Waste-water impacts on groundwater: Cl/Br ratios and implications for arsenic pollution of groundwater in the Bengal Basin and Red River Basin, Vietnam

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 437; pp. 390 - 402
• Main Authors: McArthur, J.M., Sikdar, P.K., Hoque, M.A., Ghosal, U.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 15.10.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Arsenic; Arsenic - analysis; Bangladesh; Bengal; Bromides - analysis; Chloride; Chlorides - analysis; Cl/Br; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Enterobacteriaceae - isolation & purification; Environmental Monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Groundwater; Groundwater - analysis; Groundwater - microbiology; Groundwaters; India; Models, Chemical; Natural water pollution; Nitrates - analysis; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Rivers - chemistry; Rivers - microbiology; Vietnam; Waste Water - analysis; Waste Water - microbiology; Waste-water; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water treatment and pollution; Asia; Vietnam; Bangladesh; India; India, West Bengal; ISW, India, Bengal Basin; Waste-water; Chloride; Arsenic; Groundwater; Bengal; Cl/Br; Microbiology; Shallow water; Waste water; Aquifers; Trace element; Carcinogen; Chlorides; Water quality; Pollution source; Bromides; Poison; Water pollution; Biological contamination; Ground water; Anthropogenic factor
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.07.068

Across West Bengal and Bangladesh, concentrations of Cl in much groundwater exceed the natural, upper limit of 10mg/L. The Cl/Br mass ratios in groundwaters range up to 2500 and scatter along mixing lines between waste-water and dilute groundwater, with many falling near the mean end-member value for waste-water of 1561 at 126mg/L Cl. Values of Cl/Br exceed the seawater ratio of 288 in uncommon NO3-bearing groundwaters, and in those containing measurable amounts of salt-corrected SO4 (SO4 corrected for marine salt). The data show that shallow groundwater tapped by tube-wells in the Bengal Basin has been widely contaminated by waste-water derived from pit latrines, septic tanks, and other methods of sanitary disposal, although reducing conditions in the aquifers have removed most evidence of NO3 additions from these sources, and much evidence of their additions of SO4. In groundwaters from wells in palaeo-channel settings, end-member modelling shows that >25% of wells yield water that comprises ≥10% of waste-water. In palaeo-interfluvial settings, only wells at the margins of the palaeo-interfluvial sequence contain detectable waste water. Settings are identifiable by well-colour survey, owner information, water composition, and drilling. Values of Cl/Br and faecal coliform counts are both inversely related to concentrations of pollutant As in groundwater, suggesting that waste-water contributions to groundwater in the near-field of septic-tanks and pit-latrines (within 30m) suppress the mechanism of As-pollution and lessen the prevalence and severity of As pollution. In the far-field of such sources, organic matter in waste-water may increase groundwater pollution by As. ► Groundwater in the Bengal Basin is widely polluted by domestic waste-water. ► The impact on groundwater can be quantified using Cl/Br mass ratios. ► Both NO3 and SO4 in groundwater are sourced from waste-water. ► Pollution of groundwater by arsenic is decreased adjacent to sources of waste-water. ► Distally from its source, waste-water may exacerbate As-pollution of groundwater.