated water. Generated maps provide a base for the assessment of the risk associated to the natural occurrence of arsenic and fluoride in the region.     

新疆阿克苏地区平原区高砷地下水分布特征及富集因素分析

地下水砷污染是全球化环境问题.本文基于阿克苏地区平原区2017年75个地下水砷实测含量进行分析.结果表明,研究区地下水砷含量变化范围为ND—98.70μg·L^-1,平均值为9.42μg·L^-1,超标率达26.7%.水平方向上,高砷地下水主要集中在研究区的中部偏南一带;垂直方向上,山麓斜坡冲洪积砾质平原潜水区地下水砷含量平均值表现为深层潜水>浅层潜水,中下游河流冲积平原区承压水区地下水砷含量平均值表现为深层承压水>浅层承压水>潜水.采用绘制Piper三线图、Gibbs图、离子比例图等方法对研究区地下水砷的富集因素进行研究.结果表明,研究区地下水砷主要为自然来源;封闭的地质构造和造山带与河流等沉积环境相结合的水文地质条件有利于研究区地下水砷的富集;研究区高砷地下水水化学类型主要为HCO3·SO4-Na,还原性-弱碱性环境利于地下水砷富集;研究区地下水砷受强烈的蒸发浓缩作用进一步浓缩,同时地下水阴离子浓度增大加剧了地下水中阴离子与砷酸根、亚砷酸根之间的竞争吸附,利于地下水砷的富集.     

Factors affecting arsenic concentration in groundwater in West Bengal

Groundwater is the major source of drinking water for the population in Malda district, West Bengal. Holocene sediments from Himalayas have contaminated those places through the river Ganges and arsenic was found a potential groundwater contaminant. Field and laboratory experiments were attempted to identify the relationship between arsenic versus Eh of groundwater and content specific elements (As, Co, Mn, Fe, C and S) in different types of Holocene sediments on a freshly constructed wells. Arsenic versus Eh of groundwater and Holocene clay over Holocene sand were found performing a major role in the aquifers of arsenic affected areas.     

Arsenic in groundwater in six districts of West Bengal,India

Arsenic in groundwater above the WHO maximum permissible limit of 0.05 mg l^–1 has been found in six districts of West Bengal covering an area of 34 000 km² with a population of 30 million. At present, 37 administrative blocks by the side of the River Ganga and adjoining areas are affected. Areas affected by arsenic contamination in groundwater are all located in the upper delta plain, and are mostly in the abandoned meander belt. More than 800 000 people from 312 villages/wards are drinking arsenic contaminated water and amongst them at least 175 000 people show arsenical skin lesions. Thousands of tube-well water in these six districts have been analysed for arsenic species. Hair, nails, scales, urine, liver tissue analyses show elevated concentrations of arsenic in people drinking arsenic-contaminated water for a longer period. The source of the arsenic is geological. Bore-hole sediment analyses show high arsenic concentrations in only few soil layers which is found to be associated with iron-pyrites. Various social problems arise due to arsenical skin lesions in these districts. Malnutrition, poor socio-economic conditions, illiteracy, food habits and intake of arsenic-contaminated water for many years have aggravated the arsenic toxicity. In all these districts, major water demands are met from groundwater and the geochemical reaction, caused by high withdrawal of water may be the cause of arsenic leaching from the source. If alternative water resources are not utilised, a good percentage of the 30 million people of these six districts may suffer from arsenic toxicity in the near future.     

A comparative study on arsenic and humic substances in alluvial aquifers of Bengal delta plain (NW Bangladesh), Chianan plain (SW Taiwan) and Lanyang plain (NE Taiwan): implication of arsenic mobilization mechanisms

Humic substances in groundwater and aquifer sediments from the arsenicosis and Blackfoot disease (BFD) affected areas in Bangladesh (Bengal delta plain) and Taiwan (Lanyang plain and Chianan plain) were characterized using fluorescence spectrophotometry and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that the mean concentration of As and relative intensity of fluorescent humic substances are higher in the Chianan plain groundwater than those in the Lanyang plain and Bengal delta plain groundwater. The mean As concentrations in Bengal delta plain, Chianan plain, and Lanyang plain are 50.65 μg/l (2.8–170.8 μg/l, n = 20), 393 μg/l (9–704 μg/l, n = 5), and 104.5 μg/l (2.51–543 μg/l, n = 6), respectively. Average concentrations and relative fluorescent intensity of humic substances in groundwater are 25.381 QSU (quinine standard unit) and 17.78 in the Bengal delta plain, 184.032 QSU and 128.41 in the Chianan plain, and 77.56 QSU and 53.43 in the Lanyang plain. Moreover, FT-IR analysis shows that the humic substances extracted from the Chianan plain groundwater contain phenolic, alkanes, aromatic ring and amine groups, which tend to form metal carbon bonds with As and other trace elements. By contrast, the spectra show that humic substances are largely absent from sediments and groundwater in the Bengal delta plain and Lanyang plain. The data suggest that the reductive dissolution of As-adsorbed Mn oxyhydroxides is the most probable mechanism for mobilization of As in the Bengal delta plain. However, in the Chianan plain and Lanyang plain, microbially mediated reductive dissolution of As-adsorbed amorphous/crystalline Fe oxyhydroxides in organic-rich sediments is the primary mechanism for releasing As to groundwater. High levels of As and humic substances possibly play a critical role in causing the unique BFD in the Chianan plain of SW Taiwan.     

