Vanadium In Groundwater Research Articles

Vanadium in groundwater aquifers increases the risk of MAC pulmonary infection in O'ahu, Hawai'i.

To identify whether trace metals influence the risk of NTM infection in O'ahu, Hawai'i. A population-based ecologic cohort study was conducted using NTM infection incidence data from patients enrolled at Kaiser Permanente Hawai'i during 2005-2019. We obtained sociodemographic, microbiologic, and geocoded residential data for all Kaiser Permanente Hawai'i beneficiaries. To estimate the risk of NTM pulmonary infection from exposure to groundwater constituents, we obtained groundwater data from three data sources: (1) Water Quality Portal; (2) the Hawai'i Department of Health; and (3) Brigham Young University, Department of Geological Science faculty. Data were aggregated by an aquifer and were associated with the corresponding beneficiary aquifer of residence. We used Poisson regression models with backward elimination to generate models for NTM infection risk as a function of groundwater constituents. We modeled two outcomes: Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) species and Mycobacterium abscessus group species. For every 1-unit increase in the log concentration of vanadium in groundwater at the aquifer level, infection risk increased by 22% among MAC patients. We did not observe significant associations between water-quality constituents and infection risk among M. abscessus patients. Concentrations of vanadium in groundwater were associated with MAC pulmonary infection in O'ahu, Hawai'i. These findings provide evidence that naturally occurring trace metals influence the presence of NTM in water sources that supply municipal water systems.

New Geochemical Framework and Geographic Information System Methodologies to Assess Element Occurrence, Persistence, and Mobility in Groundwater and Surface Water

This study presents a geochemical framework and geographic information system (GIS) method for assessing the intrinsic potential of surface water and groundwater to mobilize arsenic, molybdenum, selenium, uranium, and vanadium. The method was created using published groundwater and surface water geochemical data from the National Uranium Resource Evaluation database for 2302 groundwater and 915 surface water samples. The method was evaluated using published groundwater geochemical data from the Texas Water Development Board. Geochemical data were analyzed in GIS. Samples were categorized by environmental condition, which was determined by using reduction–oxidation—as indicated by pe—and pH ranges for each sample based on geochemical mobility frameworks developed by Smith (2007) and Perel’man (1986). Reduction–oxidation and pH influence the occurrence, persistence, and mobility of arsenic, molybdenum, selenium, uranium, and vanadium in groundwater and surface water. Reduction–oxidation categories were assigned to water samples using concentrations of redox-active constituents, including dissolved oxygen, iron, manganese, and sulfur. The presence of iron substrates and hydrogen sulfides were considered in relation to mobility mechanisms. Twelve-digit hydrologic unit code (HUC) boundaries were used in GIS as analysis areas to determine the most commonly occurring environmental condition in each HUC. The resulting maps identify the environmental conditions in different areas that can be used to identify where the elements are mobile. This methodology provides a systematic approach to identify areas where elements in groundwater and surface water may occur and persist and may be transferable to other locations.

Enhanced removal of vanadium(V) from groundwater by layered double hydroxide-supported nanoscale zerovalent iron

To reduce the toxicity of vanadium(V) [V(V)] and inhibit the desorption of adsorbed vanadium in groundwater, we synthesized nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) dispersed on layered double hydroxide (LDH) composites (nZVI@LDH) to remove V(V) from simulated groundwater. We found that nZVI@LDH could reduce high-valence vanadium to low-valence vanadium, then forming vanadium-containing precipitation to reduce the toxicity and inhibiting vanadium from returning to groundwater. SEM and XRD characterizations exhibited the uniform dispersal of nZVI on the surface of LDH. nZVI@LDH with nZVI/LDH at a mass ratio of 1:2 provided the maximum adsorption capacity of 93.7 mg g−1 at pH 3.0. Coexisting anions and dissolved oxygen in groundwater have little effect on V(V) removal. nZVI@LDH performed well across a wide pH range (3.0–8.0). The surface characterizations and XPS analysis revealed that LDH as supporting materials inhibited the aggregation and passivation of nZVI. The adsorbed V(V) was reduced to V(IV) and V(III) by nZVI and spontaneously transformed into insoluble VO2 and V2O3. The DFT calculations indicated the strong complexation and better stability of the V(IV) and V(III) species with nZVI@LDH than V(V). This work suggests that nZVI@LDH has the potential to serve as an efficient material for the immobilization of V(V) in groundwater.

