Hydrogeochemical Characterization of Groundwater Quality in Parts of Amroha District, Western Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

The present work attempts to characterize groundwater quality and ascertain its suitability for drinking and agricultural practices using different indices. A total of 122 sub-surface water samples were collected from the Amroha district of Uttar Pradesh, India, in the pre and post-monsoon season 2018 (61 samples of each season). The quality of groundwater observed from the study region has a slightly acidic to alkaline character with moderately hard type water. The order of the dominant ions is Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg+ > K+ and HCO−3 > Cl− > SO42− > NO−3 > F− in the pre-monsoon season while Na+ > Mg+ > Ca2+ > K+ and HCO−3 > SO42− > Cl− > NO−3 > F− in the post-monsoon season. A few samples show a higher concentration of Nitrate and Fluoride. The correlation coefficient shows that EC is positively correlated with TDS, Cl−, Ca2+, Mg+, and Total Hardness. The WQI studies revealed that about 52.45%, 36.07%, and 11.48% samples denoted excellent, good, and poor water quality, respectively, in the pre-monsoon season. About 52.45%, 45.9%, 1.63% of groundwater samples fell under excellent, good, and poor water quality in the post-monsoon season. The Piper diagram depicts Ca–HCO3, mixed Ca-Na-HCO3, Na–Cl, and mixed Ca-Mg-Cl facies in the water samples. Chloro-alkaline indices show negative values, which indicates that most parts of the study area exist in the discharge zone and base ion exchange processes occurred in the area. The position of the sample on the Gibbs diagram revealed that the rock-water interaction and evaporation of dissolved formation are the major governing process of water chemistry. Irrigation water quality indices revealed that the water quality for irrigation uses is mainly excellent to permissible type. The result of the Corrosivity ratio shows that about 24.5% of groundwater of the study area can be transported only through PVC pipes.