Hydrogeochemistry of intermittent alluvial aquifers controlling arsenic and fluoride contamination for corresponding influencing health risk assessment

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-214557/v1

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Hydrogeochemistry of intermittent alluvial aquifers controlling arsenic and fluoride contamination for corresponding influencing health risk assessment

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-214557/v1

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Identification and management of safe groundwater supply in a high As and F⁻ contaminated region is a major concern facing most of the developing countries worldwide. This study provides a comprehensive hydrogeochemistry result for a complex hydro-stratigraphy soil aquifer, which is bound between the Shillong plateau and Himalayan ranges in the North-Eastern region of India. In this study, distinct contaminated regions of As and F⁻ were identified in rainy (n = 94) and winter (n = 50) seasons groundwater samples. The maximum dissolved concentration of As was measured as 71 µg L^− 1 in rainy and 211 µg L^− 1 in winter season groundwater samples, whereas maximum F⁻ concentration was measured as 7 mg L^− 1 in rainy and 6 mg L^− 1 in winter season groundwater samples. Identified minerals saturation condition, weathering, and dissolution results of hydrogeochemistry were well corroborated with the Bivariate plot, Gibbs and Pourbaix diagrams. Results of health risk assessment showed that population of age below 18 years old are prone to carcinogenic diseases and symptoms of non-carcinogenic health risk due to daily consumption of As contaminated groundwater. Children of age below 18 years old, in total 39% (i.e. 6834) and 64% (i.e. 13937) were found more susceptible to arsenic ingestion effect. The male population was found prone to As cancer risk than the female population. Overall, this study provides a critical result about the cause of high As and F⁻ concentration in groundwater and health risk assessment, it provides a prime concern matter for the young generation which is at higher risk of As cancer.

Chemical Engineering

Hydrology

Arsenic

Hydro-geochemistry

Groundwater

water quality index

health risk assessment

Brahmaputra Flood Plain

Table 1 summary on co-occurrence of arsenic and fluoride in groundwater and health risk assessment method

Sr.no.

Study area

Country

As (µg/L)

F^– (mg/L)

Human health risk assessment

Reference

Ningxia

Northwest China

0.06 to 22

0.06 to 2.8

1. Triangular fuzzy numbers approach

2. Health risk assessment model

Chen et al., (2017)

Chaco Province

Northern Argentina

0.01 to 2.4

bdl–4.2

U.S. EPA (2005)

Buchhamer et al., (2012)

Tehsil Mailsi

Pakistan

8 to 507

5.5 to 29.6

US-EPA (1998)

Rasool et al., (2015)

Mandahbulag Township

Inner Mongolia

Groundwater (0.31 47.0)

Groundwater (0.07 to 7.70)

1.U.S. EPA (2005)

2.Monte Carlo simulations

Nakazawa et al., (2020)

River water (0.33 20.2)

River water (0.11 to 15.7)

Karbi Anglong

India

0.1 to 17.53

U.S. EPA (2008)

Hanse et al., (2019)

Darrang, Lakhimpur

India

0.05

0.30 to 2.57

WHO (2011)

Kumar et al., (2016a)

Lucknow

India

0.1 to 0.9

WHO (2011)

A. Verma et al. (2021)

Medak

India

0.2 to 7.4

WHO (1996)

Adimalla and Venkatayogi (2017)

Shanmuganadhi River basin,

India

0.01 to 3.3

U.S. EPA (2005)

Karunanidhi et al., (2020)

Gaya

India

0.38 to 3.82

USEPA (1993)

Mridha et al., (2021)

Nawada

0.82 to 3.97

Nagaon

India

bdl to 23.40

USEPA (1989)

Kumar et al., (2017b)

Wanaparthy

India

0.13 to 3.97

USEPA (2004)

Vaiphei and Kurakalva (2021)

Note: ‘ND’ is abbreviated as not detected

Table 2a) Hydrogeochemistry of rainy season groundwater samples of Guwahati city (Kamrup district).

*n=94*	Min.	Max.	Average	S. D
pH	5.9	8.9	6.7	0.6
Temp. (°C)	20.1	30.7	23.4	1.8
EC (µS/ cm)	29	900	349	206.9
TDS (mg L^-1)	48	681	176	111.2
DO (mg L^-1)	0.9	7.8	3	1.2
ORP (mV)	-359.1	503.3	263.3	156.6
Fe (mg L^-1)	bdl	24	0.2	3.3
F^- (mg L^-1)	bdl	7.3	0.3	1.3
As (µg L^-1)	bdl	71.3	bdl	13.8
Mn (mg L^-1)	bdl	0.9	0.3	0.2
NO₃^- (mg L^-1)	bdl	1	0.2	0.2
HCO₃^- (mg L^-1)	1.7	188.1	29.6	39.9
Ca (mg L^-1)	bdl	63.4	4.8	14.3
K (mg L^-1)	bdl	55	6.4	10.3
Mg (mg L^-1)	bdl	20	1.9	3.2
Na (mg L^-1)	bdl	173.4	27.7	27.3
SO₄^-2 (mg L^-1)	bdl	8.4	2.6	1.9
Cl^- (mg L^-1)	0.1	9.6	1.7	2

Table 2b) Hydrogeochemistry of winter season groundwater samples of Guwahati city (Kamrup district).

