Explains why we are assessing water quality in shallow aquifers, what we are measuring, and how the results will be reported both to well owners and to the public.
Five trace elements with human-health concerns were detected at high concentrations: arsenic, boron, fluoride, molybdenum, and strontium. Vanadium was present at moderate concentrations.
Trace elements were present at high concentrations in 32% of the primary aquifers here, and at moderate concentrations in 17%. Of particular interest are aluminum, arsenic, vanadium, boron, fluoride, chromium, lead, and molybdenum.
Recent study indicates that inorganic trace elements and radioactive constituents are more likely to be subjects of concern in this less-developed area than anthropogenic organic compounds.
The occurrence of solvents in the groundwater is not correlated with current overlying land use and human activities. Rather, the solvents are from legacy industrial uses, and it has taken decades for the groundwater to move to where it is now pumped.
Five trace elements with human-health concerns were detected at high concentrations: arsenic, boron, fluoride, molybdenum, and strontium. Chromium was detected at moderate concentrations.
Five trace elements with human-health concerns were detected at high concentrations: arsenic, boron, molybdenum, strontium, and vanadium. Chromium and fluoride were detected at moderate concentrations.
Arsenic was the trace element most frequently present at high concentrations here. High concentrations of arsenic result from the interaction of groundwater with naturally occurring minerals.
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey