Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Inorganic Constituents of Well Water in One Acid and One Alkaline Area of South Sweden

Water, Air, and Soil Pollution volume 142, pages 261–277 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Acid precipitation may lead to loss of essential elements and increase the concentrations of potentially toxic elements in drinking water. In this study 46 private wells from acid regions(pH < 6.5) were compared with 43 private wells from alkaline areas in southern Sweden. The concentrations of about 30 elementswere analysed especially by inductively coupled plasma opticalemission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The concentrations of essentialelements such as calcium, chromium, selenium and potassium weresignificantly lower in acid than in alkaline well water. On theother hand, the levels of potentially toxic metals such as cadmium and lead were significantly higher in acid well water. High copper concentrations, observed at pH around 6 in contrast to earlier findings, is to be considered as an acidification problem, as should the high fluoride values. The highest concentrations of a number of metals and ions, for example calcium, chromium, titanium and sulphate, appeared at pH 7.0–8.0, where the peak in concentrations occur due to leachingof metals from soil particles in acid soils and precipitation ofcarbonates and sulphates in more alkaline soils. The low levelsof especially calcium and magnesium ions, and some micronutrientsin the acid water, in combination with high concentrations of acid ions and toxic microelements, may cause nutritional imbalances. This should be regarded as risk factors with relationto effects on human health.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  • Aastrup, M., Thunholm, B., Johnson, J., Bertills, U. and Berntell, A.: 1995, ‘The Chemistry of Ground Water. The Swedish Bed-rock’, SNV Report 4415.

  • Altman, D. G.: 1991, Practical Statistics for Medical Research, Chapman & Hall, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Avery, A. A.: 1999, ‘Infantile methemoglobinemia: Reexamining the role of drinking water nitrates’, Environ. Health Perspect. 107, 583–586.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barkman, A., Warfving, P. and Sverdrup, H.: 1995, ‘Regionalization of critical loads under uncertainty’, Water, Air, and Soil Pollut. 85, 2515–2520.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bensryd, I., Rylander, L., Högstedt, B., Aprea, P., Bratt, I., Fåhraéus, C., Holmén, A., Karlsson, A., Nilsson, A., Svensson, B.-L., SchÛtz, A., Thomassen, Y. and Skerfving, S., 1994, ‘Effect of acid precipitation on retention and excretion of elements in man, Elsevier’, Sci. Total Environ. 145, 81–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bertills, U. and Hanneberg, P.: 1995, ‘Acidification in Sweden. What do we Know Today?’, NV, Report 4422, pp. 58–68.

  • Bodner, G. M. and Pardue, H. L.: 1995, Chemistry, an Experimental Science, John Wiley & Sons, Inc, New York, pp. 662–662.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchanan, S. D., Diseker III, R. A., Sinks, T., Olson, D. R., Daniel, J. and Flodman, T.: 1999, ‘Copper in drinking water, Nebraska, 1994’, Int. J. Occup. Environ. Health 5, 256–261.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, M., Chock, M. R. and Travis, E. M.: 1996, Alkalinity, pH and Copper. Corrosion Byproduct Release, Journal AWWA, pp. 81–94.

  • Eife, R., Weiss, M., Barros, V., Sigmund, B., Goriup, U., Komb, D., Wolf, W., Kittel, J., Schramel, P. and Reiter, K.: 1999, ‘Chronic poisoning by copper in tap water: I. Copper intoxications with predominantly gastrointestinal symptoms’, Eur. J. Med. Res. 28, 219–223.

    Google Scholar 

  • EU: 1998, Council Directive 98/83/EC of the 3rd November 1998 on the Quality of Water Intended for Human Consumption.

  • Flaten, T. P.: 1991, A Nation-wide Survey of the Chemical Composition of Drinking Water in Norway, Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.

  • Frank, A., Galgan, V. and Petersson, L.: 1994, ‘Secondary copper deficiency, chromium deficiency and trace element imbalance in the moose (Alces alces L.). Effect on antropogenic activity’,Ambio 23(4-5), 315–317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frank, A.: 1998, ‘ ‘Mysterious’ Moose Disease in Sweden: Similarities to Copper Deficiency and/or Molybdenosis in Cattle and Sheep. Biochemical Background of Clinical Signs and Organ Lesions’, Science-of-the-Total Environment, 8 January, 209, 17–26.

  • Giordano, R. and Costantini, S.: 1993, ‘Some aspects related to the presence of aluminium in waters’, Ann. Ist. Super Sanita 29, 305–311.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grimsdottir, M. R. and Hensten-Pettersen, A.: 1993, ‘Cytoxic and antibacterial effects of orthodontic appliances’, Scand. J. Dent. Res. 101, 229–231.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, S. K., Gupta, R. C., Seth, A. K., Gupta, A. B., Bassin, J. K. and Gupta, A.: 2000a, ‘Methaemoglobinaemia in areas with high nitrate concentration in drinking water’, Natl. Med. J. India 13, 58–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, S. K., Gupta, R. C., Gupta, A. B., Seth, A. K., Bassin, J. K. and Gupta, A.: 2000b, ‘Recurrent acute respiratory tract infections in areas with high nitrate concentrations in drinking water’, Environ. Health Perspect. 108, 363–366.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halpern, G. M., Van de Water, J. and Delebroise A.-M.: 1991, ‘Comparative uptake of calcium from milk and a calcium-rich mineral water in lactose intolerant adults: Implications for treatment of osteoporosis’, Am. J. Prev. Med. 7(6), 379–383.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmström, H. and Swedling, E.-O.: 1997, Vatten (Water) 53, 191–196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hägg, E., Carlberg, B. C., Hillörn, V. S. and Villumsen, J.: 1999, ‘Magnesium therapy in type 1 diabetes. A double blind study concerning the effects on kidney function and serum lipid levels’, Magnes. Res. 12, 123–130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hägg, G.: 1969, General and Inorganic Chemistry, Almqvist and Wiksell, Stockholm, pp. 335–338.

    Google Scholar 

  • Iso, H., Stampfer, M. J., Manson, J. E., Rexrode, K., Hennekens, C. H., Colditz, G. A., Speizer, F. E. and Willett, W. C.: 1999, ‘Prospective study of calcium, potassium, and magnesium intake and risk of stroke in women’, Stroke 30, 1772–17779.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johansson, K., Bringmark, E., Lindevall, L. and Wilander A.: 1995, ‘Effects of acidification on the concentrations of heavy metals in running waters in Sweden’, Water, Air, and Soil Pollut. 85, 779–784.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knobeloch, L., Ziarnik, M., Howard, J., Theis, B., Farmer, D., Anderson, H. and Proctor, M.: 1994, ‘Gastrointestinal upsets associated with ingestion of copper-contaminated water’, Environ. Health Perspect. 102, 958–961.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knobeloch, L., Salna, B., Hogan, A., Postle, J. and Anderson, H.: 2000, ‘Blue babies and nitratecontaminated well water’, Environ. Health Perspect. 108, 675–678.

    Google Scholar 

  • Korshin, G. V., Perry, S. A. L. and Ferguson, J. F.: 1996, Influence of NOM on Copper Corrosion, Journal AWWA, July, pp. 36-46.

  • Morrier, J. J., Suchett-Kaye, G., Nguyen, D., Rocca, J. P., Blanc-Benon, J. and Barsotti, O.: 1998, ‘Antimicrobial activity of amalgams, alloys and their elements and phases’, Dent. Mater. 14, 150–157.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mushak, P.: 1985, ‘Potential impact of acid precipitation on arsenic and selenium’, Environ. Health Perspect. 63, 105–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Merza, M., Larsson, E., Steen, M. and Morein, B.: 1994, ‘Association of a retrovirus with a wasring condition in the swedish moose’, Virology 202, 956–961.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nihlgård, B.: 1997, ‘Forest Decline and Environmental Stress’, in D. Chapman (ed.), The Global Environment, VCH, pp. 422–440.

  • Nordberg, G. F., Goyer, R. A. and Clarkson, T. W.: 1985, ‘Impact of effects of acid precipitation on toxicity of metals’, Environ. Health Perspect. 63, 169–180.

    Google Scholar 

  • The National Swedish Food Administration (NSFA FS): 1997, 32, pp. 58–70.

  • Dietary Reference Intake (DRI): 1998, National Academy Press, Washington DC.

  • Pizarro, F., Olivares, M., Uauy, R., Contreras, P., Rebelo, A. and Gidi, V.:1999, ‘Acute gastrointestinal effects of graded levels of copper in drinking water’, Environ. Health Perspect. 107, 117–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rylander, R.: 1996, ‘Environmental magnesium deficiency as a cardiovascular risk factor’, J. Cardiovasc. Risk 3, 4–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheck, H. J. and Pscheidt, J. W.: 1998, ‘Effect of copper bactericides on copper-resistant and-sensitive strains of pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae’, Plant Dis. 82, 397–406.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spitalny, K. C., Brondum, J., Vogt, R. L., Sargent, H. E. and Kappel, S.: 1984, ‘Drinking-waterinduced copper intoxication in a Vermont family’, Pediatrics 74, 1103–1106.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stenhammar, L.: 1999, ‘Diarrhoea following contamination of drinking water with copper’, Eur. J. Med. Res. 28, 217–218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Loon, G. W. and Duffy S. J.: 2000, Environmental Chemistry, A Global Perspective, Oxford University Press, pp. 90-100.

  • WHO (World Health Organisation): 1993, Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, 2nd ed., Vol. 1, pp. 39–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • WHO (World Health Organisation): 1996, Trace Elements in Human Nutrition and Health, pp. 49- 229, 273.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden (author for correspondence

    I. Rosborg & L. Gerhardsson

  2. Department of Plant Ecology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    B. Nihlgård

Authors
  1. I. Rosborg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. B. Nihlgård
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. L. Gerhardsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to I. Rosborg.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rosborg, I., Nihlgård, B. & Gerhardsson, L. Inorganic Constituents of Well Water in One Acid and One Alkaline Area of South Sweden. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 142, 261–277 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022078925064

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022078925064

search

Navigation