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Mushtaq N, Farooqi A, Khattak JA, Hussain I, Mailloux B, Bostick BC, Nghiem A, Ellis T, van Geen A. Elevated arsenic concentrations in groundwater of the Upper Indus Plain of Pakistan across a range of redox conditions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:168574. [PMID: 38000757 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Groundwater of the Ravi River floodplain is particularly elevated in arsenic (As) on both sides of the Pakistan-India border. To understand this pattern, 14 sites were drilled to 12-30 m depth across floodplains and doabs of Pakistan after testing over 20,000 wells. Drill cuttings were collected at 1.5 m intervals, 132 of which were sand overlain by 77 intervals of clay and/or silt. Radiocarbon dating of clay indicates deposition of the aquifer sands tapped by wells 20-30 kyr ago. Most (85 %) of the sand samples were gray in color, indicating partial reduction to Fe(II) oxides, whereas most (92 %) of the clay and/or silt samples were orange. Associations between groundwater electrical conductivity, dissolved Fe, sulfate, and nitrate suggest that wells can be elevated (>10 μg/L) in As in the region due to either reductive dissolution of Fe oxides, evaporative concentration, or alkali desorption. In the Ravi floodplain, 47 % of 6445 wells tested contain >10 μg/L As compared to only 9 % of 14,165 tested wells in other floodplains and doabs. The As content of aquifer sands in the Ravi floodplain of Pakistan averages 4 ± 4 mg/kg (n = 66) and is higher than the average of 2 ± 2 mg/kg (n = 51) for aquifer sands outside the Ravi. Synchrotron spectroscopy and column-based speciation indicate predominance of As(V) over As(III) in both aquifer sands and groundwater. Whereas multiple processes may be responsible for elevated levels of As in groundwater across the region, spatial heterogeneity in groundwater As concentrations in the Ravi floodplain seems linked to variations in As concentrations in aquifer sands. Regulation by the solid phase may limit variations in groundwater As over time in response to natural and human-induced changes in hydrology. This means spatial heterogeneity could be taken advantage of to lower the exposure across the region with more testing and targeted drilling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisbah Mushtaq
- Environmental Hydrogeochemistry Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
| | - Abida Farooqi
- Environmental Hydrogeochemistry Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan.
| | - Junaid Ali Khattak
- Environmental Hydrogeochemistry Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
| | - Ishtiaque Hussain
- Environmental Hydrogeochemistry Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
| | - Brian Mailloux
- Environmental Sciences Department, Barnard College, New York, USA
| | | | - Athena Nghiem
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Tyler Ellis
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, New York, USA
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Tamayo LI, Haque SE, Islam T, Ahmed A, Rahman M, Horayra A, Tong L, Chen L, Martinez-Cardoso A, Ahsan H, Pierce BL. Returning personal genetic information on susceptibility to arsenic toxicity to research participants in Bangladesh. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 240:117482. [PMID: 37879393 PMCID: PMC10842833 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is growing consensus that researchers should offer to return genetic results to participants, but returning results in lower-resource countries has received little attention. In this study, we return results on genetic susceptibility to arsenic toxicity to participants in a Bangladeshi cohort exposed to arsenic through naturally-contaminated drinking water. We examine the impact on behavioral changes related to exposure reduction. METHODS We enrolled participants from the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study who had (1) high arsenic (≥150 μg/g creatinine) in a recent urine sample and (2) existing data on genetic variants impacting arsenic metabolism efficiency (AS3MT and FTCD). We used genetic data to recruit three study groups, each with n = 103: (1) efficient metabolizers (low-risk), (2) inefficient metabolizers (high-risk), and (3) a randomly-selected control group (NCT05072132). At baseline, all participants received information on the effects of arsenic and how to reduce exposure by switching to a low arsenic well. The two intervention groups also received their arsenic metabolism efficiency status (based on their genetic results). Changes in behavior and arsenic exposure were assessed using questionnaires and urine arsenic measures after six months. RESULTS Clear decreases in urine arsenic after six months were observed for all three groups. The inefficient group self-reported higher levels of attempted switching to lower arsenic wells than the other groups; however, there was no detectable difference in urine arsenic reduction among the three groups. Participants showed strong interest in receiving genetic results and found them useful. The inefficient group experienced higher levels of anxiety than the other groups. Among the efficient group, that receiving genetic results did not appear to hinder behavioral change. CONCLUSION Returning genetic results increased self-reported exposure-reducing behaviors but did not have a detectable impact on reducing urine arsenic over and above a one-on-one educational intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizeth I Tamayo
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60615, USA
| | | | - Tariqul Islam
- University of Chicago Research Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Alauddin Ahmed
- University of Chicago Research Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Moziber Rahman
- University of Chicago Research Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Abu Horayra
- University of Chicago Research Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Lin Tong
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60615, USA
| | - Lin Chen
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60615, USA
| | | | - Habibul Ahsan
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60615, USA; Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60615, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60615, USA
| | - Brandon L Pierce
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60615, USA; Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60615, USA; Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60615, USA.
