Geochemical characterization of arsenic-affected alluvial aquifers of the Bengal Delta (West Bengal and Bangladesh) and Chianan Plains (SW Taiwan): Implications for human health

Major ion and trace element analyses were performed on groundwater samples collected from the Bengal Delta (Chakdaha municipality, West Bengal and Manikgonj town, Bangladesh) and Chianan Plains (SW Taiwan) to compare geochemical characteristics. Results showed that concentrations of Na, K, Mg, Cl and SO₄ were generally higher in Chianan Plain (CNP) groundwaters, while high Ca was observed in Bengal Delta Plain (BDP) groundwater. Measured As concentrations in groundwaters of BDP and CNP showed large variations, with mean As concentrations of 221 μg/L (range: 1.1-476 μg/L) in Chakdaha, 60 μg/L (range: 0.30-202 μg/L) in Manikgonj, and 208 μg/L (range: 1.3-575 μg/L) in CNP groundwater. The Fe-reduction mechanism was found to be the dominant geochemical process in releasing As from sediment to groundwater in Chakdaha, West Bengal, however the Mn-reduction process was dominant in groundwaters of Manikgonj, Bangladesh. In Chianan Plain groundwater, a combination of geochemical processes (e.g., bacterial Fe-reduction, mineral precipitation and dissolution reactions) controlled release of As. Fluorescence spectral patterns of the groundwater showed low relative fluorescence intensity (RFI) of dissolved humic substances in BDP groundwater (mean: 63 and 72 QSU, Chakdaha and Manikgonj, respectively), while high RFI was observed in CNP groundwater (mean: 393 QSU). The FT-IR spectra of the extracted humic acid fractions from sediments of Chianan Plain showed a stronger aliphatic band at 2850-3000 cm⁻¹ and a higher resolved fingerprint area (from 1700 to 900 cm⁻¹) compared with BDP sediments. The geochemical differences between the study areas may play a crucial role in the clinical manifestation of Blackfoot disease observed only in Chianan Plain, SW Taiwan.     

Investigating the Dominant Source for the Generation of Gravity Waves during Indian Summer Monsoon Using Ground-based Measurements

Over the tropics,convection,wind shear(i.e.,vertical and horizontal shear of wind and/or geostrophic adjustment comprising spontaneous imbalance in jet streams) and topography are the major sources for the generation of gravity waves.During the summer monsoon season(June-August) over the Indian subcontinent,convection and wind shear coexist.To determine the dominant source of gravity waves during monsoon season,an experiment was conducted using mesosphere-stratosphere-troposphere(MST) radar situated at Gadanki(13.5 N,79.2 E),a tropical observatory in the southern part of the Indian subcontinent.MST radar was operated continuously for 72 h to capture high-frequency gravity waves.During this time,a radiosonde was released every 6 h in addition to the regular launch(once daily to study low-frequency gravity waves) throughout the season.These two data sets were utilized effectively to characterize the jet stream and the associated gravity waves.Data available from collocated instruments along with satellite-based brightness temperature(TBB) data were utilized to characterize the convection in and around Gadanki.Despite the presence of two major sources of gravity wave generation(i.e.,convection and wind shear) during the monsoon season,wind shear(both vertical shear and geostrophic adjustment) contributed the most to the generation of gravity waves on various scales.     

Relationship Between Soil Temperature in May over Northwest China and the East Asian Summer Monsoon Precipitation

This study investigates the relationship between the soil temperature in May and the East Asian summer monsoon （EASM） precipitation in June and July using station observed soil temperature data over Northwest China from 1971 to 2000.It is found that the memory of the soil temperature at 80-cm depth can persist for at least 2 months,and the soil temperature in May is closely linked to the EASM precipitation in June and July.When the soil temperature is warmer in May over Northwest China,less rainfall occurs over the Yangtze and Huaihe River valley but more rainfall occurs over South China in June and July.It is proposed that positive anomalous soil temperature in May over Northwest China corresponds to higher geopotential heights over the most parts of the mainland of East Asia,which tend to weaken the ensuing EASM.Moreover,in June and July,a cyclonic circulation anomaly occurs over Southeast China and Northwest Pacific and an anticyclonic anomaly appears in the Yangtze and Huaihe River valley at 850 hPa.All the above tend to suppress the precipitation in the Yangtze and Huaihe River valley.The results also indicate that the soil temperature in May over Northwest China is closely related to the East Asia/Pacific （EAP） teleconnection pattern,and it may be employed as a useful predictor for the East Asian summer monsoon rainfall.     

