Abstract
Groundwater is an essential and vital component of any life support system. It is not only the basic need for human existence but also a vital input for all development activities. The present hydro-geochemical study was confined to the coastal belt of Alappuzha district, which lies in the coastal lowland division of Kerala. Groundwater quality and its suitability for irrigation and domestic purpose were examined by various physico-chemical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, total hardness, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, sulfate, and chloride. These parameters were used to assess the suitability of groundwater for domestic purpose by comparing with the WHO and Indian standards. TDS, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and permeability index were used for irrigation suitability assessment. The sample analysis reveals that the groundwater is not entirely fit for drinking with respect to pH, EC, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and Cl−. In some of the collected samples, the concentrations of these parameters exceed the permissible limits of WHO and ISI standards. Based on TDS and SAR almost all samples are suitable for irrigation purpose except a few locations, which show values beyond the permissible limits. Ca–Mg–HCO3 is the dominant water type in the study area. The sequence of the abundance of the major cations and anions is Ca > Na > Mg > K = HCO3 > Cl > SO4. Based on the total hardness and TDS, 96 % of groundwater samples are found suitable for drinking purpose.
Highlights
Water is a chief natural resource essential for the existence of life and is a basic human entity
The quality standards for drinking water have been specified by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2004
The limit of pH value for drinking water is specified as 6.5–8.5 (WHO 2004; ISI 1993)
Summary
Water is a chief natural resource essential for the existence of life and is a basic human entity. Groundwater is one of the major sources of drinking water all over the world (Bear 1979). Of the 37 Mkm of freshwater estimated to be present on the earth, about 22 % exists as groundwater, which constitutes about 97 % of all liquid freshwater potentially available for human use (Foster 1998). It is estimated that approximately one-third of the world’s population use groundwater for drinking (Nickson et al 2005) and about one million people are directly dependent upon the groundwater resources in Asia alone (Foster 1995). In most parts of India, groundwater forms the major source of water
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