Estimating lithium concentrations in groundwater used as drinking water for the conterminous United States
Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page (via DOI)
- Data Release: USGS data release - Data and model archive used to model and map lithium concentrations in groundwater sources of drinking water in the conterminous United States
- Open Access Version: Publisher Index Page
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
Lithium (Li) concentrations in drinking-water supplies are not regulated in the United States; however, Li is included in the 2022 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency list of unregulated contaminants for monitoring by public water systems. Li is used pharmaceutically to treat bipolar disorder, and studies have linked its occurrence in drinking water to human-health outcomes. An extreme gradient boosting model was developed to estimate geogenic Li in drinking-water supply wells throughout the conterminous United States. The model was trained using Li measurements from ∼13,500 wells and predictor variables related to its natural occurrence in groundwater. The model predicts the probability of Li in four concentration classifications, ≤4 μg/L, >4 to ≤10 μg/L, >10 to ≤30 μg/L, and >30 μg/L. Model predictions were evaluated using wells held out from model training and with new data and have an accuracy of 47–65%. Important predictor variables include average annual precipitation, well depth, and soil geochemistry. Model predictions were mapped at a spatial resolution of 1 km2 and represent well depths associated with public- and private-supply wells. This model was developed by hydrologists and public-health researchers to estimate Li exposure from drinking water and compare to national-scale human-health data for a better understanding of dose–response to low (<30 μg/L) concentrations of Li.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Estimating lithium concentrations in groundwater used as drinking water for the conterminous United States |
| Series title | Environmental Science and Technology |
| DOI | 10.1021/acs.est.3c03315 |
| Volume | 58 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Year Published | 2024 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | American Chemical Society |
| Contributing office(s) | New England Water Science Center |
| Description | 10 p. |
| First page | 1255 |
| Last page | 1264 |
| Country | United States |
| Other Geospatial | conterminous United States |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |