Impact of volcanic plume emissions on rain water chemistry during the January 2010 Nyamuragira eruptive event: Implications for essential potable water resources

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials Vol. 244-245; pp. 570 - 581
• Main Authors: Cuoco, Emilio, Tedesco, Dario, Poreda, Robert J., Williams, Jeremy C., De Francesco, Stefano, Balagizi, Charles, Darrah, Thomas H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15.01.2013
• Subjects: Acidic aerosols; acidification; aluminum; ammonium compounds; Arsenic - analysis; cadmium; calcium; chlorides; cities; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Drinking water; Drinking Water - analysis; Electric Conductivity; emissions; Environmental Monitoring; fluorides; groundwater contamination; halogens; hydrochemistry; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; ions; lead; manganese; Metals - analysis; rain; Rain - chemistry; sodium; Toxic metals; villages; Virunga Volcanic Province; volcanic activity; Volcanic ash; Volcanic Eruptions; Volcanic hazards; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Quality; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Drinking water; Volcanic ash; Toxic metals; Water quality; Volcanic hazards; Acidic aerosols; Virunga Volcanic Province
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2012.10.055

► The 2010 Nyamuragira volcanic eruption significantly impacts Virunga water quality. ► Balance of volcanic debris and acidic aerosols dictates water pH. ► Water–rock interactions with volcanic debris control drinking water chemistry. ► pH controls which toxic metals are mobile and may be consumed at a given site. On January 2, 2010 the Nyamuragira volcano erupted lava fountains extending up to 300m vertically along an ∼1.5km segment of its southern flank cascading ash and gas on nearby villages and cities along the western side of the rift valley. Because rain water is the only available potable water resource within this region, volcanic impacts on drinking water constitutes a major potential hazard to public health within the region. During the 2010 eruption, concerns were expressed by local inhabitants about water quality and feelings of physical discomfort (e.g. nausea, bloating, indigestion, etc.) after consuming rain water collected after the eruption began. We present the elemental and ionic chemistry of drinking water samples collected within the region on the third day of the eruption (January 5, 2010). We identify a significant impact on water quality associated with the eruption including lower pH (i.e. acidification) and increases in acidic halogens (e.g. F− and Cl−), major ions (e.g. SO42−, NH4+, Na+, Ca2+), potentially toxic metals (e.g. Al3+, Mn2+, Cd2+, Pb2+, Hf4+), and particulate load. In many cases, the water's composition significantly exceeds World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water standards. The degree of pollution depends upon: (1) ash plume direction and (2) ash plume density. The potential negative health impacts are a function of the water's pH, which regulates the elements and their chemical form that are released into drinking water.