Arsenic mobilization in shallow aquifers of Datong Basin: Hydrochemical and mineralogical evidences

Abstract

To better understand the sources and mobilization processes responsible for arsenic enrichment in groundwater in the central part of Datong Basin where serious arsenic poisoning cases have been reported, hydrochemical characteristics of the groundwater and the geochemical and mineralogical features of the aquifer sediments were studied. The aqueous arsenic levels are strongly depth-dependent in the study area and the high arsenic concentrations are found at depths between 15 m and 60 m, with a maximum up to 1820 μg/L. The hydrochemical characteristics of high arsenic groundwater from the Datong Basin indicate that the mobilization of arsenic is related to reductive dissolution of Fe oxides/oxyhydroxides and/or desorption from the Fe oxides/oxyhydroxides at high pH (above 8.0). The bulk chemical results of sediments show the arsenic and iron are moderately correlated, suggesting that arsenic is associated with iron-bearing minerals. Results of sequential-extraction experiment show that solid-phase arsenic is similarly distributed among the different pools of reservoir in the aquifer sediments. Strongly adsorbed arsenic and co-precipitated arsenic are its dominant species in the solid-phase. Geochemical studies using chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy on magnetically separated fractions demonstrate that iron oxides/oxyhydroxides with residual magnetite and chlorite, illite, iron oxides/oxyhydroxides-coated quartz and feldspar, and ankerite are the dominant carriers of arsenic in the sediments. The major processes of arsenic mobilization are probably linked to desorption of As from Fe oxides/oxyhydroxides and reductive dissolution of Fe-rich phases in the aquifer sediments under reducing and alkaline conditions.