Contamination risk assessment of fresh groundwater using the distribution and chemical speciation of some potentially toxic elements in Calabar (southern Nigeria)

The computer program PHREEQC was used to determined the distribution, chemical speciation and mineral saturation indices in a fresh groundwater environment with limited mining activities in the adjoining areas. The aim was mainly to determine the potential risk of a coastal plain aquifer contamination by some potentially toxic elements. The results show that the elements Ba, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Rb, Sr, and Zn are distributed as free metal ions. Arsenic is in the neutral form of H(3)AsO(3)degrees, while three species of aluminium [Al3+, AlOH2, Al(OH)(2)(+)] dominate. The major species of uranium include UO2CO3, UO22++, UO2+, and UO2OH+, respectively, in order of abundance. The groundwater is saturated with respect to alunite [KAl3(SO4)(2)(OH)(6)], basaluminite [Al-4(OH)(10) SO4], boehmite [Al(OH)], Cu metal (Cu), cuprous ferrite (CuFeO2), diaspore [AlO(OH)], gibbsite [Al(OH)(3)], goethite (FeOOH), hematite (Fe2O3), magnetite (Fe3O4) and uraninite (UO2). Most of the species are not mobile under the prevailing pH (3.3 to 5.9) and Eh (7 to 158 mV) conditions. The mobile ones are very low in concentration and will be immobilized by precipitation of mineral phases. The study concludes that presently these species do not pose any risk to the aquifer.