Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Progress Article
  • Published:

Vulnerability of deep groundwater in the Bengal Aquifer System to contamination by arsenic

Nature Geoscience volume 3, pages 83–87 (2010)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Shallow groundwater, the primary water source in the Bengal Basin, contains up to 100 times the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking-water guideline of 10 μg l−1 arsenic (As), threatening the health of 70 million people. Groundwater from a depth greater than 150 m, which almost uniformly meets the WHO guideline, has become the preferred alternative source. The vulnerability of deep wells to contamination by As is governed by the geometry of induced groundwater flow paths and the geochemical conditions encountered between the shallow and deep regions of the aquifer. Stratification of flow separates deep groundwater from shallow sources of As in some areas. Oxidized sediments also protect deep groundwater through the ability of ferric oxyhydroxides to adsorb As. Basin-scale groundwater flow modelling suggests that, over large regions, deep hand-pumped wells for domestic supply may be secure against As invasion for hundreds of years. By contrast, widespread deep irrigation pumping might effectively eliminate deep groundwater as an As-free resource within decades. Finer-scale models, incorporating spatial heterogeneity, are needed to investigate the security of deep municipal abstraction at specific urban locations.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Arsenic concentration at hand-pumped wells in the Bengal Basin, depths greater than 150 m.
Figure 2: Simulated regional outcomes of strategies for pumping deep groundwater from the BAS, based on the flow-pattern defence.
Figure 3: Arsenic-enriched phases from the BAS.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ravenscroft, P., Brammer, H. & Richards, K. S. Arsenic Pollution: A Global Synthesis. 1st edn (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  2. Kinniburgh, D. G. & Smedley, P. L. (eds) Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater in Bangladesh (British Geological Survey, and Department of of Public Health Engineering, Dhaka, 2001); available at <http://www.bgs.ac.uk/arsenic/bphase2/Reports/Vol3Atlasprelims.pdf>.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Das, B. et al. Groundwater arsenic contamination, its health effects and approach for mitigation in West Bengal, India and Bangladesh. Water Qual. Expo. Health 1, 5–21 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Berg, M. et al. Magnitude of arsenic pollution in the Mekong and Red River Deltas — Cambodia and Vietnam. Sci. Total Environ. 372, 413–425 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Polya, D. A. et al. Arsenic hazard in shallow Cambodian groundwaters. Mineral. Mag. 69, 807–823 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Mazumder, D. N. G. et al. Chronic arsenic toxicity from drinking tubewell water in rural West Bengal. Bull. World Health Organ. 64, 499–506 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Groundwater Studies for Arsenic Contamination in Bangladesh. Phase I: Rapid Investigation (British Geological Survey & Mott MacDonald Ltd, 1999).

  8. Ahmed, M. F. et al. Ensuring safe drinking water in Bangladesh. Science 314, 1687–1688 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Bhattacharya, P., Chatterjee, D. & Jacks, G. Occurrence of arsenic-contaminated groundwater in alluvial aquifers from the Delta Plains, eastern India: Options for safe drinking water supply. Wat. Res. Dev. 13, 79–92 (1997).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Ahmad, J., Misra, S. & Goldar, B. Rural communities' preferences for arsenic mitigation options in Bangladesh. J. Wat. Health 04, 463–477 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Evaluation of the Performance, Village Piped Water Supply System (120 Schemes) (Department of Public Health Engineering, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Bangladesh, Dhaka, 2008).

  12. Development of Deep Aquifer Database and Preliminary Deep Aquifer Map (Department of Public Health Engineering, GoB and Arsenic Policy Support Unit, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Bangladesh, Dhaka, 2006).

  13. Hydrogeology Summary Report (Department of Public Health Engineering & Danish International Development Assistance, Dhaka, 2001).

  14. Groundwater Resources and Hydro-Geological Investigations in and Around Khulna City Vol. 4 (Drilling) (Local Government Engineering Department, Dhaka, 2005).

