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.     

Anomalous arsenic concentrations in groundwaters of an island community, Bowen Island, British Columbia

Recently, occurrences of elevated arsenic concentrations in bedrock groundwaters used for individual and municipal water supplies have been recognised along the mainland coast of southern British Columbia, Canada. An area on Bowen Island (Queen Charlotte Heights community) was chosen to investigate the source(s) of arsenic, geochemical processes controlling its aqueous uptake, the role of geology and structure in the formation of these waters, and the use of hydrogeochemical survey methods for detecting arsenious groundwater regions. Pyrite- arsenopyrite-Cu mineralisation in the Queen Charlotte Heights area is present as veins associated with NE-trending fault zones and as disseminations in marginal breccia and stockwork zones of a ryhodacite porphyry stock. Near surface mineralisation was later altered by supergene events to form minor pyrite- arsenopyrite in a matrix of limonite and clay. Geochemical factors that control the concentration and mobility of arsenic in these groundwaters include: (a) anion exchange of arsenic from clay minerals during cation divalent/univalent exchange processes (water softening) which leads to waters of high pH and high anion exchange capacities; (b) desorption of arsenic from Fe and Al oxyhydroxide minerals during pronounced shifts in pH from acid to alkaline conditions brought on by the water softening process; and (c) stepwise oxidation of arsenopyrite mineralisation to form arsenious sulphate-bearing groundwaters. The inconsistent behaviour of the As3+ and As5+ ions during the complex waterrock interaction processes described above, precludes the use of detailed chemical analyses to predict relative abundances of the more toxic As3+ species. For a full appreciation of the toxic impact of groundwaters containing total arsenic concentrations that are above regulatory guidelines an arsenic speciation analysis is required.     

内蒙古河套地区水体中砷的地球化学特征

采样分析典型地砷病区域——内蒙古河套地区地下水、地表水和自来水中砷含量和形态,研究河套地区水体中砷分布状况,并采集山西山阴县大营村(地下水)和山东招远地区水样(地表水、地下水),以用于污染特性比较和源解析。结果发现,内蒙古河套地区和山西省山阴县大营村作为生活饮用水的地下水中砷含量超标率较高,其中内蒙古临河区狼山镇先锋七社和山西大营村地下水砷含量平均值分别为368.9和443.5μg.L-1,分别有75%和100%的水样超过GB 5749—2006《生活饮用水卫生标准》中农村小型集中和分散式供水砷含量限值。内蒙古五原县乃日乡的175个水样中,也有59%的地下水样砷含量高于50μg.L-1,且砷形态主要以无机砷为主。河套地区地表水水样砷含量大部分在50μg.L-1以下,部分自来水(水源为地下水)样砷含量超过生活饮用水标准。     

Selenium and arsenic content of agricultural soils from Bangladesh and Nepal

Arsenic (As) contamination of the available domestic drinking water from shallow aquifers to villagers in Bangladesh often exceeds the newest WHO standard of <10 µg As L^?1 and the older Bangladeshi standard of <50 µg As L^?1. An estimated 9.2 million shallow tube wells in Bangladesh deliver water to 97% of the rural population, placing an estimated 57 million people at risk for arsenicosis. The contamination of drinking water by As extends to W. Bengal, India and Nepal. The same shallow aquifers used for domestic water are also used to irrigate food crops, particularly rice. Irrigation adds As to soils and increases exposure of the population to additional As via foods consumed. Selenium (Se), an essential trace mineral found in soils, is absorbed by plants, entering the human food chain. It was suggested that a low dietary intake of Se may be contributing to the problem of human arsenicosis in Bangladesh. Dietary Se acts as a natural antidote to As by (1) accelerating As excretion, (2) sequestering As by complexation and (3) as an antioxidant component of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase that may counteract the prooxidant effects of As that contribute to arsenicosis and cancer. Analysis of 70 agricultural soil samples from Bangladesh by fluorimetry, ICP-AES and Neutron Activation Analysis showed the soils analyzed to be high in As (～33 µg g^?1) and biologically low in soluble Se (～0.02 µg g^?1). A low dietary intake of Se related to low soil content and this mineral in foods may be contributing to human arsenicosis in the Ganges–Brahmaputra delta.     

