Abstract
An investigation of the source and dynamics of groundwater in Bangladesh has been conducted with environmental isotope tracers. The primary objective of this study was to provide a scientific basis for developing mitigation strategies by characterizing the mechanism of arsenic mobilization in groundwater and the present and future status of arsenic contamination in deeper aquifers. About 55 shallow and deep groundwater samples ranging in depth from 10 to 335 m were collected and analyzed for their chemical and isotopic compositions. Distinct patterns of isotope compositions are found in shallow and deep groundwaters. Arsenic contamination is found to be present mostly in shallow groundwater to depths of less than 70 m. Groundwater samples from deep wells containing elevated arsenic concentrations are found to contain water mostly from shallow aquifers and do not indicate arsenic contamination of deeper aquifers. However, depth in itself is not a criterion that can be reliably or easily used to find arsenic-free, safe drinking water. Water with high arsenic concentrations sampled from 'deep' wells may not be representative of deep aquifers, and presently uncontaminated water from somewhat deeper wells ({approx}100 m) may not remain so over a long period of time. Increased exploitation of deep groundwater ({approx}300
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Aggarwal, P K;
Froehlich, K;
[1]
Basu, A R;
Poreda, R J;
[2]
Kulkarni, K M;
[3]
Tarafdar, S A;
Ali, Mohamed;
Ahmed, Nasir;
[4]
Hussain, Alamgir;
Rahman, Mizanur;
Ahmed, Syed Reazuddin
[5]
- International Atomic Energy Agency, Isotope Hydrology Section, Vienna (Austria)
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Rochester Rochester, New York (United States)
- Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Isotope Hydrology Section, Trombay, Mumbai (India)
- Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Dhaka (Bangladesh)
- Bangladesh Water Development Board, Dhaka (Bangladesh)
Citation Formats
Aggarwal, P K, Froehlich, K, Basu, A R, Poreda, R J, Kulkarni, K M, Tarafdar, S A, Ali, Mohamed, Ahmed, Nasir, Hussain, Alamgir, Rahman, Mizanur, and Ahmed, Syed Reazuddin.
A report on isotope hydrology of groundwater in Bangladesh: implications for characterization and mitigation of arsenic in groundwater.
IAEA: N. p.,
2000.
Web.
Aggarwal, P K, Froehlich, K, Basu, A R, Poreda, R J, Kulkarni, K M, Tarafdar, S A, Ali, Mohamed, Ahmed, Nasir, Hussain, Alamgir, Rahman, Mizanur, & Ahmed, Syed Reazuddin.
A report on isotope hydrology of groundwater in Bangladesh: implications for characterization and mitigation of arsenic in groundwater.
IAEA.
Aggarwal, P K, Froehlich, K, Basu, A R, Poreda, R J, Kulkarni, K M, Tarafdar, S A, Ali, Mohamed, Ahmed, Nasir, Hussain, Alamgir, Rahman, Mizanur, and Ahmed, Syed Reazuddin.
2000.
"A report on isotope hydrology of groundwater in Bangladesh: implications for characterization and mitigation of arsenic in groundwater."
IAEA.
@misc{etde_20385915,
title = {A report on isotope hydrology of groundwater in Bangladesh: implications for characterization and mitigation of arsenic in groundwater}
author = {Aggarwal, P K, Froehlich, K, Basu, A R, Poreda, R J, Kulkarni, K M, Tarafdar, S A, Ali, Mohamed, Ahmed, Nasir, Hussain, Alamgir, Rahman, Mizanur, and Ahmed, Syed Reazuddin}
abstractNote = {An investigation of the source and dynamics of groundwater in Bangladesh has been conducted with environmental isotope tracers. The primary objective of this study was to provide a scientific basis for developing mitigation strategies by characterizing the mechanism of arsenic mobilization in groundwater and the present and future status of arsenic contamination in deeper aquifers. About 55 shallow and deep groundwater samples ranging in depth from 10 to 335 m were collected and analyzed for their chemical and isotopic compositions. Distinct patterns of isotope compositions are found in shallow and deep groundwaters. Arsenic contamination is found to be present mostly in shallow groundwater to depths of less than 70 m. Groundwater samples from deep wells containing elevated arsenic concentrations are found to contain water mostly from shallow aquifers and do not indicate arsenic contamination of deeper aquifers. However, depth in itself is not a criterion that can be reliably or easily used to find arsenic-free, safe drinking water. Water with high arsenic concentrations sampled from 'deep' wells may not be representative of deep aquifers, and presently uncontaminated water from somewhat deeper wells ({approx}100 m) may not remain so over a long period of time. Increased exploitation of deep groundwater ({approx}300 m) such as in the Barisal area appears to be possible without fear of arsenic contamination from shallow aquifers. However, the potential for groundwater mining is clearly evident and the sustainability of this resource needs to be evaluated. The exponential increase in groundwater exploitation between 1979 and 1999 does not appear to have affected the overall hydrodynamics of shallow and deep aquifers and, by implication, the arsenic mobilization processes. Currently favored mechanisms of arsenic mobilization are found to be inconsistent with isotope data. The most likely process of arsenic mobilization may involve desorption from the sediments as a result of the relatively rapid and continuing (natural) renewal of shallow aquifers with arsenic-free water.}
place = {IAEA}
year = {2000}
month = {Dec}
}
title = {A report on isotope hydrology of groundwater in Bangladesh: implications for characterization and mitigation of arsenic in groundwater}
author = {Aggarwal, P K, Froehlich, K, Basu, A R, Poreda, R J, Kulkarni, K M, Tarafdar, S A, Ali, Mohamed, Ahmed, Nasir, Hussain, Alamgir, Rahman, Mizanur, and Ahmed, Syed Reazuddin}
abstractNote = {An investigation of the source and dynamics of groundwater in Bangladesh has been conducted with environmental isotope tracers. The primary objective of this study was to provide a scientific basis for developing mitigation strategies by characterizing the mechanism of arsenic mobilization in groundwater and the present and future status of arsenic contamination in deeper aquifers. About 55 shallow and deep groundwater samples ranging in depth from 10 to 335 m were collected and analyzed for their chemical and isotopic compositions. Distinct patterns of isotope compositions are found in shallow and deep groundwaters. Arsenic contamination is found to be present mostly in shallow groundwater to depths of less than 70 m. Groundwater samples from deep wells containing elevated arsenic concentrations are found to contain water mostly from shallow aquifers and do not indicate arsenic contamination of deeper aquifers. However, depth in itself is not a criterion that can be reliably or easily used to find arsenic-free, safe drinking water. Water with high arsenic concentrations sampled from 'deep' wells may not be representative of deep aquifers, and presently uncontaminated water from somewhat deeper wells ({approx}100 m) may not remain so over a long period of time. Increased exploitation of deep groundwater ({approx}300 m) such as in the Barisal area appears to be possible without fear of arsenic contamination from shallow aquifers. However, the potential for groundwater mining is clearly evident and the sustainability of this resource needs to be evaluated. The exponential increase in groundwater exploitation between 1979 and 1999 does not appear to have affected the overall hydrodynamics of shallow and deep aquifers and, by implication, the arsenic mobilization processes. Currently favored mechanisms of arsenic mobilization are found to be inconsistent with isotope data. The most likely process of arsenic mobilization may involve desorption from the sediments as a result of the relatively rapid and continuing (natural) renewal of shallow aquifers with arsenic-free water.}
place = {IAEA}
year = {2000}
month = {Dec}
}