  15. Hoque, M., Hasan, M. K. & Ravenscroft, P. in Groundwater Resources and Development in Bangladesh - Background to the Arsenic Crisis, Agricultural Potential and the Environment (eds Rahman, A. A. & Ravenscroft, P.) 373–390 (Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, Univ. Press Ltd, 2003).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Ravenscroft, P. & McArthur, J. M. Mechanism of regional scale enrichment of groundwater by boron: the examples of Bangladesh and Michigan, USA. Appl. Geochem. 19, 1413–1430 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Michael, H. & Voss, C. Controls on groundwater flow in the Bengal Basin of India and Bangladesh: regional modeling analysis. Hydrogeol. J. 17, 1561–1577 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Michael, H. A. & Voss, C. I. Evaluation of the sustainability of deep groundwater as an arsenic-safe resource in the Bengal Basin. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 105, 8531–8536 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Van Geen, A. et al. Monitoring 51 community wells in Araihazar, Bangladesh, for up to 5 years: Implications for arsenic mitigation. Environ. Sci. Health, Part A 42, 1729–1740 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Ravenscroft, P. et al. Arsenic in groundwater of the Bengal Basin, Bangladesh: Distribution, field relations, and hydrogeological setting. Hydrogeol. J. 13, 727–751 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Nickson, R. et al. Mechanism of arsenic release to groundwater, Bangladesh and West Bengal. Appl. Geochem. 15, 403–413 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Islam, F. S. et al. Role of metal-reducing bacteria in As release from Bengal delta sediments. Nature 430, 68–71 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Harvey, C. F. et al. Arsenic mobility and groundwater extraction in Bangladesh. Science 298, 1602–1606 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Burgess, W. G., Burren, M., Perrin, J. & Ahmed, K. M. in Sustainable Groundwater Development, Special Publication 193 (eds Hiscock, K. M., Rivett, M. O. & Davison, R. M.) 145–163 (Geological Society, 2002).

    Google Scholar 

  25. McArthur, J. M. et al. How paleosols influence groundwater flow and arsenic pollution: A model from the Bengal Basin and its worldwide implication. Wat. Resour. Res. 44, W11411 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Weinman, B. et al. Contributions of floodplain stratigraphy and evolution to the spatial patterns of groundwater arsenic in Araihazar, Bangladesh. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 120, 1567–1580 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Harvey, C. F. et al. Groundwater dynamics and arsenic contamination in Bangladesh. Chem. Geol. 228, 112–136 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Polizzotto, M. L. et al. Near-surface wetland sediments as a source of arsenic release to ground water in Asia. Nature 454, 505–509 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Sengupta, S. et al. Do ponds cause arsenic-pollution of groundwater in the Bengal Basin?: an answer from West Bengal. Environ. Sci. Technol. 42, 5156–5164 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Neumann, R. B. et al. Anthropogenic influences on groundwater arsenic concentrations in Bangladesh. Nature Geosci. 3, 46–52 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. McArthur, J. M. et al. Natural organic matter in sedimentary basins and its relation to arsenic in anoxic groundwater: the example of West Bengal and its worldwide implications. Appl. Geochem. 19, 1255–1293 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Swartz, C. H. et al. Mobility of arsenic in a Bangladesh aquifer: Inferences from geochemical profiles, leaching data, and mineralogical characterization. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 68, 4539–4557 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Burgess, W. G. et al. in Trace Metals and Other Contaminants in the Environment (eds Bhattacharya, P. et al.) Ch. 2, 63–84 (Elsevier, 2007).

    Google Scholar 

  34. von Brömssen, M. et al. Geochemical characterisation of shallow aquifer sediments of Matlab Upazila, Southeastern Bangladesh — Implications for targeting low-As aquifers. J. Contam. Hydrol. 99, 137–149 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Stollenwerk, K. G. et al. Arsenic attenuation by oxidized aquifer sediments in Bangladesh. Sci. Total Environ. 379, 133–150 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Zheng, Y. et al. Geochemical and hydrogeological contrasts between shallow and deeper aquifers in the two villages of Araihazar, Bangladesh: Implications for deeper aquifers as drinking water sources. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 69, 5203–5218 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Lowers, H. A. et al. Arsenic incorporation into authigenic pyrite, Bengal Basin sediment, Bangladesh. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 71, 2699–2717 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Ravenscroft, P., McArthur, J. M. & Hoque, B. A. in Arsenic Exposure and Health Effects Vol. IV (eds Chappell, W. R., Abernathy, C. O. & Calderon, R. L.) 53–77 (Elsevier, 2001).

