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Strong Poison - in the well
Source info:
| Author: | Graeme |
|---|---|
| Date: | 2020-05-27 11:48:00 |
| Blog: | Geology in the West Country  |
| URL: | http://geologywestcountry.blogspot.com/2020/05/strong-poison-in-well.html |
Summary:
Strong Poison - in the Well I came across Lord Peter Wimsey and arsenic in Dorothy L. Sayers novel "Strong Poison" which I strongly recommend - the novel, not the arsenic. THIS ARTICLE is much less entertaining but very informative. What started as a good thing became a tragedy. Providing water from drilled wells stopped people becoming ill from gastro-intestinal infections. But, over time, signs of arsenicosis appeared. Why arsenic got into the water is far from obvious. The article explains the complex chemistry involved - goethite (containing Fe-3 and other stuff including arsenic) in reducing conditions breaks down to Fe-2 and releases its arsenic. Fascinating and deadly chemistry! Well worth reading and here is a map showing where it is not safe to drink the well water. Modelled global probability of arsenic concentration in groundwater exceeding 10 μg l-1. Click to display a larger map in a separate browser tab. (credit: Podgorski & Berg; Fig 2A, with enhanced colour)Content analysis:
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