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Habib MA, Cocciolo S, Haque MA, Raihan MMA, Bhattacharya P, Tompsett A. How to clean a tubewell: the effectiveness of three approaches in reducing coliform bacteria. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 872:161932. [PMID: 36796696 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161932] [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: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Access to safe drinking water in rural Bangladesh remains a perpetual challenge. Most households are exposed to either arsenic or faecal bacteria in their primary source of drinking water, usually a tubewell. Improving tubewell cleaning and maintenance practices might reduce exposure to faecal contamination at a potentially low cost, but whether current cleaning and maintenance practices are effective remains uncertain, as does the extent to which best practice approaches might improve water quality. We used a randomized experiment to evaluate how effectively three approaches to cleaning a tubewell improved water quality, measured by total coliforms and E. coli. The three approaches comprise the caretaker's usual standard of care and two best-practice approaches. One best-practice approach, disinfecting the well with a weak chlorine solution, consistently improved water quality. However, when caretakers cleaned the wells themselves, they followed few of the steps involved in the best-practice approaches, and water quality declined rather than improved, although the estimated declines are not consistently statistically significant. The results suggest that, while improvements to cleaning and maintenance practices might help reduce exposure to faecal contamination in drinking water in rural Bangladesh, achieving widespread adoption of more effective practices would require significant behavioural change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Ahasan Habib
- KTH-International Groundwater Arsenic Research Group, Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden; NGO Forum for Public Health, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
| | | | | | | | - Prosun Bhattacharya
- KTH-International Groundwater Arsenic Research Group, Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Tompsett
- Institute for International Economic Studies, Stockholm University, Sweden; Beijer Institute for Ecological Economics, Royal Academy of Sciences, Sweden
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Ivy N, Mukherjee T, Bhattacharya S, Ghosh A, Sharma P. Arsenic contamination in groundwater and food chain with mitigation options in Bengal delta with special reference to Bangladesh. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2023; 45:1261-1287. [PMID: 35841495 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-022-01330-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Bangladesh, situated in Bengal delta, is one of the worst affected countries by arsenic contamination in groundwater. Most of the people in the country are dependent on groundwater for domestic and irrigation purposes. Currently, 61 districts out of 64 districts of Bangladesh are affected by arsenic contamination. Drinking arsenic contaminated groundwater is the main pathway of arsenic exposure in the population. Additionally, the use of arsenic-contaminated groundwater for irrigation purpose in crop fields in Bangladesh has elevated arsenic concentration in surface soil and in the plants. In many arsenic-affected countries, including Bangladesh, rice is reported to be one of the significant sources of arsenic contamination. This review discussed scenario of groundwater arsenic contamination and transmission of arsenic through food chain in Bangladesh. The study further highlighted the human health perspectives of arsenic exposure in Bangladesh with possible mitigation and remediation options employed in the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishita Ivy
- School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bihar, India
| | | | - Sayan Bhattacharya
- School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bihar, India
| | - Abhrajyoti Ghosh
- Department of Biochemistry, Bose Institute, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Prabhakar Sharma
- School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bihar, India.
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Nghiem AA, Prommer H, Mozumder MRH, Siade A, Jamieson J, Ahmed KM, van Geen A, Bostick BC. Sulfate reduction accelerates groundwater arsenic contamination even in aquifers with abundant iron oxides. NATURE WATER 2023; 1:151-165. [PMID: 37034542 PMCID: PMC10074394 DOI: 10.1038/s44221-022-00022-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Groundwater contamination by geogenic arsenic is a global problem affecting nearly 200 million people. In South and Southeast Asia, a cost-effective mitigation strategy is to use oxidized low-arsenic aquifers rather than reduced high-arsenic aquifers. Aquifers with abundant oxidized iron minerals are presumably safeguarded against immediate arsenic contamination, due to strong sorption of arsenic onto iron minerals. However, preferential pumping of low-arsenic aquifers can destabilize the boundaries between these aquifers, pulling high-arsenic water into low-arsenic aquifers. We investigate this scenario in a hybrid field-column experiment in Bangladesh where naturally high-arsenic groundwater is pumped through sediment cores from a low-arsenic aquifer, and detailed aqueous and solid-phase measurements are used to constrain reactive transport modelling. Here we show that elevated groundwater arsenic concentrations are induced by sulfate reduction and the predicted formation of highly mobile, poorly sorbing thioarsenic species. This process suggests that contamination of currently pristine aquifers with arsenic can occur up to over 1.5 times faster than previously thought, leading to a deterioration of urgently needed water resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athena A. Nghiem
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
- Present address: Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Present address: Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Henning Prommer
- CSIRO Environment, Wembley, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - M. Rajib H. Mozumder
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
- Ramboll Environment & Health, Westford, MA, USA
| | - Adam Siade
- CSIRO Environment, Wembley, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - James Jamieson
- CSIRO Environment, Wembley, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | | | - Alexander van Geen
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
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6
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Li PH, Song ZY, Xiao XY, Liang B, Yang M, Chen SH, Liu WQ, Huang XJ. Coordination engineering strategy of iron single-atom catalysts boosts anti-Cu(II) interference detection of As(III) with a high sensitivity. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 442:130122. [PMID: 36303353 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Mutual interference issues between heavy metal ions tremendously affect the detection reliability and accuracy in water quality analysis, especially the serious interference of Cu(II) on the detection of As(III) is greatly hard to overcome, which needs to be solved urgently. Herein, iron single-atom catalysts with different coordination structures of FeN2C2 and FeN3P are constructed to selectively catalyze the detection of As(III) in the coexistence of Cu(II). FeN3P achieves a high sensitivity of 3.90 µA ppb-1 toward As(III) in NH4Cl/NH3·H2O electrolyte (pH 8.0), completely avoiding Cu(II)-interference. Moreover, the turnover frequency (TOF) of FeN3P is an order of magnitude higher than that of FeN2C2. X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that an As-O bond of H3AsO3 is broken by the strong affinities between both P and O atoms and Fe and As atoms, and H3AsO3 are preferentially reduced by FeN3P during adsorptive process. Meanwhile, the low reaction energy barrier of the rate-determined step for As(III) reduction over FeN3P also accelerates the deposition of As(III) and enhances its response signals. The free-Cu(II) are difficult to adsorb on FeN3P and do not compete with As(III) for Fe active sites, which contributes to the excellent anti-Cu(II) interference capability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Hua Li
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, And Environmental Materials and Pollution Control Laboratory, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China
| | - Zong-Yin Song
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, And Environmental Materials and Pollution Control Laboratory, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Xiang-Yu Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, And Environmental Materials and Pollution Control Laboratory, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Bo Liang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, And Environmental Materials and Pollution Control Laboratory, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Meng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, And Environmental Materials and Pollution Control Laboratory, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China
| | - Shi-Hua Chen
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, And Environmental Materials and Pollution Control Laboratory, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China
| | - Wen-Qing Liu
- Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China.
| | - Xing-Jiu Huang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, And Environmental Materials and Pollution Control Laboratory, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China.
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7
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Wang Z, Bi X, He X, Xie Y, Lin J, Deng B. A two-sorbent system for fast uptake of arsenate from water: Batch and column studies. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 228:119290. [PMID: 36434972 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119290] [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: 07/17/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
There is a critical need to use decentralized and/or point-of-use systems to address some challenging water quality issues in society. Sorption-based approaches are uniquely suitable for such applications because of their simplicity in operation; however, the sorbents must possess fast contaminant uptake kinetics to overcome short hydraulic contact times often encountered in small systems. Here we designed a two-sorbent system consisting of Fe2O3-coated mesoporous carbon (FeMC) and nano-Fe2O3-coated activated carbon (FeAC) and demonstrated its ability to remove arsenate with a < 1 min empty bed contact time (EBCT) by a capture-and-storage process. Batch experiments showed rapid capture of arsenate by FeMC, likely occurred on the rod-like structures protruding to the liquid film. The captured arsenate could subsequently be relocated to FeAC for storage, which had a higher apparent sorption capacity. Column studies, operated with a 10 h running time followed by a 14 h pump-off time, showed that with a 102 μg-As/L influent concentration and at 0.85 min EBCT, the column treated 20,022 bed volumes until the 10 μg-As/L breakthrough, corresponding to a sorption density of 2.36 mg-As/g. This capture-and-storage technique resulted in a rapid and high-capacity arsenate removal through a combined effect of facile access to sorption sites on one sorbent and dynamic equilibrium in the two-sorbent system possessing a large total sorption capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyang Wang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Department of Environmental Sciences, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT 06504, USA
| | - Xiangyu Bi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Xiaoqing He
- Electron Microscopy Core Facilities, The University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Yunchao Xie
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Jian Lin
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Baolin Deng
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
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8
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Huang Y, Knappett PSK, Berube M, Datta S, Cardenas MB, Rhodes KA, Dimova NT, Choudhury I, Ahmed KM, van Geen A. Mass fluxes of dissolved arsenic discharging to the Meghna River are sufficient to account for the mass of arsenic in riverbank sediments. JOURNAL OF CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY 2022; 251:104068. [PMID: 36108569 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2022.104068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Shallow (<30 m) reducing groundwater commonly contains abundant dissolved arsenic (As) in Bangladesh. We hypothesize that dissolved As in iron (Fe)-rich groundwater discharging to rivers is trapped onto Fe(III)-oxyhydroxides which precipitate in shallow riverbank sediments under the influence of tidal fluctuations. Therefore, the goal of this study is to compare the calculated mass of sediment-bound As that would be sequestered from dissolved groundwater As that discharges through riverbanks of the Meghna River to the observed mass of As trapped within riverbank sediments. To calculate groundwater discharge, a Boussinesq aquifer analytical groundwater flow model was developed and constrained by cyclical seasonal fluctuations in hydraulic heads and river stages observed at three sites along a 13 km reach in central Bangladesh. At all sites, groundwater discharges to the river year-round but most of it passes through an intertidal zone created by ocean tides propagating upstream from the Bay of Bengal in the dry season. The annualized groundwater discharge per unit width at the three sites ranges from 173 to 891 m2/yr (average 540 m2/yr). Assuming that riverbanks have been stable since the Brahmaputra River avulsed far away from this area 200 years ago and dissolved As is completely trapped within riverbank sediments, the mass of accumulated sediment As can be calculated by multiplying groundwater discharge by ambient aquifer As concentrations measured in 1969 wells. Across all sites, the range of calculated sediment As concentrations in the riverbank is 78-849 mg/kg, which is higher than the observed concentrations (17-599 mg/kg). This discovery supports the hypothesis that the dissolved As in groundwater discharge to the river is sufficient to account for the observed buried deposits of As along riverbanks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibin Huang
- Dept. Geology & Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
| | - Peter S K Knappett
- Dept. Geology & Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Michelle Berube
- Dept. Geological Sciences, Kansa State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.
