Abstract
Groundwater resources are playing an increasingly vital role in water supply for domestic and irrigation purposes in the Yinchuan Plain, along with the reduction in water transfer from the Yellow River. This study aimed to identify the current status of phreatic water quality and associated hydrogeochemical processes in an irrigated region along the upper Yellow River. A total of 78 water samples were collected in September 2018 for chemical analysis. Results showed that the phreatic water was excellent or good in most areas west of the Yellow River, while it was poor or very poor quality in some places east of the Yellow River. The nitrate contamination is particularly severe in the pluvial-alluvial plain, relating to the localized fine-grained zone with low permeability. Most samples had no sodium hazard but had magnesium hazard. Additionally, the overall evolutionary trend of the phreatic water showed the transformation of Ca-Mg-HCO3 into Na-Cl-SO4 type. Rock weathering and evaporation jointly predominate the evolution of phreatic water chemistry. The main geochemical processes involve the dissolution/precipitation of gypsum, halite, dolomite. and calcite, along with the cation exchange. Insights from this work have important implications for groundwater sustainable management in such irrigated regions along the upper Yellow River.
Highlights
Groundwater is one of the most precious water sources for residents in semi-arid and arid regions of the world
The pH values of all the samples were within the permissible limits (6.5–8.5) of WHO standards for drinking purposes [19]
Groundwater quality assessment is one of the most important environmental issues relating to sustainable development, especially in the Yinchuan Plain, which is characterized by an extremely arid climate and is threatened by the significant reduction in water transfer from the Yellow River
Summary
Groundwater is one of the most precious water sources for residents in semi-arid and arid regions of the world. Water diversion from the Yellow River through a network of canals and ditches is the primary source of artificial irrigation [3]. The contamination of phreatic aquifer is aggravated by long-term application of chemical fertilizers in agricultural activities, which seriously restrict economic development in the Yinchuan Plain [4]. With significant reduction in water transfer from Yellow River, groundwater acts as an increasingly important role for drinking water and irrigation, which is viewed as an important water source to ensure crop yields, especially during dry periods. An irrigated area in the middle part of the Yinchuan Plain is selected to represent the irrigated regions along the upper Yellow River, where agriculture predominates the local economy
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