Geochemical study of groundwater mineralization in the Grombalia shallow aquifer, north-eastern Tunisia: implication of irrigation and industrial waste water accounting

Abstract

Hydrochemistry of groundwater is largely determined by both natural processes, such as dissolution, cation exchange, mixing, evaporation; and anthropogenic activities, which can affect the aquifer systems by contaminating them or by modifying their hydrological cycle. Both natural and anthropogenic processes vary in time and space; which is reflected in groundwater hydrochemistry variation. The objective of this study is the determination of the main hydrogeochemical processes that affect the quality of shallow groundwaters in the Grombalia basin, located in the Cap Bon Peninsula, north-eastern Tunisia. In this area, the chemical composition of groundwater is mostly characterized by Na–Cl–NO3–Ca water type which reveals the implication of natural and anthropogenic major factors. Natural factors are dissolution of evaporatic minerals, i.e. halite and gypsum and cation exchange with clays, while anthropogenic factors are pollution with industrial Sr-rich waste water and return flow of irrigation water, highly contaminated by MgSO4 and methyl-bromide fertilizers.