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.     

Sorption and bioavailability of arsenic in selected Bangladesh soils

The bioavailability of arsenic (As) in the soil environment is largely governed by its adsorption–desorption reactions with soil constituents. We have investigated the sorption–desorption behaviour of As in four typical Bangladeshi soils subjected to irrigation with As-contaminated groundwater. The total As content of soils (160 samples) from the Laksham district ranged from <0.03 to approximately 43 mg kg⁻¹. Despite the low total soil As content, the concentration of As in the pore water of soils freshly irrigated with As-contaminated groundwater ranged from 0.01 to 0.1 mg l⁻¹. However, when these soils were allowed to dry, the concentration of As released in the pore water decreased to undetectable levels. Remoistening of soils to field moisture over a 10-day period resulted in a significant (up to 0.06 mg l⁻¹) release of As in the pore water of soils containing >10 mg As kg⁻¹ soil, indicating the potential availability of As. In soils containing <5 mg As kg⁻¹, As was not detected in the pore water. A comparison of Bangladeshi soils with strongly weathered long-term As-contaminated soils from Queensland, Australia showed a much greater release of As in water extracts from the Australian soils. However, this was attributed to the much higher loading of As in these Australian soils. The correlation of pore water As with other inorganic ions (P, S) showed a strongly significant (P < 0.001) relationship with P, although there was no significant relationship between As and other inorganic cations, such as Fe and Mn. Batch sorption studies showed an appreciable capacity for both As^V and As^III sorption, with As^V being retained in much greater concentrations than As^III.     

Terrigenous Inputs and Accumulation of Trace Metals in the Southeastern Taiwan Strait

Abstract

Terrigenous inputs and sedimentary fluxes of trace metals were studied to understand the metal sources, transport and sinks in the southeastern Taiwan Strait. the major terrigenous metals come from seven major rivers in the southwestern Taiwan, even though significant fractions of most metals were retained in estuaries. the net fluxes of river borne metals contributed from 65% (Pb) to 92% (Fe, Zn) of total inputs. the remainder was attributed to marine sewage discharges (0.6–6.9%) and atmospheric inputs (5.3–31.5%). Sedimentary fluxes of trace metals were spatially variable as a result of derivation from site-specific sedimentation rates and metal distributions in sediments. in spite of imbalance between sources and sinks of trace metals, an accumulation of metals in the sediment of southeastern Taiwan Strait was found for sites close to Taiwan Island. Surface enrichment of metals in near-shore sediments beginning around 1976 was coincident with a time of industrial boom in Taiwan. the metal enrichment hierarchy was found as (Cd, Pb < Cu < Zn < Mn, Fe).     

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.     

Predicting arsenic concentration in groundwater of Bangladesh using Bayesian geostatistical model

The pattern of the spatial variation in arsenic concentration in groundwater of Bangladesh is usually needed for the planning of safe drinking water. Often a model-based prediction is required for this purpose. In this paper, we fit a Bayesian hierarchical geostatistical model by utilizing data from the project, ‘Groundwater studies of arsenic concentration in Bangladesh’ conducted by the British Geological Survey and the Department of Public Health Engineering of Bangladesh. We also develop a predictive model for arsenic concentration at different levels of well-depth using the same approach. The resulting predictive model has been cross-validated by appropriate statistical tools. Finally, we obtained reliable spatially continuous predictive maps and predictive probability maps showing the areas with high probability of arsenic concentration for different levels of well-depth. Results indicate that our model fits the data well and captures a substantial amount of spatial variation. Moreover, well-depth is found to have a significant contribution in explaining the observed variation in arsenic concentration. The predictive maps that have been produced are observed to be different for various levels of well-depths and are expected to be helpful to the policy makers in preparing proper regional planning for safe drinking water.     

珠江三角洲冲积平原种植热带果树的土壤条件探讨

以广州市番禺区万顷沙十五涌的土壤为例，探讨珠江三角洲冲积平原种植热带果树的土壤条件。该地土壤位于珠江三角洲冲积平原，是由工人围海造田而成的，有关部门计划在此大面积种植木瓜、杨桃、番石榴等热带果树。通过在种植果树前进行土壤本底调查，摸清土壤养分含量状况，找出土壤存在问题，并结合果树生长的需要，提出土壤利用改良意见。降低地下水位，合理施肥，建立合理的间套作制度，是提高和稳定土壤肥力的基本措施。     

Mobilization of arsenic in groundwater of Bangladesh: evidence from an incubation study

The extensive extraction of arsenic (As)-contaminated groundwaters for drinking, household and agricultural purposes represents a serious health concern in many districts of Bangladesh. This laboratory-based incubation study investigated the sources and mechanisms of As mobilization in these groundwaters. Several incubation studies were carried out using sediments collected from the Bangladesh aquifer that were supplemented, or not, with different nutrients, followed by an analysis of the sediment suspensions for pH, ORP (oxidation-reduction potential), EC (electrical conductivity) and As and Fe(ΙΙ) concentrations. In the substrate-amended sediment suspensions incubated under anaerobic environment, there was a mobilization of As (maximum: 50–67 μg/l) and Fe(ΙΙ) (maximum: 182 μg/l), while the ORP value decreased immediately and drastically (as much as −468 mV to −560 mV) within 5–6 days. In the sediment suspensions incubated under control and aerobic conditions, no significant As mobilization occurred. The simultaneous mobilization of As and Fe(ΙΙ) from sediments is a strong indication that their mobilization resulted from the reduction of Fe oxyhydroxide by the enhanced activity of indigenous bacteria present in the sediments; this phenomenon also provides insights on the mobilization mechanism of As in groundwater. The concentrations of As in the sediments used in the incubation studies were strongly linked to the gradients of redox potential development that was stimulated by the quantity of organic nutrient (glucose) used. The penetration of surface-derived organic matter into the shallow aquifer may stimulate the activity of microbial communities, thereby leading to a reduction of iron oxyhydroxide and As release.     

Migration of manganese and iron during the adsorption-regeneration cycles for arsenic removal

Fe-Mn binary oxide incorporated into porous diatomite (FMBO-diatomite) was prepared in situ and regenerated in a fixed-bed column for arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] removal. Four consecutive adsorption cycles were operated under the following conditions: Initial arsenic concentration of 0.1 mg·L^-1, empty bed contact time of 5 min, and pH 7.0. About 3000, 3300, 3800, and 4500 bed volumes of eligible effluent (arsenic concentration≤0.01 mg·L^-1) were obtained in four As(III) adsorption cycles; while about 2000, 2300, 2500, and 3100 bed volumes of eligible effluent were obtained in four As(V) adsorption cycles. The dissection results of FMBO-diatomite fixed-bed exhibited that small amounts of manganese and iron were transferred from the top of the fixed-bed to the bottom of the fixed-bed during As(III) removal process. Compared to the extremely low concentration of iron (<0.01 mg·L^-1), the fluctuation concentration of Mn²⁺ in effluent of the As(III) removal column was in a range of 0.01–0.08 mg·L^-1. The release of manganese suggested that manganese oxides played an important role in As(III) oxidation. Determined with the US EPA toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), the leaching risk of As(III) on exhausted FMBO-diatomite was lower than that of As(V).     

砷-铅交互作用对水稻根表铁膜富集及根系吸收砷铅的影响

采用土-砂联合培养方法诱导水稻根表自然形成铁氧化物膜,研究了As-Pb交互作用对水稻根表铁膜吸附砷铅及根系吸收As和Pb的影响.结果表明,As和Pb的添加显著地影响水稻根表铁膜对As和Pb的吸附,并且As-Pb交互作用显著地影响水稻根系对两元素的吸收及根表铁膜对As的吸附.添加Pb可促进水稻根系对As的吸收.当As浓度为25μmol.L-1时,浓度为25μmol.L-1Pb处理与对照相比导致水稻根系吸收As提高了53.3%.同样,施用As也可以促进水稻根系对Pb的吸收,当Pb的浓度为25μmol.L-1和50μmol.L-1时,50μmol.L-1As处理与对照相比,水稻根系吸收Pb分别提高20.2%和28.6%.添加As显著地促进Pb由铁膜向根系中转运,而添加Pb对As由铁膜向根系中的转运影响不大.因此,在重金属复合污染情况下,水稻根表铁膜对重金属的吸附及根系对重金属的吸收均存在着复杂的交互作用.     

