Water Disaster induced Vulnerability using Groundwater Quality Assessment in Biharsharif, Nalanda, Bihar

Assessment of Bangladesh groundwater for drinking and irrigation using weighted overlay analysis

Groundwater is the primary source of drinking water for more than 95% of the population in Punjab. The world health organization and US Environment Protection Agency recently established a new maximum contaminant level of 10 ppb for arsenic in drinking water. The arsenic concentration of deep water tube wells located in Amritsar city used for domestic supply for urban population ranged from 3.8 to 19.1 ppb with mean value of 9.8 ppb. Arsenic content in hand pump water varied from 9 to 85 ppb with a mean value of 29.5 ppb. According to the safe limit of As, 54% and 97%, water samples collected from deep water tube wells and hand pumps, respectively, were not fit for human consumption. Arsenic content in canal water varied from 0.3 to 8.8 ppb with a mean value of 2.89 ppb. Canal water has got higher oxidation potential followed by deep tube well and hand pump water. The present study suggests the regular monitoring of arsenic content in deep tube well and shallow hand pump waters by water testing laboratories. The consumption of water having elevated concentration of As above the safe limit must be discouraged. In south-western districts of Punjab, it recommends the use of canal water for drinking purposes and domestic use by rural and urban populations than ground water sources.

In this work, a hydrodynamic and water quality model was developed for Lake Nubia based on a two-dimensional, laterally averaged and finite difference hydrodynamic and water quality code, CE-QUAL-W2. The model was calibrated and verified using data which were measured in the years of 2006 and 2007 during low flood periods, respectively. Measurements during the flood season are not available. The results of the presented model show a good agreement with the observed hydrodynamic and water quality records. Two water quality indices (WQIs), NSF WQI and CCME WQI, have been developed to assess the state of water quality in the investigated case study, Lake Nubia, during the first low flood period of January 2006. The CCME WQI has been modified to use the Egyptian standards (objectives) of raw water. Moreover, another two trophic status indices, Carlson TSI and LAWA TI, have been developed to evaluate the trophic status of Lake Nubia during the same period of January 2006. Results of the previously developed hydrodynamic and water quality model for Lake Nubia were used to validate the model. According to the developed water quality indices results, Lake Nubia has a good water quality state during the low flood period. The modified CCME WQI (based on measured data) indicates that the Lake Nubia water quality state is excellent according to the Egyptian standards of water quality for surface waterways. Results of the applied trophic status indices show that the Lake Nubia trophic status is eutrophic during the studied period. The effect of the global climate change on the hydrodynamic and water quality characteristics of Lake Nubia was conducted for the 21st century. To do that, the outputs of eleven global climate models for two global emissions scenarios combined with hydrological modeling were used. A theoretical process algorithm has been simplified, further developed and calibrated to modify the initial conditions of dissolved oxygen due to the global climate change effects. A sensitivity analysis has been conducted by using each of the predicted air temperature and inflow data separately in the model in order to investigate its effect on the characteristics of the hydrodynamic and water quality. Three hydrodynamic characteristics of the reservoir were investigated with respect to the climate change: water surface levels, evaporation water losses and thermal structure. In addition, eight water quality characteristics of the reservoir were investigated with respect to the climate change: dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-a, ortho-phosphate, nitrate-nitrite, ammonium, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids and potential of hydrogen (pH). Moreover, the climate change effects on the water quality and trophic status indices have been studied. The results of the climate change study show partially significant impacts on the examined hydrodynamic and water quality characteristics, while the water quality and trophic status indices are slightly affected by the climate change scenarios.