Exposure to Inorganic Arsenic in Soil Increases Urinary Inorganic Arsenic Concentrations of Residents Living in Old Mining Areas

The short term human exposure studies conducted on populations exposed to high concentrations of inorganic arsenic in soil have been inconsistent in demonstrating a relationship between environmental concentrations and exposure measures. In Australia there are many areas with very high arsenic concentrations in residential soil most typically associated with gold mining activities in rural areas. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between environmental arsenic and urinary inorganic arsenic concentrations in a population living in a gold mining area (soil arsenic concentrations between 9 and 9900 mg kg(-1)), and a control population with low arsenic levels in soil (between 1 and 80 mg kg(-1)). Risk factors for increased urinary arsenic concentrations were also explored. There was a weak but significant relationship between soil arsenic concentrations and inorganic urinary arsenic concentration with a Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.39. When participants with greater than 100 mg kg(-1) arsenic in residential soil were selected, the coefficient increased to 0.64. The geometric mean urinary inorganic arsenic concentration for the exposed group was 1.64 microg L(-1) (相似文献   

土壤砷的环境基准研究

本文论述了砷在土壤中的分布和存在形态,探讨了土壤砷环境基准值的确定依据。考虑到土壤性质等的影响,应用国内的研究成果,确定了土壤砷的环境基准值。     

崇明东滩湿地沉积物砷的形态特征

于2008年4月在崇明东滩湿地开展野外调查,采集表层沉积物样品,参考Walter W W等提出的砷5步提取法进行总砷、砷的形态分析。结果表明:东滩湿地沉积物总砷含量5.33~19.74 mg/kg,各形态砷所占比例:弱交换态0.6%(0.5%~0.7%);强交换态5%(3%~7%);非晶形铁铝锰氧化物结合态28%(26%~29%);晶形铁铝锰氧化物结合态21%(19%~24%);残渣态46%(42%~51%)。     

色谱自动进样瓶可溶出砷对样品砷形态测定的影响

选用几种常用玻璃色谱自动进样瓶(简称色谱瓶),包括硼硅玻璃、一级水解级玻璃和高白料玻璃色谱瓶,以及聚丙烯材质的色谱瓶,1%HNO3对色谱瓶浸提后用ICP-MS和HPLC-ICP-MS测定浸提液中砷的总量和形态,并研究了10%HNO3对色谱瓶的清洗效果;此外还探讨了温度及时间对玻璃色谱瓶中砷释放的影响.结果表明,玻璃色谱瓶中砷普遍存在,其中硼硅玻璃色谱瓶浸提液中砷浓度低于1μg·L-1,用10%HNO3酸泡24 h能够全部清除;而一级水解级玻璃和高白料玻璃色谱瓶浸提液中砷的浓度则高达45.67μg·L-1和70.25μg·L-1,酸泡24 h后也有较高的残留量,浓度分别为1.63μg·L-1和0.94μg·L-1.高温能促进玻璃色谱瓶中砷的释放;玻璃色谱瓶中砷的释放量随时间的延长而增加,但短时间内即达到平衡.形态分析结果表明,玻璃色谱瓶浸提液中砷形态为As(Ⅴ),没有检测到As(Ⅲ)、二甲基砷酸(DMA)和甲基砷酸(MMA).同时,聚丙烯色谱瓶浸提液中砷总量低于检测限,因而在进行砷形态测定时,建议使用聚丙烯色谱瓶或者经10%HNO3清洗后的硼硅玻璃色谱瓶,以避免玻璃色谱瓶中As(Ⅴ)的污染.     

