Sources and behavior of trace elements in groundwater in the South Eastern Desert, Egypt Ashraf Embaby & Mostafa Redwan Received: 12 April 2019 /Accepted: 1 October 2019 # Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019 Abstract Due to water scarcity, the groundwater will represent an essential source of water in many commu- nities worldwide. This study was carried out to investi- gate the main hydrogeochemical characteristic of trace elements composition, their sources, and its vulnerabil- ity in groundwater to the human population. Fifteen groundwater samples were collected from boreholes and hand dug wells from the South Eastern Desert, Egypt, and analyzed for Al, As, B, Fe, Mn, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sr, Th, U,V, and Zn using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Multi- variate analyses were applied to identify the distribution and potential source of trace elements. The groundwater is tapped from the Miocene and the fractured basement rock aquifers. The mean concentrations of trace ele- ments exceed the guideline values of all organizations, except in some wells for Zn, Cu, and Co. Cationic trace elements declined in the order of Mn > Fe > Zn > Al > V > Ni > Rb > Sr > U > Cu > Cr > Co > Cd > Pb > Th > Sb > Hg. Oxyanions As (mean 15.48 mg/L) and B (mean 1.24 mg/L) showed very high concentrations and higher than the average WHO concentrations in water suggest- ing potential adverse toxicity to all aquatic organisms. Five factor analyses indicated that different geochemical contributions are involved in the chemical characteris- tics of groundwater in the study area. Water–rock inter- action and dissolution processes in bed rocks from different coastal Miocene deposits, meta-volcanics, basic-ultrabasic rocks, granitic and meta-sediments, sea- water intrusion, residential wastes, and mining activi- ties, in addition to the pH/Eh conditions, adsorption, and surface complexation during the chemical weathering are the main factors influence the trace elements distri- bution in groundwater. Results from this study for the six different groundwater aquifers are a unique insight into the sources and mobility of the observed trace elements in the groundwater and can be used in the assessment of contamination for drinking water wells. The association of trace elements from different aquifers might be useful in tracers studies of water-rock interac- tion. Due to the enrichment of trace elements in near- shore and crystalline groundwater aquifers in the study area and in similar areas worldwide, treatment technol- ogies, and sustainable water management processes should be applied to prevent severe risks to the communities. Keywords Groundwater aquifers . Trace element . Multivariate analyses . Geochemistry . Treatment . South Eastern Desert, Egypt Introduction Sustainable water management needs improved under- standing of the complex behavior of the natural and anthropogenic contaminants, in arid and semi-arid re- gions that subject to water scarcity, which affect the water quality suitability and considered as a Environ Monit Assess (2019) 191:686 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-019-7868-3 A. Embaby : M. Redwan (*) Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Sohag University, Sohag 82524 Egypt e-mail: mostafa.redwan@science.sohag.edu.eg