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Zhang Y, Yan Y, Yao R, Wei D, Huang X, Luo M, Wei C, Chen S, Yang C. Natural background levels, source apportionment and health risks of potentially toxic elements in groundwater of highly urbanized area. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 935:173276. [PMID: 38796023 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Identifying the natural background levels (NBLs), threshold values (TVs), sources and health risks of potentially toxic elements in groundwater is crucial for ensuring the water security of residents in highly urbanized areas. In this study, 96 groundwater samples were collected in urban area of Sichuan Basin, SW China. The concentrations of potentially toxic elements (Li, Fe, Cu, Zn, Al, Pb, B, Ba and Ni) were analyzed for investigating the NBLs, TVs, sources and health risks. The potentially toxic elements followed the concentration order of Fe > Ba > B > Al > Zn > Li > Cu > Ni > Pb. The NBLs and TVs indicated the contamination of potentially toxic elements mainly occurred in the northern and central parts of the study area. The Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model identified elevated concentrations of Fe, Al, Li, and B were found to determine groundwater quality. The primary sources of Fe, Al, Pb, and Ni were attributed to the dissolution of oxidation products, with Fe additionally affected by anthropogenic reduction environments. Li and B were determined to be originated from the weathering of tourmaline. High levels of Ni and Cu concentrations were derived from electronic waste leakage, while excessive Ba and Zn were linked to factory emissions and tire wear. The reasonable maximum exposure (RME) of hazard index (HI) was higher than safety standard and reveal the potential health risks in the southwestern study area. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated the Li concentrations possessed the highest weight contributing to health risk. This study provides a valuable information for source-specific risk assessments of potentially toxic elements in groundwater associated with urban areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunhui Zhang
- Yibin Research Institute, Southwest Jiaotong University, Yibin 644000, China; Faculty of Geosciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Sichuan, Chengdu 611756, China.
| | - Yuting Yan
- Yibin Research Institute, Southwest Jiaotong University, Yibin 644000, China; Faculty of Geosciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Sichuan, Chengdu 611756, China
| | - Rongwen Yao
- Yibin Research Institute, Southwest Jiaotong University, Yibin 644000, China; Faculty of Geosciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Sichuan, Chengdu 611756, China
| | - Denghui Wei
- Yibin Research Institute, Southwest Jiaotong University, Yibin 644000, China; Faculty of Geosciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Sichuan, Chengdu 611756, China
| | - Xun Huang
- Faculty of Geosciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Sichuan, Chengdu 611756, China
| | - Ming Luo
- Sichuan Institute of Geological Survey, Sichuan, Chengdu 610081, China
| | - Changli Wei
- Sichuan Institute of Geological Survey, Sichuan, Chengdu 610081, China
| | - Si Chen
- Observation and Research Station of Ecological Restoration for Chongqing Typical Mining Areas, Ministry of Natural Resources, Chongqing Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, Chongqing 401120, China
| | - Chang Yang
- Observation and Research Station of Ecological Restoration for Chongqing Typical Mining Areas, Ministry of Natural Resources, Chongqing Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, Chongqing 401120, China
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Lu Q, Xu X, Xu Z, Liang L, Shang L, Xiao D, Zhang S, Jiang Y, Qiu G. Barium concentrations and speciation in surface waters collected from an active barium mining area in Guizhou Province, southwestern China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 25:7608-7617. [PMID: 29285693 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-0963-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Barium (Ba) is a toxic element and can cause serious health effects. Humans have experienced increased exposure to Ba due to its intensive usage in industrial areas and daily life. Anthropogenic activities of Ba mining and the manufacture of Ba containing products introduce the element into surrounding areas, posing environmental concerns. Concentrations of total Ba (TBa) and dissolved Ba (DBa) in water samples collected from active Ba mines in Tianzhu, east Guizhou Province, southwestern China were measured to show the regional dispersion of Ba contamination. Aqueous Ba species in water were calculated using the PHREEQC program. The results showed that TBa and DBa concentrations ranged from 6.7 to 483.1 μg/L and from 7.5 to 222.7 μg/L, respectively. TBa concentrations presented a high average value of 126.6 μg/L and greatly exceeded the reported common value of 10 μg/L Ba in surface water set by the Ministry of Environment Protection of China. PHREEQC results indicated that Ba species in water were present as Ba2+, BaSO4, BaHCO3, BaCO3, and BaOH+. The distribution of Ba species in water is controlled by pH and total organic carbon (TOC), and the lower pH (pH < 7) the higher the dissolved fractions. The log K d values (K d , dissolved-particulate distribution coefficients) varied from 2.41 to 6.32. Significant correlations were observed among Ba2+ and K+, Na+, Cl-, NO3-, with Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.425, 0.531, 0.853, 0.612, and 0.329, respectively (p < 0.01). Elevated Ba concentrations in water indicated that the Ba contamination and its distribution pattern in local aquatic ecosystems are derived from Ba mining sites in the Tianzhu area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinhui Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 99 Lincheng West Rd., Guiyang, 550081, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaohang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 99 Lincheng West Rd., Guiyang, 550081, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhidong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 99 Lincheng West Rd., Guiyang, 550081, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Longchao Liang
- College of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, People's Republic of China
| | - Lihai Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 99 Lincheng West Rd., Guiyang, 550081, People's Republic of China
| | - Dean Xiao
- College of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou Institute of Technology, Guiyang, 550003, People's Republic of China
| | - Sensen Zhang
- Research Centre for Applied Geochemistry and Technology, Zhengzhou, 450052, People's Republic of China
- Sixth Geological Survey Division, Henan Provincial Non-ferrous Metals Geological and Mineral Resources Bureau, Zhengzhou, 450052, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuping Jiang
- Sixth Geological Survey Division, Henan Provincial Non-ferrous Metals Geological and Mineral Resources Bureau, Zhengzhou, 450052, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangle Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 99 Lincheng West Rd., Guiyang, 550081, People's Republic of China.
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Jones A, Rogerson M, Greenway G, Potter HAB, Mayes WM. Mine water geochemistry and metal flux in a major historic Pb-Zn-F orefield, the Yorkshire Pennines, UK. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2013; 20:7570-7581. [PMID: 23386384 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-013-1513-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2012] [Accepted: 01/21/2013] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have shown up to 6 % of rivers in England and Wales to be impacted by discharges from abandoned metal mines. Despite the large extent of impacts, there are still many areas where mine water impact assessments are limited by data availability. This study provides an overview of water quality, trace element composition and flux arising from one such area; the Yorkshire Pennine Orefield in the UK. Mine drainage waters across the orefield are characterised by Ca-HCO3-SO4-type waters, with moderate mineralization (specific electrical conductance: 160-525 μS cm(-1)) and enrichment of dissolved Zn (≤2003 μg L(-1)), Ba (≤971 μg L(-1)), Pb (≤183 μg L(-1)) and Cd (≤12 μg L(-1)). The major ion composition of the waters reflects the Carboniferous gritstone and limestone-dominated country rock, the latter of which is heavily karstified in parts of the orefield, while sulphate and trace element enrichment is a product of the oxidation of galena, sphalerite and barite mineralization. Contaminant flux measurements at discharge sites highlight the disproportionate importance of large drainage levels across the region, which generally discharge into first-order headwater streams. Synoptic metal loading surveys undertaken in the Hebden Beck sub-catchment of the river Wharfe highlight the importance of major drainage levels to instream baseflow contamination, with diffuse sources from identifiable expanses of waste rock becoming increasingly prominent as river flows increase.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Jones
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, Scarborough, YO11 3AZ, UK
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