Groundwater arsenic pollution in Vietnam: Current opinion on the mobilization and remediation

Abstract

Arsenic, the 20th most abundant element in the Earth's crust, is a significant environmental and health concern, prominently featured on priority lists of hazardous substances. Due to its high mobilization and persistence in both natural and anthropogenic environments, chronic exposure to arsenic in groundwater has posed severe public health risks. This review focuses on the current status of arsenic contamination, the release mechanism, the mobilization, and remediation of arsenic-polluted groundwater in major river deltas in Vietnam. The most arsenic-polluted regions in Vietnam are the Red River Delta (up to 3050 μg/L) and the Mekong River Delta (up to 1351 μg/L), far exceeding the permissible limit value of the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for arsenic in groundwater at 10 μg/L. Arsenic levels are unevenly distributed due to the differences in the geochemical composition of the aquifer and hydrological flow patterns. Utilizing natural laterite adsorption is proposed as a remediation strategy to limit the risks of arsenic spread in groundwater and its impact on public health.