Arsenic and Other Metal Contamination of Groundwater in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam

摘要

High levels of arsenic (As) contamination are found in the groundwater of Vietnam. To determine the distribution of arsenic and other metal contamination in the groundwater of the Mekong River Delta, we examined the contamination status of As and other metals in two regions, Tien Giang Province and Dong Thap Province. The concentration of total As in the groundwater, which is used for the drinking water supply, ranged from 0.9 mug/l to 321 mug/l, and 27% of the shallow-well water samples exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) provisional guideline of 10 mug/l. Also, 91% and 27% of shallow-well water samples had higher concentrations of manganese (Mn) and barium (Ba) than those stated in the WHO drinking water guidelines, respectively. On the other hand, such contamination was not found in the deep-well water samples examined. These results suggest that pollution by As, Mn, and Ba is widely distributed in the shallow aquifer of the Mekong River Delta and thus the health of the people consuming shallow-well water in both provinces might be at considerable risk.