| | - Saugata Datta
- Dept. Geological Sciences, The University of Texas, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA.
| | - M Bayani Cardenas
- Dept. Geological Sciences, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Kimberly A Rhodes
- Water Management and Hydrological Sciences Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Natasha T Dimova
- Dept. Geological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA.
| | | | - Kazi M Ahmed
- Dept. Geology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Alexander van Geen
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA.
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9
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Sandhi A, Yu C, Rahman MM, Amin MN. Arsenic in the water and agricultural crop production system: Bangladesh perspectives. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:51354-51366. [PMID: 35618999 PMCID: PMC9288370 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-20880-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
The presence of high levels of carcinogenic metalloid arsenic (As) in the groundwater system of Bangladesh has been considered as one of the major environmental disasters in this region. Many parts of Bangladesh have extensively reported the presence of high levels of arsenic in the groundwater due to both geological and anthropogenic activities. In this paper, we reviewed the available literature and scientific information regarding arsenic pollution in Bangladesh, including arsenic chemistry and occurrences. Along with using As-rich groundwater as a drinking-water source, the agricultural activities and especially irrigation have greatly depended on the groundwater resources in this region due to high water demands for ensuring food security. A number of investigations in Bangladesh have shown that high arsenic content in both soil and groundwater may result in high levels of arsenic accumulation in different plants, including cereals and vegetables. This review provides information regarding arsenic accumulation in major rice varieties, soil-groundwater-rice arsenic interaction, and past arsenic policies and plans, as well as previously implemented arsenic mitigation options for both drinking and irrigation water systems in Bangladesh. In conclusion, this review highlights the importance and necessity for more in-depth studies as well as more effective arsenic mitigation action plans to reduce arsenic incorporation in the food chain of Bangladesh.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arifin Sandhi
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Linnaeus University, 391 82, Kalmar, Sweden.
| | - Changxun Yu
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Linnaeus University, 391 82, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Md Marufur Rahman
- Bangladesh Institute of Research and Training On Applied Nutrition, Rangpur Regional Station, Pirgonj-5470, Rangpur, Bangladesh
| | - Md Nurul Amin
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-6420, USA
- Breeder Seed Production Centre, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Debiganj, Panchagarh-5020, Bangladesh
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10
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Nath B, Chowdhury R, Ni‐Meister W, Mahanta C. Predicting the Distribution of Arsenic in Groundwater by a Geospatial Machine Learning Technique in the Two Most Affected Districts of Assam, India: The Public Health Implications. GEOHEALTH 2022; 6:e2021GH000585. [PMID: 35340282 PMCID: PMC8934026 DOI: 10.1029/2021gh000585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic (As) is a well-known carcinogen and chemical contaminant in groundwater. The spatial heterogeneity in As distribution in groundwater makes it difficult to predict the location of safe areas for tube well installations, consumption, and agriculture. Geospatial machine learning techniques have been used to predict the location of safe and unsafe areas of groundwater As. We used a similar machine learning technique and developed a habitation-level (spatial resolution 250 m) predictive model to determine the risk and extent of As >10 μg/L in groundwater in the two most affected districts of Assam, India, with an aim to advise policymakers on targeted interventions. A random forest model was employed in Python environments to predict the probabilities of As at concentrations >10 μg/L using intrinsic and extrinsic predictor variables, which were selected for their inherent relationship with As occurrence in groundwater. The relationships between predictor variables and proportions of As occurrences >10 μg/L follow the well-documented processes leading to As release in groundwater. We identified potential As hotspots based on a probability of ≥0.7 for As >10 μg/L, including regions not previously surveyed and extending beyond previously known As hotspots. Of the total land area (6,500 km2), 25% was identified as a high-risk zone, with an estimated 155,000 people potentially consuming As through drinking water or cooking food. The ternary hazard probability map (showing high, moderate, and low risk for As >10 μg/L) could inform policymakers on establishing newer drinking water treatment plants and providing safe drinking water connections to rural households.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bibhash Nath
- Department of Geography and Environmental ScienceHunter College of City University of New YorkNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Runti Chowdhury
- Department of Geological SciencesGauhati UniversityGuwahatiIndia
| | - Wenge Ni‐Meister
- Department of Geography and Environmental ScienceHunter College of City University of New YorkNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Chandan Mahanta
- Department of Civil EngineeringIndian Institute of Technology GuwahatiGuwahatiIndia
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11
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Khattak JA, Farooqi A, Hussain I, Kumar A, Singh CK, Mailloux BJ, Bostick B, Ellis T, van Geen A. Groundwater fluoride across the Punjab plains of Pakistan and India: Distribution and underlying mechanisms. