Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Arsenic in groundwater of the Poyang Lake area (China): aqueous species and health risk assessment

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Environmental Geochemistry and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Arsenic is a pervasive pollutant in groundwater, affecting more than 100 million people in 50 countries, including China. Toxicological analysis of As is complicated because As exists in the environment in a variety of forms and redox states. Here, a thermodynamic equilibrium model was used to calculate As speciation, investigate pathways of As accumulation and assess the risk of adverse health effects from oral ingestion of dissolved As from shallow groundwater in the Poyang Lake area (China). The accumulation of As, Fe, and NH4+ in the studied shallow groundwater was found to be the result of the dissolution of As-containing Fe, and probably Mn, (oxyhydr)oxides under reducing conditions due to excess influx of organic matter into the shallow aquifer. Modeling showed that As(III), which is more toxic than As(V), predominated at nearly all sampling sites, regardless of redox conditions. Arsenic tends to accumulate in the highest concentrations as neutral species (As(OH)30, HAsO20) under Eh < 50 mV. In the lower reaches of the Ganjiang and Xiushui Rivers, an increased non-carcinogenic risk from oral ingestion of As from drinking water was observed. The elevated cancer risk was found to be present throughout the study area. The lower reaches of the Ganjiang and Xiushui Rivers that have been shown to have the highest risk of both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic adverse health effects are associated with more toxic As(III) species. Given the As speciation and risk profile, it is recommended to introduce strategies to alter redox conditions in shallow groundwater by adopting safer irrigation practices and managing fertilizer applications to avoid the buildup of high As concentrations associated with adverse health effects.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

Data and material availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available upon request from the corresponding author.

References

  • ATSDR (2007). Agency for toxic substances and disease registry department of health and human services, Public Health Service, Atlanta, GA.

  • Bhattacharjee, P., Chatterjee, D., Singh, K. K., & Giri, A. K. (2013). Systems biology approaches to evaluate arsenic toxicity and carcinogenicity: An overview. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 216, 574–586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2012.12.008

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bukaty, M. B. (2002). The development of software for the issues on hydrogeology. TPU bulletin. Geology and mineral resources exploration in Siberia, 305, 348–365.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bukaty, M. B. (2005). Geomigration modeling the opportunity of practical solutions of hydrogeochemical problems quality problems of the water-rock system numerical models. In: Shvartsev S. L. (ed.), Geological evolution and self-organizing of the water-rock system. 1:243–332. Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk.

  • Carbonell-Barrachina, A. A., Jugsujinda, A., Burlo, F., et al. (2000). Arsenic chemistry in municipal sewage sludge as affected by redox potential and pH. Water Resources, 34, 216–224.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cotruvo, J. A. (1988). Drinking water standards and risk assessment. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 8, 288–299.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davies, C.W. (1962). Ion Association. London, Butterworths. pp. 37–53.

  • Dong, Y., Ma, T., Li, J., & Liu, Y. (2018). Arsenic releasing from poly-metallic sulfide deposits at Hetao Plain China. Geochemistry International, 56(12), 1179–1188. https://doi.org/10.1134/S001670291812011X

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duan, W., He, B., Nover, D., Yang, G., Chen, W., Meng, H., Zou, S., & Liu, C. (2016). Water quality assessment and pollution source identification of the eastern Poyang Lake Basin using multivariate statistical methods. Sustainability, 8(2), 133. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8020133

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dutova, E. M., Nikitenkov, A. N., Pokrovskiy, V. D., Banks, D., Frengstad, B. S., & Parnachev, V. P. (2017). Modelling of the dissolution and reprecipitation of uranium under oxidising conditions in the zone of shallow groundwater circulation. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 178, 63–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.07.016

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Farrell, J., & Chaudhary, B. K. (2013). Understanding arsenate reaction kinetics with ferric hydroxides. Environmental Science and Technology, 47, 8342–8347. https://doi.org/10.1021/es4013382

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gan, Y., Wang, Y., Duan, Y., Deng, Y., Guo, X., & Ding, X. (2014). Hydrogeochemistry and arsenic contamination of groundwater in the Jianghan Plain, Central China. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 138, 81–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2013.12.013

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • GB 5749–2006, (2006). Standards for drinking water quality. National standard of the people`s Republic of China. [in Chinese].

