Quantification of Elemental Contaminants in Unregulated Water across Western Navajo Nation

Jonathan Credo, Jaclyn Torkelson, Tommy Rock and Jani C. Ingram
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Jonathan Credo: College of Medicine Clinical Translational Science Graduate Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Jaclyn Torkelson: Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Northern Arizona University, P.O. Box 5698, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
Tommy Rock: Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Northern Arizona University, P.O. Box 5698, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
Jani C. Ingram: Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Northern Arizona University, P.O. Box 5698, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 15, 1-15

Abstract: The geologic profile of the western United States lends itself to naturally elevated levels of arsenic and uranium in groundwater and can be exacerbated by mining enterprises. The Navajo Nation, located in the American Southwest, is the largest contiguous Native American Nation and has over a 100-year legacy of hard rock mining. This study has two objectives, quantify the arsenic and uranium concentrations in water systems in the Arizona and Utah side of the Navajo Nation compared to the New Mexico side and to determine if there are other elements of concern. Between 2014 and 2017, 294 water samples were collected across the Arizona and Utah side of the Navajo Nation and analyzed for 21 elements. Of these, 14 elements had at least one instance of a concentration greater than a national regulatory limit, and six of these (V, Ca, As, Mn, Li, and U) had the highest incidence of exceedances and were of concern to various communities on the Navajo Nation. Our findings are similar to other studies conducted in Arizona and on the Navajo Nation and demonstrate that other elements may be a concern for public health beyond arsenic and uranium.

Keywords: unregulated water; Navajo; arsenic; uranium; manganese (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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