Environmental geochemistry of high arsenic groundwater at western Hetao plain, Inner Mongolia

doi:10.1007/s11707-009-0004-x

Front Earth Sci Chin

2009, Vol. 3

Issue (1) : 63-72 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-009-0004-x

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Environmental geochemistry of high arsenic groundwater at western Hetao plain, Inner Mongolia

Jun HE, Teng MA, Yamin DENG, Hui YANG, Yanxin WANG(

)

Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology of Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China

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Abstract

Environmental geochemistry of high arsenic groundwater at Hetao plain was studied on the basis of geochemical survey of the groundwater and a core sediment. Arsenic concentration in groundwater samples varies from 76 to 1093 μg/L. The high arsenic groundwater mostly appears to be weakly alkaline. The concentrations of NO3- and SO42- are relatively low, while the concentrations of DOC, NH4+, dissolved Fe and sulfide are relatively great. Analysis of arsenic speciation in 21 samples shows that arsenic is present in the solution predominantly as As(III), while particulate arsenic constitutes about 10% of the total arsenic. Methane is detected in five samples with the greatest content being 5107 μg/L. The shallow aquifer in Hangjinhouqi of western Hetao plain is of strongly reducing condition. The arsenic content in 23 core sediment samples varies from 7.7 to 34.6 mg/kg, with great value in clay and mild clay layer. The obvious positive relationship in content between Fe₂O₃, Mn, Sb, B, V and As indicates that the distribution of arsenic in the sediments may be related to Fe and Mn oxides, and the mobilization of Sb, B and V may be affected by similar geochemical processes as that of As.

Keywords arsenic groundwater environmental geochemistry Hetao plain

Corresponding Author(s): WANG Yanxin,Email:yx.wang@cug.edu.cn

Issue Date: 05 March 2009

Cite this article:

Teng MA,Yamin DENG,Hui YANG, et al. Environmental geochemistry of high arsenic groundwater at western Hetao plain, Inner Mongolia[J]. Front Earth Sci Chin, 2009, 3(1): 63-72.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/10.1007/s11707-009-0004-x
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/Y2009/V3/I1/63

Fig.1 Sketch hydrogeological map of the Hetao plain () (The geological cross section of the - line is presented in Fig. 2)

Fig.2 Geological cross section of Quaternary aquifers in Hangjinhouqi ()

Fig.3 Locations of sampling sites

Fig.4 Lithology and the sampling depth of the core sediment in Shahai Village

Tab.1 Concentrations of minor components in groundwater samples in Hangjinhouqi

Fig.5 Piper’s diagram showing the hydrochemistry of the groundwater samples at the Hetao plain

Fig.6 Arsenic concentration in solution and particulate phases of groundwater from Hangjinhouqi

Tab.2 Contents of trace elements of the core sediments in Shahai Village

Fig.7 Plots showing the relationship in concentration between arsenic and dissolved sulfide, , dissolved Fe, Mn and DOC in groundwater

Fig.8 Vertical distributions of the concentration of As, FeO, Mn, Sb, B and V of the core sediment in Shahai Village

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