  • Goldberg, S. (2002). Competitive adsorption of arsenate and arsenite on oxides and clay minerals. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 66, 413–421. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2002.4130

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, Z., & Gao, S. (2008). Upper crustal abundances of trace elements: A revision and update. Chemical Geology, 253(3–4), 205–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2008.05.010

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • IARC (2021). International Agency for Research of Cancer. Retrieved March 20, 2022, from https://www.iarc.fr

  • Inam, M. A., Khan, R., Lee, K. H., Akram, M., Ahmed, Z., Lee, K. G., & Wie, Y. M. (2021). Adsorption capacities of iron hydroxide for arsenate and arsenite removal from water by chemical coagulation: Kinetics, thermodynamics and equilibrium Studies. Molecules, 26, 7046. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26227046

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jang, Y. C., Somanna, Y., & Kim, H. (2016). Source, distribution, toxicity and remediation of arsenic in the environment – a review. International Journal Of Applied Environmental Sciences, 11, 559–581.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, J. W., Oelkers, E. H., & Helgeson, H. C. (1992). SUPCRT92: A software package for calculating the standard molal thermodynamic properties of minerals, gases, aqueous species, and reactions from 1 to 5000 bar and 0 to 1000°C. Computers and Geosciences, 18(7), 899–947.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Konyshev, A. A., Sidkina, E. S., Soldatova, E. A., Dogadkin, D. N., & Gromyak, I. N. (2021). Features of chemical element behavior in the Water-rock system of the rubble stone quarry in Pitkaranta district (Karelia). Bulletin of the Tomsk Polytechnic University-Geo Assets Engineering, 332(3), 7–19. https://doi.org/10.18799/24131830/2021/3/3098

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LaForce, M. J., Fendorf, S. E., Li, G. C., et al. (1998). A laboratory evaluation of trace element mobility from flooding and nutrient loading of Coeur d’Alene River sediments. Journal of Environmental Quality, 27, 318–328.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lepokurova, O. E. (2020). Sodium-bicarbonate groundwaters in southeastern West Siberia, Russia: Compositions, types, and formation conditions. Applied Geochemistry, 116, 104579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2020.104579

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, G., Tao, L., Liu, X., Hou, J., Wang, A., & Li, R. (2013). Heavy metal speciation and pollution of agricultural soils along Jishui River in non-ferrous metal mine area in Jiangxi Province, China. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 132, 156–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2013.06.017

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maitani, T., Saito, N., Abe, M., et al. (1987). Chemical form-dependent induction of hepatic zinc-thionine by arsenic administration and effect of co-administered selenium in mice. Toxicology Letters, 39, 63–70.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McGeehan, S. L. (1996). Arsenic sorption and redox reactions: Relevance to transport and remediation. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, A31(9), 2319–2336.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Merino, C., Kuzyakov, Y., Godoy, K., Jofré, I., Nájera, F., & Matus, F. (2021). Iron-reducing bacteria decompose lignin by electron transfer from soil organic matter. Science of the Total Environment, 761, 143194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143194

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Milton, A. H., Hussain, S., Akter, S., Rahman, M., Mouly, T. A., & Mitchell, K. (2017). A review of the effects of chronic arsenic exposure on adverse pregnancy outcomes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14, 556. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14060556

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Naujokas, M. F., Anderson, B., Ahsan, H., Aposhian, H. V., Graziano, J. H., Thompson, C., & Suk, W. A. (2013). The broad scope of health effects from chronic arsenic exposure: update on a worldwide public health problem. Environmental Health Perspectives, 121(3), 295–302. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1205875

  • Novikov, D. A., & Sergeevich, T. N. (2016). Hydrogeologic implications of industrial effluent disposal of the Yurubcheno-Tokhomo field (Siberian Craton, Russia). Arabian Journal of Geosciences. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-015-2191-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paul, S., & Giri, A. K. (2015). Epimutagenesis: A prospective mechanism to remediate arsenic-induced toxicity. Environment International, 81, 8–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2015.04.002

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Putilina, V. S., Galitskaya, I. V., & Yuganova, T. I. (2011). Arsenic behaviour in soils, rocks and groundwater. Transformation, adsorption / desorption, migration. Novosibirsk: GPNTB SB RAS. [in Russian].

