Correlation of the Co-Occurrence of Arsenic and Iron in Groundwater of Bangladesh

Arsenic contamination in groundwater and its toxic effect on health is a major environmental concern in Bangladesh. Usually, arsenic is geologically bound in sediments and rocks with a particular affinity to iron. The greatest concentration of this mineral occurs in association with the transition metals like Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pd), Argentum (Ag), Aurum (Au) and Molybdenum (Mo). The greatest concentration of As tend to occur in sulphide minerals, of which, pyrite is the most abundant. A number of hypotheses have been considered to explain the occurrence of arsenic in groundwater of Bangladesh; of which, Pyrite oxidation and Iron Oxyhydroxide reduction hypotheses are the most acceptable ones. Therefore, it is likely that occurrence of arsenic might be coupled with the presence of iron (Fe) in groundwater. In this study, it has been tried to find any correlation of the co-occurrence of arsenic and iron concentrations, as found in groundwater of Bangladesh. The analyses of the data from selected areas show a correlation between Arsenic and Iron to some extent. However, the available data does not reveal any significant relationship.