Factors influencing the distribution of arsenic, fluorine and iodine in shallow groundwater in the oasis zone in the southern margin of the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang, P. R. China

Test results on 302 shallow groundwater samples in an oasis zone in the southern margin of the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang were collected and analysed for a large number of chemical parameters and subjected to mathematical statistics methods. Results show that groundwater with high arsenic, fluorine and iodine concentrations were mainly distributed in the Minfeng County in the central part of the study area. Shallow groundwater in the southern margin of the entire Tarim Basin generally had high fluorine concentrations. The distribution of arsenic and fluorine in groundwater were similar. Intensive evaporation under the arid climatatic condition was an important factor for the enrichment of arsenic, fluorine and iodine in groundwater