Origin and background of the barium anomaly in the groundwater of the Barreiro’s Alkaline-Carbonatite Complex – Araxá – MG
Abstract
The anomalous values of barium in the groundwater of the Barreiro’s Carbonatite Alkaline Complex (BACC), located in the municipality of Araxá, in the Alto Paranaíba Igneous Province, have been studied since the early 1980s, when this element was detected dissolved in groundwater at high concentrations. The objective of this work is to investigate the possible origins and what levels can be considered natural for barium in the CACB. The methodology used was based on the statistical analysis of monitoring well data to determine the background, as well as geochemical solubility analyses, SEM, and XRD in clay soils to estimate the origin of barium, in addition to the statistical treatment of barium concentrations in soil samples collected XXX. The results of the XRD analyses of the lateritic covers did not detect barium minerals, despite the chemical and solubility analyses showing significant levels of the element. The geochemical solubility analyses of barium from the clays of the lateritic covers show values that can reach 16 mg/L. This condition indicates that barium is probably in the form of free ions (Ba2+), adsorbed on clay minerals and iron oxide-hydroxides, which constitute the capping materials of the alkaline dome, being mobilized from recharge and transported to the saturated zone. The statistical analysis of the results of barium concentrations in groundwater shows that the value of 5.52 mg/L can be adopted as a reference applicable to the background levels of barium in the groundwater of the CACB. The use of groundwater from the interior of the dome should be evaluated with caution for human consumption and recreation, as the maximum permitted values of 0.7 and 1.0 mg/L, respectively, are lower than the defined background value.
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