The Enrichment Process of Groundwater Fluorine in Seawater Intrusion Area of Gaomi City, China

A typical area, Gaomi City in China, was chosen to discuss the enrichment process of groundwater fluorine in seawater intrusion area. The groundwater had fluorine levels of 0.09-10.99 mg/L, with an average concentration of 1.38 mg/L. The high-fluorine groundwater was mainly distributed in the unconsolidated Quaternary sediments, where concentrations in 83.6% of the samples exceeded the national limit of 1.0 mg/L. The groundwater in the Quaternary sediments also had higher levels of Cl(-) , TDS, Mg(2+) , pH and lower levels of Ca(2+) , Co, Ni, Cu than that in the bedrock. The groundwater fluorine levels in the Quaternary sediments are positively correlated with Cl(-) , TDS, Mg(2+) , pH, and negatively correlated with Ca(2+) , gammaCa(2+) /gammaMg(2+) , Co, Ni, Cu. Geochemical indexes of Cl(-) and TDS indicate seawater intrusion in the Quaternary high-fluorine groundwater area (F(-) > 1.0 mg/L), while they do not in the bedrock area. The chemical weathering of minerals was intensified with the intrusion of seawater. Cation exchange was confirmed to occur in the Quaternary sediments, and was promoted by seawater intrusion. Cation exchange consumes part of groundwater Ca(2+) and permits more F(-) dissolving. Consequently, in the Quaternary sediments, the groundwater was super-saturated with CaF2 minerals and under-saturated with MgF2 minerals when F(-) > 1.0 mg/L, while CaF2 and MgF2 minerals both are under-saturated when F(-) < 1.0 mg/L. Thus, the chemical weathering of minerals and cation exchange caused by seawater intrusion are the crucial processes controlling the groundwater fluorine levels, which should be considered when the groundwater fluorine enrichment mechanism is discussed along coastal zones. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.