Implementation of food frequency questionnaire for the assessment of total dietary arsenic intake in Bangladesh: Part B, preliminary findings

Dietary intake of water and food has been identified as one of the major pathways for arsenic (As) exposure in the rural population of Bangladesh. Therefore, realistic assessment and measurement of dietary intake patterns are important for the development of an accurate estimate of As exposure and human health risk assessment. One important consideration is to identify an appropriate tool for measuring dietary intake. In this study an interviewer-administered Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was implemented to determine age and gender specific dietary intake. The developed FFQ was unique because it developed a synergy between field dietary assessment and As concentration measurements in various environmental media. The resulting integrated database provided an accurate framework for the process of As exposure and human health risk assessment. The preliminary results reported here from the FFQ demonstrated that this technique could be used in rural areas as a tool to assess As exposure and the associated human health risk.     

Hair burning and liming in tanneries is a source of pollution by arsenic,lead, zinc,manganese and iron

Heavy metals in the environment may be toxic for human and animals. Tanneries are a source of pollution by heavy metals. There is little information on heavy metals pollution in tanneries, especially on metals produced by the process of hair burning and liming. Liming is the first stage of chemical treatment where animal hair or wool is removed with sodium sulphide and calcium oxide. Here we studied cow, goat, buffalo and sheep hair, conventional liming agents and liming wastewaters from several sources. Samples were acid-digested and aliquots were analysed by atomic absorption spectroscopy following APHA standard method to measure concentrations of arsenic, lead, cadmium, zinc, manganese and iron. Results show that the range of metal contents in hair or wool and liming agents are 1.3–8.2 mg/kg for arsenic, 0.02–21.8 mg/kg for lead, 17.7–121.0 mg/kg for manganese, 7.3–141.1 mg/kg for zinc and 119.6–10613.8 mg/kg for iron. Liming wastewaters contain 1.9–5.6 µg/L arsenic, 0.03–6.05 µg/L lead, 38.6–139.0 µg/L manganese, 144.0–171.5 µg/L zinc and 399.5–1069.0 µg/L iron. Cadmium was below detection limits. This is the first investigation that reveals that hair burning liming operation is a potential source of heavy metals in the environment.     

Accumulation of arsenic from water and food by Littorina littoralis and Nucella lapillus

The mechanism, and factors influencing the process of arsenic accumulation and elimination in a food chain [Fucus spiralis (L.) Littorina littoralis (L.) Nucella lapillus (L.)] were examined using the radioisotope ⁷⁴As. Organisms were collected during 1978 from the estuary of Restronguet. Creek in southwest England. Arsenate uptake by L. littoralis increased linearly with increasing external arsenate concentration up to ca. 500 g 1^-1 but was independent at higher arsenate concentrations. Arsenic uptake by L. littoralis was suppressed by metabolic inhibition (potassium cyanide) and lowered salinity. At 26°C, arsenic uptake was twice that at 10°C. L. littoralis accumulated 1o times more arsenic from solution than N. lapillus. Approximately 91% of ⁷⁴As accumulated from water by L. littoralis was found in the soft tissues, especially the digestive gland and gonads, but in N. lapillus 85% was associated with the shell. Arsenate uptake was twice that of arsenite in L. littoralis. Phosphate at normal environmental levels (2.4 M) did not influence the accumulation of arsenic by L. littoralis, although concentration-dependent inhibition of arsenic uptake was found between 8 and 17 M. Compared with macroalgae, the marine snails exhibit a much greater ability for eliminating arsenic. In L. littoralis the elimination of ⁷⁴As absorbed from sea water occurred in three stages, each contining equal amounts of the initial ⁷⁴As pool, with biological half-lives of 4, 13 and 47 d. A biphasic pattern of elimination was found for food-labelled snails (L. littoralis and N. lapillus). The rapid compartment, contributing a third of the arsenic, had a half-life of 4 d, while that of the slow compartment was 12 to 13 d. Fed snails eliminated arsenic more rapidly and extensively than starved individuals. All arsenic in the tissues of the snails studied was available for exchange with that in the environment. The diet is by far the major source of arsenic in L. littoralis and N. lapillus, which appear equally efficient at assimilating arsenic from food.     

Reductive dissolution and sequestration of arsenic by microbial iron and thiosulfate reduction

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Iron oxide and oxy-hydroxide are commonly used for remediation and rehabilitation of arsenic (As)-contaminated soil and water. However, the stability of As...     

Fast transformation of roxarsone into toxic arsenic species with ferrous iron and tetrapolyphosphate

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Organoarsenic compounds have been widely used as feed additives in livestock and poultry breeding. They are excreted in manure and thus cause environmental...     

