Impacts of River Bank Filtration on Groundwater Hydrogeochemistry in the Upper of Hutuo River Alluvial Plain, North China

Abstract

River bank filtration (RBF) under human supervision has been applied for groundwater recharge. This study clarified the characteristics of water composition and its origins during the reservoir water recharge RBF. The groundwater samples were collected during four periods: pre-recharge (June 2018), early recharge (November 2018), intermediate recharge (May 2019), and late recharge (October 2019). Hydrogeochemical methods (Piper diagram, chlor-alkali index, and ion correlation) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to analyze the chemical evolution of groundwater in the aforementioned periods. TDS concentration tended to increase in the later stage due to the aggravation of carbonate rock dissolution and cation exchange adsorption. Results demonstrated a small, temporary influence of reservoir water on groundwater, characterized as the Ca–Mg–HCO3–SO4 and Ca–Mg–SO4–HCO3 types, both before and after the recharge. The research on water chemistry changes under different mixing ratios depicts that the continuation of the recharge process promotes mineral dissolution. Rock dissolution was the primary environmental control factor of groundwater components during the recharge period. This strengthened the water–rock reaction and caused potential risk impacts such as the increase of nitrate.