Geochemical and isotopic studies of groundwater conditions in the Densu River Basin of Ghana

The Densu River Basin (DRB) is an important agricultural area in Ghana and has a high population density. Water shortages have occurred in the basin due to drying out of surface water, heavy pollution and low yield in most of the production wells, which are crucial factors restricting sustainable socioeconomic development. This study was carried out to investigate the geochemical characteristics and evolution, as well as recharge processes in the DRB system with regard to the tectonics, geomorphology, lithology and flow system. It mainly used hydrochemistry, environmental isotopes and a series of comprehensive data interpretation, e.g., statistics, ionic ratios and Piper diagram to obtain a better understanding of the functioning of the system. The following hydrochemical processes were identified as the main factors controlling the water quality of the groundwater system: weathering of silicate minerals, dissolution, ion exchange and, to a lesser extent, evaporation, which seems to be more pronounced downgradient of the flow system. As groundwater flows from the recharge to discharge areas, chemical patterns evolve in the order of Ca²⁺–HCO₃ ^?, Ca²⁺/Mg²⁺–HCO₃ ^? to Ca²⁺/Na⁺–Cl^?, Ca²⁺–Na⁺–HCO₃ ^? and Na⁺–Cl^? according to lithology. The environmental isotope (δ¹⁸O, δ²H, ³H) measurements further revealed that groundwater in the DRB was a relatively well-mixed system as evidenced by the encoded narrow range of values. However, deviation from the rainwater signature indicates combined local processes such as direct percolation through preferential channels, evaporation, and probable surface water and anthropogenic contribution to the system.     

Geochemical characterization of heavy metal contaminated area using multivariate factorial kriging

This paper describes a geostatistical method, known as factorial kriging analysis, which is well suited for analyzing multivariate spatial information. The method involves multivariate variogram modeling, principal component analysis, and cokriging. It uses several separate correlation structures, each corresponding to a specific spatial scale, and yields a set of regionalized factors summarizing the main features of the data for each spatial scale. This method is applied to an area of high manganese-ore mining activity in Amapá State, North Brazil. Two scales of spatial variation (0.33 and 2.0 km) are identified and interpreted. The results indicate that, for the short-range structure, manganese, arsenic, iron, and cadmium are associated with human activities due to the mining work, while for the long-range structure, the high aluminum, selenium, copper, and lead concentrations, seem to be related to the natural environment. At each scale, the correlation structure is analyzed, and regionalized factors are estimated by cokriging and then mapped.     

Effects of copper mining on heavy metal contamination in a rice agrosystem in the Xiaojiang River Basin,southwest China

Metallic ore mining causes heavy metal pollution worldwide. However, the fate of heavy metals in agrosystems with long-term contamination has been poorly studied. Dongchuan District (Yunnan, southwest China), located at the middle reaches of the Xiaojiang River, is a well-known 2000-year-old copper mining site. In this work, a survey on soil heavy metal contents was conducted using a handheld X-ray fluorescence instrument to understand the general contamination of heavy metals in the Xiaojiang River Basin. Furthermore, river water, soil, and rice samples at six sites along the fluvial/alluvial fans of the river were collected and analyzed to implement an environmental assessment and an evaluation of irrigated agrosystem. V, Zn, and Cu soil levels (1724, 1047, and 696 mg·kg⁻¹, respectively) far exceeded background levels. The geo-accumulation indexes (I_geo) showed that cultivated soils near the mining sites were polluted by Cd and Cu, followed by Zn, V, Pb, Cr, Ni, and U. The pollution index (Pi) indicated that rice in the area was heavily polluted with Pb, Cr, Cd, Ni, Zn, and Cu. The difference in orders of metal concentrations between the soil and rice heavy metal contamination was related to the proportion of bioavailable heavy metals in the soil. The crop consumption risk assessment showed that the hazard quotient exceeded the safe threshold, indicating a potential carcinogenic risk to consumers. The Nemerow integrated pollution index and health index indicated that the middle of the river (near the mining area) was the heaviest polluted site.

     

Evaluation of heavy metal contamination in groundwater samples from Kapas Island,Terengganu, Malaysia

An attempt has been made to delineate the hydrochemistry for a small island based on the major ions and heavy metal concentrations. In this investigation, six sampling campaigns were conducted to measure the concentrations of major ions (Ca, Mg, Na, K, HCO₃, Cl, and SO₄) and heavy metals (Zn, Cr, Pb, Mn, As, and Cu) in groundwater samples collected from seven sampling stations (boreholes) located on Kapas Island, Terengganu, Malaysia. The distribution of major ions is illustrated by a piper plot where Ca–HCO₃ is the dominant type. In addition, the concentrations of heavy metals demonstrate that Mn shows as being the highest concentrated heavy metal in the groundwater sampled in the sampling campaigns; the average Mn content in groundwater sampled was 54.05 μg/L. However, a comparison of the heavy metal (Mn, Cr, Zn, As, Pb, and Cu) concentrations in groundwater samples with the Drinking Water Quality Standard prescribed by World Health Organization reveals that none of these heavy metals exceeded the recommended threshold limits. The principal component analyses (PCA) extracted four components that control the groundwater chemistry. Components 1 and 2 from the PCA analyses extracted approximately 52.11 % of the total variance, which represent the heavy metals (As and Mn) and physical parameters (pH, redox potential, electrical conductivity, temperature, and total dissolved solids). Based on the output of the PHREEQC hydrogeochemical software, several species of heavy metals exist, in which the dominant species found are Mn²⁺, PbCO₃, Cu(OH)₂, and Zn⁺.     

万源市土壤重金属地球化学特征及污染评价

以万源地区耕地土壤为对象,调查整个万源地区耕地土壤中重金属（As、Cd、Cr、Hg、Pb）含量情况。以国家土壤环境质量二级标准作为标准,采用单项因子污染指数法和内梅罗污染指数法对土壤重金属污染进行评价。结果表明①该地区耕地土壤五种重金属元素除As以外Cd、Cr、Hg、Pb平均含量均高于全国及四川土壤背景值;②工作区土壤Cr、Pb自然本底含量较高;③而As、Cd、Hg除自然因素影响外,还受到成土环境及人为种植活动的影响。污染评价结果显示,单项因子As、Cr、Hg、Pb均无超标现象,处于安全等级,而部份土壤Cd超标。万源地区铁路以西大部份地区,土壤处于安全级别;东北地带及东南地带为主要农业种植区,已出现警戒及轻度污染,部份地点Cd因受人类活动影响,污染较为严重;铁路沿线小部份地区也出现轻度污染,受交通影响较大。     

Geochemical characterization,its controlling factors,and comparison between the upstream and downstream segments of the Himalayan Satluj River basin,India

Satluj River Basin (SRB) has special economic significance, representing the country's most incredible hydro-structure with fresh water, a primary source of irrigation and hydroelectric power in Northern India. Therefore, SRB's geochemical characterization is vital for hydropower and agricultural sustainability. This study provides a preliminary characterization of the hydrogeochemical processes controlling the natural water evolution in SRB by observing the spatial variation and qualitative assessment of solute chemistry (major ions and trace/heavy elements) in the Satluj river, associated tributaries, and groundwater. Hydrochemical characteristics displayed the predominance of geogenic weathering processes with carbonates dissolution and silicate weathering as end members that could explain all the geochemical variability within the SRB. The results reveal that the chemical signature of the upstream segment is possibly influenced more by carbonate weathering than silicate weathering, and the trends reverse in the downstream section with the increasing influence of silicate weathering. Dissolved heavy metals (HMs) such as Mn, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb showed large fluctuations among upstream and downstream sampling sites, indicating diverse environmental conditions. Human health risk assessment (HHRA) studies revealed less or no potential noncarcinogenic via HMs, except for the downstream stretch of tributaries inferring increased non-cancerous risk. Moreover, the HHRA with HMs (Cr, As, Cd, and Pb) manifested high carcinogenic risks for adults and children across the SRB. The finding of this study could be the baseline dataset for assessing the future status, effective management, and better utilization of water resources of the SRB.     

Geochemical investigation of groundwater contamination in Perungudi dumpsite,South India

Unscientific disposal of municipal solid waste causes groundwater contamination. The migration of leachate from the solid waste dumpsite to the aquifer varies according to the geohydrological profile of the dumpsite. A detailed study of the mechanism of leachate percolation to the groundwater helps to design a proper groundwater remediation technique. Multilevel boreholes were drilled in the periphery of the Perungudi dumpsite, Chennai, India. The major lithological layers and the geochemical analysis of the contaminant migrated from the dumpsite to the underlying aquifer has been studied. The distribution of heavy metals such as Pb, Fe, Zn, Cr, and Cd follows a similar trend in the pollutant source, groundwater samples around the dumpsite, and at various litho units beneath the dumpsite. The analysis thus helps to find an appropriate groundwater remediation technique to remove the specific contaminant and thereby provide a safe drinking water for the surrounding community.     

湘江入湖河段沉积物主元素组成对重金属污染的指示

本次工作利用X射线荧光(XRF)和电感耦合等离子质谱(ICP-MS)分析技术,对湘江人湖河段沉积物进行主元素和重金属元素分析.结果表明,湘江入湖沉积物中主元素含量变化相对稳定,沉积物具有明显亏CaO、Na2O,而富MnO、A12O3的化学组成特征.其化学组成和风化蚀变特征(蚀变指数CIA值大于78)指示流域上游花岗岩为沉积物提供了主要的物源.主元素揭示的沉积物矿物组成主要包括A12O3表征的细粒黏土矿物类和SiO2、Na2O表征的粗粒碎屑矿物类两部分.沉积物中重金属元素含量变化大,重金属综合富集指数EI值自湾河WH (EI=4.7、14.2)向湘阴XY (6.6、5.6)再向屈原农场QN沉积柱(18.4)趋于增大,重金属污染程度自上游向下游趋于增强.重金属污染程度主要与以A12O3为代表的Ⅰ类元素呈正相关关系.预示重金属污染主要与黏土矿物、铁锰氧化物、有机质、及磷灰石等副矿物相关.其中Bi、Pb、Mn、T1等重金属污染更趋于在黏土矿物、锰氧化物、有机质等矿物相中增强,Cd污染可能主要与铁锰氧化物、有机质等有关,U污染则主要与铁氧化物矿物有关,而Cu、Sb污染主要与有机质关系密切.不同的矿物相可能引起不同种类的重金属污染.     

Snowmelt runoff and groundwater discharge in Himalayan rivers: a case study of the Satluj River,NW India

The Himalayas are one of the largest cryospheric systems outside the Polar Regions, and include more than 12,000 glaciers spread over an area of about 33,000 km². The Himalayan glaciers and snow packs retreating at an accelerating rate, thereby creating an alarming situation for the huge population that resides in northwestern India and southeastern Pakistan, as they depend on surface water resources in the region and rivers emanating from the Himalayas. This work attempts to quantify the contribution of different sources such as glacial/ice/snow melt and groundwater discharge to the Satluj River using the stable isotopes based hydrograph separation method at Ropar (foot hill) and Yusufpur in plain of Punjab, India. A mass balance model of three-component mixing has been engaged using the values of δ¹⁸O and electrical conductivity of the river water, and its discharge fraction, to estimate the time-varying relative proportion of each component from July 2013 to January 2014. The proportion of glacier melt was found to peak up to ~?64% at Ropar and ~?15% at Yusufpur during the wet summer months. The fraction of groundwater discharge was found to vary between 10–20% at Ropar and 25–35% at Yusufpur (Punjab plain) over time. The observed trend of d-excess (deuterium excess) values of river water also suggests that the glaciers and snow packs at higher altitudes contain a significant fraction of snow derived from vapor originating in the Mediterranean region, driven by the mid-latitude westerlies known as western disturbances.     

Geochemical characterization of groundwater from an arid region in India

A study on the geochemical processes in arid region of western India (Kachchh district) was carried out using major, minor, trace metal data and isotopic composition (δ²H, δ¹⁸O) of groundwaters. Results indicate that the distribution of chemical species in groundwater of this district is controlled by leaching of marine sediments, dissolution of salts in root zone and incongruent dissolution of carbonate minerals. Common inorganic contaminants such as fluoride, nitrate and phosphate are within drinking water permissible limits. However, most of the samples analyzed contain total dissolved salts more than desirable limits and fall in doubtful to unsuitable category with regard to irrigational purpose. Trace metal data indicates no contamination from toxic elements such as arsenic and lead. An increased salt content is observed in groundwater at shallower depths indicating mixing with surface water sources. The chemical characteristics of the groundwater have found to be strongly dependent on the local lithological composition. Environmental isotopic data indicates that the groundwater is of meteoric origin and has undergone limited modification before its recharge. The processes responsible for observed brackishness are identified using chemical and isotope indicators, which are in agreement with subsurface lithology and hydrochemistry. These data though represent hydrochemical scenario of 2001 can still be used for understanding the long-term fluctuations in water chemistry and would be quite useful for the planners in validating groundwater quality models.     

乌鲁木齐河流域地下水水质监测网设计

文章运用地下水易污性编图及污染源分布图法进行了乌鲁木齐河流域地下水水质监测网设计。共设计了130监测孔,现有46个监测孔,另需要84个新的监测孔。按监测类型分为面源监测点22个,点源监测点87个,重点水源地与泉水监测点21个。按监测运行分长期监测点55个,流域普查监测点75个。普查监测点监测频率为1次/5年,长期监测点监测频率为1次/年。首期有针对性地在污染严重的柴窝堡新化厂排污区、乌鲁木齐河谷老排污区、米泉污灌区、米泉工业污染区、老龙河污染区取了25个污染水样测试分析,结果显示地下水已经受到严重污染。     

Quantitative modeling of groundwater in Satluj River basin of Rupnagar district of Punjab using remote sensing and geographic information system

Water is a fluctuating resource making it difficult to measure in time and in space. To demonstrate the efficiency of the geographic information system (GIS) for groundwater studies, information on the parameters controlling groundwater such as lithology, geomorphology and lineament analysis were analyzed. LISS-III and Landsat satellite image of the area was used to infer information on the geologic lineaments and geomorphology. To delineate linear features enhancement and direction, filtering was performed on single bands of Landsat images. Thematic maps for geology, slope, geomorphology and lineament were prepared and integrated in GIS by assigning the weights and ranking to various parameters controlling the occurrence of groundwater to generate the groundwater potential map for the study area. The results indicate that the floodplain of river and its adjoining areas have very good groundwater potential, whereas the steeply sloping area in the northern part having high relief and slope possesses poor groundwater potential.     

