ABSTRACT

Arsenic has been carried out there until now. The purpose of this research was to combine existing knowledge regarding the source of arsenic and specific sedimentary settings in order to correlate the local geological characteristics with the presence or absence of arsenic in the groundwater and to suggest a possible source of arsenic for the study area (Maner Block) located near the confluence of rivers Ganga and Sone. There were two basic hypotheses investigated during this research. One is that Arsenic is confined within the Newer Alluvium of the Ganga River (Holocene sediments) and especially within the point bar alluvial depositions. The second is that Arsenic contamination is associated with iron oxide deposits on the clay minerals. Microbial respiration in ground water triggers the reductive dissolution of solid iron and arsenic layers in a redox controlled environment rich in organic carbon.