Characterization of geochemical constituents and bacterial populations associated with As mobilization in deep and shallow tube wells in Bangladesh

Little information was available on the general groundwater quality of Bangladesh's Ishwardi Upazila (peri-urban area). In the current study, 35 groundwater samples were collected from randomly chosen deep tube wells to determine the general quality of groundwater by water quality indices and whether it is fit for human consumption. Estimating pH, EC, TDS, and the concentrations of HCO3-, Cl-, Fe, Mn, As, NO3-, PO43-, Zn, and Cu were used to assess groundwater quality. Using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), the Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and As concentrations were determined. HCO3-, Fe, and Mn concentrations exceeded Bangladesh drinking water standards (BDWS) for drinking requirements in 100%, 23%, and 54% of samples, respectively. According to the water quality indicator, over 83% of the groundwater samples in the study area are unfit for human consumption. The hazard index (HI) and hazard quotient (HQ) have also been used to measure non-carcinogenic health concerns associated with groundwater drinking. By oral intake, people may be exposed to intolerable non-carcinogenic health risks in the peri-urban region (approximately 91% of samples exceeded the allowable level of HI). Additionally, residents may be at unfavorable risk for cancer due to arsenic (approximately 97% of water samples had levels of As above the permissible limits). Multivariate statistical analyses such as cluster and principal component analysis indicated that inappropriate waste disposal, industrial discharges from the Ishwardi export processing zone (EPZ), and agricultural runoff were potential sources of contaminants in groundwater. The study findings provide information to policymakers addressing groundwater pollution in the peri-urban area of Bangladesh to ensure sound health and socio-economic development of the study area in Bangladesh.

Technological innovations for societal change : Arsenic mitigation technologies for safe drinking water in rural Bangladesh

In the vicinity of the coast, predominantly groundwater is the sole reliable resource for potable purposes as the surface water sources are highly saline and unfit for human consumption. However, the groundwater in Sagar Island is highly vulnerable to saltwater intrusion. The majority of drinking water comes from government-owned hand pump-equipped tube wells. But during the summer season, many of these tube wells yield significantly less water. Hence, in the current scenario, water quality assessment has become important to the quantity available. Total of 31 samples of deep tube wells (groundwater) are collected at variegated locations during pre-monsoon season throughout Sagar, and then, the physical and chemical quality parameters of these water samples are analysed. Furthermore, a multivariate statistical technique is executed with the aid of the SPSS program. The hydro-chemical parameters that are taken into account for the quality analysis are pH, salinity, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness, aluminium, arsenic, bi-carbonate, cadmium, iron, chloride, copper, chromium, cobalt, lead, magnesium, manganese, nickel, potassium, sulphate, zinc, and sodium. Then, the analysed data evaluates the water quality index (WQI). Five components are identified through the principal component analysis (PCA) technique, and 82.642% total variance is found. The outcomes of the quality assessment study illustrate that about 54.84% of collected samples come in the "excellent" water quality class when calculated by the "weighted arithmetic WQI method," and 90.32% of collected groundwater samples come in the "good" water quality class when computed using the "modified weighted arithmetic WQI method." This study helps for the interpretation of WQI to assess groundwater quality.

Effective assessment and management of groundwater quality are essential for safeguarding the integrity of freshwater resources. Cooch Behar Municipality of West Bengal has been chosen for the present study due to its reliance primarily on groundwater for drinking water. The study focuses on assessing groundwater quality in the study area, a planned city with a long history of urbanization. The primary objective is to analyze various parameters relevant to drinking water and compute the Water Quality Index (WQI) with the residents' perception. Forty water samples were collected from Cooch Behar Municipality's Public Health Engineering (PHE) department, encompassing all 20 wards. Each ward provided one sample from a Deep Tube Well (DTW) and a Shallow Tube Well (STW). EC, Fe, TH, Mn, pH, TDS, Turbidity, Ca, and Mg levels were determined using standard instruments and methods, and analyzed geospatial techniques and statistical methods were employed. Results revealed concerning levels of manganese (Mn) and total hardness (TH), exceeding permissible limits in 82.5% and 75% of samples, respectively. While some parameters remained within acceptable limits, computed WQI values ranged from 63.28 to 162.67, indicating significant overall water quality concerns. Alarmingly, 45% of samples were unsuitable for drinking, with an additional 40% classified as very poor. Notably, demographic factors such as household income and education level correlated with perceptions of poor water quality. Policy implications suggest the urgent need for a well‐structured management system to address these findings and ensure safe drinking water for residents.

Groundwater is considered a significant component of valuable freshwater resources for the living beings living in the arid and semi-arid regions of Pakistan, factors such as climate change, landfill deposits, application of fertilizers and pesticides on agricultural lands, leakages from septic tanks, industrial effluents, and urbanization jeopardizing the groundwater quality that makes its timely assessment necessary for human survival to protect people from water-borne diseases. This research study was carried out to analyze the 13 physicochemical parameters in the 38 groundwater samples that were taken from nearby different locations of Akram, Pinyari, and Phuleli canal within the jurisdiction of district Hyderabad. 26 samples were taken from hand pumps, electric motors and 12 samples were taken from tube wells to investigate the variability in groundwater quality. The water quality index and kelly’s ratio, magnesium hazard, residual sodium carbonate, sodium absorption ratio, soluble sodium percentage, and permeability index were used to assess the suitability of groundwater for drinking, and agricultural purposes. The result of the study revealed that alkalinity, bicarbonates, carbonates, magnesium, PH, potassium, and sodium were within the permissible limit of WHO Standards in all the samples, while the concentration of calcium was crossing the permissible limit only in one sample. Moreover, the availability of Chloride (Cl) was found in 16 samples that were above the limit ranges from 274.9 to 2549, High concentration of EC was found in 14 samples than the permissible limit having values from 2212 to 8360 (P26), and Total Hardness (TH) were found only in 6 samples slightly high from the permissible limit ranges from 509 to 651, and TDS were present in excessive amounts than the allowable limit from 1100 to 4180 mg/l (P26) in 10 samples. Considering the Water Quality Index (WQI) it was observed that 8 sample falls in the good category, 2 samples in the poor category, 11 samples in the very poor category, and 17 samples in the unsuitable category of water quality.

Valuation of water quality index (WQI) is one of the simplest, easily understandable, and efficacious techniques to evaluate the quality and suitability of water for drinking as well as other purposes. This research was aimed to investigate the drinking water quality of tube wells from different areas in Khulna City, Bangladesh, by developing the WQI. Water samples from 59 tube wells were collected from different locations during the pre-monsoon time. pH, electric conductivity (EC), dissolve oxygen (DO), total dissolved solid (TDS), chloride (Cl−), nitrate (NO3−), and total hardness of the collected water samples were analyzed for the calculation of WQI. The mean value for pH, EC, DO, TDS, Cl−1, NO3−, and total hardness was 7.30, 1650 μS/cm, 1.60 mg/l, 1188.7 mg/l, 414.6 mg/l, 0.029 mg/l, and 52.03 mg/l, respectively. The calculated WQI values for individual places were distributed spatially through mapping by using ArcGIS software. Based on the WQI values, the drinking water was categorized into excellent, good, poor, very poor, and unfit for drinking purposes. The calculated WQI values ranged from 40.11 to 454.37 with an average value of 108.94. Among all the groundwater samples, 11.86% were excellent, 54.24% were good, 23.73% were poor, 1.69% were very poor, and 8.47% were unfit for drinking purpose based on WQI. The results showed that the groundwater quality of most of the studied areas of Khulna city could be considered safe and suitable for drinking barring the elevated EC and chloride content in some areas. Since Khulna city is situated in the southwestern part of Bangladesh and gradually approaches toward the base level of the Bay of Bengal which might be the source of salt concentration in the groundwater of Khulna city, Bangladesh.

A study was conducted at 13 different areas of Kathmandu Valley to know the status of arsenic in deep tube wells in post monsoon and winter in 2009 and 2010. The depth of the deep tube wells ranged from 75 m to 304 m. The study was also carried out to know the correlations between depths of the deep tube wells and arsenic concentration. The collected samples were analyzed as per standard method using spectrophotometer. The correlations of arsenic concentration in different season (post monsoon and winter) were also studied. 92.31% of deep tube wells in post monsoon and winter exceeded permissible values of World Health Organization guideline value 0.01 mg/L for drinking water but 38.46% deep tube wells in post monsoon and 46.15% of deep tube wells in winter exceeded permissible values of Nepal Drinking Water Standard of 0.05 mg/L. There was strong positive correlation in arsenic concentration between post monsoon and winter(r=0.94, p<0.001). There was weak but positive correlation between arsenic concentration and depth of deep tube wells in winter ( r=0.23, p=0.451). There was very weak correlations between arsenic concentration and depth of deep tube wells in post monsoon (r=0.055, p=0.859). The trend distribution maps were generated for arsenic in post monsoon and winter.