焦作市大气颗粒物中水溶性砷的分布特征

利用原子荧光法对焦作市春、夏、秋、冬四季不同粒径大气颗粒物中水溶性重金属砷的分布特征及时空变化进行分析研究。研究表明：焦作市水溶性砷主要富集在PM2.1中,且颗粒物粒径越小,其富集砷的能力就越强,各级颗粒物中4级、5级、6级（0.41～2.1μm）范围内砷的含量最高,其总含量约为5.71～19.96 ng/m3,三者在不同月份所占比例高达73%～86%;由于形成机制与影响条件不同,不同粒径大气颗粒物中砷表现出明显的季节变化特征,总体趋势为冬季〉秋季〉夏季〉春季,主要原因为冬、夏季燃煤量增加,春季大气污染源减少,地表植被覆盖密集,空气环境质量较好;燃煤是焦作大气中砷的主要来源之一,且其对大气细颗粒物（粒径≤2.1μm）中砷的贡献最明显。     

Arsenic species in the well water and sediments of the blackfoot disease area in Taiwan

The blackfoot disease (BFD) observed in southwestern Taiwan is due to drinking high arsenic concentrations in well water. This paper presents some results concerning the distributions of arsenic species in water and sediments collected in the BFD (well, river and coastal) area and the background (lake and ocean) area for comparison. The results show that the concentrations of arsenate (870 ± 26 ug/L) and arsenite (70.2 ± 2.6 ug/ L) in well waters, and the contents of arsenic (1640 ug/g) with high percentage of easily reducible (Fe and Mn oxides, 91.7%) and exchangeable and carbonate (4.6%) phases in well sediments were much higher than those in river, lake and coastal samples. Low arsenic (3.46–31.8 ug/g) with high percentages (73.8–97.3%) of detritus and minerals phase with low percentages (0.4–9.8%) of total carbonate and exchangeable phases were found in the river and coastal samples in the BFD area as well as the lake and ocean samples in background area. It might suggest that the higher concentrations of toxic As(III) in well water and arsenic with higher values of easily reducible, carbonate and exchangeable phases in the well sediments, combined with the higher values of dissolved organic carbon, humic and fulvic acids and aromatic carbon as well as the higher fluorescence indensity in the well water are the key factors to cause the BFD in Taiwan.     

Arsenic in freshwater ecosystems of the Bengal delta: status,sources and seasonal variability

The study aimed to examine the contamination status of arsenic (As) in excavated small water bodies, commonly known as ponds – the integral part of daily life in the arsenic-affected rural areas of West Bengal, India in comparison to the unaffected areas. The ponds of the contaminated area had higher levels of As: water 2–174 µg L^?1 (mean 31 ± 2 µg L^?1) and sediment 1.3–37.3 mg kg^?1 (mean 10.3 ± 0.4 mg kg^?1), than those from the unaffected area: water 1–8 µg L^?1 (mean 4 ± 0 µg L^?1) and sediment 1.4–5.3 mg kg^?1 (mean 3.0 ± 0.1 mg kg^?1). A moderate positive correlation was observed between the water and sediment arsenic content of the ponds of the arsenic-affected region (r = 0.688, n = 277, p < 0.0001). Contaminated ground water, either as direct input or through agricultural washings, was found to be the major contributor of arsenic pollution to these ecosystems. Seasonal variations were not prominent. This study emphasized the beneficial role of using the studied ecosystems over the highly contaminated ground water for various livelihood activities in the Gangetic delta region.     

Transformations of <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-alkanes from petroleum pollutants in alluvial groundwaters

Investigations presented in this paper were aimed at defining the alterations of n-alkane composition in cases of oil-polluted alluvial sediments. Therefore, oil-polluted groundwater samples, taken in five different time intervals during a period of 28 months, were investigated. Samples of alluvial sediments were taken from two boreholes within an oil refinery at Pancevo, Yugoslavia. In both boreholes significant alterations with characteristic degradation of "oil" n-alkanes with no odd- or even-member predominance were observed, as well as subsequent synthesis of new ones with pronounced even-member predominance, and with maxima at C₁₆ and C₁₈. Since no additional contamination of boreholes was observed by analyses of steranes and triterpanes, the observed changes can only be attributed to microbial activity. It is assumed that for the degradation of oil n-alkanes, as well as for the synthesis of "new" n-alkanes, algae such as dinoflagellates are responsible. This assumption was confirmed by identification of n-alcohols with even-member predominance (C₁₄–C₂₀), by identification of cholesterol, as well as of n-fatty acids with even-member predominance (C₁₄–C₁₈) in the extract with n-alkane even-member predominance. Electronic Publication     

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.     