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:151353. [PMID: 34743882 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Chronic exposure from drinking well-water with naturally high concentrations of fluoride (F-) has serious health consequences in several regions across the world including South Asia, where the rural population is particularly dependent on untreated groundwater pumped from private wells. An extensive campaign to test 28,648 wells was conducted across the Punjab plains of Pakistan and India by relying primarily on field kits to document the scale of the problem and shed light on the underlying mechanisms. Groundwater samples were collected from a subset of 712 wells for laboratory analysis of F- and other constituents. A handful of sites showing contrasting levels of F- in groundwater were also drilled to determine if the composition of aquifer sediment differed between these sites. The laboratory data show that the field kits correctly classified 91% of the samples relative to the World Health Organization guideline for drinking water of 1.5 mg/L F-. The kit data indicate that 9% of wells across a region extending from the Indus to the Sutlej rivers were elevated in F- relative to this guideline. Field data indicate an association between the proportion of well-water samples with F- > 1.5 mg/L and electric conductivity (EC) > 1.5 mS/cm across six floodplains and six intervening doabs. Low Ca2+ concentrations and elevated bicarbonate (HCO3- > 500 mg/L) and sodium (Na+ > 200 mg/L) in high F- groundwater suggest regulation by fluorite. This could be through either the lack of precipitation or the dissolution of fluorite regulated by the loss of Ca2+ from groundwater due to precipitation of calcite and/or ion exchange with clay minerals. Widespread salinization of Punjab aquifers attributed to irrigation may have contributed to higher F- levels in groundwater of the region. Historical conductivity data suggest salinization has yet to be reversed in spite of changes in water resources management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junaid Ali Khattak
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Abida Farooqi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
| | - Ishtiaque Hussain
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Anand Kumar
- Department of Energy and Environment, TERI School of Advanced Studies, New Delhi, India
| | - Chander Kumar Singh
- Department of Energy and Environment, TERI School of Advanced Studies, New Delhi, India.
| | - Brian J Mailloux
- Environmental Sciences Department, Barnard College, New York, USA
| | - Benjamin Bostick
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
| | - Tyler Ellis
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
| | - Alexander van Geen
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA.
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12
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Jameel Y, Mozumder MRH, van Geen A, Harvey CF. Well-Switching to Reduce Arsenic Exposure in Bangladesh: Making the Most of Inaccurate Field Kit Measurements. GEOHEALTH 2021; 5:e2021GH000464. [PMID: 34938930 PMCID: PMC8670558 DOI: 10.1029/2021gh000464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Well-switching programs in Bangladesh have successfully lowered arsenic exposure. In these programs, households switch from wells that are labeled "unsafe" to nearby wells labeled "safe," but these designations are usually based on inherently inaccurate field kit measurements. Here, we (a) compare the efficacy of field-kit measurements to accurate laboratory measurements for well switching, (b) investigate the potential impact on well switching of the chosen "safe" threshold, and (c) consider the possible benefits of providing more detailed concentration information than just "safe" and "unsafe." We explore different hypothetical mitigation scenarios by combining two extensive data sets from Araihazar Bangladesh: a blanket survey of 6595 wells over 25 km2 based on laboratory measurements and 943 paired kit and laboratory measurements from the same area. The results indicate that the decline in average arsenic exposure from relying on kit rather than laboratory data is modest in relation to the logistical and financial challenge of delivering exclusively laboratory data. The analysis further indicates that the 50 μg/L threshold used in Bangladesh to distinguish safe and unsafe wells, rather than the WHO guideline of 10 μg/L, is close to optimal in terms of average exposure reduction. We also show that providing kit data at the maximum possible resolution rather than merely classifying wells as unsafe or safe would be even better. These findings are relevant as the government of Bangladesh is about to launch a new blanket testing campaign of millions of wells using field kits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuf Jameel
- Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMAUSA
| | | | | | - Charles F. Harvey
- Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMAUSA
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13
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Li PH, Yang M, Song ZY, Chen SH, Xiao XY, Lin CH, Huang XJ. Highly Sensitive and Stable Determination of As(III) under Near-Neutral Conditions: Benefit from the Synergetic Catalysis of Pt Single Atoms and Active S Atoms over Pt 1/MoS 2. Anal Chem 2021; 93:15115-15123. [PMID: 34714618 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c03416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Designing new catalysts with high activity and stability is crucial for the effective analysis of environmental pollutants under mild conditions. Here, we developed a superior catalyst of Pt single atoms anchored on MoS2 (Pt1/MoS2) to catalyze the determination of As(III). A detection sensitivity of 3.31 μA ppb-1 was obtained in acetate buffer solution at pH 6.0, which is the highest compared with those obtained by other Pt-based nanomaterials currently reported. Pt1/MoS2 exhibited excellent electrochemical stability during the detection process of As(III), even in the coexistence of Cu(II), Pb(II), and Hg(II). X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and theoretical calculations revealed that Pt single atoms were stably fixed by four S atoms and activated the adjacent S atoms. Then, Pt and S atoms synergistically interacted with O and As atoms, respectively, and transferred some electrons to H3AsO3, which change the rate-determining step of H3AsO3 reduction and reduce reaction energy barriers, thereby promoting rapid and efficient accumulation for As(0). Compared with Pt nanoparticles, the weaker interaction between arsenic species and Pt1/MoS2 enabled the effortless regeneration and cyclic utilization of active centers, which is more favorable for the oxidation of As(0). This work provides inspiration for developing highly efficient sensing platforms from the perspective of atomic-level catalysis and affords references to explore the detection mechanism of such contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Hua Li
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, And Environmental Materials and Pollution Control Laboratory, Institute of Solid-State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Meng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, And Environmental Materials and Pollution Control Laboratory, Institute of Solid-State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Zong-Yin Song
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, And Environmental Materials and Pollution Control Laboratory, Institute of Solid-State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Shi-Hua Chen
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, And Environmental Materials and Pollution Control Laboratory, Institute of Solid-State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Xiang-Yu Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, And Environmental Materials and Pollution Control Laboratory, Institute of Solid-State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Chu-Hong Lin
