Global co-occurrences of multi-(emerging)-contaminants in the hotspots of arsenic polluted groundwater: A pattern of menace

Advancements in analytical techniques have resulted in much progress in understanding co-occurrence of environmental contaminants. We focused on investigating the global pattern of arsenic (As) co-occurrence with inorganic and emerging contaminants and then explained the governing factors driving the situation. Major co-occurring inorganic contaminants were found in three sets: i) U, F, Fe, Mn, Pb, & Zn; ii) Al, Mo, Cd, Sb, Br, I, and Se; and iii) Ag, Au, Cr, Cu, Hg, Th, V, Ga, and Ba. Co-occurrences were majorly governed by weathering, redox conditions, recharge/pumping, and surface leaching. Several places around the world started to exhibit As presence with contaminants of emerging concerns like pesticides, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and others, that needs to be explored further at fundamentally deeper levels. This is probably one of the first attempts to correlate As co-occurrences with contaminants of emerging concern.