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Assessment and Causes of Groundwater Organic Pollution in Typical Plain Areas in Xinjiang, China

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Abstract

To study the organic pollution situation in groundwater in plain areas in Xinjiang, Shihezi region (SHZ), plain area of Yanqi Basin (YQ) and Ruoqiang-Qiemo area (RQ) were selected as the typical areas. 83 groundwater samples were collected, tested, and analyzed for 39 organic indexes for the first time. Results showed that the local groundwater in SHZ, YQ, and RQ had been slightly affected by organic pollution with the detection rates of 8.7, 33.3, and 33.3 %, respectively. Seven organic pollutants were detected, including chloroform (with the highest detection rate of 21.7 %), 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, toluene, benzo(a)pyrene, α-BHC, and γ-BHC. The contents of all the detected organic pollutants were low, which were under the limits of the “Standards for Drinking Water Quality (GB5749-2006)”. Vertical distribution of detection rates was that in SHZ, shallow confined groundwater (12.5 %) > deep confined groundwater (10.0 %) > unconfined groundwater (0.0 %); in YQ, unconfined groundwater (66.7 %) > deep confined groundwater (29.2 %) > shallow confined groundwater (25.0 %); in RQ, shallow confined groundwater (66.7 %) > unconfined groundwater (33.3 %) > deep confined groundwater (16.7 %). The sources and properties of organic pollutants were the main factors that affected groundwater organic pollution in the study areas. The infiltration recharge of surface water mainly affected groundwater organic pollution in SHZ and YQ. Besides, the vadose zone had a certain restriction on the occurrence and migration of groundwater organic pollution components in RQ. Direct discharge of sewage came from human life and production without treatment, and leakage due to crude anti-seepage facilities had led to groundwater organic pollution. The organic wastewater produced in livestock and poultry breeding, chemical fertilizers, and insecticides in agricultural activities were also the main sources of groundwater organic pollution.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the supports provided to this study under the following grants: NSFC-Xinjiang project “Transport of typical organic pollutants in the groundwater flow system of arid region and its risk assessment” (U1503282); NSFC-Xinjiang project “Study on groundwater flow system and groundwater recharge and discharge in arid inland basins” (U1403282); China Geological Survey Bureau project“ Groundwater pollution survey of main cities in northwest China” (1212011220982); and key discipline project of hydrology and water resources of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (xjswszyzdxk20101202).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, 830052, China

    Yanyan Zeng, Jinlong Zhou & Ruiliang Jia

  2. Xinjiang Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering Research Center, Urumqi, 830052, China

    Yanyan Zeng, Jinlong Zhou & Ruiliang Jia

  3. School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, China

    Yinzhu Zhou

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  1. Yanyan Zeng
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Correspondence to Jinlong Zhou.

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Zeng, Y., Zhou, J., Zhou, Y. et al. Assessment and Causes of Groundwater Organic Pollution in Typical Plain Areas in Xinjiang, China. Expo Health 8, 401–417 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-016-0211-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-016-0211-0

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