Sources of arsenic contamination in groundwater

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to precisely identify the cause(s) of arsenic contamination in groundwater (Chapter 6). Determining the cause(s) requires detailed field and laboratory studies of the geological, chemical, biological, and physical properties of the subsurface materials, which would include identifying groundwater flow patterns and changes in the distribution of arsenic over the study area. 

Arsenic has been used in a wide variety of products and applications over the years, including pesticides, livestock dips and feed additives, wood preservatives, semiconductors, dyes, paints, alloys, and medicines 

Location Arsenic source(s) favored by the authors PH Concentration (ng L l)a Reference(s) 

Argentina Loess high alkalinity hydrothermal springs - 1 -9900 Nordstrom (2002) 

Argentina La Pampa (province) Desorption under alkaline conditions weathering of loess and other geologic materials arid climate and slow groundwater flow 0 1 00 4-5300 (As(V) dominant) Smedley et al. (2002) 

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