Effect of arsenic species on the growth and arsenic accumulation in Cucumis sativus

The effects of arsenic (As) species, such as As(III), As(V) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), on the accumulation of As in cucumber (Cucumis sativus), as well as on its growth in a soil mesocosm were evaluated. When Cucumis sativus was cultivated in soils contaminated with 20 and 50 mg/kg of As(III), As(V) or DMA for 40 days, the growth was markedly inhibited by the inorganic As (As(III) and As(V)) rather than the organic As (DMA). Irrespective of the As species, the As concentrations accumulated in Cucumis sativus increased with increasing As concentration in the soil. The As bioaccumulation factors from soil into the tissue of Cucumis sativus were 17.5-35.4, 29.3-42.7 and 17.6-25.7 for As(III), As(V) and DMA, respectively. In addition, the As translocation factors from the roots to shoots were 0.025-0.031, 0.018-0.032 and 0.014-0.026 for As(III), As(V) and DMA, respectively. In conclusion, Cucumis sativus mainly accumulated As in its roots rather than its shoots and easily accumulated inorganic rather than organic As from the soil into its tissue.     

Ecotoxicological characterization of tannery wastewater in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Tanning industries are one of the main economic activities in Bangladesh. It has been well documented that wastewater discharged from tanneries without appropriate treatment results in detrimental effects on the ecosystem. No ecotoxicity evaluation of any aquatic environment in Bangladesh has been conducted so far. In this study a battery of toxicity bioassays and chemical analysis were carried out from water samples obtained from three sampling points: upstream from discharging site on River Buriganga (S1), raw wastewater effluent (S2), and downstream the discharging sluice gate (S3), in the Hazaribagh tannery area of Dhaka City, Bangladesh. While S1 and S3 water samples did not show significant toxicity in the bioassays tested, S2 exhibited high acute toxicity to the bacterium Vibrio fischeri (15-min Microtox test, EC50 = 9.8%), the higher plant Lactuca sativa (5-day root elongation inhibition test, EC50 = 14.2%), and the microcrustacean Daphnia magna (24-hour mobility test, EC50 = 31.5%). The results suggested that the raw wastewater effluent had detrimental effects on broad spectrum of organisms in the aquatic ecosystem and bacterium was the most sensitive. The chemical analysis revealed that sample S2 contained an extremely high concentration of chromium (47 g l(-1)). Additionally microbiological analysis indicated that the sampling area is impacted by fecal pollution, increasing the environmental health risk for its inhabitants.     

Environmental variables and fisheries diversity of the Naaf River Estuary,Bangladesh

The Naaf River estuary is one of the large estuaries in the Bangladesh coastal region not to have been affected by extensive human disturbance. This research provides information about the fisheries diversity status by Estuarine Set Bag Net (ESBN) sampling relation to physicochemical variables in both spatio-temporal scales. About 25 km of the lower estuary was divided into six zones for sample collection by considering the accessibility and availability of the ESBN operation, fish landing centers and location of the fishing villages. In total 48 samples have been analyzed which were taken throughout March to October 2006. To quantify the species diversity, all fisheries data were analyzed by using EstimateS and EcoSim software which accounts the different diversity indices viz., species richness, Shannon–Wiener diversity Index, Dominance and Evenness index. The research results demonstrate that the Naaf River estuary is a habitat of 161 (species richness, Sobs = 161, Choa 1 = 162 ± 2.34, ACE = 161.73) different species which belong to 98 fin fishes, 23 shrimps and prawns, 13 crabs, 11 molluscs, 3 echinoderms, 4 other crustaceans; while 9 remain unidentified. Results on the aquatic environment, mainly salinity and turbidity were found to have a major influence on their occurrence and distribution. All the findings indicated that the Naaf River estuary is a highly productive system and provides a favourable environment for large variety of estuarine species assemblages.     

Analytical survey of arsenic in geothermal waters from sites in Kyushu,Japan, and a method for removing arsenic using magnetite

The objective of this study was to survey the cation and anion contents of geothermal waters to gather fundamental information on geographical variations. Sixteen sites in hot spring areas on the island of Kyushu in Japan were studied. The study focused on the arsenic content of the samples. Very high arsenic concentrations (more than 0.1 mg/l) were detected in most of the geothermal waters sampled. High contents of boron and fluoride (more than 1.0 mg/l) were also detected in some samples. Arsenic removal was performed on a laboratory scale using columns packed with a magnetite-type adsorbent. The reduction of arsenic contamination to a concentration of less than 0.01 mg/l could be achieved in the early stages of adsorption (bed volume = 200).