    Google Scholar 

  39. Mukherjee, A. Deeper Groundwater Flow and Chemistry in the Arsenic Affected Western Bengal Basin, West Bengal, India. PhD thesis, Univ. Kentucky (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  40. Deep Tubewell II Project, Esp. Vol 2.1 Natural Resources (Mott MacDonald International, Hunting Technical Services for the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation under the assignment to the Overseas Development Administration (UK), Dhaka, 1992).

  41. Michael, H. & Voss, C. Estimation of regional-scale groundwater flow properties in the Bengal Basin of India and Bangladesh. Hydrogeol. J. 17, 1329–1346 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Williams, P. N. et al. Increase in rice grain arsenic for regions of Bangladesh irrigating paddies with elevated arsenic in groundwaters. Environ. Sci. Technol. 40, 4903–4908 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Brammer, H. & Ravenscroft, P. Arsenic in groundwater: A threat to sustainable agriculture in South and South-East Asia. Environ. Int. 35, 647–654 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Ravenscroft, P. in Groundwater Resources and Development in Bangladesh - Background to the Arsenic Crisis, Agricultural Potential and the Environment (eds Rahman, A. A. & Ravenscroft, P.) Ch. 3, 43–86 (Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, Univ. Press Ltd, 2003).

    Google Scholar 

  45. Breit, G. N. et al. in 11th International Symposium. Water-Rock Interaction (eds Wanty, R. B. & Seal, R. R.) 1457–1461 (Balkema, 2004).

    Google Scholar 

  46. Dixit, S. & Hering, J. G. Comparison of arsenic(V) and arsenic(III) sorption onto iron oxide minerals: implications for arsenic mobility. Environ. Sci. Technol. 37, 4182–4189 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Breit, G. N. et al. Compositional Data for Bengal Delta Sediment Collected from Boreholes at Srirampur, Kachua, Bangladesh Report No. 2006–1222 (US Geological Survey, 2006).

    Google Scholar 

  48. The Study on Groundwater Development of Deep Aquifers for Safe Drinking Water Supply to Arsenic Affected Areas in Western Bangladesh (Japan International Cooperation Agency, Bangladesh, Dhaka, 2002).

  49. Report on Deep Aquifer Characterization and Mapping Project, Phase I (Kachua, Chandpur) (Ground Water Hydrology Division-I, Bangladesh Water Development Board, Dhaka, 2005).

  50. Goodbred, S. L. Jr & Kuehl, S. A. The significance of large sediment supply, active tectonism, and eustasy on margin sequence development: Late Quaternary stratigraphy and evolution of the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta. Sediment. Geol. 133, 227–248 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank J. Davies for discussion of concepts informing the description of the Bengal Aquifer System. M.A.H. is in receipt of a scholarship (BDCS 2006-37) from the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

    W. G. Burgess & M. A. Hoque

  2. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, 19716, Delaware, USA

    H. A. Michael

  3. US Geological Survey, 431 National Center, Reston, 20192, Virginia, USA

    C. I. Voss

  4. US Geological Survey, Box 25046 MS 964D, Denver, 80225, Colorado, USA

    G. N. Breit

  5. Department of Geology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh

    K. M. Ahmed

Authors
  1. W. G. Burgess
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. A. Hoque
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. H. A. Michael
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. C. I. Voss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. G. N. Breit
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. K. M. Ahmed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

All authors collaborated equally in the preparation of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to W. G. Burgess.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Information

Supplementary Information (PDF 646 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Burgess, W., Hoque, M., Michael, H. et al. Vulnerability of deep groundwater in the Bengal Aquifer System to contamination by arsenic. Nature Geosci 3, 83–87 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo750

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo750

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing Microbiology

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Microbiology newsletter — what matters in microbiology research, free to your inbox weekly.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Microbiology