Understanding arsenic and manganese enrichment in the aquifers of the Ghaghara river basin, Middle Gangetic Plain (MGP), India: A multivariate statistical, compositional data analysis (CoDA), and receptor model approach
Mohd Usman Khan , Nachiketa Rai , Mohd Shahwaar , Mohd Musahib , Abdur Rahman
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
The focus of this study was to comprehend the spatial distribution, source apportionment, evaluation of natural background level (NBL), and mobilization mechanisms of arsenic (As) and manganese (Mn) in the Ghaghara river basin, located in the middle Gangetic plain (MGP) of India. A combination of analytical tools was employed, including multivariate statistical analysis (MSA), correlation analysis, and receptor models such as positive matrix factorization (PMF) and principal component analysis-multi linear regression (PCA-MLR). Taking into consideration the compositional constraints of the geochemical data, compositional data analysis (CoDA) methods were applied on the raw data prior to the correlation analysis and MSA. The results of MSA, correlation analysis and receptor models showed that major ion chemistry and As, Mn enrichment in groundwater were largely controlled by carbonate weathering, Fe and Mn oxyhydroxides dissolution. Anthropogenic activities, such as the infiltration of dissolved organic matter-rich water from local surface water bodies used as dumping sites and the infiltration of fertilizer-rich water from agricultural lands, were found to notably impact the groundwater geochemistry and release of As in the research area. The lower NBL of As (5.92 μg/L) compared to its mean concentrations (17.9 μg/L) in the study area also indicated that the rate of As release in groundwater through natural processes was comparatively low but various anthropogenic activities operating in the study region possibly acted as a trigger for the mobility of As from the mineral phases of the subsurface sediments. This study also highlighted the significance of applying CoDA techniques on geochemical data prior to statistical analysis, and the importance of receptor models, to better understand the nature and contribution of various natural and anthropogenic processes governing the hydrochemistry of groundwater in the alluvial aquifers.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Geochemical Exploration is mostly dedicated to publication of original studies in exploration and environmental geochemistry and related topics.
Contributions considered of prevalent interest for the journal include researches based on the application of innovative methods to:
define the genesis and the evolution of mineral deposits including transfer of elements in large-scale mineralized areas.
analyze complex systems at the boundaries between bio-geochemistry, metal transport and mineral accumulation.
evaluate effects of historical mining activities on the surface environment.
trace pollutant sources and define their fate and transport models in the near-surface and surface environments involving solid, fluid and aerial matrices.
assess and quantify natural and technogenic radioactivity in the environment.
determine geochemical anomalies and set baseline reference values using compositional data analysis, multivariate statistics and geo-spatial analysis.
assess the impacts of anthropogenic contamination on ecosystems and human health at local and regional scale to prioritize and classify risks through deterministic and stochastic approaches.
Papers dedicated to the presentation of newly developed methods in analytical geochemistry to be applied in the field or in laboratory are also within the topics of interest for the journal.