  • R 2.1.10.1920–04 (2004). Human health risk assessment from environmental chemicals. Moscow. [in Russian].

  • Report on Nutrition and Chronic Disease Status of Chinese Residents (2015). The National Health and Family Planning Commission of PRC [in Chinese].

  • Rudnick, R. L., & Gao, S. (2003). Composition of the continental crust. Treatise on Geochemistry Vol 3. The Crust. Elsevier Sci., 1–64.https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-08-043751-6/03016-4

  • Ryzhenko, B. N., Cherkasova, E. V., & Limatseva, O. A. (2009). Model for the formation of arsenic contamination in groundwater: 2 Influence of Sorption. Geochemistry International, 47(10), 979–987.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saint-Jacques, N., Parker, L., Brown, P., & Dummer, T. J. (2014). Arsenic in drinking water and urinary tract cancers: A systematic review of 30 years of epidemiological evidence. Environmental Health, 13, 44. https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-069X-13-44

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sanyal, T., Bhattacharjee, P., Paul, S., & Bhattacharjee, P. (2020). Recent advances in arsenic research: Significance of differential susceptibility and sustainable strategies for mitigation. Frontiers in Public Health, 8, 464. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00464

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sardana, M. K., Drummond, G. S., Sassa, S., et al. (1981). The potent heme oxygenase inducing action of arsenic in parasiticidal arsenicals. Pharmacology, 23, 247–253.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shuyu, A. S., Mian, X., Hafeez, A., Wang, X., Hussain, H. I., Iqbal, Z., et al. (2016). Metabolism and toxicity of arsenicals in mammals. Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, 48, 214–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2016.10.020

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shvartsev, S., Shen, Z., Sun, Z., Wang, G., Soldatova, E., & Guseva, N. (2016). Evolution of the groundwater chemical composition in the Poyang Lake catchment China. Environmental Earth Sciences, 75(18), 1239. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-6065-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sidkina, E. S. (2018). Geochemistry of Brines in the Tunguska and Olenek Artesian Basins (Siberian Platform). Lithology and Mineral Resources, 53(3), 252–262.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smedley, P. L., & Kinniburgh, D. G. (2002). A review of the source, behaviour and distribution of arsenic in natural waters. Applied Geochemistry, 17, 517–568. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-2927(02)00018-5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smedley, P. L., Zhang, M., Zhang, G., & Luo, Z. (2001). Arsenic and other redox-sensitive elements in groundwater from the Huhhot Basin, Inner Mongolia. In R. Cidu (Ed.), Water-Rock Interaction (Vol. 1, pp. 581–584). Swets & Zeitlinger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soldatova, E., Guseva, N., Sun, Z., Bychinsky, V., Boeckx, P., & Gao, B. (2017). Source and behavior of nitrogen compounds in the shallow groundwater of the Poyang Lake basin, China. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 202, 59–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2017.05.002

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Soldatova, E., Sun, Z., Maier, S., Drebot, V., & Gao, B. (2018). Shallow groundwater quality and associated non-cancer health risk in agricultural areas (Poyang Lake basin, China). Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 40, 2223–2242. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-018-0094-z

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Teng, Y., Ni, S., Wang, J., Zuo, R., & Yang, J. (2010). A geochemical survey of trace elements in agricultural and non-agricultural topsoil in Dexing area, China. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 104, 118–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2010.01.006

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tseng, W. P. (1977). Effects and dose-response relationships of skin cancer and blackfoot disease with arsenic. Environmental Health Perspectives, 19, 109–119.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tseng, W. P., Chu, H. M., How, S. W., Fong, J. M., Lin, C. S., & Yeh, S. (1968). Prevalence of skin cancer in an endemic area of chronic arsenicism in Taiwan. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 40, 453–463.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • US Epa (1989). United States Environmental Protection Agency. Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund: Volume I – Human Health Evaluation Manual (Part D. Standardized Planning, Reporting, and Review of Superfund Risk Assessments). Washington.

  • US Epa (1992). United States Environmental Protection Agency Guidelines for Exposure Assessment.

  • US Epa (2005). United States Environmental Protection Agency Environmental protection forum. Guidelines for carcinogen risk assessment.

  • US Epa (2011).United States environmental protection agency National Center for Environmental Assessment. Exposure factors handbook.

