Do Ponds Cause Arsenic-Pollution of Groundwater in the Bengal Basin? An Answer from West Bengal

We report time-series data collected over two years for δ18O, δ2H, and Ca, Mg, K, and Cl, concentrations for 10 ponds in, and upflow of, an As-polluted region of southern West Bengal. We compare the compositions of As-polluted groundwaters from wells with the compositions of waters in ponds upflow,...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science & technology 2008-07, Vol.42 (14), p.5156-5164
Main Authors: Sengupta, S, McArthur, J. M, Sarkar, A, Leng, M. J, Ravenscroft, P, Howarth, R. J, Banerjee, D. M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Aquifers
Arsenic
Arsenic - analysis
Arsenic content
Data collection
Environmental Processes
Exact sciences and technology
Fresh Water - chemistry
Groundwater
Groundwater pollution
Humans
India
Pollution
Studies
Time series
Trace elements
Water Movements
Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
Water Pollution
Water Supply - analysis
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:We report time-series data collected over two years for δ18O, δ2H, and Ca, Mg, K, and Cl, concentrations for 10 ponds in, and upflow of, an As-polluted region of southern West Bengal. We compare the compositions of As-polluted groundwaters from wells with the compositions of waters in ponds upflow, and within the range of influence, of the wells. Conservative tracers (δ18O, δ2H, K), and other tracers (Ca, Mg) that are likely conservative in the waters, show that pondwater and groundwater are distinct and do not overlap in composition. These data show that water from ponds cannot be identified in As-polluted groundwater, so putative DOC in pondwater cannot be mixing into the As-polluted groundwater we have sampled. Separate estimates of the degree of recharge from ponds to groundwater, using calculations based on temporal variations in salt content and isotopic composition in ponds, and salt-balance, show that insignificant amounts of As-polluted groundwater are derived via pond recharge. It follows that pondwater in the study area does not contribute significant mass to arsenic-polluted groundwater and so does not provide organic matter to aquifers in amounts sufficient to drive reduction of iron oxyhydroxides and hence arsenic pollution.
ISSN:0013-936X
1520-5851
DOI:10.1021/es702988m