Hydrochemical appraisal of groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation: a case study in parts of southwest coast of Tamil Nadu, India

Nithya. C. Nair,D. Hudson Oliver,Karthikeyan Emperumal,Arunbose Subash,Rajkumar Stanly,Srinivas Yasala

doi:10.1007/s13201-021-01381-w

Abstract

The quality of groundwater standards in Muttom–Mandaikkadu coastal stretch is the focus of the present study, whose coastal aquifers are particularly at risk due to intrusion of marine water. Thirty groundwater samples were scrutinized for the assessment of physical and chemical parameters during January and June. Hydrochemical characteristics were spatially depicted to understand the spatial variations such as (pH, EC, TDS, Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+, SO42−, HCO3−, and Cl−). Drinking water quality index based on those 11 parameters and irrigation water quality index based on EC, Na%, sodium adsorption ratio and permeability index was used to assess the water quality for drinking and irrigation, respectively. These results demonstrate that dominant hydrochemical facies for groundwater in both months are Na-K-Cl-SO4 type and Ca-Mg-Cl-SO4 type. The USSL diagram endorses that most of the water samples belong to low-medium salinity with low sodium hazards. Cl−/HCO3− ratio indicates that the majority of the samples show low to moderate seawater intrusion in the study area. Additionally, six vertical electrical sounding measuring points (Schlumberger array) were carried out in order to determine the number of the underlying layers, aquifer depths and their thicknesses as well as its influence by the marine water. The geophysical self-potential measurements suggest that the groundwater in the Manavalakurichi area is prone to contamination by seawater intrusion, confirmed by the use of Schlumberger vertical electrical sounding. For better understanding, the subsurface layers were shown in a 2D model using the constructed geoelectrical cross section.

Highlights

In India, groundwater suites the drinking and domestic needs of nearly 90% of the rural and 30% of the urban population (Bhunia 2020)
In and around the area of Manavalakurichi, looking at the Water quality index (WQI) value, it is clear that the water needs to be purified to improve the quality before use
The greater number of the samples comes under Na-Cl and mixed CaMgCl type in piper plot, which is mainly due to saltwater intrusion. Cl−/HCO3− ratio indicates that most of the samples show low to moderate seawater intrusion in the study area

Summary

Introduction

In India, groundwater suites the drinking and domestic needs of nearly 90% of the rural and 30% of the urban population (Bhunia 2020). Groundwater is considered a safer resource than surface water. Still, several factors such as uncontrolled discharge of industrial, agricultural and. On the other hand, deprived quality of groundwater affects agriculture as it constitutes 53% of the country’s irrigation potential (Wilcox 1948; Hem 1991; FAO 2003; WHO 2004). There is a need to monitor and assess the quality of groundwater. To understand the suitability for drinking as well as irrigation purposes, a hydrochemical assessment of the groundwater must be carried out (Nakhaei et al 2016).

Methods

Results

Conclusion