Abstract
This study evaluates the natural water suitability for drinking and agricultural purposes in the Jungar Basin in Central Asia. The ionic chemistry of natural waters from the basin changes considerably on a regional scale. The waters are neutral to alkaline and most of them are soft-fresh waters. The total dissolved solid (TDS) varies over two orders of magnitude. Much of the solutes and physicochemical parameters in water are under the highest desirable limits of the World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking purpose and a relationship between sodium adsorption ratio versus EC shows that most waters are of good water quality for irrigation. The effects of local pollution are minimal in the montane and piedmont areas of these watersheds but are significant in the oases and central areas of the drainage basins.
Highlights
Water quality affects human health and agricultural production to a high extent
The variation of major cation (Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+) and anion (Cl, HCO3, SO42- and NO3-) concentrations measured in the studied water samples is illustrated in the Box and Whisker plot (Figure 3), where Ca2+ and HCO3- are the dominant cation and anion, respectively
Large percentages of contribution to the total dissolved solid (TDS) of water samples are from HCO3, Ca2+ and SO42
Summary
Water quality affects human health and agricultural production to a high extent. Knowledge of hydrochemical characteristics is vital to understand water suitability for various purposes [1]. Human activities such as industrialization, agriculture, mining, and urbanization produce effluents affect natural water quality [5,8,9,10]. Natural water contamination occurs gradually with little impact in the initial period of deterioration, but if it is not controlled at the right time, this water may not be suitable for any purpose for a long time [11]. The importance of regular monitoring of natural water should be underlined, especially when there are significant changes in industrial, agricultural, and urbanization activities
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
