Abstract: River water quality has gained significance as river water is being contaminated due to various human activities and it needs attention to ensure sustainable safe use. Geographical Information System (GIS) and Water Quality Index (WQI), which synthesize different available water quality data into an easily understood format, provide a way to summarize overall water quality conditions in a manner that can be clearly communicated to policy makers. Physicochemical analysis data of various water samples collected at different locations forms the quality database for the study. WQI was then calculated to find the suitability of water for drinking purpose. Inverse distance weighted spatial interpolation technique was used for generation of pollution potentiality map of the area. Agglomerative Cluster Analysis (CA) was performed for delineating and grouping the similar pollution causing areas. The overall view of the water quality index of the present study area revealed that most of the study area comes under highly to very highly polluted zone.

Abstract: The US-based water quality index models originated from the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) in additive (AWQI) and multiplicative (MWQI) forms in the early 1970s. The other model which has gained popularity in the recent years is Oregon Water Quality Index (OWQI) which is based on the harmonic averaging concept. The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME WQI) (also referred to as Canadian Water Quality Index, CWQI in the text) was commissioned in 2001 to assess the water quality of surface waters across Canada. The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) has endorsed the CCME WQI (or CWQI) model suitable for grading the quality of drinking waters world wide. The index scores from all the models range from 0 to 100, higher scores alluding to better quality. The water quality is categorized in five grades [excellent, good, fair, marginal, poor], with differential system of ranking while using the index score values. The present study evaluated the water quality data from 30 river sites across the province of Ontario, Canada for 5-year period 2002–04 through 2006–08 (3-year running averages) for the comparison of aforementioned WQI models. The parameters currently used in calculating CCME WQI (or CWQI) score in Ontario are: ammonia, chloride, nitrate, phosphate, chromium, nickel, and zinc (seven parameters). The parameters hardness, pH and temperature are monitored but are used as modifying parameters, i.e., they are taken into consideration by modifying the guidelines or the objective functions of some of the former seven parameters. The study indicated that AWQI and MWQI scores tended to be much higher in comparison to the CWQI scores. As a result, the grades of the water quality for AWQI and MWQI turned out to be superior in relation to CWQI. In contrast, the correspondence in terms of water quality grades between OWQI and CWQI was much closer and better. Overall, the CWQI formulation appeared to be the most stringent, followed by OWQI model to grade the quality of water for the aquatic uses.

Abstract: Groundwater quality study of the Birimian, Cape Coast granitoid and the Densu River have been carried out using Water Quality Index (WQI) and multivariate statistics with the aim of determining their suitability for drinking and irrigation. The results showed that the Cape Coast granitoid generally had elevated values of dissolved ions as compared to the Birimian and surface waters. The WQI values were found ranging from 0 to 50 belonging to “excellent” and “good” water quality. The visualization of the WQI distributions using GIS software suggests point source pollution to areas of deteriorating water quality. Chemical indices like percentage of sodium (Na%), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), and permeability index (PI) indicate that the groundwater in the study area are suitable for irrigation. Cluster and Principal Component Analysis with varimax rotation were also used as a complementary tool to help organize and interpret the chemical analysis. Four principal components with eigen-values greater than unity accounting for 73.16% of the variability in the data were delineated. The factor score plot also separated the polluted areas and identified areas with potential deteriorating water quality. Even though the geology is the main factor controlling the presence of the dissolved ions, the study shows an increase in anthropogenic contributions in some areas.

Abstract: The groundwater near mines is contaminated heavily as regards acidity, alkalinity, toxicity, heavy mineral, and microbes. During rainy season, the mines are filled with the water which contaminates the groundwater and gradually disperses by percolating through the soil into urban area, making the water unsuitable for use. In addition, fertilizers used for agricultural purpose affect pH and nitrate content of groundwater. Hence, evaluation of WQI of groundwater is extremely important in urban areas close to mines to prepare for make remedial measures. To this end, the present study proposes an efficient methodology such as adaptive network fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) for the prediction of water quality. The parameters used to assess water quality are usually correlated and this makes an assessment unreasonable. Therefore, the parameters are uncorrelated using principal component analysis with varimax rotation. The uncorrelated parameters values are fuzzified to take into account uncertainty and impreciseness during data collection and experimentation. An efficient rule base and optimal distribution of membership function is constructed from the hybrid learning algorithm of ANFIS. The model performed quite satisfactorily with the actual and predicted water quality. The model can also be used for estimating water quality on-line, but the accuracy of the model depends upon the proper training and selection of parameters.