Field experiments of surface water to groundwater recharge to characterize the mobility of uranium and vanadium at a former mill tailing site

Characterizing the mobility of uranium and vanadium in groundwater with a hydraulic connection to surface water is important to inform the best management practices of former mill tailing sites. In this study, the recharge of river water to the unsaturated and saturated zones of a uranium-contaminated alluvial aquifer was simulated in a series of forced-gradient single- and multi-well injection-extraction tests. The injection fluid (river water) was traced with natural and artificial tracers that included halides, fluorobenzoates, lithium, and naphthalene sulfonate to characterize the potential mass transport mechanisms of uranium and vanadium. The extraction fluid (river water/groundwater mixture) was analyzed for the tracers, uranium, and vanadium. The results from the tracers indicated that matrix diffusion was likely negligible over the spatiotemporal scales of the tests as evident by nearly identical breakthrough curves of the halides and fluorobenzoates. In contrast, the breakthrough curves of lithium and naphthalene sulfonate indicated that sorption by cation exchange and sorption to organic matter, respectively, were potential mass transport mechanisms of uranium and vanadium. Uranium was mobilized in the saturated zone containing gypsum (gypsum-rich zone), the vadose zone (vadose-rich zone), and the saturated zone containing organic carbon (organic-rich zone) whereas vanadium was mobilized only in the saturated gypsum-rich zone. The mechanisms responsible for the mobilization of uranium and vanadium were likely dissolution of uranium- and vanadium-bearing minerals and/or desorption from the gypsum-rich zone, flushing of uranium from the vadose-rich zone, and desorption of uranium from the organic-rich zone due to the natural contrast in the geochemistry between the river water and groundwater. The experimental design of this study was unique in that it employed the use of multiple natural and artificial tracers coupled with a direct injection of native river water to groundwater. These results demonstrated that natural recharge and flooding events at former mill tailing sites can mobilize uranium, and possibly vanadium, and contribute to persistent levels of groundwater contamination.

Development, modification, and application of low-cost and available biochar derived from corn straw for the removal of vanadium(v) from aqueous solution and real contaminated groundwater.

In this work, a low-cost and available material for use as a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) to prevent vanadium in groundwater from leaking into river water was developed. Three modified biochars were prepared from available corn straw pretreated with CsCl, Zn(ii), and Zr(iv) to enhance ion exchange capacity (IEC) and specific surface area, and were designated as Cs-BC, Zn-BC, and Zr-BC, respectively. These materials were characterized via IEC, N2 adsorption–desorption, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. The Langmuir isotherm model could be applied for the best fit for the adsorption data of Cs-BC and Zr-BC, indicating that vanadium(v) sorption occurred in a monolayer. The vanadium(v) adsorption capacities of Cs-BC, Zn-BC, and Zr-BC were 41.07, 28.46, and 23.84 mg g−1, respectively, which were 3.22–5.55 times higher than that of commercial activated carbon (AC) (7.40 mg g−1), probably because of their higher IECs and specific surface areas after modification. In addition, no heavy metal leaching was found from the modified biochars during the adsorption processes when pH > 2. According to the FTIR and XRD patterns, the adsorption mechanism of Cs-BC and Zr-BC was ion exchange, whereas for Zn-BC, it was mainly surface precipitation and electrostatic attraction. The adsorption of vanadium(v) onto the modified biochars was independent of pH in the range of 4.0 to 8.0. Furthermore, the removal efficiency of the vanadium(v) in real contaminated groundwater from the catchment of the Chaobei River by Zn-BC reached 100% at a dose of 4 g L−1. Hence, modified biochars are promising PRB filling materials for removing vanadium(v) from contaminated groundwater.

