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Arsenic and fluorine in groundwater in northern Mexico: spatial distribution and enrichment factors

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Abstract

North-central Mexico has groundwater contaminated with arsenic (As) and fluoride (F). Based on the dispersion patterns of these solutes, their sources are linked to felsic volcanic rock fragments and secondary minerals (clays, iron oxyhydroxides) within the alluvium fill of the aquifers. However, little is known about the effect of the enrichment factors for F and As in this area. Natural enrichment factors include evaporation, Ca/Na, and competitive adsorption and desorption from solid phases. This study used 1237 groundwater quality data measurements from 305 sampling sites collected between 2012 and 2019 in the state of Durango in north-central Mexico. To determine the contribution of enrichment factors to As and F content, the study area was divided into four sections, two being in the mountainous part of the state and two in the high plateaus. The data were compared among sections and analyzed using Spearman correlation and Piper and Block diagrams. The results indicate that the main solute enrichment mechanisms are evaporation and weathering of silicates and evaporites. Among the four sections, As, pH, and HCO3 seemed not to vary, F varied slightly, and nitrate and total dissolved solids varied the most. The lack of variation in As among sections is associated to its strong adsorption to clay minerals and iron oxyhydroxides, whereas the diminished F content in the eastern sections is likely linked to the adsorption of F to precipitating calcite (since groundwater is saturated with respect to calcite (SIcalcite = 0.43) and undersaturated for fluorite (SIfluorite =  − 1.16). These processes shed light on the distribution of F and As in this area, and are likely operating in other states in northern Mexico and in semi-arid areas elsewhere.

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Data availability

The data used for the determination of water quality in the study area is publicly available at http://sina.conagua.gob.mx/sina/index.php.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Keran Nkongolo for his help in drafting the maps.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Geology and Planning, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, 65897, USA

    M. Gutiérrez

  2. Departamento de Ingeniería Sustentable, Centro de Investigación en Materiales Avanzados SC Unidad Durango, C. CIMAV # 110, Ejido Arroyo Seco, Durango, Dgo., Mexico

    M. T. Alarcón-Herrera

  3. Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral Regional, Unidad Durango, Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) (CIIDIR-IPN Unidad Durango), Calle Sigma 119, Fraccionamiento 20 de noviembre II, Dgo., 34220, Durango, Mexico

    A. P. Gaytán-Alarcón

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Contributions

Mélida Gutiérrez and Teresa Alarcón-Herrera designed the study and prepared the draft; Mélida Gutiérrez elaborated the diagrams and tables. Patricia Gaytán-Alarcón drafted the section of methods and ran the statistical analyses; all authors interpreted the results and drafted the discussions. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to M. Gutiérrez.

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Gutiérrez, M., Alarcón-Herrera, M.T. & Gaytán-Alarcón, A.P. Arsenic and fluorine in groundwater in northern Mexico: spatial distribution and enrichment factors. Environ Monit Assess 195, 212 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10818-x

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