Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Handbook of Environmental Materials Management pp 1–38Cite as

Identification of the Source Mineral Releasing Arsenic in the Groundwater of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, India

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:

Abstract

Indo-Gangetic alluvium is the largest alluvial plain in the world and from few decades the problem of arsenic is highlighted in the area. The higher content of arsenic in groundwater used for drinking purpose causes arsenicosis which later become carcinogenesis. Ghazipur district is part of newer alluvium and is an area centrally located in this gangetic alluvium. Very high content of arsenic is noted in the groundwater of this area and the people are using this water for their drinking and domestic purposes. As a consequence of this they are seriously suffering from the arsenicosis. Thus to understand the source mineral for the release of arsenic in the groundwater sedimentological, mineralogical, and chemical study has been undertaken for the sediments through XRD and XRF analysis. It can be concluded from these studies that the source mineral for the releasing arsenic in the groundwater of the area is arsenolite (As2O3).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

References

  • Acharyya SK, Shah BA (2004) Risk of arsenic contamination in groundwater affecting Ganga Alluvial Plain, India. Environ Health Perspect 112:A19–A20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Acharyya SK, Chakraborty P, Lahiri S, Raymahashay BC, Guha S, Bhowmik A (1999) Comment on Nickson et al. 1998. Nature 401:545

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Acharyya SK, Lahiri S, Raymahashay BC, Bhowmik A (2000) Arsenic toxicity of groundwater in parts of the Bengal basin in India and Bangladesh: the role of quaternary stratigraphy and Holocene sea-level fluctuation. Environ Geol 39(10):1127–1137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhattacharya P, Chatterjee D, Jacks G (1996) Options to safeguard groundwater from arseniferous aquifers in West Bengal, India. In: Pickford J, House S, Miles D, Ockelford J, Parr J, Saywell D, Shaw R, Skinner B, Smout I, Stear R Reaching the unreached-challenges for the 21st century. In: Proceedings of the 22nd WEDC conference, New Delhi, pp 258–261

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhattacharya P, Chatterjee D, Jacks G (1997) Occurrence of arsenic contaminated groundwater in alluvial aquifers from delta plains, eastern India: options for safe drinking water supply. Int J Water Resour Dev 13(1):79–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chakraborti D, Mukherjee SC, Pati S, Sengupta MK, Rahman MM, Chowdhury UK, Dilip Lodh D, Chanda CR, Chakraborti AK, Basu GK (2003) Arsenic groundwater contamination in Middle Ganga Plain, Bihar, India: a future danger. Environ Health Perspect 111(9):1194–1201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garai R, Chakraborti AK, Dey SB, Saha KC (1984) Chronic arsenic poisoning from tubewell water. J Indian Med Assoc 82(1):34–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Hakim A, Singh N, Baranwal M (2001) Evolution of structure of Ganga basin in Lucknow Kanpur area based on gravity, magnetic and resistivity surveys. Geol Soc India Sp Issue 65(III):131–135

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar G (2003) Quaternary stratigraphy of the Indo-Gangetic plain, India. A review. In: Proceedings of 4th South Asia Geology Congress (GEOSAS IV), New Delhi, Geological Survey of India, pp 31–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar S, Singh IB (1978) Sedimentological study of Gomati River sediments, Uttar Pradesh, India. Example of a river in alluvial plain. Senckenberg Marit 10(4/6):145–211

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar G, Khanna PC, Prasad S (1996) Sequence stratigraphy of the foredeep and evolution of of the Indo-Gangetic plain, Uttar Pradesh. Proceedings of symposium NW Himalaya and Foredeep. Geol Surv India Spec Publ 21:173–207

    Google Scholar 

  • Mallick S, Rajagopal NR (1996) Groundwater development in the arsenic-affected alluvial belt of West Bengal-some questions. Curr Sci 70:956–958

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandal BK, Roy CT, Samanta G, Basu GK, Chowdhary PP, Chanda CR, Lodh D, Karan NK, Dhar RK, Tamili DK, Das D, Saha KC, Chakraborti D (1996) Arsenic in groundwater in seven districts of West Bengal, India: the biggest arsenic calamity in the world. Curr Sci 70(11):976–986

    Google Scholar 

  • Nesbit HW, Fedo CM, Young GM (1997) Quartz and Feldspar stability, steady and non-steady state weathering and petrogenesis of siliciclastic sands and muds. ‎J Geol 105:173–191

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohno K, Furukawa A, Hayashi K, Magra Y (2005) Arsenic contamination of groundwater in Nawabganj, Bangladesh, focusing on the relationship with other metals and ions. Water Sci Technol 52(8):87–94

    Google Scholar 

  • PHED (1991) National drinking water mission submission project on arsenic pollution in groundwater in West Bengal. Final report, compiled by steering committee, arsenic investigation project, Public Health Engineering Department, Government of West Bengal

    Google Scholar 

  • Saha KC (1984) Melanokeratosis from arsenic contaminated tubewell water. Indian J Dermatol 29(4):37–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Saha AK, Chakraborti C, De S (1997) Studies of genesis of arsenic in groundwater in parts of West Bengal. Indian Soc Earth Sci 24:1–5

    Google Scholar 

  • Saxena VK, Kumar S, Singh VS (2004) Occurrence, behaviour and speciation of arsenic in groundwater. Curr Sci 86(2):281–284

    Google Scholar 

  • Sengupta S, Mukherjee PK, Pal T, Shome S (2004) Nature and origin of arsenic carries in shallow aquifer sediments of Bengal Delta, India. Environ Geol 45(8):1071–1081

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh IB (1992) Geological evolution of Gangetic Plain: present status. Gangetic Plain: Tera Incognita pp 1–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh IB (2001a) Proxy records of neotectonics, climate changes and anthropogenic activity in the late quaternary of Ganga plain. National symposium role of earth science in integrated development and related societal issues. Geol Surv India Spec Publ 65:xxxiii–xxxxIx

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh KN (2001b) Challanges and strategies in Geoscientific studies of the soil in U. P. J Geol Soc India Sp Issue 65(III):95–99

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh IB (2008) Inception, sedimentation and deformation of Ganga Foreland Basin. Himal Geol 29(3):103

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh IB, Ansari AA, Chandel RS, Misra A (1996) Neotectonic control on drainage sysem in Gangetic plain, Uttar Pradesh. J Geol Soc India 47:599–609

    Google Scholar 

  • Smedley PL, Kinniburgh DG (2002) A review of the source, behaviour and distribution of arsenic in natural waters. Appl Geochem 17:517–568

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Advanced Study in Geology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India

    Pooja Goel

Authors
  1. Pooja Goel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Chemistry and EVSC, New Jersey InstTech, 151 D Tiernan-NJIT Dept. of Chemistry and EVSC, Newark, New Jersey, USA

    Chaudhery Mustansar Hussain

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA

    Chaudhery Mustansar Hussain

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Goel, P. (2018). Identification of the Source Mineral Releasing Arsenic in the Groundwater of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, India. In: Hussain, C. (eds) Handbook of Environmental Materials Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58538-3_129-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58538-3_129-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-58538-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-58538-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Chemistry and Mat. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation