Arsenic and other trace elements in thermal springs and in cold waters from drinking water wells on the Bolivian Altiplano
Article
Article Title | Arsenic and other trace elements in thermal springs and in cold waters from drinking water wells on the Bolivian Altiplano |
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ERA Journal ID | 1743 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Ormachea Munoz, Mauricio (Author), Bhattacharya, Prosun (Author), Sracek, Ondra (Author), Ramos Ramos, Oswaldo (Author), Quintanilla Aguirre, Jorge (Author), Bundschuh, Jochen (Author) and Maity, Jyoti Prakash (Author) |
Journal Title | Journal of South American Earth Sciences |
Journal Citation | 60, pp. 10-20 |
Number of Pages | 11 |
Year | 2015 |
Place of Publication | United Kingdom |
ISSN | 0895-9811 |
1873-0647 | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsames.2015.02.006 |
Web Address (URL) | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0895981115000322 |
Abstract | Numerous hot springs and fumaroles occur along the Andes Mountains, in the Bolivian Altiplano, where people use thermal springs for recreational purposes as pools, baths and also for consumption as drinking water and irrigation once it is mixed with natural surface waters; most of these thermal springs emerge from earth surface and flow naturally into the rivers streams which drain further into the Poopó Lake. Physicochemical characteristics of the thermal water samples showed pH from 6.3 to 8.3 with an average of 7.0, redox potential from +106 to +204 mV with an average of +172 mV, temperatures from 40 to 75 °C with an average of 56 °C and high electrical conductivity ranging from 1.8 to 75 mS/cm and averaged 13 mS/cm. Predominant major ions are Na+ and Cl− and the principal water types are 37.5% Na–Cl type and 37.5% Na–Cl–HCO3 type. Arsenic concentrations ranged from 7.8 to 65.3 μg/L and arsenic speciation indicate the predominance of As(III) species. Sediments collected from the outlets of thermal waters show high iron content, and ferric oxides and hydroxides are assumed to be principal mineral phases for arsenic attenuation by adsorption/co-precipitation processes. Arsenic concentrations in cold water samples from shallow aquifers are higher than those in thermal springs (range < 5.6–233.2 μg/L), it is likely that thermal water discharge is not the main source of high arsenic content in the shallow aquifer as they are very immature and may only have a small component corresponding to the deep geothermal reservoir. As people use both thermal waters and cold waters for consumption, there is a high risk for arsenic exposure in the area. |
Keywords | arsenic; Bolivian Altiplano; hydrochemistry; lithium; thermal springs |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 410402. Environmental assessment and monitoring |
410406. Natural resource management | |
410404. Environmental management | |
Public Notes | Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions. |
Byline Affiliations | KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden |
Palacky University Olomouc, Czech Republic | |
Higher University of San Andreas, Bolivia | |
Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences | |
National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan | |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q346x/arsenic-and-other-trace-elements-in-thermal-springs-and-in-cold-waters-from-drinking-water-wells-on-the-bolivian-altiplano
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