Arsenic enrichment in groundwater of West Bengal, India: geochemical evidence for mobilization of As under reducing conditions

The mechanism of As release and source(s) of As has been investigated in a small part of a watershed in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal. Analyses include major ion and trace element concentrations, as well as O, H and S isotope ratios of groundwater, surface water and a thermal spring. The results indicate that all water samples belong to the Ca-HCO3 type, except for the thermal spring which is of the Na-HCO3 type. Shallow and deeper groundwaters have distinct hydrochemical features. High As contents were registered only in the deeper groundwater horizon. Factor analysis and the distribution pattern of major and trace elements indicate that As is present in the aquifer as a scavenged phase by Fe(III) and to a lesser extent by Mn(IV) phases. The release of As into the groundwater occurs gradually in successive stages, corresponding to the actual redox state in the aquifer. The main stage of As release is related to the bacterial reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II) (i.e. to the simultaneous dissolution of Fe oxyhydroxides). Low redox conditions in highly polluted areas are indicated by low SO4 concentration and high delta(34)S values. During bacterial SO4 reduction, residual SO4 in groundwater is depleted in the lighter S isotope (S-32). However, the cause of the gradual decrease of the redox state in the groundwater is still not well understood. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved