Geogenic contaminants and groundwater quality around Lake Victoria goldfields in northwestern Tanzania.

Geogenic contamination of groundwater is frequently associated with gold mining activities and related to drinking water quality problems worldwide. In Tanzania, elevated levels of trace elements (TEs) have been reported in drinking water sources within the Lake Victoria Basin, posing a serious health risk to communities. The present study aims to assess the groundwater quality with a focus on the concentration levels of geogenic contaminants in groundwater around the Lake Victoria goldfields in Geita and Mara districts.

Spatial variability of the sources and distribution of fluoride in groundwater of the Sanya alluvial plain aquifers in northern Tanzania.

Groundwater contamination from geogenic sources poses challenges to many countries, especially in the developing world. In Tanzania, the elevated fluoride (F) concentration and related chronic fluorosis associated with drinking F rich water are common in the East African Rift Valley regions. In these regions, F concentration is space dependence which poses much uncertainty when targeting safe source for drinking water.

Spatial analysis and GIS mapping of regional hotspots and potential health risk of fluoride concentrations in groundwater of northern Tanzania.

Safe drinking water supply systems in naturally contaminated hydrogeological environments require precise geoinformation on contamination hotspots. Spatial statistical methods and GIS were used to study fluoride occurrence in groundwater and identify significant spatial patterns using fluoride concentrations. The global and local Morans I indices were used.