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Hydrogeochemical Investigation and Health Perspective of Arsenic in the Mid-Brahmaputra Floodplain of Assam, India

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Emerging Issues in the Water Environment during Anthropocene

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Abstract

The present study focusses on understanding the hydrogeochemical processes favouring Arsenic (As) mobilization and its health perspective in the aquifers of the Mid-Brahmaputra Floodplains (BFP), India. Groundwater samples (n = 80) were collected from the study area during the period 2010–2017. Biomarkers viz. urine (n = 4), hair (n = 4) and nail (n = 3) were also collected from affected population for evaluating As exposure levels. The highest As concentration found in the study area was 44.39 µg/L. The relative abundance pattern of major ions showed Na+ and HCO3− to be the dominant ionic species. Piper plot suggested Mg–HCO3 water type (42%) to be dominant in the study area. Hydrogeochemical evaluation suggested the occurrence of both silicate and carbonate weathering processes in the aquifers. The relationship between As and ORP (r = −0.60**), SO42− (r = −0.44**), Fe (r = 0.79**) and pH (r = 0.34**) suggested that mobilization of As is favoured by dissolution of Fe(hydr)oxides in reduced environment at alkaline pH. This further corroborates the findings of PCA and correlation analyses. Inspection of exposure levels of the metalloid among the population revealed a probable sub-clinical effect of the same.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science, Tezpur University, Napaam, Tezpur, Assam, India

    Latu Khanikar, Rashmi Rekha Gogoi & Kali Prasad Sarma

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  1. Latu Khanikar
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  2. Rashmi Rekha Gogoi
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  3. Kali Prasad Sarma
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Correspondence to Kali Prasad Sarma .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Earth Sciences, IIT Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India

    Manish Kumar

  2. Water Sciences Laboratory, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA

    Daniel D. Snow

  3. RSET, Institute of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanagawa, Japan

    Ryo Honda

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Khanikar, L., Gogoi, R.R., Sarma, K.P. (2020). Hydrogeochemical Investigation and Health Perspective of Arsenic in the Mid-Brahmaputra Floodplain of Assam, India. In: Kumar, M., Snow, D., Honda, R. (eds) Emerging Issues in the Water Environment during Anthropocene. Springer Transactions in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9771-5_8

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