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Interrelationship of TOC, As, Fe, Mn, Al and Si in shallow alluvial aquifers in Chapai-Nawabganj, Northwestern Bangladesh: implication for potential source of organic carbon

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Abstract

Two boreholes and ten piezometers in the Ganges flood plain were drilled and installed for collecting As-rich sediments and groundwater. Groundwater samples from the Ganges flood plain were collected for the analysis of cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+), anions (Cl−, NO3 −, SO4 2−), total organic carbon (TOC), and trace elements (As, Mn, Fe, Sr, Se, Ni, Co, Cu, Mo, Sb, Pb). X-ray powder diffraction was performed to characterize the major mineral contents of aquifer sediments and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to analyze the major chemical composition of alluvial sediments. Results of XRF analysis clearly show that fine-grained sediments contain higher amounts of trace element because of their high surface area for adsorption. Relative fluorescence index (15–38 QSU) of humic substance in groundwater was measured using spectrofluorometer, the results revealed that groundwater in the Ganges flood plain contains less organic matter (OM). Arsenic concentration in water ranges from 2.8 to 170 μg/L (mean 50 μg/L) in the Ganges flood plain. Arsenic content in sediments ranges from 2.1 to 14 mg/kg (mean 4.58 mg/kg) in the flood plains. TOC ranges from 0.49 to 3.53 g/kg (mean 1.64 g/kg) in the Ganges flood plain. Arsenic is positively correlated with TOC (R 2 = 0.55) in sediments of this plain. Humic substances were extracted from the sediments from the Ganges flood plain. Fourier transform infrared analysis of the sediments revealed that the plain contains less humic substances. The source of organic carbon was assigned from δ13C values obtained using elemental analysis-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS); the values (−10 to −29.44‰) strongly support the hypothesis that the OM of the Ganges flood plain is of terrestrial origin.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the National Science Council of Taiwan for the financial support of this research (NSC98-2627-M-006-004).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan

    A. H. M. Selim Reza, Jiin-Shuh Jean, Shang-De Luo, Jochen Bundschuh, Hong-Chun Li, Huai-Jen Yang & Chia-Chuan Liu

  2. Department of Geology and Geography, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA

    Ming-Kuo Lee

  3. Institute of Applied Research, University of Applied Sciences, 76133, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Jochen Bundschuh

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  1. A. H. M. Selim Reza
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Selim Reza, A.H.M., Jean, JS., Lee, MK. et al. Interrelationship of TOC, As, Fe, Mn, Al and Si in shallow alluvial aquifers in Chapai-Nawabganj, Northwestern Bangladesh: implication for potential source of organic carbon. Environ Earth Sci 63, 955–967 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-010-0764-3

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