Impact of Drought on Agriculture in the Indo-Gangetic Plain,India

In this study, we investigate the spatiotemporal characteristics of drought in India and its impact on agriculture during the summer season(April–September). In the analysis, we use Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index(SPEI)datasets between 1982 and 2012 at the six-monthly timescale. Based on the criterion SPEI -1, we obtain a map of the number of occurrences of drought and find that the humid subtropical Upper Middle Gangetic Plain(UMGP) region is highly drought-prone, with an occurrence frequency of 40%–45%. This UMGP region contributes at least 18%–20% of India's annual cereal production. Not only the probability of drought, but the UMGP region has become increasingly drought-prone in recent decades. Moreover, cereal production in the UMGP region has experienced a gradual declining trend from 2000 onwards, which is consistent with the increase in drought-affected areas from 20%–25% to 50%–60%, before and after 2000,respectively. A higher correlation coefficient(-0.69) between the cereal production changes and drought-affected areas confirms that at least 50% of the agricultural(cereal) losses are associated with drought. While analyzing the individual impact of precipitation and surface temperature on SPEI at 6 month timescale [SPEI(6)] we find that, in the UMGP region,surface temperature plays the primary role in the lowering of the SPEI. The linkage is further confirmed by correlation analysis between SPEI(6) and surface temperature, which exhibits strong negative values in the UMGP region. Higher temperatures may have caused more evaporation and drying, which therefore increased the area affected by drought in recent decades.     

Long-term trend in potential vorticity intrusion events over the Pacific Ocean: Role of global mean temperature rise

In this study, we examine a long-term increasing trend in subtropical potential vorticity (PV) intrusion events over the Pacific Ocean in relation to the global mean temperature rise, based on multiple reanalysis datasets. The frequency of the PV intrusions is closely related to the upper-tropospheric equatorial westerly duct and the subtropical jet (STJ). An overall strengthening of the westerly duct and weakening of the STJ are found to be driven by the warming-induced strengthening of Walker circulation and regional changes in Hadley circulation on multi-decadal timescale, leading to an increase in the PV intrusion frequency over the tropics. The results are robust in all datasets. The multi-decadal strengthening in the Pacific Walker circulation is consistent with the global mean temperature rise. In this way, the PV intrusions are correlated with the warming related global mean temperuate rise. When the interannual variability of ENSO is removed from the intrusion time series, the long-term trend in PV intrusions due to external forcing associated with anthropogenic warming (global mean temperature rise) becomes clearer. The link between the global mean temperature rise and intrusion frequency is further verified by performing a correlation analysis between the two. The significant (> 95%) correlation coefficient is 0.85, 0.94, 0.84, 0.83, and 0.84 for ERA-40, ERA-Interim, NCEP-NCAR, JRA-55, and JRA-25, respectively. This unequivocally indicates that the global mean temperature rise can explain around 69%–88% of the variance related to the long-term increase in PV intrusion frequency over the Pacific Ocean.     

Mobility of arsenic in West Bengal aquifers conducting low and high groundwater arsenic. Part II: Comparative geochemical profile and leaching study

Aquifer sediments from areas of low- and high-As groundwater were characterized mineralogically and geochemically at a field site in the Nadia district of West Bengal, India. Leaching experiments and selective extraction of the sediments were also carried out to understand the release mechanism of As in the sub-surface. The correlation between measured elements (major, minor and trace) from low- and high-As groundwater areas are only significant for As, Fe and Mn. The borehole lithology and percentage of silt and clay fraction demonstrates the dominance of finer sediments in the high-As aquifer. Multivariate analysis of the geochemical parameters showed the presence of four different mineral phases (heavy-mineral fraction, phyllosilicates/biotite/Fe-oxyhydroxides, carbonates and sulphides) in the sediments. Selective extraction of sediment reveals that amorphous Fe-oxyhydroxide acts as a potential sink for As in the sub-surface. The result is consistent with microbially mediated redox reactions, which are controlled in part by the presence of natural organic matter within the aquifer sediments. The occurrences of As-bearing redox traps, primarily formed of Fe- and Mn-oxides/hydroxides, are also important factors that control the release of As into groundwater at the study site.     

