Geochemical study of arsenic release mechanisms in the Bengal Basin groundwater

[1] To investigate arsenic mobility in the Bengal Basin groundwater, we sampled water wells and sediments throughout the region. There are strong correlations among high levels of dissolved arsenic and iron, ammonia, and methane, especially in samples from a single site (Laxmipur). No linkage is seen between As and agricultural tracers such as phosphate. The association of As and Fe occurs because arsenic strongly adsorbs onto FeOOH particles in river water. They flocculate with other fine-grained particles at the freshwater/saltwater transition zone. Subsequent bacterially mediated reduction of FeOOH in the clay releases the adsorbed arsenic. Weathering of As-bearing mica plays a significant role in the As budget. The ‘‘correlated’’ presence of As, CH4, and NH4 in water supply wells is the result of diffusion out of organic-rich clay into the more permeable zones. Arsenic is mainly released from recent sediments at <50 m depth deposited in the GBR floodplain as sea level rose throughout the Holocene.