Arsenic source and mechanism of its releases into groundwater resources of Chahardoli plain, Kurdistan province

Arsenic is one of the most toxic and dangerous soluble substances in natural water. It has long-term ill effects on human health. Arsenic-contaminated water resources have been reported many parts of the world and Iran, particularly the Kurdistan province in the west of the country. The aim of this study is to identify the source of arsenic and mechanisms of its release into groundwater resources of the Chahardoli plain aquifers. Groundwater resources in this plain supply much of the water needs for drinking, agriculture and industry. Therefore, 31 water samples were collected the plain aquifer and chemically analyzed for major and minor ions in the Hydrology Laboratory of Earth Sciences Department of the Tabriz University. Also, the trace elements were analyzed in the Kurdistan Waste Water Organization Laboratory. The results show high arsenic concentrations in the groundwater of the area. The highest arsenic concentration (270 µg/L) is related to a well located in the northwest part of the area which supplies water for agricultural purposes of Delbaran sector. According to the results obtained multi-variable and graphical methods, there is a meaningful correlation between arsenic and major ions such as Na and K as well as silica, indicating that the source of arsenic is volcanic rocks. It is therefore a geogenic rather than an anthropogenic phenomenon. The mechanism of arsenic releases into the water can be related to competitive adsorption of dissolved SiO2 in adsorption sites such as oxides of iron, aluminium and manganese.