*n= 50*	Min.	Max.	Average	S. D
pH	6.3	9.3	8.3	0.9
EC (µS/cm)	11	741	196.6	128.9
TDS (mg L^-1)	14	642	318.8	108.1
Temp. (°C)	20	26	22.3	1
DO (mg L^-1)	0.1	2	0.6	0.5
ORP (mV)	-498	189	-173	242.2
As (III) (µg L^-1)	bdl	9.7	1	2.4
As(V) (µg L^-1)	bdl	211.8	20.8	32.8
Li (mg L^-1)	bdl	0.1	bdl	bdl
Na (mg L^-1)	bdl	91.5	34.9	22.6
NO₃^- (mg L^-1)	bdl	25.2	0.9	3.7
K (mg L^-1)	bdl	16.8	1.8	2.9
Ca (mg L^-1)	bdl	38.1	6.4	12.1
Mg (mg L^-1)	bdl	12038	373	1809
HCO₃^- (mg L^-1)	98	418	216.8	63
Fe (mg L^-1)	bdl	0.5	0.3	0.1
F^- (mg L^-1)	bdl	6.1	0.8	1.3
Mn (mg L^-1)	bdl	0.3	0.1	0.1
SO₄^-2 (mg L^-1)	bdl	82.9	7.6	16.2
Cl^-(mg L^-1)	1.1	105	23.3	23.8

Table 3 summary of minerals saturation indices values

Mineral name	*Rainy season (n=94)*				*Winter season (n=50)*
Mineral name	Min	Max	Median	S. D	Min	Max	Median	S. D
Claudetite	-53	-34	-42	4	-63	-35	-49	5
Goethite	-41	8	6	7	5	8	7	1
Arsenolite	-52	-34	-42	4	-63	-34	-49	5
Rhodochrosite	-12	0	-1	3	-11	1	-1	3
Siderite	-14	0	-2	5	-2	1	0	1
Ferrihydrite	-332	5	4	49	3	5	5	1
Ferrihydrite (aged)	-7	6	4	6	3	6	5	1
Hematite	-30	19	15	12	13	19	17	1
Vivianite	-36	3	-2	17	-23	6	-2	9
Fluorite	-38	0	-7	8	-38	0	-13	8

Table 4 Arithmetic water quality index values calculated for seasonal groundwater pollution assessment of Guwahati city

WQI Value	Rating of Water Quality	Grading	Rainy season		Winter season
WQI Value	Rating of Water Quality	Grading	Total no. of samples	In Percentage	Total no. of samples	In Percentage
0 to 25	Excellent water quality	A	28	30 %	44	88 %
26 to 50	Good water quality	B	17	18 %	3	6 %
51 to 75	Poor water quality	C	9	10 %	0	0 %
76 to 100	Very Poor water quality	D	6	6 %	0	0 %
Above 100	Unsuitable for drinking	E	34	36 %	3	6 %

Table 5a health risk assessment by Arsenic ingestion effect
Seasons	Classification of population	Age in years	BW	Total population	Population at risk		Affected samples in %
Seasons	Classification of population	Age in years	BW	Total population	affected peoples	In %	Affected samples in %
Summer season (GW samples n= 94)	Children	< 18	10	17547	6834	39%	39%
	Female	> 18	58	7112	745	10%	20%
	Male	> 18	70	8168	375	5%	15%
Winter season (GW samples n= 50)	Children	< 18	10	18409	13937	76%	64%
	Female	> 18	58	5952	1021	17%	28%
	Male	> 18	70	6117	745	12%	20%

Table 5b health risk assessment by Arsenic dermal effect
Seasons	Classification of population	Age in years	BW	Population at risk		In %	Affected samples in %
Seasons	Classification of population	Age in years	BW	Total population	affected population	In %	Affected samples in %
Summer season (GW samples n= 94)	Children	< 18	10	17547	60	0%	4%
	Female	> 18	58	7112	2322	33%	33%
	Male	> 18	70	8168	0	0%	0%
Winter season (GW samples n= 50)	Children	< 18	10	18409	180	1%	2%
	Female	> 18	58	5952	1915	32%	52%
	Male	> 18	70	6117	1360	22%	44%

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Reviews received at journal
15 Mar, 2021
Editor invited by journal
14 Mar, 2021
Reviewers invited by journal
14 Mar, 2021
Editor assigned by journal
12 Mar, 2021
First submitted to journal
12 Mar, 2021

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Hydrogeochemistry of intermittent alluvial aquifers controlling arsenic and fluoride contamination for corresponding influencing health risk assessment

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