Key features associated with the early and late South China summer monsoon onset

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - Here we investigate the key features of early and late South China Sea summer monsoon (SCSSM) onset. To carry out the investigation, we select five extreme...     

Bacterial response to contrasting sediment geochemistry in the Central Indian Basin

In order to investigate whether geochemical, physiographic and lithological differences in two end‐member sedimentary settings could evoke varied microbe–sediment interactions, two 25 cm long sediment cores from contrasting regions in the Central Indian Basin have been examined. Site TVBC 26 in the northern siliceous realm (10°S, 75·5°E) is organic‐C rich with 0·3 ± 0·09% total organic carbon. Site TVBC 08 in the southern pelagic red clay realm (16°S, 75·5°E), located on the flank of a seamount in a mid‐plate volcanic area with hydrothermal alterations of recent origin, is organic‐C poor (0·1 ± 0·07%). Significantly higher bacterial viability under anaerobic conditions, generally lower microbial carbon uptake and higher numbers of aerobic sulphur oxidizers at the mottled zones, characterize core TVBC 26. In the carbon‐poor environment of core TVBC 08, a doubling of the ¹⁴C uptake, a 250 times increase in the number of autotrophic nitrifiers, a four‐fold lowering in the number of aerobic sulphur oxidizers and a higher order of denitrifiers exists when compared with core TVBC 26; this suggests the prevalence of a potentially autotrophic microbial community in core TVBC 08 in response to hydrothermal activity. Microbial activity at the northern TVBC 26 is predominantly heterotrophic with enhanced chemosynthetic activity restricted to tan‐green mottled zones. The southern TVBC 08 is autotrophic with increased heterotrophic activity in the deepest layers. Notably, the bacterial activity is generally dependent on the surface productivity in TVBC 26, the carbon‐rich core, and mostly independent in TVBC 08, the carbon‐poor, hydrothermally influenced core. The northern sediment is more organic sink‐controlled and the southern sediment is more hydrothermal source‐controlled. Hydrothermal activity and associated rock alteration processes may be more relevant than organic matter delivery in these deep‐sea sediments. Thus, this study highlights the relative importance of hydrothermal activity versus organic delivery in evoking different microbial responses in the Central Indian Basin sediments.     

A laboratory batch study on arsenic sorption and desorption on guava orchard soils of Baruipur,West Bengal,India

Groundwater contaminated with arsenic (As), when extensively used for irrigation, causes potentially long term detrimental effects to surface soils. Such contamination can also directly affect human health when irrigated crops, such as rice, vegetable and fruits, are used for human consumption. Therefore, an understanding of the sorption and desorption behavior of As in surface soils is of high importance, because these processes regulate the bioavailability of As in the soil environment. In this study, we have collected soils from guava orchards of Baruipur, West Bengal, and characterized soil chemistry and batch sorption and desorption behavior in the laboratory. The sorption and desorption behavior of As in the soils were examined using the Langmuir and Freundlich sorption equation. Regression analysis of the soil chemical characteristics and sorption equation parameters were also performed. The results suggest that the sorption behavior of arsenate is highly dependent on soil characteristics, specifically organic carbon, clay and Al₂O₃ content of the soils. Whereas desorption behavior is critically influenced by the presence of high concentrations of amorphous and/or crystalline Fe₂O₃ in the soils. Retention of the significant portion of As in the soils (~ 84% of the total) suggests that As in the orchard soils may not be highly bioavailable to plants for uptake. However, more detailed studies will be required to ascertain the role of individual soil components on the As sorption and desorption processes.     

Investigation of Environmental-Concern Trace Elements in Coal and Their Combustion Residues from Thermal Power Plants in Eastern India

Natural Resources Research - The bituminous-to-sub-bituminous quality feed coals of thermal power plants contain several environmental-concern trace elements (As, Se, Ni, Cr, Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, Co and...