Spatial characteristics analysis by PCR-DGGE for bacterial communities in surface sediments of Tangxi River,Hefei City北大核心CSCD

Microbes play an important role in material circulation and pollutant release in urban sediments, and its community structure can provide an important basis for evaluating the pollution load and ecosystem health of an urban river. In this study, bacterial communities in sediments from different locations of Tangxi River in Anhui Province were analyzed and compared, with an objective of evaluating the effects of aquatic environment on spatial characteristics of bacterial communities and the feasibility of using bacterial community composition as an indicator of urban river health. PCR-DGGE was applied to analyze the bacterial communities; fifteen major bands of 16S rDNA genes fragments from DGGE profiles of sediment samples were further eluted from gel, reamplified and sequenced. The sequences of these fragments were compared with the database in GenBank (NCBI). The collected samples were clustered based on UPGM Aanalysis. In addition, relationships between bacterial communities and environmental factors were analyzed by Monte Carlo test and redundancy analysis (RDA). The DGGE profiles indicated that upstream surface sediments had about 30 bands, but the differences in brightness were not significant. Although midstream surface sediments had only 18 bands on average, the brightness of some bands was relatively high, indicating that some dominant species of bacteria existed in these sediments. The amounts of bands in downstream sediments were between those of upstream and midstream, with some bands of high brightness. The NCBI comparison results showed that ten sequences shared 98-100% homology with known sequences, one with 97%, and the other four with uncultured bacteria. Shannon index (H) of bacterial diversity from upstream surface sediments was 3.31 on average, which was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of midstream surface sediments, and slightly higher than that of downstream surface sediments. UPGMA results showed both the distribution of bacteria communities and the diversity were strongly related with the sampling locations (Eigenvalue = 0.188, P = 0.134). Monte Carlo test and RDA analysis showed that the ion exchangeable form of nitrogen (IEF-N) was the main factor influencing the spatial characteristics of bacterial communities in the sediments. The aquatic plants had a significant effect on the richness of bacterial communities in the sediments, and the effectiveness of plant species was more notable than that of the vegetation coverage. The above results indicated that bacterial community structure and diversity in the surface sediments can well reflect the degree of urbanization development and effectiveness of ecological restoration in Tangxi River region.     

基于高通量测序的工业园区地下水和土壤细菌群落结构比较研究

为探究工业园区地下水和土壤细菌群落结构、多样性变化特征,采用高通量测序技术对地下水和土壤细菌16S r RNA基因高变区域进行序列测定。通过对Alpha多样性、物种组成、丰度和群落结构的分析,比较地下水和土壤细菌群落结构的异同。Alpha多样性的比较结果表明,土壤细菌群落多样性和丰富度明显高于地下水,地下水细菌群落多样性指数反映出地下水已受到周边污染源的影响。物种注释结果表明,地下水样品共检出48个细菌门,土壤样品共检出50个细菌门。变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)和厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)是地下水细菌群落的优势类群,共占93.54%,且该工业园区地下水细菌群落呈现出典型的淡水种群特征;土壤中优势细菌门为Proteobacteria、放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria)、Firmicutes和芽单胞菌门(Gemmatimonadetes),共占85.21%。由于地下水和土壤两者的生态系统和理化环境的差异,致使Actinobacteria、Acidobacteria、绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi)、硝化螺旋菌门(Nitrospirae)、α-变形菌纲(Alphaproteobacteria)、δ-变形菌纲(Deltaproteobacteria)和Gemmatimonadetes占比在地下水和土壤细菌群落间差异显著,同时使地下水和土壤细菌群落各含有一些特有的优势细菌属(地下水2个,土壤4个)。基于高通量测序技术对工业园区样品的测序结果可以为地下水和土壤环境的生态评价提供方法依据。     

中国饮水型砷中毒区的水化学环境与砷中毒关系

中国各饮水型砷中毒区的水化学特点受沉积环境和气候因素所控制,砷中毒的流行和发病程度与其地下水的水化学环境、水中砷的形态和价态有密切联系。在实地考察监测和对台湾、新疆、内蒙古、山西、吉林饮水型砷中毒病区环境和地下水水化学特征总结的基础上,系统分析了饮水水源中总As、As(III)、甲基胂、腐植酸与砷中毒的关系,揭示了不同病区病情差异的原因。研究表明,除台湾外,各砷中毒区均分布在干旱半干旱区;各病区多分布在沉积盆地中心或平原内相对低洼的地带,饮用的地下水均取自中新生代地层;砷中毒病情不仅与总砷含量有明显的剂量-效应关系,还与As(III)和甲基胂的浓度直接相关。台湾、内蒙古和山西病区地下水为富含有机质的复杂还原环境,水中不仅As(III)含量高,且检出有机物、腐植酸和甲基胂,新疆和吉林病区地下水为以无机砷中As(V)为主的氧化环境,吉林病区未检测出甲基胂,这是新疆与吉林病区患病率较低的主要原因。研究成果可为区域防病改水、砷中毒的预报提供重要技术支撑。     

A palaeo-hydrogeological model for arsenic contamination in southern and south-east Asia

An argument is presented in which areas of natural arsenic contamination of modern groundwaters throughout Asia have a common origin. Arsenic originally accumulated in oceanic ferro-manganoan sediments of the eastern Palaeo-Tethys. This was further concentrated through oceanic crustal extinction in what later became the south-east Chinese accreted mineralised terrain. Proto-Himalayan uplift of this area created the palaeo-drainage systems of the Ganges – Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Mekong, and Red Rivers, with consequent headwater erosion of arsenic-rich sediments. Their downstream deposition as immature and easily redistributed Neogene sandstones, silts, and iron-rich clays has created secondary and tertiary reservoirs of adsorbed and authigenic arsenic, from which the current arsenic-rich groundwaters have evolved. Considering river basins within the above palaeo-hydrogeological framework provides a basis for assessing the risk of arsenic in groundwater basins of south and south-eastern Asia.