In this study, the groundwater from a transect in the Northwestern area of Hanoi was examined. The results showed that the wells of the B-B’ transect exceed the WHO guideline value for arsenic concentration in drinking water. The arsenic concentrations varied in a wide range from point to point, with the highest concentration found at Van Phuc and the lowest one found at Cam Yen. They also varied accordingly to the depth. | Vietnam Journal of Earth Sciences, 40(1), 70-77, Doi: Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology Vietnam Journal of Earth Sciences (VAST) Spatial variations of arsenic in groundwater from a transect in the Northwestern Hanoi Dao Viet Nga1, Pham Thi Kim Trang1, Vu Thi Duyen1, Tran Thi Mai1, Vi Thi Mai Lan1, Pham Hung Viet*1, Dieke Postma2, Rasmus Jakobsen2 1 Research center for Environmental Technology and Sustainable Development (CETASD), VNU University of Science 2 Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Denmark Received 5 April 2017; Received in revised form 3 July 2017; Accepted 8 December 2017 ABSTRACT Arsenic contamination of groundwater is a major health problem and has been a growing concern in the last decade in several regions of the world, especially in South and Southeast Asia, including the Red River Delta, Vietnam. Regional groundwater studies have been carried out in the vicinity of Hanoi, on the banks of the Red River and its adjacent floodplains. In this study, the groundwater from a transect in the Northwestern area of Hanoi was examined. The results showed that the wells of the B-B’ transect exceed the WHO guideline value for arsenic concentration in drinking water. The arsenic concentrations varied in a wide range from point to point, with the highest concentration found at Van Phuc and the lowest one found at Cam Yen. They also varied accordingly to the depth. Keywords: Arsenic; groundwater; Northwestern Hanoi. ©2018 Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology 1. Introduction1 Arsenic is a naturally occurring element in the Earth’s crust. In its natural form in soil, arsenic is harmless. However, if arsenic contaminates the water and food chain, it will be a threat to human health and other living organisms as it can cause skin, kidney, lung, liver and bladder cancer (Anawar et al., 2004). Drinking water constitutes a major pathway of exposure to arsenic in .
