Arsenic contamination in the Kanker district of central-east India: geology and health effects

Abstract

This paper identifies newer areas of arsenic contamination in the District Kanker, which adjoins the District Rajnandgaon where high contamination has been reported earlier. A correlation with the mobile phase episodes of arsenic contamination has been identified, which further hinges on the complex geology of the area. Arsenic concentrations in both surface and groundwater, aquatic organisms (snail and water weeds) soil and vegetation of Kanker district and its adjoining area have been reported here. The region has been found to contain an elevated level of arsenic. All segments of the ecoysystem are contaminated with arsenic at varying degrees. The levels of arsenic vary constantly depending on the season and location. An analysis of groundwater from 89 locations in the Kanker district has shown high values of arsenic, iron and manganese (mean: 144, 914 and 371 microg L(-1), respectively). The surface water of the region shows elevated levels of arsenic, which is influenced by the geological mineralised zonation. The most prevalent species in the groundwater is As(III), whereas the surface water of the rivers shows a significant contamination with the As(V) species. The analysis shows a bio-concentration of the toxic metals arsenic, nickel, copper and chromium. Higher arsenic concentrations (groundwater concentrations greater than 50 microg L(-1)) are associated with sedimentary deposits derived from volcanic rocks, hence mineral leaching appears to be the source of arsenic contamination. Higher levels of arsenic and manganese in the Kanker district have been found to cause impacts on the flora and fauna. A case study of episodic arsenical diarrhoea is presented.

Inorganic Arsenic Speciation in Groundwater Samples Using Electrothermal Atomic Spectrometry Following Selective Separation and Cloud Point Extraction

“…The results obtained by current study for TAs, As III and As V were comparatively lower than those reported in the literature for groundwater. 28,[39][40][41] However, the mean concentration of inorganic As species were higher than the WHO recommended level for total As. 3 Thus, it was suggested that the high level of As species might be due to anthropogenic and geological activities, which may play a key role in the distribution of studied inorganic As species in water bodies.…”

Heavy Metal Contamination and Distribution in the Parks City of Islam Shahr, SW Tehran, Iran

“…Heavy metal mobility, bioavailability and toxicity depend largely on the chemical state of the metals and determine the potential for environmental pollution. Metal distribution depends on the characteristics of the soils being studied and corresponds to the place of origin, such as the amount and type of organic and inorganic matter, redox properties, pH and oxygen are among the most important chemical factors that affect the mobility of soil-bound metals [1][2][3][4].…”

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Live Synergistic Bacteria as a Bioremediation agent for selected Heavy Metals in Soils in Apapa-Lagos

“…Metal distribution depends on the characteristics of the soils being studied and corresponds to the place of origin, such as the amount and type of organic and inorganic matter. Redox properties, pH and oxygen are among the most important chemical factors that affect the mobility of soil-bound metals [Duris, 2002;Guo and Zhou, 2006;Pandey et al, 2006 andWinfield, 2001].…”