eprintid: 1398685 rev_number: 46 eprint_status: archive userid: 608 dir: disk0/01/39/86/85 datestamp: 2013-07-05 14:38:29 lastmod: 2021-09-17 22:05:09 status_changed: 2013-07-05 14:38:29 type: article metadata_visibility: show item_issues_count: 0 creators_name: Hoque, MA creators_name: McArthur, JM creators_name: Sikdar, PK title: The palaeosol model of arsenic pollution of groundwater tested along a 32km traverse across West Bengal, India ispublished: pub divisions: UCL divisions: B04 divisions: C06 divisions: F57 note: This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. abstract: The distribution of As-pollution in groundwater of the deltaic aquifers of south-eastern Asia may be controlled by the subsurface distribution of palaeo-channel sediments (As-polluted groundwaters) and palaeo-interfluvial sediments (As-free groundwaters). To test this idea, termed the palaeosol model of As-pollution, we drilled 10 sites, analysed groundwater from 249 shallow wells (screened < 107 mbgl), field-tested another 149 for As, and used colour as a guide to the presence or absence of As-pollution in a further 531 wells. Our work was conducted along a 32-km traverse running W to E across southern West Bengal, India. At seven drill sites we logged a palaeo-interfluvial sequence, which occurs as three distinct units that together occupy 20 km of the traverse. These palaeo-interfluvial sequences yield As-free groundwaters from brown sands at depth < 100 m. The palaeo-interfluvial sequences are separated by two deep palaeo-channels, which were logged at 3 sites. The palaeo-channel deposits host As-polluted groundwater in grey sands. Our findings confirm the predictions of the palaeosol model of As-pollution. We show again that well-colour can be used both to successfully predict the degree of As-pollution in groundwater, and to locate regions of buried palaeo-interfluve that will yield As-free groundwater for the foreseeable future. date: 2012-08-01 official_url: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.05.038 vfaculties: VMPS oa_status: green language: eng primo: open primo_central: open_green verified: verified_manual elements_source: Scopus elements_id: 835090 doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.05.038 lyricists_name: Hoque, Mohammad lyricists_name: McArthur, John lyricists_id: MAHOQ13 lyricists_id: JMMCA98 full_text_status: public publication: Science of the Total Environment volume: 431 pagerange: 157 - 165 issn: 0048-9697 citation: Hoque, MA; McArthur, JM; Sikdar, PK; (2012) The palaeosol model of arsenic pollution of groundwater tested along a 32km traverse across West Bengal, India. Science of the Total Environment , 431 157 - 165. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.05.038 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.05.038>. Green open access document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1398685/2/1398685.pdf