Study of arsenic content in mine groundwater commonly used for human consumption in Utah

Of the various sources of arsenic released in to the environment, the presence of arsenic in water probably poses the greatest threat to human health. Arsenic is released in to the environment through water by dissolution of minerals and ores. Natural release is slow, but in some areas the concentration of arsenic in groundwater (commonly referred to as Acid Mine Drainage (or AMD)) is accelerated by mining activity. In fact the presence of arsenic may last a long time even after the mining activity has ceased. Hence it is imperative to study the quality of water (especially for those areas in the vicinity of mines) used for different purposes to identify an appropriate remediation technique for effective pollution control. In this paper, contents of arsenic and other metals in the water were quantified from three different sources: (1) groundwater from the mining tunnel (Judge tunnel), (2) drinking water, and (3) water used in the hydrant-flushed distribution system (Park City) in Utah (USA). The results showed the content of arsenic from the mining tunnel, after chlorination, and in tap water were below 10 microgl(-1). However, significant amounts of arsenic, lead, zinc, iron, manganese and antimony have been found in water samples taken from the distribution systems. In the consideration of the further use of mine groundwater for drinking purposes and the distribution system, Park City should regularly be maintained by a flushing program in the distribution system.