Arsenic Contamination in Groundwater and Potential Health Risk in Western Lampang Basin, Northern Thailand

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate the spatial distribution of arsenic concentrations in shallow and deep groundwaters which were used as sources for drinking and domestic and agricultural uses. A geochemical modeling software PHREEQC was used to simulate equilibrium geochemical reactions of complex water–rock interactions to identify arsenic speciation and mineral saturation indices based on groundwater quality and hydrogeochemical conditions. In addition, the potential health risk from arsenic-contaminated groundwater consumption was assessed based on the method developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The study area is located at the western part of the Lampang Basin, an intermontane aquifer, Northern Thailand. The area is flat and situated in a floodplain in the Cenozoic basin. Most shallow groundwater (≤10 m depth) samples from dug wells were of Ca-Na-HCO3 and Ca-HCO3 types, whereas deep groundwater from Quaternary terrace deposits (30–150 m depth) samples were of Na-HCO3 and Ca-Na-HCO3 types. High arsenic concentrations were found in the central part of the study area (Shallow groundwater: <2.8–35 mg/L with a mean of 10.7 mg/L; Deep groundwater: <2.8–480 mg/L with a mean of 51.0 mg/L). According to geochemical modeling study, deep groundwater contained toxic As(III), as the dominant species more than shallow groundwater. Arsenic in groundwater of the Lampang Basin may have been derived from leaching of rocks and could have been the primary source of the subsurface arsenic in the study area. Secondary source of arsenic, which is more significant, could be derived from the leaching of sorbed arsenic in aquifer from co-precipitated Fe-oxyhydroxides in sediments. Quantitative risk assessment showed that the average carcinogenic risk values were as high as 2.78 × 10−3 and 7.65 × 10−3 for adult and child, respectively, which were higher than the acceptable level (1 × 10−4). The adverse health impact should be notified or warned with the use of this arsenic-contaminated groundwater without pre-treatment.