Assessment of Arsenic Contamination in Deep Groundwater Resources of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

This study was carried out to assess arsenic in deep groundwater resources in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal and to predict arsenic mobilization process in relation to iron, manganese, pH and ORP. Forty-one deep groundwater samples were collected during pre monsoon and post monsoon in 2013. The depths of the wells were ranged from 84 to 304 m. In pre monsoon and post monsoon, arsenic concentration in 17% and 26% of examined groundwater wells, respectively exceeded permissible World Health Organization (WHO) guideline value of 0.010 mg/L for drinking water. The concentrations of arsenic were in the range between < 0.003 to 0.137 mg/L. The study demonstrated elevated concentrations of iron and manganese in the groundwater. Arsenic is highly correlated with iron and manganese. The strong negative correlation between arsenic and ORP indicates that arsenic mobilization occurs under reducing condition. These distinct relationships indicate that arsenic release is considered to be affected by the reductive dissolution of Fe/Mn oxides in the groundwater. Arsenic has very weak negative correlation with pH suggesting less effect of pH on arsenic mobilization. Arsenic is not significantly correlated with the season which infers similar distribution of arsenic in both seasons. Arsenic varies spatially in groundwater of the valley showing high concentrations in central groundwater district.

Surface Modification of the Biowaste for Purification of Wastewater Contaminated with Toxic Heavy Metals—Lead and Cadmium

The surface of a biowaste was modified by introduction of amino group for the purification of wastewater contaminated with heavy metals. In this study waste tea leaf was used as a biowaste which was an economic and efficient bioadsorbent. The aminated tea leaves were characterized by spectral and elemental analysis. The adsorption capacity of the surface modified biosorbent was studied as the function of solution pH, concentration of metal ions and contact time of adsorption. The applicability of Langmuir isotherm was tested. The adsorption capacities were found to be 83.04 mg/g and 57 mg/g for Pb (II) and Cd (II), respectively. The biosorbent was regenerated by desorption of the metal loaded adsorbent with 0.1 M HNO3. These results showed that the aminated tea leaves may be an attractive alternative for treatment of wastewater contaminated with heavy metals.

Assessment of Heavy Metals in Deep Groundwater Resources of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

A study was carried out to address distribution of some heavy metals in deep groundwater resources of the Kathmandu Valley. Groundwater samples were analyzed for pH, ORP, EC, iron, manganese, zinc, and arsenic in 41 deep groundwater wells during pre monsoon and post monsoon seasons for two consecutive years. The study showed elevated concentrations of iron and manganese in the groundwater of the valley. The occurrence of elevated concentrations of arsenic was also exhibited and observed up to 0.160 mg/L. The spatial distribution patterns demonstrated elevated levels of EC, iron, manganese, zinc, and arsenic in central groundwater district (CGWD) of the valley. The monitored parameters except ORP are not significantly correlated with studied time series, inferring similar distribution of the metals. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed to find out relationships among examined parameters and metals. The ORP has strong negative correlations with iron, manganese, and arsenic, suggesting reductive mobilization mechanism of the metals in the groundwater. PCA results showed that iron and manganese with high positive loading factors were due to common natural source of origin of these metals in the groundwater, while negative loading factors of pH and ORP indicated that iron and manganese mobilization was favorable in low pH and reducing environment. Cluster analysis (CA) evidenced high mineralization in most of the wells in the CGWD.