Distribution, enrichment mechanism and risk assessment for fluoride in groundwater: a case study of Mihe-Weihe River Basin, China

• Published in: Frontiers of environmental science & engineering Vol. 17; no. 6; p. 70
• Main Authors: Qu, Xingyue, Zhai, Peihe, Shi, Longqing, Qu, Xingwei, Bilal, Ahmer, Han, Jin, Yu, Xiaoge
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Beijing Higher Education Press 01.06.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Alluvial plains; Distribution characteristics of fluorine; Dry season; Earth and Environmental Science; Enrichment; Enrichment mechanism of fluorine; Environment; Evaporation; Factor analysis; Factors influencing fluoride; Fluorides; Fluorine; Graphical methods; Groundwater; Groundwater in the Mihe-Weihe River Basin; Groundwater pollution; Groundwater quality; Hydrogeochemical modeling; Hydrogeochemistry; Lowlands; Pollution and risk assessment; Rainy season; Research Article; Risk assessment; River basins; Rivers; Seasons; Set theory; Sodium; Water depth; Water quality; Water table; Weathering; Zonation; China; Weihe River; Factors influencing fluoride; Hydrogeochemical modeling; Enrichment mechanism of fluorine; Distribution characteristics of fluorine; Pollution and risk assessment; Groundwater in the Mihe-Weihe River Basin
• ISSN: 2095-2201; 2095-221X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11783-023-1670-8

● High fluorine is mainly HCO 3·Cl-Na and HCO 3-Na type. ● F − decreases with the increase of depth to water table. ● High fluoride is mainly affected by fluorine-containing minerals and weak alkaline. ● Fluorine pollution is mainly in the north near Laizhou Bay (wet season > dry season). ● Groundwater samples have a high F − health risk (children > adults). Due to the unclear distribution characteristics and causes of fluoride in groundwater of Mihe-Weihe River Basin (China), there is a higher risk for the future development and utilization of groundwater. Therefore, based on the systematic sampling and analysis, the distribution features and enrichment mechanism for fluoride in groundwater were studied by the graphic method, hydrogeochemical modeling, the proportionality factor between conventional ions and factor analysis. The results show that the fluorine content in groundwater is generally on the high side, with a large area of medium-fluorine water (0.5–1.0 mg/L), and high-fluorine water is chiefly in the interfluvial lowlands and alluvial-marine plain, which mainly contains HCO 3·Cl-Na- and HCO 3-Na-type water. The vertical zonation characteristics of the fluorine content decrease with increasing depth to the water table. The high flouride groundwater during the wet season is chiefly controlled by the weathering and dissolution of fluorine-containing minerals, as well as the influence of rock weathering, evaporation and concentration. The weak alkaline environment that is rich in sodium and poor in calcium during the dry season is the main reason for the enrichment of fluorine. Finally, an integrated assessment model is established using rough set theory and an improved matter element extension model, and the level of groundwater pollution caused by fluoride in the Mihe-Weihe River Basin during the wet and dry seasons in the Shandong Peninsula is defined to show the necessity for local management measures to reduce the potential risks caused by groundwater quality.