土壤重金属污染评价方法研究进展

从技术应用的角度,将土壤重金属污染评价方法分为传统的方法和基于GIS的评价方法两大类.本文阐述了评价方法的研究进展,分析了主要评价方法的优缺点,最后对评价方法做出了展望.     

Sources and history of heavy metal contamination and sediment deposition in Tivoli South Bay, Hudson River, New York

Persistent inorganic constitutents preserved in sediments of aquatic ecosystems record temporal variability of biogeochemical functioning and anthropogenic impacts.²¹⁰Pb and¹³⁷Cs dating techniques were used to study the past variations of heavy metals (Pb, Cu, and Zn) and accumulation rates of sediments for Tivoli South Bay, in the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve ecosystem. South Bay, a tidal freshwater embayment of the Hudson, may play an important role in the sediment dynamics of this important river. The measured sedimentation rate range of 0.59 to 2.92 cm yr⁻¹ suggests that rapid accumulation occurred during the time period represented by the length of the cores (approximately the past 50 yr). Direct measurements of sediment exchange with the Hudson River reveal high variability in the sediment flux from one tidal cycle to the next. Net exchange does not seem to be adequate to explain sediment accumulation rates in the bay as measured by²¹⁰Pb and¹³⁷Cs. The difference may be supplied from upland streams or the Hudson River during storm events. Concentrations of the metals Pb, Cu and Zn were found to be well correlated with each other within individual cores at five of six sites tested. This suggests a common proximate source for the three metals at a specific site. The evidence is consistent with mixing in some environmental compartment before delivery to the bay. While metals self-correlate within individual cores, absolute concentrations, depth distribution patterns, and ratios of the metals to each other vary among the cores collected at different locations within the bay. Organic matter, Fe content, and particle size distribution of sediments do not account for the intercore variations in metal concentration. It is likely that cores collected from different sites may have derived metals from different sources, such as watershed streams and tidal exchange with the Hudson River.     

Geochemical assessment of groundwater contamination with special emphasizes on fluoride,a case study from Midyan Basin,northwestern Saudi Arabia

Water samples for chemical analyses were collected in January 2012. A total of 72 samples of groundwater were collected from 72 boreholes in the Midyan Basin, northwestern Saudi Arabia. Samples were collected in polyethylene bottles and preserved and the used analytical techniques were in accordance with the standard methods from American public health association. Geochemical analyses of the groundwater samples from Midyan Basin reveal the concentration of fluoride (F) between 0.98 and 2.1 mg/l. Other parameters, e.g, pH, EC, TDS, HCO₃, SO₄, NO₃, Cl, K, Na, Mg, and Ca have been found in a variable proportion. Among them, the concentration of EC, HCO₃, K, Na and Mg is higher than the permissible limits. According to thermodynamical considerations, most of the analysed samples are graded under-saturated with respect to calcite and fluoride, while saturation has been observed in some samples. The under-saturation could probably be attributed to low concentration of calcite and fluoride in the studied wells. Fluoride concentration shows weak positive correlation with EC, TDS, Na, Cl, and SO₄. Factors controlling the concentration of fluoride (F) in the studied samples are the area climate, water chemistry and the presence of accessory minerals in the rocks through which groundwater is circulating, besides the anthropogenic activities in the area.     

乌鲁木齐河流域地下水水位监测网设计

文章阐述了乌鲁木齐河流域区域地下水水位监测网的优化设计。基于ARCGIS技术,运用水文地质学方法在叠加合成地下水动态类型分区图的基础上优化设计了区域地下水水位监测网密度;采用时间序列分析方法确定了地下水水位监测频率。首期施工安装了11个新的长期专门监测孔;对73个现有监测孔进行了维修并安装了孔口保护装置,安装了28套水位自动监测仪,初步实现了地下水水位的自动监测。     

铅同位素示踪技术在重金属污染研究中的应用

重金属通过在生态环境和生物中的迁移、转化和富集已对环境质量和人类健康构成了严重威胁.概述了重金属元素在地表环境中的迁移方式和在土壤-植物系统中的聚积形态,以及重金属污染治理的研究现状.针对以往研究工作的不足和在研项目特点,重点提出了土壤和茶叶中铅同位素组成的测试技术,综述了铅同位素示踪技术在重金属污染研究中的应用,并指出了今后研究重金属污染的重点.