Evaluation of the factors affecting arsenic distribution using geospatial analysis techniques in Dongting Plain, China

Abstract

Due to high toxicity, arsenic is regarded as a major global environmental pollutant. The present study is investigated the potential factors influencing to elevate concentration of arsenic in groundwater, surface water, and soil of the Dongting basin. The arsenic contamination potential prediction map and categories were developed using various GIS techniques such as Ordinary Kriging and the Quantile method. Then the “Raster calculator” tool was applied to verify the impact of the factors on arsenic. Eighty-four single-factor, bi-factor, and multi-factor models were established to investigate effective combinations among factors of each phase. Additionally, statistical tests were computed to evaluate arsenic between classes and factors. The arsenic value varies in groundwater from 0.0001 to 0.1582 mg/l, while in surface water between 0.0001–0.0287 mg/l and soil sediments range from 1.8–45.69 mg/kg. JunShan and GongAn groundwater resources have been identified as posing a high risk to human health. The single factors showed the best match frequency of arsenic with a population density of 66.86% in water and land use depicted match frequency of arsenic 73.19% in soil. The statistical calculations with percentage frequency factors also depicted positive trends. The correlation of the factors with arsenic in soil and water showed slow oxidation and reduction in the groundwater system. Treated portable water could be the best option to reduce the health risk of the local community.