Assessment of Availability and Human Health Risk Posed by Arsenic Contaminated Well Waters from Timis-Bega Area, Romania

Abstract

Mobilization of As from geological materials into ground and drinking water sources may represent an important threat to human health. The objective of this study was to assess the As concentration and availability in underground water used as drinking water sources. Water samples were collected from public and private wells in Timis-Bega area of Pannonian Basin, West Romania. Total-dissolved As measured after “classical” filtration of water samples was in the range of 0.10–168 μg L−1, thus exceeding the guideline value in majority of the samples. The aim of this study was also to assess the “truly dissolved” concentrations of As considered as available concentrations, in well waters, after passive sampling by Diffusive Gradients in Thin-films (DGT). The results showed that over 70% of total-dissolved As is in available forms. The obtained data were used to evaluate the risks of using the wells as drinking water source. Hazard quotients for ingestion and dermal pathways and hazard index (HI) for exposure to As were calculated. The HI values > 1 found that majority of samples indicated a health risk for local residents.

Cellular pathologies and genotoxic effects arising secondary to heavy metal exposure: A review

“…Groundwater mostly contains inorganic forms of As, which are thought to be more toxic than the organic forms. 24 As is a highly toxic substance, and it is listed as the first in the list of priority substances compiled by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. Thus, As in drinking water is strictly regulated to be lower than 10 mg/L.…”

“…Thus, As in drinking water is strictly regulated to be lower than 10 mg/L. 24 In industry, As-containing compounds are manufactured and are used to produce agricultural products. Insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, sheep dips, wood preservatives and dyestuffs are good examples of As-containing industrial products.…”

Toxic elements in Serbian sunflower honey originating from various regions

“…Natural distribution of As is associated with igneous and sedimentary rocks. High As concentrations in groundwater and drinking water are registered throughout Pannonian Basin (Kristoforović-Ilić et al, 2009;Kostić et al, 2016;Senila et al, 2017). Most of As-contaminated areas in Vojvodina are in the region of alluvial formation along the banks of the rivers Danube and Tisa, and confluent rivers Zlatica, Begej, Tamiš and Nera (Kristoforović-Ilić et al, 2009).…”

Significance of Shewanella Species for the Phytoavailability and Toxicity of Arsenic—A Review

“…Moreover, other physiological and several morphological changes such as a decrease in the germination rate, reduction in the number of leaves, plasmolysis of the root cells, necrosis of leaf tips, leaf wilting, disruption of the cellular membrane structure, inhibition of photosynthesis, and disruption of growth patterns are commonly associated with As toxicities in plants [76,77]. Furthermore, when absorbed by plants, As may become a part of the food chain, posing a threat to food safety [78,79].…”