Abstract: This study investigated the mechanisms involved in removing arsenic from water using zero-valent iron (ZVI) as sorbent. Relatively limited information is available on the kinetics aspects of sorption of arsenic compounds onto ZVI. In order to gain an understanding of the sorption kinetics, a detailed study was conducted in a controlled batch test and developed sorption kinetic model.

Abstract: Rivers in Warri, Delta State of Nigeria are of particular importance in surface water pollution studies as they act as receptacles for effluents from oil industries, municipal sewage, agricultural and urban run-off. The water quality of these rivers is thus considerably changed. Results obtained from the analyses were correlated using Pearson’s correlation matrix, principal component analysis and pollution index. Positive correlations were observed for pH, conductivity, TDS, Cl−, Mg2+, \(\mathrm{NO}_{3}^{2-}\), COD, Cd and Ni2+. The pollution index, PI, for all the samples (1.11) is considered critical and indicates that the water samples from these rivers require treatment before use. Multivariate statistical and principal component analyses of the data showed three major components: PC1 with variance 6.42 representing 42.8% of the total variability, PC2 with variance 3.76 representing 25.10% of total variability, and PC3 with variance 2.13 representing 14.20% of the total variability. The first three principal components with eigenvalues greater than 1 represent 82.10% of the total variability, suggesting that three principal components adequately explain the variation in the data set. The results of the analyses when compared with World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that the rivers were polluted and so the water from such rivers is not safe for domestic use.

Abstract: Improving real-time monitoring technologies introduces new tasks to the data analyst such as rapid identification of contamination source locations based on the data collected from monitoring stations. In theory, this problem is an ill posed problem which has non-unique solutions due to the irreversible nature of contaminant transformation and transport processes. In this study, we propose a methodology that utilizes a classification routine which associates the observations on a contaminant spill with one or more of the candidate spill locations in the river network. This approach consists of a training step followed by a sequential elimination of the candidate spill locations which lead to the identification of potential spill locations. In this process the training of the monitoring system may require a significant simulation time. However, this is performed only once. The statistical elimination for the ranking of the candidate locations is a rapid process. The proposed methodology is applied to the Altamaha river system in the State of Georgia, USA. The results show that the proposed approach may be effectively used for the preliminary planning of the contaminant source investigation studies in complex river systems.

Abstract: In this paper, we have studied the comparative hydrogeochemistry of the Ken and Betwa Rivers of Bundelkhand area, considering the importance of the Ken–Betwa River linking project (KBLP) in India. Factor analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) has been done to identify the highly correlated and interrelated water-quality parameters. All the physico-chemical parameters for both rivers are within the highest desirable or maximum permissible limit set by WHO (World Health Organization) except some anions viz. $\mathrm{NO}_{3}^{-}$ , Cl−, $\mathrm{SO}_{4}^{2-}$ and F− at some sampling points. The Ken River showed a high spatial variability and significant ionic concentration due to the higher geological and pedological watershed richness as well as absence of pollution from anthropogenic point sources. The Betwa River showed a low spatial variability and higher mineralization due to the anthropogenic point sources that exist downstream. This preliminary study shows the spatio-temporal variability of the hydrogeochemical parameters of the Ken–Betwa River basin.

Abstract: This study assessed non-cancerous health risk from exposure to mercury, arsenic and cadmium via oral in- gestion of contaminated water bodies by resident children and adults in Nangodi, Upper East region, Ghana in accor- dance with US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The mean concentration of arsenic, mercury and cadmium in water bodies in the study area for arsenic ranges from 0.0120 to 0.0653 mg/L; 0.0048 to 0.202 mg/L for mercury and 0.2665 to 1.090 mg/L for cadmium. These mean levels of arsenic, mercury and cadmium in water bodies from the study area were used as input parameters in calculating the non-cancerous health risk. The results of the non-cancerous health risk faced by resident children in the study area from exposure to mercury in a dug-well at Nakpadana is 6.7 via central tendency exposure parameter (CTE) and 13.0 via high end exposure parameter (HEE); in the case of arsenic we have 1.9 by CTE parameters and 3.7 by HEE parameters respectively, whilst for cadmium we had 29.0 and 58.0 by CTE and HEE parameters respectively. The non-cancerous health risk results expressed in terms of hazard quotient ob- tained in this study for both resident children and adults in most cases exceeded the acceptable USEPA hazard quotient value of 1.0, which suggests that resident adults and chil- dren are at high risk of showing symptoms associated with non-cancerous effects of exposure to arsenic, mercury and cadmium such as low IQ, tremor, renal failure, etc.

Abstract: Knowledge of the oxygen and nutrient concentra- tions in an oil-contaminated Prince William Sound (PWS) beach is important for understanding of the oil persistence over two decades after the Exxon Valdez spill. It was tradi- tionally believed that there was enough oxygen in the conta- minated shorelines to sustain aerobic microbial metabolism of oil and that nutrients were the major factors limiting oil biodegradation. In the present study, we analyzed the oxy- gen and nutrients levels in both clean and oily areas on a PWS beach that was heavily contaminated by the Exxon Valdez oil spill. We found that the level of nitrogen and phosphorous were 0.454 mg-N L −1 and 0.033 mg-P L −1 , respectively, which is not sufficient to fully support micro- bial growth, confirming that nutrient concentration was a major factor limiting oil transformation by biological ways. We also observed that the oxygen level varied from higher than 3 mg L −1 in the clean wells to about 1 mg L −1 (near anoxic level) in the oily wells. In addition, the lowest nitrate levels were observed at the oily wells. Altogether, these re- sults suggest that the low level of efficient electron acceptors (oxygen and nitrate) detected at the oily spot is responsible for slow and potentially inefficient biodegradation of the oil.

Abstract: Heavy metal accumulation in aquatic ecosystems is a common phenomenon among bivalve filter feeders. This study was carried out over an 18-month period at Ada and Aveglo in Ghana, where intense clam fishing represents a major livelihood. The study sought to investigate the concentrations of some heavy metals, zinc, manganese, iron and mercury, in whole soft tissues of three different size classes of the Volta estuary clam, Galatea paradoxa, in relation to geoaccumulation of the metals in benthic sediments. The study also sought to examine whether the levels of the metals in clam tissues were within acceptable limits for human consumption. Clam sizes were categorised as small (25–40 mm) medium (41–55 mm) and large (above 55 mm) based on shell lengths and predominant sizes captured in the Volta estuary. Mercury levels in clams and sediments were determined using a Mercury Analyser while Zn, Mn and Fe were determined using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Heavy metal concentrations in clams were within permissible limits with reference to WHO safety standards. There were no significant spatial differences (p>0.05) in the concentrations of Mn, Zn, Fe and Hg in clams at Ada and Aveglo. No relationship was observed between heavy metal concentrations in clams and geo-sediments indicating that metal accumulation in clams may not be directly or solely derived from sediments but from other sources such as dissolved metals in the water and seston. Highly significant differences (p<0.0001) were observed between the clam size-classes and sediment samples for iron. Total mercury concentrations showed highly significant variations (p<0.0001) between all the clam size-classes and the sediment samples.

Abstract: Evaluation of seasonal variations in river water (raw), treated and distributed water quality is vital for assessing spatial and temporal changes in the quality of water delivered to consumers. In this study, raw water, treated and distributed water collected from 27 sampling points in the dry and rainy seasons were analyzed for 21 physical, chemical and bacteriological parameters from the Barekese dam. The results showed a seasonal trend in the physical, chemical and coliform bacteria with the rainy season having higher values of the measured parameters. Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) and two well documented Water Quality Index models, Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment (CCME) and Tiwari and Mishra (Indian J. Environ. Prot. 5:276–279, 1985) were used as a complementary tool to assess the overall suitability of the water for industrial and drinking purposes. The LSI indicated that all the samples are under saturated, and thereby, suitable for domestic and industrial purposes. The CCME and TM models showed that the raw water in both seasons was unsuitable for drinking without any form of treatment, while the treated water in both seasons was of ‘excellent’ quality. The distributed water in both seasons showed a wide variation in the quality rating in the two models. The CCME model rated 52%, 30% and 17% of the distributed water as “excellent”, “very good” and “good”, respectively, while the TM model rated 74% of the distributed water as “excellent” and 26% as “very good” in the dry season. In the rainy season, the CCME rated 43% of the distributed water as “excellent”, 48% as “very good” and 8% as “good” while the TM model rated 87% of the distributed water as “excellent” and 13% as “good”. The CCME and TM models showed comparable results, even though they were developed for surface water and groundwater, respectively. The calculated efficiency (E%) of the treatment process using the CCME WQI was found to be 52% and 57%, while the average distributed water quality deterioration (D%) was 2.79% and 2.70% for the dry and rainy season, respectively. The study also showed great improvement in the water quality after the treatment process, however, maintenance of free chlorine residual was found to be insufficient to control coliform occurrences in the distribution system. Furthermore, the distribution line, especially the service lines, impacted negatively on the water quality resulting in high coliform bacteria. This is partly due to illegal connections, leakages or pipe burst along gutters or drainage systems and low pressure leading to back sucking. The study has also shown a high rise in nutrients load in the raw and distributed water. This phenomenon is likely to cause algae growth in the dam and the distribution networks, thereby increasing the risk of coliform bacteria and production cost.

Abstract: Surface waters were tested before and after the arrival of cattle to summer grazing allotments for pathogenic bacteria indicators E. coli, fecal coliform bacteria, and total coliform bacteria in the high elevation mountains of the Stanislaus National Forest, California, USA. Water samples were collected from one control/ungrazed stream site and at four grazed stream sites before cattle grazing began and during the time when livestock were present. All sample sites were higher than 1900 meters in elevation. Samples were transported within 6 hours to a water analysis laboratory, where they were analyzed following standardized lab methods. Results showed that individual and average concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria in surface waters were below regulatory thresholds at the ungrazed site and at the grazed sites before cattle arrived. Mean fecal coliform concentration increased from 9 to 350 CFU/100 mL, and mean E. coli increased from 8 to 240 CFU/100 mL, respectively, after grazing. The increase in mean concentration of fecal coliform at each grazed site was significant (p<0.05). Total coliform bacteria and E. coli concentrations showed the same pattern. Cattle grazing in the sampled high elevation Sierra Nevada meadows resulted in a significant increase in indicator bacteria.

Abstract: Fecal contamination of recreational waters is a complex public health and environmental issue involving multiple possible sources and contributing factors. Agricultural and animal production activities represent one such source of contamination from which various microorganisms transmissible to humans can be found. This study used regression models to ascertain and describe various time-independent agroenvironmental determinants associated with fecal contamination of recreational lake waters. From a logistic regression model analysis, two determinants were statistically associated with the level of fecal coliforms, namely: the presence of ruminant production in the area of influence (OR=2.78) and urban area (OR=3.69). Moreover, our data suggest that sources of fecal contamination located within the area of the lake water catchment and from within a distance of two kilometers of the beach have the most influence on the water quality.

Abstract: There are concerns among scientists about the significant amount of heavy metals introduced into the marine environment by the petroleum industry during exploration and production phases. The toxicity of heavy metals such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and mercury (Hg) are of particular concern, because they may pose major human health risks through consumption of contaminated food. This study conducts a conservative human health risk assessment study for the selected heavy metals discharged into the marine environment through petroleum operations. Probabilistic risk assessment technique, together with fuzzy set theory, is used to incorporate uncertainties into the risk assessment model. Random and fuzzy variables were integrated to develop the membership functions to individuals’ risk at different fractiles, and corresponding cumulative distribution functions (CDF) of risks were developed. The α-cut concept was used to handle fuzzy arithmetic and Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) was used to carry out the statistical calculations. Using human ingestion pathway, the 90th percentile membership function of cumulative cancer risk due to various heavy metals was calculated, and the support of this fuzzy cancer risk is from 1.0E–08 to 2.50E–05. Non-cancer risk was evaluated as well and found to be within the acceptable limits.

Abstract: The levels of As and various other trace elements found in the irrigated agricultural soil (Tsoil) of southern Libya were compared with non-irrigated soil (Csoil) from the same sampling campaign collected between April and May 2008. The soil samples represented agronomic practice in the southern Libyan regions of Maknwessa (MAK), Aril (ARL) and Taswaa (TAS), and were analyzed by Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for Co, Ni, Cu, Se, Mo, Zn, As, Pb, Cd and P. Concentrations of P and As in TAS and MAK were found to be higher in Tsoil compared to Csoil, while the opposite was true for ARL. In general, As concentrations in these areas were 2–3 times lower than the global average. In ARL, the average P concentrations of the Csoil samples were significantly higher than those of Tsoil samples: this site is composed mainly of pasture for animal production, where phosphate fertilizers are used regularly. Distance from the source of irrigation was found to be of an important influence on the heavy metal concentration of the soil, with greater concentrations found closer to the irrigation source. It can be concluded from the results that irrigation water contains elevated levels of As, which finds its way into the soil profile and can lead to accumulation of As in the soil over time.

Abstract: A study of the possible radiological impact as a result of usage of water in two critical mining communities of Dumasi and Chujah at Bogoso in the Western Region of Ghana was carried out. Water samples collected from boreholes and treated water supplied by a gold mining company were analyzed for important radionuclides such as 238U, 234U, 226Ra, 210Po, 230Th, 232Th and 224Ra, using extractive techniques in the RadioAnalytical Laboratory of the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation. None of the radionuclide concentrations found exceeded the world averages in drinking water. The 238U/235U ratios were also found to fall within those for natural environmental materials. The dose contributions of the radionuclides for different age groups were evaluated using the IAEA recommended dose conversion factors. The lifetime average dose for all the communities are lower than 0.1 mSv/a as recommended by WHO; however, if age group classification is considered, infants less than 1 year old in Chujah are exposed to 0.11 mSv/a when the treated water is used.

Abstract: Today’s dual contamination (water–rock interaction and anthropogenic impact) in groundwater system is a common problem worldwide. Abundant amount of work has been carried out to assess groundwater quality; however, a very limited work is released towards delineation of fluoride zones by water–rock interaction (WRI) and anthropogenic causes. For this reason, groundwater contamination problem has been taken up in a rural granitic hydrogeological setting of Andhra Pradesh, India. Agricultural activity, brick kiln factory and chicken farms are common anthropogenic sources available in the study area. A total of 53 groundwater and rainwater samples for monsoon months of the year 2006 have been collected and analysed. At various stages, corrections have been applied using chloride concentration limit (CCL) of 20 mg/l and fluoride concentration limit (FCL) of 1.88 mg/l. The results have proved that the dominant fluoride released by WRI action and anthropogenic action cover 15.1 and 21.7% area of the watershed, respectively. Also, present mixed state (WRI and anthropogenic causes) of groundwater quality covers the major portion of the watershed. The results of these corrections have successfully discriminated groundwater samples based on present chemical constituents. Such studies are useful for creating awareness and planning remedial measures in contaminant watershed.

Abstract: The distribution of inorganic arsenic (As) species in a groundwater sample, including As(III) and As(V), requires adequate preservation to prevent the adsorption caused by precipitates of Fe oxyhydroxides. Twenty-two groundwater samples with varied As and Fe concentrations were collected from three catchments in Taiwan. After filtration of samples in the field, inorganic As species were immediately preserved by adding EDTA/acetate acid. Analytical results showed that arsenite was the dominant species of inorganic As in most of samples. However, the distribution of Fe(II) varied widely and was not consistent with the equilibrium calculation by the geochemical program, PHREEQC, as a result of which the Fe(II) should be the primary Fe species under reducing conditions. The positive saturated index (SI) of Fe oxyhydroxides indicated that the Fe precipitation may occur. Indeed, the oxidation of Fe(II) rapidly forms Fe oxyhydroxides in controlled samples, causing the adsorption and/or co-precipitation of inorganic As and the decrease of aqueous As concentrations. EDTA/acetate acid can effectively slow the rate of As(III) oxidation and eliminates the precipitation of Fe and As, especially for high-Fe (>6.45 mg/L) groundwater samples. However, for low-Fe groundwater, other preservation methods should be considered, such as the phosphoric acid and hydrochloric acid.

Abstract: Spatial and temporal groundwater quality variations present distinctive characteristics for the hydrochemical composition of any aquifer. Hydrochemical characteristics of groundwater quality can be depicted by the standard ion index (SII). This is equivalent to the statistical standardization procedure, which is robust, assumption free and a dimensionless parameter with zero mean and unit standard deviation. Its application is suggested for eight major ion compositions (Ca2, Mg, Na, K, Cl2, HCO3, NO3, and SO4) in a given water sample. Individual and successive SII procedures are available, each with distinctive exposition of groundwater quality. Individual SII graphs expose standard ion values on the vertical ratio axis versus the nominal scale axis on the horizon in sequence of Ca2, Mg, Na, K, Cl2, HCO3, NO3, and SO4 variables for each sample. Successive SII graphs indicate the scatter of standard major ions values of one sample versus the next sample values. Theoretically two samples with the same hydrochemical composition yield scatter points that fall on the 45° straight-line, which is referred to as the “ideal similarity line” (ISL). In the successive SII graph the minimum ion concentrations take place at the lower end and the maximum concentrations at the upper end of the same line. Other ion clusters are aligned around the line depending on the groundwater quality composition. The application of this methodology is presented for a set of groundwater samples taken from a major well near Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during 2000–2005 periods.

Abstract: Some epidemiological studies have shown a protective effect of exercise on risk of adverse reproductive and developmental outcomes, but few studies have examined the potential benefit of specific recreational activities such as swimming during pregnancy. Using 1,854 births enrolled from 2000–2004 in a prospective cohort study across three study sites in the United States, we examined swimming reported during pregnancy in relation to birth weight. We used linear regression to examine the relationship between swimming and mean birth weight. Based on self-reported data collected at 20–24 weeks of gestation, 12% reported swimming during this time period. Although we saw a large unadjusted increase in mean birth weight (108 grams; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 10, 205) among those swimming more than 1 hour/week relative to nonswimmers, the results (26 grams; 95% CI: −68,120) were attenuated following adjustment for confounding, principally due to maternal race/ethnicity, maternal education and mean household income. Consistent with previous prospective cohort studies from the United Kingdom and Denmark, our data suggest that swimming during pregnancy is at most associated with a small increase in mean birth weight.

Abstract: Groundwater quality variations can be assessed by classical graphical representations such as the trilinear (Piper), Durov, Schoeller, Wilcox, Stiff and similar diagrams for overall quality variations. Each one of these techniques is restrictive in some sense, and it is not always possible to trace trends in the variation. Some of these do not allow a representation of more than three ions. If two or more samples have ion concentrations that are individually proportional, then their distinctive representations are not possible and they fall for instance on the trilinear and Durov representations on the same point. Statistical approaches are available but they also require restrictive assumptions such as the independence of different ion concentrations in time or space and Gaussian probability distribution. The conventional water quality index (WQI) is strongly dependent on various correlated parameters and also identification of the suitability of the parameters is critical for accurate evaluation. In this paper various simple WQI calculations are proposed on the basis of anion-cation association matrix. Different association matrices are defined based on the association by taking into consideration mean, maximum, minimum and correlation fundamentals. The association matrix definitions of WQI help to identify a set of associations between cations and anions. The application of the methodology is presented for a set of groundwater samples that are taken during 2000–2005 years.

Abstract: Drinking water and food are the two major routes of the consumption of arsenic (As) by people in Bangladesh. This study reports exposure of adults in two adjacent rural villages of Bangladesh to As from drinking water and rice. Uncooked and cooked rice, drinking and cooking water, were sampled from 14 families to determine total As concentrations. Arsenic speciation in uncooked rice was also conducted to determine the percentage of inorganic As (arsenite and arsenate). Arsenic intake by people from rice and drinking water was also assessed. The average water intake rates were 3.2 and 2.7 L per day for adult males and females, respectively, whereas no significant gender difference was observed for rice intake. The study revealed that with one exception, all the families examined drank As-contaminated groundwater. They used As-safe pond water for cooking. The mean As concentrations in drinking and cooking water were 328 and 2.5 μg/L, respectively. The average As concentrations in uncooked and cooked rice were 153 and 139 μg/kg (dry weight), respectively. On average, 73% of the As present in uncooked rice was inorganic. The study showed that adult males and females consume 1099 and 933 μg of inorganic As per day, respectively, from rice consumption and drinking water. Rice contributed 49 and 47 μg per day of inorganic As for adult males and females, respectively. The study concluded that the villagers in the study area consumed considerable amount of As from drinking water and that exposure from rice was also not negligible, despite intensive programs by governmental and non-governmental agencies to reduce villagers’ exposure to As consumption.

Abstract: Geochemical characteristics and arsenic content of groundwater in the Kurdistan and West Azerbaijan provinces (west of Iran) were analyzed. Groundwater is the local source of drinking water and travertine springs are mainly used for bathing and balneological purposes. The results indicate that total arsenic in travertine springs and groundwater range between 212 to 986.9 and 0.4 to 688.9 μg/L, respectively. Speciation of arsenic suggests arsenite the dominant arsenic species in travertine spring (68.2 to 98.9%). The variations of Br/Cl and B/Cl ratio, negative ORP (Oxygen Redox Potential) and high concentrations of Cl, Na, Cs, Li, Rb, Sr, B, Br and Rb in travertine spring samples confirm deep groundwater circulation in the volcanic basement. The results of saturation indices show that groundwater samples are supersaturated with respect to iron oxides, calcite, dolomite and aragonite and undersaturated with respect to gypsum and halite. In spite of gold mineralization, dissolution of arsenic-containing sulfide minerals is not the main source of arsenic contamination in groundwater. Spatial coincidence between the arsenic anomaly in groundwater and the travertine springs distribution illustrates they are the main source of arsenic in groundwater. The present study is useful in addressing future measures in groundwater resource management, in the volcanic regions in the west of Iran.

Abstract: This work gives us an overview of the groundwater quality and problems pertaining to the occurrence of arsenic (As) and other chemical contaminants in the groundwater of Begusarai district of Bihar, India. The total As concentration in the analyzed water samples varies between 21.5–94.3 μg/L. Through the saturation index using PhreeqC, it was found that most of the samples are saturated for mineral goethite, calcite and dolomite. It was observed that mobilization of arsenic from the alluvial aquifers is mainly affected through the means of reductive dissolution of the iron oxyhydroxides within the sediments. Reductive dissolution of iron oxyhydroxide present as coatings on and around clay layer seems to be the main process responsible for the release of As into groundwater. Close to the Gangetic flood plain most of the tube wells (shallow aquifers) are affected. Groundwater is characterized by slightly alkaline pH with a moderate to strong reducing nature. The water type mainly falls in two categories i.e. Ca–HCO3 and Ca–Cl (with contribution of 75 and 25% of total water type, respectively). Enrichment of $\mathrm{NO}_{3}^{-}$ at few locations is an indicator of agriculture practice well supported by effluent leaching.

Abstract: In recent decades, people attention to preservation of environment has increased which affected the mining plans and activities. Sungun Porphyry Copper Deposit is located Northwest of Iran. In this study, environmental impact of copper mining in the Sungun region was assessed using physicochemical, hydrochemical and geochemical properties of water and sediment. In May 2009, 87 samples including water and sediment were collected from the 44 sampling stations along the Sungunchay, Ilginechay, Zarnekabchay and Khuinerud Streams near the deposit. The degree of heavy metal contamination in water and sediment samples was calculated by the ratio of the metal concentration to the local background and global standards. Also, the relation between the elements in water and sediment samples was investigated using correlation coefficients analysis and factor analysis. The results show that concentration of selected heavy metals (copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc and nickel) exceeds the maximum allowable concentrations in both water and sediment. However, among the analyzed heavy metals, Cu and Mo have more enrichment in water and sediments rather than the others. Mean values of the pollution load indices of heavy metals in the sediment samples decrease in the following order: Sungunchay, Ilginechay, Zarnekabchay and Khuinerud Streams. The results of multivariate analyses indicate that heavy metals in the water samples have similar behavior (except for Mo) during transportation in the riverine environment. Also in the sediment samples, Cu and Mo are associated with Fe, whereas Pb, Zn and Ni correlated with Mn. These results are also in agreement with the calculated pollution indices.

Abstract: The goal of this study was to monitor the presence of adenovirus in rivers and lakes used for recreation and as a source for the public water supply in the city of Goiânia, Brazil, in addition to carrying out a correlation analysis of the seasonality of adenovirus gene detection and water quality parameters based on yearly monitoring. We collected 54 water samples from two lakes and two rivers. The samples were concentrated by using a positively-charged membrane, and DNA was extracted by a phenol-chloroform-isoamyl alcohol method, followed by PCR. Adenovirus was detected in 44.4% (24 of 54) of the samples collected. Physicochemical and bacteriological tests were carried out according to water quality monitoring standard procedures. Significant differences over the study period were observed for the presence of adenovirus in water and the values for nitrites, phosphates and fixed and total solids. The occurrence of adenovirus showed a seasonal trend, and significant differences with bacteriological tests were not observed. This is the first study to monitor adenovirus in water sources in the Midwestern Region of Brazil. The results may be useful to generate an eco-epidemiological profile of adenoviruses or even to identify the transmission routes of some neglected diseases, showing the importance in monitoring adenoviruses.