Arsenic contamination in the Kanker district of central-east India: geology and health effects

This paper identifies newer areas of arsenic contamination in the District Kanker, which adjoins the District Rajnandgaon where high contamination has been reported earlier. A correlation with the mobile phase episodes of arsenic contamination has been identified, which further hinges on the complex geology of the area. Arsenic concentrations in both surface and groundwater, aquatic organisms (snail and water weeds) soil and vegetation of Kanker district and its adjoining area have been reported here. The region has been found to contain an elevated level of arsenic. All segments of the ecoysystem are contaminated with arsenic at varying degrees. The levels of arsenic vary constantly depending on the season and location. An analysis of groundwater from 89 locations in the Kanker district has shown high values of arsenic, iron and manganese (mean: 144, 914 and 371 μg L⁻¹, respectively). The surface water of the region shows elevated levels of arsenic, which is influenced by the geological mineralised zonation. The most prevalent species in the groundwater is As(III), whereas the surface water of the rivers shows a significant contamination with the As(V) species. The analysis shows a bio-concentration of the toxic metals arsenic, nickel, copper and chromium. Higher arsenic concentrations (groundwater concentrations greater than 50 μg L⁻¹) are associated with sedimentary deposits derived from volcanic rocks, hence mineral leaching appears to be the source of arsenic contamination. Higher levels of arsenic and manganese in the Kanker district have been found to cause impacts on the flora and fauna. A case study of episodic arsenical diarrhoea is presented.     

土壤环境中砷污染的危害及其研究进展

本文综述了砷污染的危害及其形成原因，介绍了国内外土壤砷污染研究的现状，展望了21世纪砷污染研究的发展趋势．     

A Preliminary Study of Geographic Influence on Arsenic Concentrations in Human Hair

Past mining activities in the county of Cornwall in the United Kingdom, has exposed the local environment to raised levels of As. Previous research has shown an increased concentration of As in crops grown in such areas and the subsequent take-up of As through the food chain may lead to an increased body burden in man. In an attempt to evaluate this, a pilot study was carried out using Particle Induced X-ray Emission to compare the hair As concentration of a group of Cornish residents to that of a control group consisting of residents in the counties of Oxfordshire and Wiltshire. The null hypothesis being that there is no significant difference between the hair As concentrations of the two groups.Each group comprised thirty six age and sex matched subjects. The mean hair As concentration for the Cornish group was 2.51 g g-1, which is significantly greater than that of 0.7 g g-1 found in the control group (p = 0.004). The World Health Organisation suggests a hair As value greater than 1 g g-1 as evidence of increased exposure to As and 5 g g-1 is quoted by the Canadian Government as evidence of significant ingestion of As. Twenty one Cornish subjects registered a value at or above 1 g As g-1 compared to nine in the control group (p = 0.0003). Five subjects in the Cornish group had values that exceed 5 g As g-1, compared to only two in the control group (p = 0.23). We use the results of this study as evidence to support our continued work in this area in order to evaluate possible health implications.     

Arsenic mineralization,source, distribution,and abundance in the Kutahya region of the western Anatolia,Turkey

