Abstract
Groundwater is crucial water supply source in the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang. Due to the existence of high-fluoride groundwater, the shortage of water resources is more prominent, which brings challenge to safe groundwater supply. A total of 1326 groundwater samples were collected in the oasis zone to investigate the sources, driving factors, and health hazards of high-fluoride groundwater. Results showed that the high-fluoride groundwater was widely distributed around the edge of the oasis belt. The exceeding rates of fluoride in single-structure phreatic water (SSPW), phreatic water in confined groundwater area (PWCGA), shallow confined groundwater (SCG), and deep confined groundwater (DCG) were 31.6%, 51.5%, 35.0%, and 14.8%, respectively. Fluoride concentration showed a gradually decreasing trend from PWCGA to DCG. High-fluoride concentrations were closely related to weakly alkaline groundwater environment, high HCO3−, high Na+, and low Ca2+. The continuous dissolution of fluoride-containing minerals such as fluorite was the main driving mechanism of high-fluoride groundwater. Competitive adsorption of OH−/HCO3− and F−, evaporation concentration, precipitation of calcium-containing minerals, and cation exchange were conducive to the enrichment of groundwater fluoride. Human activities such as irrigation of high-fluoride groundwater also had a certain degree of effect on the shallow high-fluoride groundwater formation. Drinking high-fluoride groundwater would cause non-carcinogenic risks to different populations, health risks of fluoride through drinking water were increased with decreasing age. To effectively utilize groundwater resources and provide healthy drinking water for local residents, it is recommended to adopt the measures of water supply with different quality and fluoride reduction.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
All the data used for the study appear in the article.
References
Abtahi M, Dobaradaran S, Jorfi S, Koolivand A, Khaloo SS, Spitz J, Saeedi H, Golchinpour N, Saeedi R (2019) Age-sex specific disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to elevated levels of fluoride in drinking water: a national and subnational study in Iran, 2017. Water Res 157:94–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2019.03.087
Adeyeye OA, Xiao C, Zhang Z, Yawe AS, Liang X (2021) Groundwater fluoride chemistry and health risk assessment of multi-aquifers in Jilin Qianan, Northeastern China. Ecotox Environ Saf 211:111926. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.111926
Alarcón-Herrera MT, Bundschuh J, Nath B, Nicolli HB, Gutierrez M, Reyes-Gomez VM, Nuñez D, Martín-Dominguez IR, Sracek O (2013) Co-occurrence of arsenic and fluoride in groundwater of semi-arid regions in Latin America: genesis, mobility and remediation. J Hazard Mater 262:960–969. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2012.08.005
Alarcón-Herrera MT, Martin-Alarcon DA, Gutiérrez M, Reynoso-Cuevas L, Martín-Domínguez A, Olmos-Márquez MA, Bundschuh J (2020) Co-occurrence, possible origin, and health-risk assessment of arsenic and fluoride in drinking water sources in Mexico: geographical data visualization. Sci Total Environ 698:134168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134168
Ali S, Thakur SK, Sarkar A, Shekhar S (2016) Worldwide contamination of water by fluoride. Environ Chem Lett 14:291–315. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-016-0563-5
Amini M, Mueller K, Abbaspour KC, Rosenberg T, Afyuni M, Møller KN, Sarr M, Johnson CA (2008) Statistical modeling of global geogenic fluoride contamination in groundwaters. Environ Sci Technol 42(10):3662–3668. https://doi.org/10.1021/es071958y
Berger T, Mathurin FA, Drake H, Åström ME (2016) Fluoride abundance and controls in fresh groundwater in quaternary deposits and bedrock fractures in an area with fluorine-rich granitoid rocks. Sci Total Environ 569–570:948–960. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.06.002
Bian J, Nie S, Wang R, Wan H, Liu C (2018) Hydrochemical characteristics and quality assessment of groundwater for irrigation use in central and eastern Songnen Plain, northeastern China. Environ Monit Assess 190:382. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6774-4
Chen J, Wu H, Qian H, Gao Y (2016) Assessing nitrate and fluoride contaminants in drinking water and their health risk of rural residents living in a semiarid region of Northwest China. Expo Health 9:183–195. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-016-0231-9
Chen J, Gao Y, Qian H, Ren W, Qu W (2021) Hydrogeochemical evidence for fluoride behavior in groundwater and the associated risk to human health for a large irrigation plain in the Yellow River Basin. Sci Total Environ 800:149428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149428
Chowdhury A, Adak MK, Mukherjee A, Dhak P, Khatun J, Dhak D (2019) A critical review on geochemical and geological aspects of fluoride belts, fluorosis and natural materials and other sources for alternatives to fluoride exposure. J Hydrol 574:333–359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2019.04.033
Cinti D, Vaselli O, Poncia P, Brusca L, Grassa F, Procesi M, Tassi F (2019) Anomalous concentrations of arsenic, fluoride and radon in volcanic-sedimentary aquifers from central Italy: quality indexes for management of the water resource. Environ Pollut 253:525–537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.07.063
Craig L, Thomas JM, Lutz A, Decker DL (2018) Determining the optimum locations for pumping low-fluoride groundwater to distribute to communities in a fluoridic area in the Upper East Region, Ghana. Chem Geol 476:481–492. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2017.12.001
Currell M, Cartwright I, Raveggi M, Han D (2011) Controls on elevated fluoride and arsenic concentrations in groundwater from the Yuncheng Basin. China Appl Geochem 26(4):540–552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2011.01.012
Dehbandi R, Moore F, Keshavarzi B (2018) Geochemical sources, hydrogeochemical behavior, and health risk assessment of fluoride in an endemic fluorosis area, central Iran. Chemosphere 193:763–776. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.11.021
Duan Q, Jiao J, Chen X, Wang X (2018) Association between water fluoride and the level of children’s intelligence: a dose-response meta-analysis. Public Health 154:87–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2017.08.013
Emenike CP, Tenebe IT, Jarvis P (2018) Fluoride contamination in groundwater sources in Southwestern Nigeria: assessment using multivariate statistical approach and human health risk. Ecotox Environ Saf 156:391–402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.03.022
Fan W, Zhou J, Zhou Y, Zeng Y, Sun Y (2020) Water quality and health risk assessment of shallow groundwater in the southern margin of the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang, P. R China Hum Ecol Risk Assess 27:483–503. https://doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2020.1731680
Farooqi A, Masuda H, Firdous N (2007) Toxic fluoride and arsenic contaminated groundwater in the Lahore and Kasur districts, Punjab, Pakistan and possible contaminant sources. Environ Pollut 145(3):839–849. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2006.05.007
Huang J, Wu Y, Sun J, Li X, Geng X, Zhao M, Sun T, Fan Z (2021) Health risk assessment of heavy metal (loid)s in park soils of the largest megacity in China by using Monte Carlo simulation coupled with positive matrix factorization model. J Hazard Mater 415:125629. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125629
Huang L, Sun Z, Zhou A, Bi J, Liu Y (2022) Source and enrichment mechanism of fluoride in groundwater of the Hotan Oasis within the Tarim Basin, northwestern China. Environ Pollut 300:118962. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.118962
Ito K, Xue N, Thurston G (2004) Spatial variation of PM2.5 chemical species and source-apportioned mass concentrations in New York City. Atmos Environ 38(31):5269–5282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2004.02.063
Jia H, Qian H, Qu W, Zheng L, Feng W, Ren W (2019) Fluoride occurrence and human health risk in drinking water wells from southern edge of Chinese Loess Plateau. Int J Environ Res Public Health 16(10):1683. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16101683
Kim SH, Kim HR, Yu S, Kang HJ, Yun ST (2021) Shift of nitrate sources in groundwater due to intensive livestock farming on Jeju Island, South Korea: with emphasis on legacy effects on water management. Water Res 191:116814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2021.116814
Li P, Qian H, Wu J, Chen J, Zhang Y, Zhang H (2014a) Occurrence and hydrogeochemistry of fluoride in alluvial aquifer of Weihe River, China. Environ Earth Sci 71:3133–3145. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-2691-6
Li Q, Zhou J, Zhou Y, Bai C, Tao H, Jia R, Ji Y, Yang G (2014b) Variation of groundwater hydrochemical characteristics in the plain area of the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang Region, China. Environ Earth Sci 72:4249–4263. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3320-8
Li C, Gao X, Wang Y (2015) Hydrogeochemistry of high-fluoride groundwater at Yuncheng Basin, northern China. Sci Total Environ 508:155–165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.11.045
Li D, Gao X, Wang Y, Luo W (2018) Diverse mechanisms drive fluoride enrichment in groundwater in two neighboring sites in northern China. Environ Pollut 237:430–441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.02.072
Li P, He X, Li Y, Xiang G (2019a) Occurrence and health implication of fluoride in groundwater of loess aquifer in the Chinese Loess Plateau: a case study of Tongchuan, northwest China. Expo Health 11:95–107. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-018-0278-x
Li P, Tian R, Liu R (2019b) Solute geochemistry and multivariate analysis of water quality in the Guohua phosphorite mine, Guizhou Province, China. Expo Health 11:81–94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-018-0277-y
Li J, Wang Y, Zhu C, Xue X, Qian K, Xie X, Wang Y (2020) Hydrogeochemical processes controlling the mobilization and enrichment of fluoride in groundwater of the North China Plain. Sci Total Environ 730:138877. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138877
Li J, Shi Z, Liu M, Wang G, Wang Y (2021) Identifying anthropogenic sources of groundwater contamination by natural background levels and stable isotope application in Pinggu basin. China. J Hydrol 596:126092. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126092
Limón-Pacheco JH, Jiménez-Córdova MI, Cárdenas-González M, Retana IMS, Gonsebatt ME, Razo LMD (2018) Potential co-exposure to arsenic and fluoride and biomonitoring equivalents for Mexican children. Ann Glob Health 84(2):257–273. https://doi.org/10.29024/aogh.913
Liu Y, Jin M, Ma B, Wang J (2018) Distribution and migration mechanism of fluoride in groundwater in the Manas River Basin, Northwest China. Hydrogeol J 26:1527–1546. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-018-1780-8
Liu L, Wu J, He S, Wang L (2022) Occurrence and distribution of groundwater fluoride and manganese in the Weining Plain (China) and their probabilistic health risk quantification. Expo Health 14:263–279. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-021-00434-4
Marghade D, Malpe DB, Duraisamy K, Patil PD, Li P (2021) Hydrogeochemical evaluation, suitability, and health risk assessment of groundwater in the watershed of Godavari basin, Maharashtra, Central India. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28:18471–18494. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10032-7
Mohammadi AA, Yousefi M, Yaseri M, Jalilzadeh M, Mahvi AH (2017) Skeletal fluorosis in relation to drinking water in rural areas of West Azerbaijan. Iran Sci Rep 7:13700. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-17328-8
Mthembu PP, Elumalai V, Brindha K, Li P (2020) Hydrogeochemical processes and trace metal contamination in groundwater: Impact on human health in the Maputaland Coastal Aquifer, South Africa. Expo Health 12:403–426. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-020-00369-2
Mukherjee I, Singh UK (2018) Groundwater fluoride contamination, probable release, and containment mechanisms: a review on Indian context. Environ Geochem Health 40:2259–2301. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-018-0096-x
Naderi M, Jahanshahi R, Dehbandi R (2020) Two distinct mechanisms of fluoride enrichment and associated health risk in springs’ water near an inactive volcano, southeast Iran. Ecotox Environ Saf 195:110503. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110503
Pant N, Rai SP, Singh R, Kumar S, Pratap K (2021) Impact of geology and anthropogenic activities over the water quality with emphasis on fluoride in water scarce Lalitpur district of Bundelkhand region, India. Chemosphere 279:130496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130496
Pi K, Wang Y, Xie X, Su C, Ma T, Li J, Liu Y (2015) Hydrogeochemistry of co-occurring geogenic arsenic, fluoride and iodine in groundwater at Datong Basin, northern China. J Hazard Mater 300:652–661. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2015.07.080
Qian H, Chen J, Howard K (2020) Assessing groundwater pollution and potential remediation processes in a multi-layer aquifer system. Environ Pollut 263:114669. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114669
Rao SN, Ravindra B, Wu J (2020) Geochemical and health risk evaluation of fluoride rich groundwater in Sattenapalle region, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Hum Ecol Risk Assess 26:2316–2348. https://doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2020.1741338
Rashid A, Guan DX, Farooqi A, Khan S, Zahir S, Jehan S, Khattak SA, Khan MS, Khan R (2018) Fluoride prevalence in groundwater around a fluorite mining area in the flood plain of the River Swat. Pakistan Sci Total Environ 635:203–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.064
Sahu BL, Banjare GR, Ramteke S, Patel KS, Matini L (2017) Fluoride contamination of groundwater and toxicities in dongargaon block, Chhattisgarh, India. Expo Health 9:143–156. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-016-0229-3
Singh CK, Kumari R, Singh N, Mallick J, Mukherjee S (2013) Fluoride enrichment in aquifers of the Thar Desert: controlling factors and its geochemical modelling. Hydrol Process 27:2462–2474. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.9247
Su H, Wang J, Liu J (2019a) Geochemical factors controlling the occurrence of high-fluoride groundwater in the western region of the Ordos basin, northwestern China. Environ Pollut 252:1154–1162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.06.046
Su Y, Chen W, Fan C, Tong Y, Weng T, Chen S, Kuo C, Wang J, Chang J (2019b) Source apportionment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) supported by model simulation and source markers—using petrochemical emissions as a showcase. Environ Pollut 254:112848. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.07.016
Su H, Kang W, Kang N, Liu J, Li Z (2021a) Hydrogeochemistry and health hazards of fluoride-enriched groundwater in the Tarim Basin. China. Environ Res 200:111476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.111476
Su H, Kang W, Li Y, Li Z (2021b) Fluoride and nitrate contamination of groundwater in the Loess Plateau, China: sources and related human health risks. Environ Pollut 286:117287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117287
Taghvaee S, Sowlat MH, Mousavi A, Hassanvand MS, Yunesian M, Naddafi K, Sioutas C (2018) Source apportionment of ambient PM2.5 in two locations in central Tehran using the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model. Sci Total Environ 628–629:672–686. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.096
Tohti N, Zhang F, Shi Q (2016) Spatial distribution of fluorion in water in the Keriya river basin. Arid Zone Res 33(5):1125–1131 ((in Chinese with English abstract))
Ugran V, Desai NN, Chakraborti D, Masali KA, Mantur P, Kulkarni S, Deshmukh N, Chadchan KS, Das SN, Tanksali AS (2017) Groundwater fluoride contamination and its possible health implications in Indi taluk of Vijayapura District (Karnataka State), India. Environ Geochem Health 39:1017–1029. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-016-9869-2
USEPA (2011) Exposure factors handbook, Final. US Environment Protection Agency, Washington, DC
USEPA (1989) Risk assessment guidance for superfund, vol I. Human health evaluation manual (Part A). Interim Final. (EPA-540/1–89/002).
Wang G, Cheng G (2000) The distributing regularity of fluorine and its environmental characteristics in arid area of Northwest China. Scientia Geographica Sinica 20(2):153–159 ((in Chinese with English abstract))
Wang W, Chen Y, Wang W (2020) Groundwater recharge in the oasis-desert areas of northern Tarim Basin, Northwest China. Hydrol Res 51(6):1506–1520. https://doi.org/10.2166/nh.2020.071
Wang Y, Li J, Ma T, Xie X, Deng Y, Gan Y (2021a) Genesis of geogenic contaminated groundwater: As, F and I. Crit Rev Environ Sci Technol 51:2895–2933. https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2020.1807452
Wang Z, Guo H, Xing S, Liu H (2021b) Hydrogeochemical and geothermal controls on the formation of high fluoride groundwater. J Hydrol 598:126372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126372
WHO (2017) Guidelines for drinking-water quality, 4th ed. WHO, Geneva, Switzerland; Incorporating the 1st addendum.
