Factors affecting distribution and ecological risk assessment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in groundwater of the Huazhou district in northwestern China.

Autor: Meng Y; School of Water and Environment, Chang'an University, No. 126 Yanta Road, Xi'an, 710054, Shaanxi, China; Key Laboratory of Subsurface Hydrology and Ecological Effects in Arid Region of the Ministry of Education, Chang'an University, No. 126 Yanta Road, Xi'an, 710054, Shaanxi, China; Key Laboratory of Eco-hydrology and Water Security in Arid and Semi-arid Regions of the Ministry of Water Resources, Chang'an University, No. 126 Yanta Road, Xi'an, 710054, Shaanxi, China., Li P; School of Water and Environment, Chang'an University, No. 126 Yanta Road, Xi'an, 710054, Shaanxi, China; Key Laboratory of Subsurface Hydrology and Ecological Effects in Arid Region of the Ministry of Education, Chang'an University, No. 126 Yanta Road, Xi'an, 710054, Shaanxi, China; Key Laboratory of Eco-hydrology and Water Security in Arid and Semi-arid Regions of the Ministry of Water Resources, Chang'an University, No. 126 Yanta Road, Xi'an, 710054, Shaanxi, China. Electronic address: lipy2@163.com., Elumalai V; Department of Hydrology, University of Zululand, Kwa-Dlangezwa, Richards Bay, 3886, Durban, South Africa.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987) [Environ Pollut] 2024 Dec 15; Vol. 363 (Pt 2), pp. 125243. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Nov 04.
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.125243
Abstrakt: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) pollution in groundwater is a significant global concern. In this study, 26 groundwater samples were collected from the unconfined aquifers in Huazhou District, northwestern China, to assess their distribution characteristics, influencing factors, and ecological risks across various geomorphological settings. The findings revealed 35 VOCs in collected groundwater samples, with aromatic hydrocarbons having the highest detection rate (100%), and the VOCs distribution exhibited significant spatial variations, with the highest VOCs concentration near a chemical plant on the inclined pluvial plain. The lithology and groundwater flow influenced the vertical and lateral transport of VOCs, with concentrations decreasing as the aquifer permeability decreases along the groundwater flow from the inclined pluvial plain to the river. The Mantel test was used to analyze the correlation between VOCs and environmental factors, geochemical analyses indicated that nitrate (NO 3 - ) and sulfate (SO 4 2- ) served as electron acceptors in the anaerobic biodegradation of organic pollutants, with bicarbonate (HCO 3 - ) levels increasing as a result of this biodegradation. Additionally, the curved streamline searchlight shaped model (CS-SLM) was applied to identify the primary land use types affecting VOCs content, construction land and cropland were primary land use types affecting VOCs distribution. Finally, the ecological risk assessment indicated the highest risk quotient (RQ) for styrene (0.21), suggesting a manageable risk level. The study emphasizes the complexity of VOCs contamination in groundwater, providing a foundation for targeted mitigation strategies.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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