Abstract
Abstract The groundwater quality and geochemical process of Gada town and environs in the semi-arid region of northwestern Nigeria assess and evaluated using multivariate statistical analysis. Thirty groundwater samples obtained from boreholes, Dug wells and Tube wells at the pick of dry season were analyzed for the concentration fourteen different physicochemical parameters. Concentrations of PH and temperatures were within the accepted limit, based on average pH value of 6.3 the groundwater in area as weakly acidic EC and TDS had concentrations that were above the recommended levels for human consumption of WHO and NSDWQ in 4 samples (13. 3 %). All the analyzed chemical parameters in the samples were within the safe limit for domestic uses. Ca2+ dominate all the cations while HCO3- had concentrations higher than any anion analyzed, the dominance order of both cations and anions in analyzed samples were Ca2+˃Mg2+ ˃Na+˃K+ and HCO3-˃CO3-˃ SO42-˃ Cl-˃NO3- respectively. Correlation between the different physicochemical parameters in water gives a strong positive correlation between the following pairs EC and TDS, Ca2+ and TH, while SO42- and pH, Mg2+ and TH, CO3- and PH are moderately positively related. K+ had a weak positive correlation with EC, TDS, and Na+. Principal component analysis performed on the variables explained 76.65 % of the variance with 5 components extracted. Cluster analysis, component analysis, correlation analysis and the Gibbs plot relates and grouped the analysed parameters base on common sources and origin. The Schoeller plot revealed a Ca-Mg- HCO3 water type to be the main and dominant water specie in the area, probably due to the dissolution of carbonate rock.
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