Hydrogeochemical Assessment of Groundwater and Suitability Analysis for Domestic and Agricultural Utility in Southern Punjab, Pakistan

Javed Iqbal,Shakeel Ahmed Talpur,Earjh Earjh,Chunli Su,Meer Muhammad Sajjad,Abdur Rashid,Zahid Ullah,Gohar Rahman,Naveed Ur Rahman,Nan Yang,Muhammad Yousuf Jat Baloch

doi:10.3390/w13243589

Abstract

Groundwater is a critical water supply for safe drinking water, agriculture, and industry worldwide. In the Khanewal district of Punjab, Pakistan, groundwater has severely deteriorated during the last few decades due to environmental changes and anthropogenic activities. Therefore, 68 groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for their main ions and trace elements to investigate the suitability of groundwater sources for drinking and agricultural purposes. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were employed to determine the major factors influencing groundwater quality. To assess the groundwater’s appropriateness for drinking and irrigation, drinking and agricultural indices were used. The pH of the groundwater samples ranged from 6.9 to 9.2, indicating that the aquifers were slightly acidic to alkaline. The major cations were distributed as follows: Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+. Meanwhile, the anions are distributed as follows: HCO3− > SO42− > Cl− > F−. The main hydrochemical facies were identified as a mixed type; however, a mixed magnesium, calcium, and chloride pattern was observed. The reverse ion exchange process helps in exchanging Na+ with Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions in the groundwater system. Rock weathering processes, such as the dissolution of calcite, dolomite, and gypsum minerals, dominated the groundwater hydrochemistry. According to the Weight Arithmetic Water Quality Index (WAWQI), 50% of the water samples were unsafe for drinking. The Wilcox diagram, USSL diagram, and some other agricultural indices resulted in around 32% of the groundwater samples being unsuitable for irrigation purposes. The Khanewal’s groundwater quality was vulnerable due to geology and the influence of anthropogenic activities. For groundwater sustainability in Khanewal, management strategies and policies are required.

Highlights

Groundwater is the principal water supply source for household, agricultural, and industrial purposes in many countries [1]
The pH value of the groundwater has no direct impact on human health
For gypsum ranged from −2.69 to −0.92. These findings indicate that the dolomite and calcite showed variation in different samples, with both supersaturation and unsaturation levels

Summary

Introduction

Groundwater is the principal water supply source for household, agricultural, and industrial purposes in many countries [1]. One third of the world’s population relies on groundwater for drinking [2]. In some arid and semi-arid regions, groundwater is the only source of drinking water [3,4]. Groundwater resources have been experiencing increasing problems in recent years, including quality issues and the depletion of freshwater resources, attributed to both anthropogenic and geogenic factors [5,6]. Geological structure, hydrological setting, the mineralogy of the watersheds and aquifers, and water–rock interaction, including mineral dissolution, ion exchange, redox, and anthropogenic activities, are all potential factors that affect groundwater quality [6]. Water quality is just as important as its quantity when meeting basic human needs, since a shortage of water and sanitation creates a slew of public health issues [8,9]

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