  • US Epa (2021). United States environmental protection agency. Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Retrieved January 6, 2022, from https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris2/atoz.cfm.

  • Wang, L., & Huang, J. (1994). Chronic arsenism from drinking water in some areas of Xinjiang, China. In J. O. Nriagu (Ed.), Arsenic in the Environment, Part II: Human Health and Ecosystem Effects (pp. 159–172). John Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y., Ma, T., Ryzhenko, B. N., Limatseva, O. A., & Cherkasova, E. V. (2009). Model for the formation of arsenic contamination in groundwater: 1 Datong basin China. Geochemistry International, 47(7), 713–724. https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016702909070052

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y., Shvartsev, S. L., & Su, C. (2009). Genesis of arsenic/fluoride-enriched soda water: A case study at datong Northern China. Applied Geochemistry., 24, 641–649. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2008.12.015

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • WHO. (2017). Guidelines for drinking-water quality: fourth edition incorporating the first addendum. ISBN 978-92-4-154995-0

  • Willhite, C. C. (1981). Arsenic-induced axial skeletal (dysraphic) disorders. Experimental and Molecular Pathology, 34, 145–158.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization, (2018). Retrieved March 20, 2022, from http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/arsenic

  • Xie, X., Liu, W., Yang, Y., Zhang, J., Li, J., & Wang, Y. (2022). Insights into paleoenvironment and chemical weathering as controls on arsenic accumulation in Late Pleistocene to Holocene aquifers. Applied Geochemistry, 139, 105267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2022.105267

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu, B., & Wang, G. (2016). Surface water and groundwater contaminations and the resultant hydrochemical evolution in the Yongxiu area, west of Poyang Lake China. Environmental Earth Sciences, 75, 184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4778-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhen, L., Li, F., Huang, H., Dilly, O., Liu, J., Wei, Y., Yang, L., & Cao, X. (2011). Households’ willingness to reduce pollution threats in the Poyang Lake region, southern China. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 110, 15–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2011.02.003

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their utmost gratitude to colleagues from East China University of Technology and Tomsk Polytechnic University who participated in the fieldwork and performed the chemical analysis. The work was carried out within the framework of the academic leadership program of the University of Tyumen (strategic academic leadership program "Priority-2030") and the CarboRus project (075-15-2021-610). Thermodynamic modeling of As species was supported by the government allocation of the GEOKHI RAS (Laboratory for modeling hydrogeochemical and hydrothermal processes). Field research in the Poyang Lake area was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51861145308).

Funding

Data interpretation was supported by the University of Tyumen (strategic academic leadership program "Priority-2030") and the CarboRus project (075–15-2021–610). Thermodynamic modeling of As species was supported by the government allocation of the GEOKHI RAS (Laboratory for modeling hydrogeochemical and hydrothermal processes). Field research in the Poyang Lake area was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51861145308).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Tyumen, 6 Volodarskogo Street, Tyumen, Russia, 625003

    Evgeniya Soldatova & Vladimir Ivanov

  2. Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, 19 Kosygina street, Moscow, Russia, 119991

    Evgeniya Sidkina

  3. East China University of Technology, 418 Guanglan Avenue, Nanchang, 330013, China

    Yihui Dong, Jiale Li & Zhanxue Sun

Authors
  1. Evgeniya Soldatova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Evgeniya Sidkina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yihui Dong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Vladimir Ivanov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jiale Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Zhanxue Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

ES: contributed to conceptualization, investigation, data curation, writing (original draft), and funding acquisition. ES contributed to methodology, software, formal analysis, and visualization. YD contributed to investigation and writing (review and editing). VI contributed to visualization and writing (editing). JL contributed to investigation and resources. ZS contributed to resources and funding acquisition.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Evgeniya Soldatova.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest relevant to the content of this paper.

Ethics approval

No approvals of research ethics committees were required to achieve the research objectives of this study because this research did not involve the use of humans or animals, their data or biological samples.

Consent for publication

All authors read the manuscript and gave their approval to its submission and future publication.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Soldatova, E., Sidkina, E., Dong, Y. et al. Arsenic in groundwater of the Poyang Lake area (China): aqueous species and health risk assessment. Environ Geochem Health 45, 2917–2933 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-022-01391-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-022-01391-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation