Mid Gangetic Plain: An investigation of Arsenic vulnerable zones
Ramanathan AL, Kushagra, Kumar Alok, Kumar Manoj and Basu Shreejita
School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India
alrjnu@gmail.com
Introduction
Arsenic affected alluvial aquifers in Middle Gangetic Plain and Tarai zones is a problem of serious concern. JNU group has
been working on some of the severely affected patches for geochemical investigations at Bhagalpur in east and Buxar,
Ballia and Ghazipur in west of the Middle Gangetic Plains, where high groundwater arsenic concentrations have been
observed. Our research includes groundwater as well as core sediment analysis for probing As mobilization and tracking
As-free aquifer using geochemical approach at micro-level. Micro-level approach is selecting a small area to generate all
possible hydrogeochemical data of groundwater and core sediment (Drilling). We have carried out research at following
locations; Chakani (Buxar, Bihar), Semaria Ojha Patti (Bhojpur, Bihar), Bhagalpur (Bihar), Ballia, Ghazipur and Maharaganj
(Uttar Pradesh).
Work Done
An extensive amount of work has been undertaken to
monitor the groundwater Arsenic contamination in the
Gangetic plains. The work primarily involves the spatio-
temporal variation of As with different depth profiles in
the unconfined and confined aquifers and geochemical
studies of respective aquifers.
Bhagalpur - Groundwater investigation was carried out along Gangetic
alluvium of Bhagalpur along with textural analysis of core sediments.
47% of the wells have As > 50 ppb but percentage contribution of toxic
As(III) to total arsenic concentration is quite high (66%).
Semaria Ojha patti - Metal fraction study of aquifer sediments was
undertaken and it was found that most of the Iron, Copper and Arsenic
are in immobile fraction followed by its presence in reducible fraction
which may pose threat to the water quality due to changing redox
conditions.
Fig. 1 Study locations in the Middle Gangetic plain
Ghazipur - Groundwater investigations showed higher As concentration
in Pre-monsoon than the post-monsoon. Depth profile of groundwater
As revealed that low concentrations of NO3− are associated with high
concentration of As and that As depleted with increasing depth.
Ballia - Textural and Geochemical studies of core sediments reveals the
association of As with the finer sediment particles. Seasonally
groundwater As variation showed the higher occurrence in Pre
monsoon than Post monsoon and monsoon.
Maharajganj - Arsenic spans over 2nd orders of concentration. All
groundwater samples investigated were found to exceed 10 μg As l −1
(the WHO guideline value). Iron follows 3rd order of concentration.
Current Work
Micro-level approach has been undertaken at Chakani village (very high
groundwater Arsenic) which fall under active alluvial zone of Ganga river in
Buxar District of Bihar. Present investigation includes Depth wise profile of
Arsenic groundwater (well Nesting approach), Geochemical and
Mineralogical investigation of Core-sediment (shallow zones) and Ex-situ
experiment designed to simulate belowground Environment.
Jawaharlal
Nehru
University
To understand As mobilization in the aquifer, an experimental design for
the release of As in open and degased condition is under progress.
Future Recommendations
 Multilevel sampling technique (Kim et al.,
2009); uses pipe of different depths in single
borehole to collect water to avoid artificial
mixing in highly stratified groundwater.
 Well Nesting - collecting groundwater from
all tubewell available in smaller area having
different depth. Depth profile of all water
quality parameter across area gives
significant idea about arsenic environment
and help in delineate Arsenic free aquifers
even in shallow Zones.
 Underground environment simulation
experiment - ex-situ optimization to
understand the sediment water interaction
below ground that leads to As mobilization Fig. 2 Multilayer
by incubation of undisturbed aquifers sampling unit
optimizing redox conditions.
Publications
Journals
 Alok Kumar, AL.Ramanathan, Rajesh K Ranjan, Shashi Prabha, Shyam Ranjan and
Gurmeet Singh. Metal Fractionation studies in the aquifer sediments of Semria
Ojhapatti, Bhojpur district, Bihar. Environ Monit Assess (under review). 
 Jay Krishna Thakur, Rinku Kumari Thakur, AL Ramanathan, Manish Kumar and Sudhir
Kumar Singh (2010) Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater in Nepal—An Overview
Water 2011, 3, 1-20; doi:10.3390/w3010001
 Manish Kumar, Pankaj Kumar, A.L. Ramanathan, Prosun Bhattacharya, Roger
Thunvik, Umesh K. Singh, M. Tsujimura, Ondra Sracek (2010) Arsenic enrichment in
groundwater in the middle Gangetic Plain of Ghazipur District in Uttar Pradesh,India
J Geochem Explor, 105:3, 83-94.
 Jayalakshmi Devi Oinam, AL. Ramanathan, Anurag Linda and Gurmeet Singh (2010)
A study of arsenic, iron and other dissolved ion variations in the groundwater of
Bishnupur District, Manipur, India, Environ Earth Sci., DOI 10.1007/s12665-010-
0607-2.
 Pankaj Kumar., Manish Kumar A. L. Ramanathan., Maki Tsujimura (2010). Tracing the
factors responsible for arsenic enrichment in groundwater of the middle Gangetic
Plain, India: a source identification perspective, Environ Geochem Health 32:129–
146
Book chapters
 Bhattacharya P., Gunnar Jacks., Bibhas Nath., Debashis Chatterjee., Ashis Biswas.,
Dipti Halder., Santanu Majumdar., Subhamoy Bhowmick and Ramanthan AL., (2010).
Natural Arsenic in Coastal Groundwaters in the Bengal Delta Region in West Bengal,
India. Co published by Springer, Capital Publishing Company, New Delhi. ISBN: 978-
90-481-3067-2 (HB).146pp.
 Ramanathan AL., Tripathi P., Kumar M., Bhattacharya P., Thunvik R. and Bundschuh J.
(2008). Arsenic distribution in the groundwater in Central Gangetic Plains of Uttar
Pradesh, India. In: Bundschuh J., Armienta MA., Bhattacharya P., Matschullat J. and
Mukherjee AB. (edited) Natural Arsenic in Groundwater of Latin America-
Occurrence, health impact and remediation. Taylor & Francis/Balkema. Leiden, The
Netherlands.
Reference
Kim K, et al.,2009. Chemosphere.77, 222-227.