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, And Environmental Materials and Pollution Control Laboratory, Institute of Solid-State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Xing-Jiu Huang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, And Environmental Materials and Pollution Control Laboratory, Institute of Solid-State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
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14
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Tarozzi A, Maertens R, Ahmed KM, van Geen A. Demand for Information on Environmental Health Risk, Mode of Delivery, and Behavioral Change: Evidence from Sonargaon, Bangladesh. THE WORLD BANK ECONOMIC REVIEW 2021; 35:764-792. [PMID: 34366747 PMCID: PMC8331265 DOI: 10.1093/wber/lhaa009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Millions of villagers in Bangladesh are exposed to arsenic by drinking contaminated water from private wells. Testing for arsenic can encourage switching from unsafe wells to safer sources. This study describes results from a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in 112 villages in Bangladesh to evaluate the effectiveness of different test selling schemes at inducing switching from unsafe wells. At a price of about US0.60, only one in four households purchased a test. Sales were not increased by informal inter-household agreements to share water from wells found to be safe, or by visual reminders of well status in the form of metal placards mounted on the well pump. However, switching away from unsafe wells almost doubled in response to agreements or placards relative to the one in three proportion of households that switched away from an unsafe well with simple individual sales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Tarozzi
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra and the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics, Barcelona
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15
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Tarozzi A, Maertens R, Ahmed KM, van Geen A. Demand for Information on Environmental Health Risk, Mode of Delivery, and Behavioral Change: Evidence from Sonargaon, Bangladesh. THE WORLD BANK ECONOMIC REVIEW 2021; 35:764-792. [PMID: 34366747 DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-9194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Millions of villagers in Bangladesh are exposed to arsenic by drinking contaminated water from private wells. Testing for arsenic can encourage switching from unsafe wells to safer sources. This study describes results from a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in 112 villages in Bangladesh to evaluate the effectiveness of different test selling schemes at inducing switching from unsafe wells. At a price of about US0.60, only one in four households purchased a test. Sales were not increased by informal inter-household agreements to share water from wells found to be safe, or by visual reminders of well status in the form of metal placards mounted on the well pump. However, switching away from unsafe wells almost doubled in response to agreements or placards relative to the one in three proportion of households that switched away from an unsafe well with simple individual sales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Tarozzi
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra and the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics, Barcelona
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16
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Huang H, Wei Y, Xia Y, Wei L, Chen X, Zhang R, Su L, Rahman ML, Rahman M, Qamruzzaman Q, Guo W, Shen H, Hu Z, Christiani DC, Chen F. Child marriage, maternal serum metal exposure, and risk of preterm birth in rural Bangladesh: evidence from mediation analysis. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2021; 31:571-580. [PMID: 33824414 PMCID: PMC8134042 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-021-00319-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prevalence of preterm birth in Bangladesh is estimated to be 19.1%, the highest in the world. Although prenatal exposure to several metals has been linked with preterm birth, fewer prospective studies have investigated the socioeconomic factors that affect metal exposure, leading to preterm birth risk. OBJECTIVE We aim to identify novel metal biomarkers and their critical exposure windows, as well as the upstream socioeconomic risk factors for preterm birth in rural Bangladeshi, to shed light for future interventional strategies. METHODS This study included data from 780 mother-offspring pairs, who were recruited to participate in a prospective birth cohort in Bangladesh (2008-2011). Serum concentrations of 19 metals were measured in the first and second trimesters using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Mediation analysis was performed to explore the upstream socioeconomic factors that affect the risk of preterm birth mediated via metal exposure concentrations. RESULTS Early pregnancy exposure to serum zinc, arsenic, and strontium and mid-pregnancy exposure to barium were significantly associated with risk of preterm birth. Furthermore, younger marriage age was associated with an exponential increase in the risk of preterm birth, and women who married after 18 years old had a considerably lower risk of preterm birth. Mediation analysis indicated that these four elements mediated 30.2% of the effect of marriage age on preterm birth. CONCLUSION This study indicated that maternal serum metal exposure mediates the impact of child marriage on the increased risk of preterm birth via metal exposures. The findings shed light on the mechanisms underlying such association and provide insights into future interventional strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yongyue Wei
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
- China International Cooperation Center for Environment and Human Health, Center of Global Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Yankai Xia
- Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Liangmin Wei
- China International Cooperation Center for Environment and Human Health, Center of Global Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin Chen
- China International Cooperation Center for Environment and Human Health, Center of Global Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ruyang Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- China International Cooperation Center for Environment and Human Health, Center of Global Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Li Su
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mohammad L Rahman
- Department of Population Medicine and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Wenhui Guo
- Dhaka Community Hospital Trust, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Hongbing Shen
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhibin Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - David C Christiani
