Environmental assessment of soil, groundwater, and surface water quality in the south of the Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

To understand the impact of the influence of treated wastewater, a study was undertaken in the downstream side of Wadi Hanifa in the southern part of Riyadh City in Saudi Arabia. Chemical elements from 17 groundwater samples, 9 surface water samples (treated wastewater), and 14 soil samples were analyzed. Water facies analyses showed that both groundwater and surface water belong to the SO4-Cl class. However, the groundwater is characterized by high salinity (average value of 3547 mg/l), which may be result of the greater rock-water interaction and limited rainfall recharge. The NO3 values are also high in the groundwater samples (average value of 40 mg/l) and are mainly attributed to the agricultural practices in the study area. The surface water samples (treated wastewater from the plant) shows an average salinity value of 1232 mg/l and is better suited for irrigation purposes. Heavy elements analyzed in the soil samples show high concentrations of all the elements except Mn and Ni as compared to their background concentration. Enrichment factor and index of geoaccumulation calculated from the soil samples indicate that they are severely enriched with respect to Cd and Se. The spatial distribution maps were prepared based on kriging interpolation technique to estimate the concentrations of the analyzed elements at unknown locations. The treated wastewater in the study area is better suited for agricultural and domestic activities as compared to groundwater.