Distribution and migration mechanism of fluoride in groundwater in the Manas River Basin, Northwest China

Journal Article · Wed Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Hydrogeology Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/S10040-018-1780-8· OSTI ID:22780861

Liu, Yalei; Jin, Menggui; Ma, Bin; Wang, Jianjun ^[1]

---

1. China University of Geosciences, State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology (China)

Elevated fluoride (F) concentration in groundwater is posing a public health risk in the Manas River Basin (MRB), Northwest China. Based on the characterization of regional groundwater flow, 90 groundwater samples from aquifers were analyzed, along with top-soil leachate and pore-water samples from aquitards. Stable oxygen (δ{sup 18}O) and hydrogen isotopes, radiocarbon and hydrochemical analyses of the groundwater and pore-water samples were conducted to trace groundwater hydrological and hydrochemical processes and thereby understand the distribution and migration mechanism of F. The groundwater is recharged by meteoric precipitation through vapor condensation processes in the Tianshan Mountains. The F concentration in groundwater samples from this basin ranged from 0.11 to 48.15 mg/L (mean 2.56 mg/L). In 37 of the 90 groundwater samples, the F concentrations were above the safe level for drinking water. The F concentrations progressively increased with the residence time and well depths in the northwest of the alluvial-fluvial plain, where groundwater is overexploited for agricultural and domestic use. Positive correlations between F and sodium (Na)/calcium (Ca) indicate that the enrichment and migration of F are influenced by cation exchange processes under high-Na and alkaline pH conditions. The relationships between δ{sup 18}O and F and chloride (Cl) concentrations were nonlinear due to leaching and mixing processes. This shows that vertical leaching by irrigation return flow and mixing with pore water are the dominant processes driving the migration of F in the groundwater flow system of MRB, in addition to geochemical processes.

• OSTI ID: 22780861
• Journal Information: Hydrogeology Journal, Vol. 26, Issue 5; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2018 Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1431-2174
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
58 GEOSCIENCES
AQUIFERS
CALCIUM
CHINA
CHLORINE
DRINKING WATER
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
FLUORINE
GEOCHEMISTRY
GROUND WATER
GROUNDWATER RECHARGE
HEALTH HAZARDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ION EXCHANGE
IRRIGATION
LEACHATES
LEACHING
OXYGEN 18
PH VALUE
PRECIPITATION
PUBLIC HEALTH
RIVERS
SODIUM
SOILS
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
VAPOR CONDENSATION