Delineating low-arsenic groundwater environments in the Bengal Aquifer System, Bangladesh

Studies within the As-affected Bengal Basin have indicated that low-As groundwater can be found in a variety of geological and geomorphological settings. The hydrogeological environments that host low-As groundwater may be interpreted within a geological framework determined by the Quaternary evolution of the Bengal Aquifer System (BAS). This provides the basis for delineating the position and extent of shallow low-As groundwater, low-As groundwater in oxidised ‘red-bed’ sediments, and deep low-As groundwater. Data available on a national scale allow a preliminary delineation of these low-As groundwater environments across Bangladesh, based on empirical associations of low-As groundwater occurrences with topography, water table elevation, surface sediment lithology, geology and the screen depth of deep wells in low-As zones.

Research highlights► Arsenic concentration variation is linked to the hydrogeological framework of aquifer zones. ► Identified empirical associations to low-arsenic groundwater sources within the aquifer. ► Low-As groundwater is encountered at very shallow to very deeper depths. ► A preliminary delineation of low-As groundwater sources across Bangladesh has been made.