Occurrence of Vanadium in Groundwater of Jeju Island, Korea

Occurrence of Vanadium in Groundwater of Jeju Island, Korea

Assessing the solubility controls on vanadium in groundwater, northeastern San Joaquin Valley, CA

The solubility controls on vanadium (V) in groundwater were studied due to concerns over possible harmful health effects of ingesting V in drinking water. Vanadium concentrations in the northeastern San Joaquin Valley ranged from <3μg/L to 70μg/L with a median of 21μg/L. Concentrations of V were highest in samples collected from oxic groundwater (49%>25μg/L) and lowest in samples collected from anoxic groundwater (70%<0.8μg/L). In oxic groundwater, speciation modeling (SM) using PHREEQC predicted that V exists primarily as the oxyanion H2VO4−. Adsorption/desorption reactions with mineral surfaces and associated oxide coatings were indicated as the primary solubility control of V5+ oxyanions in groundwater. Environmental data showed that V concentrations in oxic groundwater generally increased with increasing groundwater pH. However, data from adsorption isotherm experiments indicated that small variations in pH (7.4–8.2) were not likely as an important a factor as the inherent adsorption capacity of oxide assemblages coating the surface of mineral grains. In suboxic groundwater, accurate SM modeling was difficult since Eh measurements of source water were not measured in this study. Vanadium concentrations in suboxic groundwater decreased with increasing pH indicating that V may exist as an oxycationic species [e.g. V(OH)3+]. Vanadium may complex with dissolved inorganic and organic ligands under suboxic conditions, which could alter the adsorption behavior of V in groundwater. Speciation modeling did not predict the existence of V-inorganic ligand complexes and organic ligands were not collected as part of this study. More work is needed to determine processes governing V solubility under suboxic groundwater conditions. Under anoxic groundwater conditions, SM predicts that aqueous V exists as the uncharged V(OH)3 molecule. However, exceedingly low V concentrations show that V is sparingly soluble in anoxic conditions. Results indicated that V may be precipitating as V3+- or mixed V3+/Fe3+-oxides in anoxic groundwater, which is consistent with results of a previous study. The fact that V appears insoluble in anoxic (Fe reducing) redox conditions indicates that the behavior of V is different than arsenic (As) in aquifer systems where the reductive dissolution of Fe-oxides with As adsorbed to the surface is a well-documented mechanism for increasing As concentrations in groundwater. This hypothesis is supported by the relation of V to As concentrations in oxic versus anoxic redox conditions.Sequential extraction procedures (SEP) applied to aquifer material showed that the greatest amount of V was recovered by the nitric acid (HNO3) extract (37–71%), followed by the oxalate-ascorbic acid extract (19–60%) and the oxalate extract (3–14%). These results indicate that V was not associated with the solid phase as an easily exchangeable fraction. Although the total amount of V recovered was greatest for the HNO3 extract that targets V adsorbed to sorption sites of crystalline Al, Fe and Mn oxides, the greatest V saturation of sorption sites appeared to occur on the amorphous and poorly crystalline oxide solid phases targeted by the oxalate and oxalate-ascorbic acid extracts respectively. Adsorption isotherm experiments showed no correlation between V sorption and any of the fractions identified by the SEP. This lack of correlation indicates the application of an SEP alone is not adequate to estimate the sorption characteristics of V in an aquifer system.

Factors Controlling the Regional Distribution of Vanadium in Groundwater

Although the ingestion of vanadium (V) in drinking water may have possible adverse health effects, there have been relatively few studies of V in groundwater. Given the importance of groundwater as a source of drinking water in many areas of the world, this study examines the potential sources and geochemical processes that control the distribution of V in groundwater on a regional scale. Potential sources of V to groundwater include dissolution of V rich rocks, and waste streams from industrial processes. Geochemical processes such as adsorption/desorption, precipitation/dissolution, and chemical transformations control V concentrations in groundwater. Based on thermodynamic data and laboratory studies, V concentrations are expected to be highest in samples collected from oxic and alkaline groundwater. However, the extent to which thermodynamic data and laboratory results apply to the actual distribution of V in groundwater is not well understood. More than 8400 groundwater samples collected in California were used in this study. Of these samples, high (> or =50 microg/L) and moderate (25 to 49 microg/L) V concentrations were most frequently detected in regions where both source rock and favorable geochemical conditions occurred. The distribution of V concentrations in groundwater samples suggests that significant sources of V are mafic and andesitic rock. Anthropogenic activities do not appear to be a significant contributor of V to groundwater in this study. High V concentrations in groundwater samples analyzed in this study were almost always associated with oxic and alkaline groundwater conditions, which is consistent with predictions based on thermodynamic data.

The presence of vanadium in groundwater of southeastern extreme the pampean region Argentina: Relationship with other chemical elements

Changes in the quality of groundwater resources are related to the presence and concentration of contaminants, especially trace elements such as arsenic, boron, fluoride and vanadium. Vanadium is a rare element naturally abundant, generally found in combination with other elements. Vanadium pentoxide is known to have aneugenic effects. Thus, a study was carried out to assess the presence of vanadium in the groundwater of the southeastern pampean region of Argentina, which constitutes the main water supply for the local population. Statistical and correlational analyses were applied to identify possible interrelationships between vanadium and another chemical elements. Vanadium was found in all groundwater samples. The minimum and maximum vanadium concentrations found were 0.05 mg/l and 2.47 mg/l, respectively. Vanadium is significantly correlated with other trace elements such as arsenic, fluoride and boron. The interrelationship between vanadium and the presence of volcanic glass in sediments is not significant as expected.

Vanadium in ground water from Mt. Fuji: Does it have health effect on habitants around the mountain?

A study was carded out in the Nathenje area in order to determine fluoride concentrations in groundwater and to investigate the occurrence of dental fluorosis in school children. From a fluoride distribution map, it was observed that the central part of Nathenje had high fluoride concentration of between 2 mg/L and 7.02 mg/L. The southern and western parts had less than 1 mg/L. About 52% of the groundwater supplies had fluoride concentrations are above the Word Health Organization maximum permissible limit of 1.5 mg/L. Fluoride concentrations for the rainy season varied from <0.5 to 6.984-0.01 mg/L with 52.9% of the boreholes above the 1.5 mg/L. Fluoride for dry season ranged from <0.5 to 7.024-0.02 mg/L with 50.8% of the boreholes above 1.5 mg/L. Fluoride concentrations remained almost constant during the two seasons of the study period. A social survey revealed that 68.5% of children had dental fluorosis from areas with greater than 4.95 mg/L fluoride. About 25% were affected in areas with an average content of 1.85 mg/L. No occurrence of dental fluorosis was detected in children from areas with less than 1 mg/L fluoride. It was therefore concluded that fluoride is a serious contaminant of groundwater in Nathenje where most of the groundwater contains fluoride higher than World Health Organization acceptable levels. These high fluoride values seem to be associated with the weathered basement complex containing biotite that is a probable source of fluoride. The other suspected sources of fluoride in Nathenje groundwater could be due to the dissolution of hornblende, fluorite and amphibole, which are reported to occur in rocks and soils. The fluoride concentrations in Nathenje groundwater vary from less than 0.5 mg/L to 7.02 mg/L probably due to varying concentrations of fluoride-bearing minerals and their dissolution rate. It was observed that the central part of the Nathenje area where groundwater contains high fluoride content, about 68.5% of children has suffered dental fluorosis. This shows that excess fluoride occurrence in groundwater supplies causes dental fluorosis among children in this area. Based upon the results of this study, it was recommended that further studies should be done on the genesis of fluoride in groundwater. It was also recommended that water quality analyses should be carried out during borehole construction, and monitoring of boreholes should be done after the boreholes have been handed over to the communities.

On-column complexation and simultaneous separation of vanadium(IV) and vanadium(V) by capillary electrophoresis with direct UV detection.

An on-column complexation method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of V(IV) and V(V). Vanadium species were chelated with aminopolycarboxylic acids to form anionic complexes which were separated by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) with direct UV detection. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), diethylenetriaminepentacetric acid (DTPA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), and N-2-hydroxyethylethlendiaminetriacetric acid (HEDTA) were investigated as both ligand and running electrolyte. Of the ligands studied the complexes of EDTA with V(IV) and V(V) resulted in the highest selectivity and UV response. The conditions used for on-column complexation and separation, including pH, and electrolyte ligand concentration, were examined to achieve reasonable separation selectivity and detection sensitivity. The optimum separation of the anionic forms of V(IV) and V(V) was obtained by use of CZE with UV detection at 185 nm and an electrolyte containing 5 mmol L(-1) EDTA at pH 4.0. Linear calibration plots were obtained in the concentration range10-300 micro mol L(-1); detection limits were 3 micro mol L(-1) for V(IV) and 1 micro mol L(-1) for V(V). The proposed method was demonstrated for the determination of vanadium in groundwater spiked with V(IV) and V(V).