Arsenic in groundwater of the Red River floodplain, Vietnam: Controlling geochemical processes and reactive transport modeling

The mobilization of arsenic (As) to the groundwater was studied in a shallow Holocene aquifer on the Red River flood plain near Hanoi, Vietnam. The groundwater chemistry was investigated in a transect of 100 piezometers. Results show an anoxic aquifer featuring organic carbon decomposition with redox zonation dominated by the reduction of Fe-oxides and methanogenesis. Enhanced P_CO2 pressure causes carbonate dissolution to take place but mainly in the soil and unsaturated zone. The concentration of As increases over depth to a concentration of up to 550 μg/L. Most As is present as As(III) but some As(V) is always found. Arsenic correlates well with NH₄, relating its release to organic matter decomposition and the source of As appears to be the Fe-oxides being reduced. Part of the produced Fe(II) is apparently reprecipitated as siderite containing less As. Results from sediment extraction indicate most As to be related to the Fe-oxide fractions. The measured amount of sorbed As is low. In agreement, speciation calculations for a Fe-oxide surface suggest As(III) to constitute only 3% of the surface sites while the remainder is occupied by carbonate and silica species. The evolution in water chemistry over depth is homogeneous and a reactive transport model was constructed to quantify the geochemical processes along the vertical groundwater flow component. A redox zonation model was constructed using the partial equilibrium approach with organic carbon degradation in the sediment as the only rate controlling parameter. Apart from the upper meter a constant degradation rate of 0.15 C mmol/L/yr could explain the redox zonation throughout the aquifer. Modeling also indicates that the Fe-oxide being reduced is of a stable type like goethite or hematite. Arsenic is contained in the Fe-oxides and is first released during their dissolution. Our model further suggests that part of the released As is adsorbed on the surface of the remaining Fe-oxides and in this way may be retarded.     

Chemical and mineralogical composition of Amazon River floodplain sediments,Brazil

The total and exchangeable concentration of major elements and the mineralogical composition of sediments collected along the Amazon River floodplain (várzea) were determined. Average elemental composition (wt%) decreased in the order: Si>Al>Fe>Na>Ca>K>Mg>Ti. There was some spatial variability: the concentration of Al, Na and Mg decreased downstream; the concentration of Fe, K and Ti remained constant; the Si concentration increased toward the Amazon River mouth. Mineralogically, there was a downriver increase in the concentration of quartz and kaolinite, and a concurrent decrease in the concentration of Na- and Ca-plagioclases. On the other hand smectite-vermiculite clay minerals increased and the mica (illite) concentration remained constant. A mass balance indicated that, except for illite, downriver changes in the other minerals were not caused solely by mixing of Amazon River water with water from the major tributaries, which have a distinctly different composition. Therefore, the mass balance indicated that plagioclases and smectite-vermiculite had been lost in the várzea, while kaolinite was formed there.     

K-Ar Dating of Fault Gouges from the Red River Fault Zone of Vietnam

Constraining the timing of fault zone formation is fundamentally important in terms of geotectonics to understand structural evolution and brittle fault processes.This paper presents the first authigenic illite K-Ar age data from fault gouge samples collected from the Red River Shear Zone at Lao Cai province,Vietnam.The fault gouge samples were separated into three grain-size fractions(0.1 μm,0.1-0.4 μm and 0.4-1.0 μm).The results show that the K-Ar age values decrease from coarser to finer grain fractions(24.1 to 19.2 Ma),suggesting enrichment in finer fraction of morerecently grown authigenic illites.The timing of the fault movement are the lower intercept ages at 0%detrital illite(19.2 ± 0.92 Ma and 19.4 ± 0.49 Ma).In combination with previous geochronological data,this result indicates that the metamorphism of the Day Nui Con Voi(DNCV) metamorphic complex took place before ca.26.8 Ma.At about 26.8 Ma-25 Ma,the fault strongly acted to cause the rapid exhumation of the rocks along the Red River-Ailoa Shan Fault Zone(RR-ASFZ).During brittle deformation,the DNCV slowly uplifted,implying weak movement of the fault.This brittle deformation might have lasted for ca.5 Ma.     

Hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater from the two main aquifers in the Red River Delta,Vietnam

In the Red River Delta, situated in the northern part of Vietnam, nearly its entire population depends solely on groundwater for daily water consumptions. For this reason, groundwater quality assessments must be carefully carried out using hydrogeochemical properties, to ensure effective groundwater resource planning for the Delta’s present and future groundwater use. In this study, the spatial and seasonal changes in the hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater in the two main aquifers of the RRD were investigated by analyzing the physicochemical data obtained in 2011 from 31 conjunctive wells in the Delta’s Holocene unconfined aquifer (HUA) and Pleistocene confined aquifer (PCA) using the Piper diagram and the Gibbs diagram. Results of the data analysis show that the groundwater in both aquifers in the upstream area of the delta is dominated by the [Ca²⁺–HCO₃⁻] water-type, while the [Na⁺–Cl⁻] dominates along the middle-stream and downstream areas. Seasonal changes in the hydrogeochemical facies in both aquifers, comparing the results for the dry and the rainy seasons, were detected in about one third of the sampling wells, which were mainly located at the upstream portion of the Delta. The hydrogeochemical facies of HUA were different from that of PCA by about 45% of the sampling wells in both the dry and the rainy seasons, which were found mostly in the upstream and middle-stream areas.     

Palaeo-hydrogeological control on groundwater As levels in Red River delta,Vietnam

To study the geological control on groundwater As concentrations in Red River delta, depth-specific groundwater sampling and geophysical logging in 11 monitoring wells was conducted along a 45 km transect across the southern and central part of the delta, and the literature on the Red River delta’s Quaternary geological development was reviewed. The water samples (n = 30) were analyzed for As, major ions, Fe²⁺, H₂S, NH₄, CH₄, δ¹⁸O and δD, and the geophysical log suite included natural gamma-ray, formation and fluid electrical conductivity. The SW part of the transect intersects deposits of grey estuarine clays and deltaic sands in a 15–20 km wide and 50–60 m deep Holocene incised valley. The NE part of the transect consists of 60–120 m of Pleistocene yellowish alluvial deposits underneath 10–30 m of estuarine clay overlain by a 10–20 m veneer of Holocene sediments. The distribution of δ¹⁸O-values (range −12.2‰ to −6.3‰) and hydraulic head in the sample wells indicate that the estuarine clay units divide the flow system into an upper Holocene aquifer and a lower Pleistocene aquifer. The groundwater samples were all anoxic, and contained Fe²⁺ (0.03–2.0 mM), Mn (0.7–320 μM), SO₄ (<2.1 μM–0.75 mM), H₂S (<0.1–7.0 μM), NH₄ (0.03–4.4 mM), and CH₄ (0.08–14.5 mM). Generally, higher concentrations of NH₄ and CH₄ and low concentrations of SO₄ were found in the SW part of the transect, dominated by Holocene deposits, while the opposite was the case for the NE part of the transect. The distribution of the groundwater As concentration (<0.013–11.7 μM; median 0.12 μM (9 μg/L)) is related to the distribution of NH₄, CH₄ and SO₄. Low concentrations of As (?0.32 μM) were found in the Pleistocene aquifer, while the highest As concentrations were found in the Holocene aquifer. PHREEQC-2 speciation calculations indicated that Fe²⁺ and H₂S concentrations are controlled by equilibrium for disordered mackinawite and precipitation of siderite. An elevated groundwater salinity (Cl range 0.19–65.1 mM) was observed in both aquifers, and dominated in the deep aquifer. A negative correlation between aqueous As and an estimate of reduced SO₄ was observed, indicating that Fe sulphide precipitation poses a secondary control on the groundwater As concentration.     

Spatio-temporal analysis of recent groundwater-level trends in the Red River Delta, Vietnam

A groundwater-monitoring network has been in operation in the Red River Delta, Vietnam, since 1995. Trends in groundwater level (1995?C2009) in 57 wells in the Holocene unconfined aquifer and 63 wells in the Pleistocene confined aquifer were determined by applying the non-parametric Mann-Kendall trend test and Sen??s slope estimator. At each well, 17 time series (e.g. annual, seasonal, monthly), computed from the original data, were analyzed. Analysis of the annual groundwater-level means revealed that 35?% of the wells in the unconfined aquifer showed downward trends, while about 21?% showed upward trends. On the other hand, confined-aquifer groundwater levels experienced downward trends in almost all locations. Spatial distributions of trends indicated that the strongly declining trends (>0.3?m/year) were mainly found in urban areas around Hanoi where there is intensive abstraction of groundwater. Although the trend results for most of the 17 time series at a given well were quite similar, different trend patterns were detected in several. The findings reflect unsustainable groundwater development and the importance of maintaining groundwater monitoring and a database in the Delta, particularly in urban areas.     

Holocene estuarine sediments as a source of arsenic in Pleistocene groundwater in suburbs of Hanoi,Vietnam

Groundwater pollution by arsenic is a major health threat in suburban areas of Hanoi, Vietnam. The present study evaluates the effect of the sedimentary environments of the Pleistocene and Holocene deposits, and the recharge systems, on the groundwater arsenic pollution in Hanoi suburbs distant from the Red River. At two study sites (Linh Dam and Tai Mo communes), undisturbed soil cores identified a Pleistocene confined aquifer (PCA) and Holocene unconfined aquifer (HUA) as major aquifers, and Holocene estuarine and deltaic sediments as an aquitard layer between the two aquifers. The Holocene estuarine sediments (approximately 25–40 m depth, 9.6–4.8 cal ka BP) contained notably high concentrations of arsenic and organic matter, both likely to have been accumulated by mangroves during the Holocene sea-level highstand. The pore waters in these particular sediments exhibited elevated levels of arsenic and dissolved organic carbon. Arsenic in groundwater was higher in the PCA (25–94 μg/L) than in the HUA (5.2–42 μg/L), in both the monitoring wells and neighboring household tubewells. Elevated arsenic concentration in the PCA groundwater was likely due to vertical infiltration through the arsenic-rich and organic-matter-rich overlying Holocene estuarine sediments, caused by massive groundwater abstraction from the PCA. Countermeasures to prevent arsenic pollution of the PCA groundwater may include seeking alternative water resources, reducing water consumption, and/or appropriate choice of aquifers for groundwater supply.     

Evaluation of food risk parameters in the Day River Flood Diversion Area,Red River Delta,Vietnam

An interdisciplinary approach is necessary for flood risk assessment. Questions are often raised about which factors should be considered important in assessing the flood risk in an area and how to quantify these factors. This article defines and quantitatively evaluates the flood risk factors that would affect the Day River Flood Diversion Area in the context of integrated flood management in the Red River Delta, Vietnam. Expert analysis, in conjunction with field survey and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), is applied to define and quantify parameters (indicators, subcomponents, and components) that contribute to flood risk. Flood duration is found to be the most prominent indicator in determining flood hazard. Residential buildings, population, and pollution are other fairly significant indicators contributing to flood vulnerability from the economic, social, and environmental perspectives, respectively. The study results will be useful in developing comprehensive flood risk maps for policy-makers and responsible authorities. Besides, local residents will also be able to implement suitable measures for reducing flood risk in the study area.     

Contamination of sediments in the floodplain wetlands of the lower uMngeni River,Kwa-Zulu Natal,South Africa

This study describes the geochemical and physico-chemical characterization of contaminant status of six wetlands of the lower uMngeni River floodplain, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. At all sites, organic matter content, calcium carbonate and metal concentrations were highest within the fine-sediment dominated surface laminae, decreasing with depth. Exceptions were displayed by arsenic (As), nickel (Ni) and vanadium (V), presumed to be derived from normal geochemical processes. Geochemical indicies indicated high contamination factors for lead (Pb) and V, pointing to moderate anthropogenic metal pollution contribution. Most conspicuous are the contamination high factors for Pb across most sites. Fe and Pb contamination is ubiquitous in all surface laminae, with contamination factors being either border-line, moderate or of high contamination. Enrichment factors for As, Mn and P at site S6 indicate possible anthropogenic sources. The data also shows a possibility of anthropogenic input of P and Zn at site S3. Apart from the enrichment factors established for Ni across all sites, all other metals indicate some degree of enrichment. A range of variable results for the mid to deeper laminae are indicative of natural processes with some human influence. Results of ANOVA confirm the above. Principal component analysis reveals a 46.4% variance from component 1 elements (Al, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn and Zn) and a 17.8% variance from component 2 (Al, Cu and Fe). Given the rapid rate of development in this region, the protection of these floodplain wetlands must receive high conservation priority from the local municipality.     

Alluvial deposits from the strike-slip fault Lo River Basin (Oligocene/Miocene), Red River Fault Zone, north-western Vietnam

The Lo River Basin (LRB) is one of several narrow sedimentary basins associated with the main faults of the Red River Fault Zone separating the South China and Indochina microplates. The basin is located on the NE boundary of the high-grade metamorphic Con Voi Massif and the sedimentary and metasedimentary Viet Bac fold zone in north-eastern Vietnam.The LRB is filled with over 6000 m of Oligocene/Miocene alluvial deposits. The source area was probably located on the NE margin of the basin and was composed mostly of low-grade metamorphic rocks with a minor component of sedimentary rocks. Three alluvial systems are recognised. The oldest system was a proximal braided river system, with the minor occurrence of alluvial fans. The younger systems record changes in clast composition and lithofacies, which suggests a transition from a distal braided river to a distal braidplain system. The LRB fill shows a range of features characteristic of strike-slip fault basins. The origin of the LRB is correlated with the left-lateral transtensional regime. The present shape of the basin is a result of post-sedimentation tectonic activity.     

Diagenetic control on arsenic partitioning in sediments of the Meghna River delta,Bangladesh

A stratigraphic profile of solid phase As was measured to investigate the diagenetic cycling of arsenic and related elements in fluvial sediments of the Meghna River delta plain. The distributions of Fe, Mn, and Al are typically characterized by surficial solid phase enrichment, and As is distributed down to 36.6 m showing similar alternate layers of maxima and minima with Fe, Mn and TOC, which reflects the diagenetic remobilization and periodical differences in source materials of As. Lithological characteristics and geochemical data suggest that elevated levels of As are found in organic-matter-rich clay and silty sand rather than sand samples, with occasionally enriched As content in iron-oxyhydroxide-coated sand grains. Arsenic demonstrates a positive and significant co-variation with total organic carbon in sediments, which suggests the important role of particulate and colloidal organic matter and biological activity in controlling the distribution of arsenic in the Bengal delta. However, the concentrations of Fe and Mn weakly correlate with As contents, whereas Al contents show no relationship with As. The results of this study suggest that reactive oxides or hydroxides of Fe and Mn, rather than Fe and Mn with other minerals, might control arsenic distribution.     

Riverbank stability assessment under flooding conditions in the Red River of Hanoi,Vietnam

The literature contains limited information on variations in the factors of safety (FOS) of riverbank stability associated with river water level (RWL) fluctuations. This paper analyses a case study on the portion of the Red River flowing through Hanoi using the finite element method and extending the mechanics of saturated and unsaturated soils to understand how the riverbank’s FOS varies with RWL fluctuations. The results show that hydrostatic force is one of the key parameters influencing the FOS when the soil’s hydraulic conductivity is less than 10⁻⁶ m/s. However, the pore-water pressure and rate of RWL change are the key parameters influencing the FOS when the hydraulic conductivity is greater than 10⁻⁶ m/s. The study also indicates that a surcharge of 50 kPa or higher significantly weakens the riverbank stability and influences the FOS when the RWL rises. The construction of residential or other structures without taking special protection measures within 50 m of the lateral riverbank should be avoided for safety reasons.     

内蒙古西拉木伦河河漫滩沉积物碎屑锆石U-Pb年龄、Hf同位素组成及其地质意义

本文利用LA-MC-ICP-MS分析技术,对内蒙古西拉木伦河河漫滩沉积物碎屑锆石进行了U-Pb年龄和Hf同位素研究。西拉木伦河河漫滩沉积物样品XL中的碎屑锆石年龄主要分为4个组:108~550Ma、699~918Ma、1789~2109Ma和2347~2633Ma;西拉木伦河河漫滩沉积物样品XL2中的碎屑锆石主要分为3个组:122~526Ma、1791~1969Ma和2176~2692Ma。1.8Ga和2.5Ga是华北板块的两个特征年龄,700~900Ma的碎屑锆石在兴蒙造山带中存在,华北板块北缘却不存在。 Lu-Hf同位素分析,西拉木伦河河漫滩沉积物大量碎屑锆石为t_DM2<1000Ma和ε_Hf(t)>0,部分碎屑锆石t_DM2分布在2.7Ga附近。以上特征均表明西拉木伦河河漫滩沉积物具有华北板块北缘与兴蒙造山带的混合特征。但是在有兴蒙造山带物质加入之后,样品XL2中却缺少700~900Ma的碎屑锆石,根据河漫滩沉积物的粒度分析及西辽河U-Pb年龄结果,原因可能是河流的分选作用。根据碎屑锆石U-Pb年龄和t_DM2累积曲线的线性混合,华北板块北缘与兴蒙造山带加入到西拉木伦河河漫滩沉积物的比例为1:1。依据前人公式计算了西拉木伦河河漫滩沉积物物源区各不同时期的重熔/增生比例。     

Microcosm studies on iron and arsenic mobilization from aquifer sediments under different conditions of microbial activity and carbon source

Microcosm experiments were conducted to understand the mechanism of microbially mediated mobilization of Fe and As from high arsenic aquifer sediments. Arsenic-resistant strains isolated from aquifer sediments of a borehole specifically drilled for this study at Datong basin were used as inoculated strains, and glucose and sodium acetate as carbon sources for the experiments. In abiotic control experiments, the maximum concentrations of Fe and As were only 0.47 mg/L and 0.9 μg/L, respectively. By contrast, the maximum contents of Fe and As in anaerobic microcosm experiments were much higher (up to 1.82 mg/L and 12.91 μg/L, respectively), indicating the crucial roles of microbial activities in Fe and As mobilization. The observed difference in Fe and As release with different carbon sources may be related to the difference in growth pattern and composition of microbial communities that develop in response to the type of carbon sources.     

Interpretation of floodplain pollen in alluvial sediments from an Arid Region

Pollen was collected from modern alluvium and from the atmosphere to document the nature and amount of paleoenvironmental information reflected by alluvial pollen chronologies. Results indicate that pollen in alluvium is a homogeneous mixture derived almost entirely from the floodplain itself. The few pollen grains derived from nonfloodplain plant communities and preserved in alluvial sediments are so well mixed that their frequencies no longer reflect the geographic distribution of the specific plant communities in which they originated. In contrast, the abundance of alluvial pollen grains, derived from the major floodplain taxa (Chenopodiineae, Ambrosia type), varies with summer and winter climate. This annual variation is preserved in alluvial pollen assemblages through a combination of processes within sedimentation basins involving discontinuous deposition events and mechanical pollen degradation. The high-frequency, wide-amplitude pollen variance in alluvial pollen assemblages contrasts with the low-frequency, narrow-amplitude pollen variance in sediments of lakes and ponds. The slight geographic variance in alluvial pollen assemblages, in contrast to the large variance in soil pollen, allows use of alluvial pollen to infer climate throughout the watershed in which pollen is sampled.     

Historical record of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and heavy metals in floodplain sediments from the Rhine River (Hessisches Ried, Germany)

The depth-related content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and heavy metals was determined for two soil profiles (i.e. one Fluvisol and one Gleyic Cambisol) which developed in sediments from floodplains located at an old meander of the Rhine river. The meander had been cut off from the main river in 1829. The separation of the meander from the main river caused a change in sediment deposition (i.e. from sand to silt) which is clearly visible in the soil-profiles. Since that time, approximately 100 cm of sediments have accumulated due to temporary flooding of the area. Each soil profile was separated into 18 samples. The samples were analysed for their content of PAH after solvent extraction. Additionally, several trace elements (Co, Ni, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cr and Cu) were determined in the same sample set, and depth-related concentration profiles for both PAH and trace elements were developed. The distribution patterns of PAH with more than 3 condensed rings did not provide any evidence for PAH biodegradation or vertical transport after deposition of the sediments. Thus, in the case of PAH, the historical record can be derived not only from subhydric sediments but also from floodplain sediments. It was not possible to distinguish between atmospheric and fluvial input of PAH into the sediments from the observed distribution patterns due to the same origin of PAH from pyrolytic processes. A source determination of the PAH was not possible except for perylene, for which biogenic formation can be assumed. A comparison of the results shows that the depth-related PAH and trace element concentrations display similar trends over most of the total profiles. In the uppermost section of the profiles, the concentration of most trace elements declines whereas the PAH concentration remains high. This indicates the presence of different sources for PAH and trace elements in the last decades.     

Distribution of arsenic and other trace elements in the Holocene sediments of the Meghna River Delta, Bangladesh

Geochemical study of the Holocene sediments of the Meghna River Delta, Chandpur, Bangladesh was conducted to investigate the distribution of arsenic and related trace and major elements. The work carried out includes analyses of core sediments and provenance study by rare earth element (REE) analysis. Results showed that the cores pass downward from silty clays and clays into fine to medium sands. The uppermost 3 m of the core sediments are oxidized [average oxidation reduction potential (ORP) + 230 mV], and the ORP values gradually become negative with depths (−45 to −170 mV), indicating anoxic conditions prevail in the Meghna sediments. The REE patterns of all lithotypes in the study areas are similar and are comparable to the average upper continental crust. Arsenic and other trace elements (Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr) have greater concentrations in the silts and clays compared to those in the sands. Positive correlation between As and Fe was found in the sediments, indicating As may be adsorbed on Fe oxides in aquifer sediments.