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Arid Land Geography ›› 2021, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (5): 1261-1271.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000–6060.2021.05.07

• Climatology and Hydrology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Evaluation of groundwater quality and fluoride enrichment characteristics in western Tarim Basin: A case study of Akto County

LIU Shengfeng1(),GAO Bai1(),ZHANG Haiyang1,FAN Hua2,JIANG Wenbo1   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Resources and Environment, School of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China Institute of Technology, Nanchang 330013, Jiangxi, China
    2. Energy-saving and Environmental Protection and Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute Base of China Academy of Railway Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
  • Received:2020-12-04 Revised:2021-02-19 Online:2021-09-25 Published:2021-09-22
  • Contact: Bai GAO E-mail:1372729482@qq.com;gaobai@ecit.cn

Abstract:

To study groundwater quality and fluoride enrichment characteristics in the western Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, China, groundwater samples were collected and analyzed from three aquifers in the region, using Akto County as an example. The improved Nemerow assessment and health risk assessment model was used to evaluate local groundwater and study fluoride enrichment mechanisms. The results show that, through improved Nemerow water quality assessment, the water quality in many aquifer sampling points in the study area is distributed between types II and III, whereas some aquifer samples are type IV. Furthermore, based on risk assessment model analysis, the overall health risks posed by fluoride and chloride in shallow, medium, and deep water samples (adults: 1.28×10-6 a-1, 1.02×10-6 a-1, and 9.36×10-7 a-1, children: 1.63×10-6 a-1, 1.30×10-6 a-1, and 1.19×10-6 a-1) are lower than the maximum permissible risk values set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). The above standard rates of fluoride in shallow, medium, and deep groundwater samples were 57.14%, 40.00%, and 60.00%, respectively, with all average values exceeding the limit (1.0 mg·L-1). Fluoride enrichment in groundwater in the study area is characterized by being alkaline, rich in Na+ and deficient in Ca2+. Rock weathering, dissolution of silicate minerals, and ion exchange promote fluorine enrichment.

Key words: hydrogeochemistry, fluorine, water quality assessment, western Tarim Basin