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Feng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
- China International Cooperation Center for Environment and Human Health, Center of Global Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
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17
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Mozumder MRH, Michael HA, Mihajlov I, Khan MR, Knappett PSK, Bostick BC, Mailloux BJ, Ahmed KM, Choudhury I, Koffman T, Ellis T, Whaley-Martin K, San Pedro R, Slater G, Stute M, Schlosser P, van Geen A. Origin of Groundwater Arsenic in a Rural Pleistocene Aquifer in Bangladesh Depressurized by Distal Municipal Pumping. WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH 2020; 56:e2020WR027178. [PMID: 33958831 PMCID: PMC8099038 DOI: 10.1029/2020wr027178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Across South Asia, millions of villagers have reduced their exposure to high-arsenic (As) groundwater by switching to low-As wells. Isotopic tracers and flow modeling are used in this study to understand the groundwater flow system of a semi-confined aquifer of Pleistocene (>10 kyr) age in Bangladesh that is generally low in As but has been perturbed by massive pumping at a distance of about 25 km for the municipal water supply of Dhaka. A 10- to 15-m-thick clay aquitard caps much of the intermediate aquifer (>40- to 90-m depth) in the 3-km2 study area, with some interruptions by younger channel sand deposits indicative of river scouring. Hydraulic heads in the intermediate aquifer below the clay-capped areas are 1-2 m lower than in the high-As shallow aquifer above the clay layer. In contrast, similar heads in the shallow and intermediate aquifer are observed where the clay layer is missing. The head distribution suggests a pattern of downward flow through interruptions in the aquitard and lateral advection from the sandy areas to the confined portion of the aquifer. The interpreted flow system is consistent with 3H-3He ages, stable isotope data, and groundwater flow modeling. Lateral flow could explain an association of elevated As with high methane concentrations within layers of gray sand below certain clay-capped portions of the Pleistocene aquifer. An influx of dissolved organic carbon from the clay layer itself leading to a reduction of initially orange sands has also likely contributed to the rise of As.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. R. H. Mozumder
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
- Now at Gradient, Boston, MA, USA
| | - H. A. Michael
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - I. Mihajlov
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
- Now at Geosyntec Consultants, Huntington Beach, CA, USA
| | - M. R. Khan
- Department of Geology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - P. S. K. Knappett
- Geology & Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - B. C. Bostick
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
| | - B. J. Mailloux
- Environmental Science, Barnard College, New York, NY, USA
| | - K. M. Ahmed
- Department of Geology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - I. Choudhury
- Department of Geology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - T. Koffman
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
- Now at Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - T. Ellis
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
| | - K. Whaley-Martin
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Now at Civil and Mineral Engineering Department, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - R. San Pedro
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - G. Slater
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - M. Stute
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
- Environmental Science, Barnard College, New York, NY, USA
| | - P. Schlosser
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
- Now at Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - A. van Geen
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
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18
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Mihajlov I, Mozumder MRH, Bostick BC, Stute M, Mailloux BJ, Knappett PSK, Choudhury I, Ahmed KM, Schlosser P, van Geen A. Arsenic contamination of Bangladesh aquifers exacerbated by clay layers. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2244. [PMID: 32382006 PMCID: PMC7205959 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16104-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Confining clay layers typically protect groundwater aquifers against downward intrusion of contaminants. In the context of groundwater arsenic in Bangladesh, we challenge this notion here by showing that organic carbon drawn from a clay layer into a low-arsenic pre-Holocene (>12 kyr-old) aquifer promotes the reductive dissolution of iron oxides and the release of arsenic. The finding explains a steady rise in arsenic concentrations in a pre-Holocene aquifer below such a clay layer and the repeated failure of a structurally sound community well. Tritium measurements indicate that groundwater from the affected depth interval (40–50 m) was recharged >60 years ago. Deeper (55–65 m) groundwater in the same pre-Holocene aquifer was recharged only 10–50 years ago but is still low in arsenic. Proximity to a confining clay layer that expels organic carbon as an indirect response to groundwater pumping, rather than directly accelerated recharge, caused arsenic contamination of this pre-Holocene aquifer. Generally it is thought that confining clay layers provide protection to low-arsenic groundwaters against intrusion of shallower, high-arsenic groundwater bodies. Here, the authors show that impermeable clay layers can increase arsenic input to underlying groundwater systems due to reduction of iron oxides coupled to carbon oxidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Mihajlov
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10025, USA.,Geosyntec Consultants, Huntington Beach, CA, 92648, USA
| | - M Rajib H Mozumder
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10025, USA.,Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, 10964, USA.,Gradient, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Benjamín C Bostick
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, 10964, USA
| | - Martin Stute
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, 10964, USA.,Environmental Sciences, Barnard College, New York, NY, 10025, USA
| | - Brian J Mailloux
- Environmental Sciences, Barnard College, New York, NY, 10025, USA
| | - Peter S K Knappett
- Department of Geology & Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | | | | | - Peter Schlosser
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10025, USA.,Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, 10964, USA.,School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA
| | - Alexander van Geen
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, 10964, USA.
