Naturally occurring arsenic in terrestrial geothermal systems of western Anatolia, Turkey: Potential role in contamination of freshwater resources

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Bundschuh J., Maity J. P., Nath B., Baba A., Gunduz O., Kulp T. R., ...Daha Fazla

JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, cilt.262, ss.951-959, 2013 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 262
  • Basım Tarihi: 2013
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2013.01.039
  • Dergi Adı: JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.951-959
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Arsenic, Geothermal wells, Hot springs, Environmental contamination, Turkey, ENVIRONMENTAL-IMPACT, THERMAL WATERS, GROUNDWATER, FLUIDS, FIELD, GEOCHEMISTRY, TEMPERATURE, SPECIATION, TRANSPORT, TAIWAN
  • Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Arsenic (As) contamination in terrestrial geothermal systems has been identified in many countries worldwide. Concentrations higher than 0.01 mg/L are detrimental to human health. We examined potential consequences for As contamination of freshwater resources based on hydrogeochemical investigations of geothermal waters in deep wells and hot springs collected from western Anatolia, Turkey. We analyzed samples for major ions and trace element concentrations. Temperature of geothermal waters in deep wells showed extreme ranges (40 and 230 degrees C), while, temperature of hot spring fluids was up to 90 degrees C. The Piper plot illustrated two dominant water types: Na-HCO3- type for geothermal waters in deep wells and Ca-HCO3- type for hot spring fluids. Arsenic concentration ranged from 0.03 to 1.5 mg/L. Dominance of reduced As species, i.e., As(III), was observed in our samples. The Eh value ranged between -250 and 119 mV, which suggests diverse geochemical conditions. Some of the measured trace elements were found above the World Health Organization guidelines and Turkish national safe drinking water limits. The variation in pH (range: 6.4-9.3) and As in geothermal waters suggest mixing with groundwater. Mixing of geothermal waters is primarily responsible for contamination of freshwater resources and making them unsuitable for drinking or irrigation. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.