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Hydrochemical and Sediment Biomarker Evidence of the Impact of Organic Matter Biodegradation on Arsenic Mobilization in Shallow Aquifers of Datong Basin, China

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Abstract

Biomarker and hydrochemical characteristics of geogenic arsenic-contaminated aquifers at Datong Basin, northern China, were analyzed to better understand the impact of organic matter (OM) biodegradation on arsenic enrichment in groundwater. The hydrochemical characteristics of high arsenic groundwater from the Datong Basin indicate that arsenic mobilization and iron and manganese oxide/hydroxide reduction were controlled by biodegradation of OM. The elevated value of alkalinity produced by microbial oxidation of OM is another important factor for arsenic mobilization via competitive sorption. Bulk geochemistry of the sediments shows that arsenic has close correlation with iron and manganese, indicating iron- and manganese-bearing minerals could be the major pools for arsenic. Results of biomarker analysis reveal that all the sediments contained natural petroleum-sourced hydrocarbons which may have undergone biodegradation, as suggested by the carbon preference index, C29 sterane, and the distribution pattern of hopanes. The presence of unresolved complex mixtures in all samples also indicates the natural petroleum origin of hydrocarbons and the effect of biodegradation. At some depths (5.4–11.8, 31–33.2, and 40–48.4 m below the land surface), the samples have low n-alkane content and no odd-over-even predominance, suggesting that indigenous microbes within the aquifer can preferentially remove the petroleum-sourced n-alkanes. The bioavailability of organic carbon is very important to promote the microbially mediated reductive dissolution of iron oxides/hydroxides and subsequent arsenic release from aquifer sediment into groundwater.

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Acknowledgments

This research work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC-40830748 and 40902071) and the Ministry of Education of China (111 project, grant no. B08030). We would like to thank the editor and two anonymous reviewers for the constructive suggestions and comments on this manuscript.

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  1. School of Environmental Studies & State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, 430074, Wuhan, China

    Xianjun Xie, Yanxin Wang & Chunli Su

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Correspondence to Yanxin Wang.

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Xie, X., Wang, Y. & Su, C. Hydrochemical and Sediment Biomarker Evidence of the Impact of Organic Matter Biodegradation on Arsenic Mobilization in Shallow Aquifers of Datong Basin, China. Water Air Soil Pollut 223, 483–498 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-011-0875-9

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