Environmental exposure to arsenic (As) in the Kutahya region of the western Anatolia, Turkey has been reported to cause various types of arsenic-associated skin disorders (Dogan, Dogan, Celebi, & Baris, 2005). A geological and mineralogical study was conducted to find the sources and distribution of the As. Geogenic (background) levels were measured in samples collected from various sources in the Gediz, Simav, Tavsanli, Emet, Yoncali, Yenicekoy, and Muratdagi areas of the Kutahya region. Based on this analysis, we determined that natural sources are a domineering factor affecting the distribution of As, which was found: (1) mainly in evaporitic minerals, including colemanite (269–3900 ppm) and gypsum (11–99,999 ppm), but also in alunite (7–10 ppm) and chert (54–219 ppm); (2) in secondary epithermal gypsum, which has a high concentration of As in the form of realgar and orpiment along fracture zones of Mesozoic and Cenozoic carbonate aquifers; (3) in rocks, including limestone/dolomite (3–699 ppm) and travertine (5–4736 ppm), which are relatively more enriched in As than volcanics (2–14 ppm), probably because of secondary enrichment through hydrological systems; (4) in coal (1.9–46.5 ppm) in the sedimentary successions of the Tertiary basins; (5) in thermal waters, where As is unevenly distributed at concentrations varying from 0.0–0.9 mg/l. The highest As concentrations in thermal water (Gediz and Simav) correlate to the higher pH (7–9.3) and T (60–83°C) conditions and to the type of water (Na–HCO₃–SO₄ with high concentration of Ca, Mg, K, SiO₂, and Cl in the water). Changes in pH can be related to some redox reactions, such as the cation exchange reactions driving the dissolution of carbonates and silicates. Fe-oxidation, high pH values (7–9.3), presence of other trace metals (Ni, Co, Pb, Zn, Al), increased salinity (Na, Cl), high B, Li, F, and SiO, high Fe, SO₄ (magnetite, specularite-hematite, gypsum), and graphite, and the presence of U, Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, and B, especially in the Emet, Gediz, and Simav areas, are the typical indicators for the geothermally affected water with high As content. A sixth source of As in this region is the ground (0.0–10.7 mg/l) and the surface waters (0.0022–0.01 mg/l), which are controlled by water–rock interaction, fracture system, and mixing/dilution of thermal waters. The high As concentration in groundwater corresponds to the areas where pathological changes are greatest in the habitants. Arsenic in ground water also effects ecology. For example, only Juriperus oxycedrus and J. varioxycedrus types of vegetation are observed in locations with the highest concentration of As in the region. Branches and roots of these plants are enriched in As.     

Arsenic in Drinking Water and Bladder Cancer: Comparison between Studies Based on Cancer Registry and Death Certificates

Associations between arsenic in drinking water and bladder cancer in an area along the southwest coast of Taiwan have been documented for decades. Several ecologic studies were conducted to assess the dose-response relationships. Some of them used the National Cancer Registry Program to identify cancer cases, and some used death certificates. Whereas the cancer registry collects information on all patients no matter if they died of bladder cancer or not, the case ascertainment might be incomplete due to the fact that reporting of cases is not mandatory. Reporting of death, on the other hand, is strictly enforced by law, but patients who did not die of bladder cancer might not be identified. In order to assess the problems with both approaches, we conducted a study using both case identification mechanisms. A total of 243 townships with measurements of arsenic in drinking water were included in the analysis of cancer registry data, and death certificates were collected from 10 of those townships. In both analyses, the same measurements of arsenic made by the mercuric bromide stain method were adopted. Due to limitation of the method, all levels below 0.04mg L^–1 were combined as a single exposure category. The results were very much alike; both approaches detected statistically significant associations between high arsenic levels in drinking water (above 0.64mg L^–1) and occurrence of bladder cancer but did not find such associations for arsenic exposures at lower levels.     

Humic Acids from Endemic Arsenicosis Areas in Inner Mongolia and from the Blackfoot-Disease Areas in Taiwan: A Comparative Study

The physical and chemical properties of humic acids (HA) extracted from drinking waters from the endemic arsenicosis areas in Inner Mongolia and from the Blackfoot disease (BD) areas in Taiwan are studied by using AAS (atomic absorption spectrophotometry), ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma emission-mass spectrometry), IR (Infrared spectroscopy), FR (fluorescence spectrometry) and TLS (total luminescence spectroscopy) in order to shed light on the pathogenesis of BD with the concern as to whether the disease may eventually occur in arsenicosis-affected areas in the Mainland of China. Ames test and lipid peroxidation experiments were also conducted on these HA samples. It is found that water samples from the two regions are high in arsenic (As) with strong fluorescence and apparent positive correlations between As content, fluorescence, pH and total dissolved solids (TDS). The water samples are similar in fluorescence spectra but differ somewhat in IR and TLS between the two regions. The difference may be a reflection of the difference in radicals and structure of the HA owing to different hydrogeological conditions, and may also be related to the difference in their biological effects, i.e., HA from Inner Mongolia have a stronger ability to cause lipid peroxidation while HA from Taiwan exhibits a more prominent effect of mutation with respect to TA98(±S9).