Wu J, Sun Z (2016) Evaluation of shallow groundwater contamination and associated human health risk in an alluvial plain impacted by agricultural and industrial activities, mid-west China. Expo Health 8:311–329. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-015-0170-x
Wu J, Li P, Qian H (2015) Hydrochemical characterization of drinking groundwater with special reference to fluoride in an arid area of China and the control of aquifer leakage on its concentrations. Environ Earth Sci 73:8575–8588. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4018-2
Xiao J, Jin Z, Zhang F (2015) Geochemical controls on fluoride concentrations in natural waters from the middle Loess Plateau, China. J Geochem Explor 159:252–261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2015.09.018
Xiao Y, Hao Q, Zhang Y, Zhu Y, Li X (2021) Investigating sources, driving forces and potential health risks of nitrate and fluoride in groundwater of a typical alluvial fan plain. Sci Total Environ 802:149909. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149909
Xiao Y, Liu K, Hao Q, Li Y, Xiao D, Zhang Y (2022) Occurrence, controlling factors and health hazards of fluoride-enriched groundwater in the lower flood plain of Yellow River, northern China. Expo Health 14:345–358. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-021-00452-2
Yan J, Chen J, Zhang W, Ma F (2020) Determining fluoride distribution and influencing factors in groundwater in Songyuan, Northeast China, using hydrochemical and isotopic methods. J Geochem Explor 217:106605. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2020.106605
Yin S, Xiao Y, Han P, Hao Q, Gu X, Men B, Huang L (2020) Investigation of groundwater contamination and health implications in a typical semiarid basin of north China. Water 12:1137. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12041137
Younas A, Mushtaq N, Khattak JA, Javed T, Rehman HU, Farooqi A (2019) High levels of fluoride contamination in groundwater of the semi-arid alluvial aquifers, Pakistan: evaluating the recharge sources and geochemical identification via stable isotopes and other major elemental data. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26:35728–35741. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06610-z
Yousefi M, Ghalehaskar S, Asghari FB, Ghaderpoury A, Dehghani MH, Ghaderpoori M, Mohammadi AA (2019) Distribution of fluoride contamination in drinking water resources and health risk assessment using geographic information system, northwest Iran. Regul Toxicol Pharm 107:104408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2019.104408
Zabala ME, Manzano M, Vives L (2016) Assessment of processes controlling the regional distribution of fluoride and arsenic in groundwater of the Pampeano Aquifer in the Del Azul Creek basin (Argentina). J Hydrol 541:1067–1087. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.08.023
Zango MS, Sunkari ED, Abu M, Lermi A (2019) Hydrogeochemical controls and human health risk assessment of groundwater fluoride and boron in the semi-arid North East region of Ghana. J Geochem Explor 207:106363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2019.106363
Zhang H, Cheng SQ, Li HF, Fu K, Xu Y (2020a) Groundwater pollution source identification and apportionment using PMF and PCA-APCA-MLR receptor models in a typical mixed land-use area in Southwestern China. Sci Total Environ 741:140383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140383
Zhang Q, Xu P, Qian H, Yang F (2020b) Hydrogeochemistry and fluoride contamination in Jiaokou Irrigation District, Central China: Assessment based on multivariate statistical approach and human health risk. Sci. Total Environ 741:140460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140460
Zhang Y, Dai Y, Wang Y, Huang X, Xiao Y, Pei Q (2021) Hydrochemistry, quality and potential health risk appraisal of nitrate enriched groundwater in the Nanchong area, southwestern China. Sci Total Environ 784:147186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147186
Funding
This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (2022D01A190), the Opening Project of Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Security and Water Disasters Prevention in 2021 (No. ZDSYS-JS-2021-10), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 42067035 and No. 42007161).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
Consent to Participate and Publish
All authors agreed to participate and publish.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Zeng, Y., Lu, H., Zhou, J. et al. Enrichment Mechanism and Health Risk Assessment of Fluoride in Groundwater in the Oasis Zone of the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang, China. Expo Health 16, 263–278 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-023-00553-0
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-023-00553-0