Sources of arsenic and fluoride in highly contaminated soils causing groundwater contamination in Punjab, Pakistan. 2009

Abida Farooqi, and Harue Masuda, and Rehan Siddiqui, and Muhammad Naseem
Department of Environmental Sciences, Fatima Jinnah Women University, The Mall, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. missfarooqi@hotmail.com

Highly contaminated groundwater, with arsenic (As) and fluoride (F(-)) concentrations of up to 2.4 and 22.8 mg/L, respectively, has been traced to anthropogenic inputs to the soil. In the present study, samples collected from the soil surface and sediments from the most heavily polluted area of Punjab were analyzed to determine the F(-) and As distribution in the soil. The surface soils mainly comprise permeable aeolian sediment on a Pleistocene terrace and layers of sand and silt on an alluvial flood plain. Although the alluvial sediments contain low levels of F, the terrace soils contain high concentrations of soluble F(-) (maximum, 16 mg/kg; mean, 4 mg/kg; pH > 8.0). Three anthropogenic sources were identified as fertilizers, combusted coal, and industrial waste, with phosphate fertilizer being the most significance source of F(-) accumulated in the soil. The mean concentration of As in the surface soil samples was 10.2 mg/kg, with the highest concentration being 35 mg/kg. The presence of high levels of As in the surface soil implies the contribution of air pollutants derived from coal combustion and the use of fertilizers. Intensive mineral weathering under oxidizing conditions produces highly alkaline water that dissolves the F(-) and As adsorbed on the soil, thus releasing it into the local groundwater.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D010154 Pakistan A country located in southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north. The capital is Islamabad. Islamic Republic of Pakistan
D010316 Particle Size Relating to the size of solids. Particle Sizes,Size, Particle,Sizes, Particle
D004784 Environmental Monitoring The monitoring of the level of toxins, chemical pollutants, microbial contaminants, or other harmful substances in the environment (soil, air, and water), workplace, or in the bodies of people and animals present in that environment. Monitoring, Environmental,Environmental Surveillance,Surveillance, Environmental
D005459 Fluorides Inorganic salts of hydrofluoric acid, HF, in which the fluorine atom is in the -1 oxidation state. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed) Sodium and stannous salts are commonly used in dentifrices. Fluoride
D005618 Fresh Water Water containing no significant amounts of salts, such as water from RIVERS and LAKES. Freshwater,Fresh Waters,Freshwaters,Water, Fresh,Waters, Fresh
D001152 Arsenicals Inorganic or organic compounds that contain arsenic. Arsenic Compounds,Compounds, Arsenic
D012989 Soil Pollutants Substances which pollute the soil. Use for soil pollutants in general or for which there is no specific heading. Soil Pollutant,Pollutant, Soil,Pollutants, Soil
D014872 Water Movements The flow of water in enviromental bodies of water such as rivers, oceans, water supplies, aquariums, etc. It includes currents, tides, and waves. Movement, Water,Movements, Water,Water Movement
D014874 Water Pollutants, Chemical Chemical compounds which pollute the water of rivers, streams, lakes, the sea, reservoirs, or other bodies of water. Chemical Water Pollutants,Landfill Leachate,Leachate, Landfill,Pollutants, Chemical Water

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