Arsenic removal from groundwater of the Chaco-Pampean plain (Argentina) using natural geological materials as adsorbents.

Use of natural geological materials for arsenic (As) removal is an emerging solution at a household level for poor people in remote rural settlements, especially when the materials are locally available and can be collected by the local population. Their low or zero cost makes these materials very attractive compared with synthetic or commercial materials. Sometimes, this may be the only option to provide safe water to very poor settlements.

Distribution and mobility of arsenic in the Río Dulce alluvial aquifers in Santiago del Estero Province, Argentina.

Factors controlling arsenic (As) mobilization in the aquifers of the Río Dulce alluvial cone were investigated. Groundwater analyses show severe As contamination (average concentration of 743 mug/L) from geogenic sources, but spatial variability of As concentration is considerable. Sequential leaching of sediment samples from unsaturated zone using de-ionised water, bicarbonate, acetate, and oxalate extracted As to different extents.