Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater in Indo-Gangetic Plain

Abstract

Groundwater contribution is vital among different water resources on the Earth. Recently, groundwater contamination due to the occurrence of arsenic in the deltaic region of India is a major problem that requires appropriate management and efficient treatment measures. Proper identification of sources is necessary to cope up this problem. These sources may be natural or anthropogenic which has been discussed in this chapter. Lower Gangetic plain of India is worst affected by the arsenic contamination due to the hard rock terrain characteristics of the region. A large amount of arsenic is released from geological formations and anthropogenic sources like chemical industries, mining plants, and frequent use of arsenic-rich pesticides and fertilizers. Water containing arsenic used in irrigation sector is also a major reason for soil pollution in agricultural fields. Arsenic contamination is more in the deeper layer of soil profile due to leaching of higher concentration pesticides, mining, and also naturally occurring arsenic from sedimentary and volcanic rocks availability in those layers. The groundwater extracted from deep tube wells fed by deeper aquifers is rich in arsenic content. In the deltaic plain of the Ganga river, the deep tube wells are the major source of irrigation and drinking. Hence, various human diseases and losses in agricultural yield are the biggest issues in this region. The groundwater layer which is closer to the soil surface is having less concentration of arsenic as compared to the deeper zone, as the surface water comes in contact with the arsenic source very less time as compared to deep groundwater. In this chapter, a review of arsenic removal techniques and government initiatives in the arsenic-affected states of India in the Indo-Gangetic plain have been discussed in detail. This chapter reviews various sources, the standard of water quality based on arsenic concentration, and exclusion techniques of arsenic from groundwater along with government initiatives taken for overcoming groundwater arsenic contamination in the Indo-Gangetic plain. © 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Published 2023 by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.