Geologic structure and geochemical characteristics of sediments of fluoride and arsenic contaminated groundwater aquifer in Kalalanwala and its vicinity, Punjab, Pakistan

HARUE MASUDA; MUNEKI MITAMURA; ABIDA M. FAROOQI; NASIIM MUHANMAD; MASAFUMI OWADA; KAORI OKAZAKI; ASHRAF ALI SEDDIQUE

doi:10.2343/geochemj.1.0098

Original Articles

Geologic structure and geochemical characteristics of sediments of fluoride and arsenic contaminated groundwater aquifer in Kalalanwala and its vicinity, Punjab, Pakistan

HARUE MASUDA, MUNEKI MITAMURA, ABIDA M. FAROOQI, NASIIM MUHANMAD, MASAFUMI OWADA, KAORI OKAZAKI, ASHRAF ALI SEDDIQUE

Author information

Keywords: anthropogenic contamination, groundwater aquifer, aeolian sediment, buried valley, chlorite

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2010 Volume 44 Issue 6 Pages 489-505

DOI https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.1.0098

Details

Abstract

To constrain the origin of fluoride and arsenic contamination of groundwater in Kalalanwala, Punjab, Pakistan, the geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of the aquifer were studied. Subsurface geology of the area was studied using data from drilled cores. The residential and industrial areas including Kalalanwala are covered with Pleistocene aeolian deposits. These sediments cover two aquifers intercalated by a less permeable layer. Most polluted groundwater appears in the first aquifer at 15 to 25 m depth beneath the center of the village of Kalalanwala. A considerable amount of anthropogenic fluoride contaminates the aquifer along an ancient river channel. Arsenic might derive from anthropogenic sources such as industrial waste, or detrital chlorite.

Corresponding author

Register with J-STAGE for free!