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19
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Filippelli G, Anenberg S, Taylor M, van Geen A, Khreis H. New Approaches to Identifying and Reducing the Global Burden of Disease From Pollution. GEOHEALTH 2020; 4:e2018GH000167. [PMID: 32226911 PMCID: PMC7097880 DOI: 10.1029/2018gh000167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Pollution from multiple sources causes significant disease and death worldwide. Some sources are legacy, such as heavy metals accumulated in soils, and some are current, such as particulate matter. Because the global burden of disease from pollution is so high, it is important to identify legacy and current sources and to develop and implement effective techniques to reduce human exposure. But many limitations exist in our understanding of the distribution and transport processes of pollutants themselves, as well as the complicated overprint of human behavior and susceptibility. New approaches are being developed to identify and eliminate pollution in multiple environments. Community-scale detection of geogenic arsenic and fluoride in Bangladesh is helping to map the distribution of these harmful elements in drinking water. Biosensors such as bees and their honey are being used to measure heavy metal contamination in cities such as Vancouver and Sydney. Drone-based remote sensors are being used to map metal hot spots in soils from former mining regions in Zambia and Mozambique. The explosion of low-cost air monitors has allowed researchers to build dense air quality sensing networks to capture ephemeral and local releases of harmful materials, building on other developments in personal exposure sensing. And citizen science is helping communities without adequate resources measure their own environments and in this way gain agency in controlling local pollution exposure sources and/or alerting authorities to environmental hazards. The future of GeoHealth will depend on building on these developments and others to protect a growing population from multiple pollution exposure risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Filippelli
- Department of Earth Sciences and Center for Urban HealthIndiana University‐Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI)IndianapolisINUSA
- Environmental Resilience InstituteIndiana UniversityBloomingtonINUSA
| | - Susan Anenberg
- Milken Institute, School of Public HealthGeorge Washington UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Mark Taylor
- Department of Environmental SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | | | - Haneen Khreis
- Texas A&M Transportation InstituteTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTXUSA
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20
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Li PH, Yang M, Li YX, Song ZY, Liu JH, Lin CH, Zeng J, Huang XJ. Ultra-Sensitive and Selective Detection of Arsenic(III) via Electroanalysis over Cobalt Single-Atom Catalysts. Anal Chem 2020; 92:6128-6135. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c00677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Hua Li
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology and Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, P. R. China
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Strongly-Coupled Quantum Matter Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, P. R. China
| | - Meng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology and Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, P. R. China
| | - Yi-Xiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology and Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, P. R. China
| | - Zong-Yin Song
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology and Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, P. R. China
| | - Jin-Huai Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology and Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, P. R. China
| | - Chu-Hong Lin
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology and Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, P. R. China
| | - Jie Zeng
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Strongly-Coupled Quantum Matter Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, P. R. China
| | - Xing-Jiu Huang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology and Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, P. R. China
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21
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Tamayo LI, Lin H, Ahmed A, Shahriar H, Hasan R, Sarwar G, Eunus HM, Ahsan H, Pierce BL. Research Participants' Attitudes towards Receiving Information on Genetic Susceptibility to Arsenic Toxicity in Rural Bangladesh. Public Health Genomics 2020; 23:69-76. [PMID: 32069464 PMCID: PMC7605079 DOI: 10.1159/000505632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In human genetics research, it has become common practice for researchers to consider returning genetic information to participants who wish to receive it. Research participants in lower-resource settings may have barriers or competing interests that reduce the benefit or relevance of such information. Thus, the decision to return genetic information in these settings may involve special considerations of participants' interests and preferences. In this project, our goal was to assess Bangladeshi research participants' attitudes towards receiving information regarding genetic susceptibility to the effects of consuming arsenic-contaminated drinking water, a serious environmental health concern in Bangladesh and other countries. METHODS We administered a short questionnaire to 200 individuals participating in the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study. Associations between survey responses and participant characteristics were estimated using logistic regression. RESULTS Overall, 100% of our participants were interested in receiving information regarding their genetic susceptibility to arsenic toxicities, and 91% indicated that being at increased genetic risk would motivate them to make efforts to reduce their exposure. Lower levels of education showed evidence of association with less concern regarding the health effects of arsenic and lower levels of motivation to reduce exposure in response to genetic information. CONCLUSIONS Research participants in this low-resource setting appeared interested in receiving information on their genetic susceptibility to arsenic toxicity and motivated to reduce exposure in response to such information. Additional research is needed to understand how best to communicate genetic information in this population and to assess the impact of such information on individuals' behaviors and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizeth I Tamayo
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Hannah Lin
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Alauddin Ahmed
- University of Chicago Research Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Hasan Shahriar
- University of Chicago Research Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Rabiul Hasan
- University of Chicago Research Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Golam Sarwar
- University of Chicago Research Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Habibul Ahsan
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Brandon L Pierce
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA,
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA,
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA,
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