Metaheuristic approaches for prediction of water quality indices with relief algorithm-based feature selection

Hydrogeochemical evaluation and assessment of groundwater quality was carried for selected areas of Bishnupur district of Manipur to ensure its suitability for drinking and irrigational uses. Twenty physico-chemical parameters of groundwater samples from thirty-one spatially distributed areas were assesed including major geogenic contaminants such as Fe3+, As3+ and F- to ensure public health safety. In-situ parameters such as temperature, pH, EC, DO, salinity, ORP, TDS were determined using field sensors and other parameters were analysed using standards methods. The suitability of groundwater for potable use was assessed using drinking water quality index based on World Health Organisation standards. Groundwater quality indices exhibit very poor results due to presence of high dissolved solids, higher values of EC, excessive hardness and presence of geogenic contaminants in the groundwater samples. Irrigational water quality of groundwater resources showed satisfactory results according to the various irrigational water quality parameters and indices. Geochemical evaluation showed most of the groundwater sources are dominated by Ca-Mg-Na-HCO3−-Cl− type of water mainly originated from silicate and carbonate rock-weathering or dissolutions processes.

We investigated whether deep tube wells installed to provide arsenic-free groundwater in rural Bangladesh have the added benefit of reducing childhood diarrheal disease incidence. We recorded cases of diarrhea in children younger than 5 years in 142 villages of Matlab, Bangladesh, during monthly community health surveys in 2005 and 2006. We surveyed the location and depth of 12,018 tube wells and integrated these data with diarrhea data and other data in a geographic information system. We fit a longitudinal logistic regression model to measure the relationship between childhood diarrhea and deep tube well use. We controlled for maternal education, family wealth, year, and distance to a deep tube well. Household clusters assumed to be using deep tube wells were 48.7% (95% confidence interval = 27.8%, 63.5%) less likely to have a case of childhood diarrhea than were other household clusters. Increased access to deep tube wells may provide dual benefits to vulnerable populations in Matlab, Bangladesh, by reducing the risk of childhood diarrheal disease and decreasing exposure to naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater.

In present study, geophysical and geostatistical variability of ground water and agricultural soil investigated in the Jaipur region of Rajasthan (Western India) by applying the geographic information system (GIS), vertical electrical sounding (VES) ,and statistical analysis. Ground water and soil samples collected from different sites from the selected study area and variation pattern of quality parameters were assessed. A contour map analysis of distribution of metals and other contaminants in the samples was conducted using GIS. Maximum concentration of metals recorded in the soil samples in order of Fe, 11.25 mg kg-1 > Mn, 8.6 mg kg-1 > Zn, 7.2 mg kg-1 > Cu, 0.455 mg kg-1; however, maximum concentration of metals in the ground water samples was found as Zn, 2.64 mg L-1 > Cu, 0.86 mg L-1 > Fe, 0.39 mg L-1 > Mn, 0.18 mg L-1 > Pb, 0.065 mg L-1 > Ni, 0.016 mg L-1. Observed data emphasis variability in groundwater and soil quality parameter by PCA technique indicated 84.60% and 66.98% of variance, respectively. Soil quality index (SQI) value was observed as 0.482 indicating that 46% of soil sampling sites deteriorated and shown poor quality. Similarly, water quality index (WQI) value indicates good water quality at the sampling sites TW1, TW8, TW10, and TW12; however, TW3, TW4, TW6, TW19, TW20, and TW22 sites showed very poor water quality. The present study concludes that overexploitation of groundwater and unregulated discharge of wastewater leads to depletion of water and soil quality. Further, applying geographical and geostatistical techniques in assessing water and soil quality could be more effective tools in environmental monitoring and management for environmental and health safety.