Groundwater Assessment Research Articles

Surface Water and Groundwater Interaction in The Low Land Area of Parit Raja Johor from Isotope Measurement

The groundwater and surface water were analysed for stable isotopes (18O and 2H) to assess the interaction for water protection and management in the lowland area of Parit Raja, Johor. The plotted graph on the δ2H versus δ18O shows that the compositions of the surface water are seen to be evaporated. Since the compositions of δ2H and δ18O were more depleted than the precipitation, indicating that it had a minimum influence on the surface water. In the study, the δ2H of the groundwater was between −83.66 to –36.74 for δ2H and –11.45 to –4.96 for δ18O. These groundwater compositions were depleted compared to surface water, which indicates that in this area, groundwater sources may not be linked to the surface water. Instead, this groundwater was probably old groundwater that was influenced by ancient groundwater, where the weak connectivity between these sources was due to clay layers and interrupted aquifers. Since the top clay layer also plays some role in impeding the downward movement of water, it plays a role in the recharge process. In addition, the isotopic composition of groundwater was significantly more depleted than that of rainwater, indicating that this source was highly evaporated and could have originated from the seepage of meteoric water in the past. These results were expected to be useful for a better assessment of surface water and groundwater since the interaction is critical for water protection and management.

Heavy Metal Contamination and Risk Assessment of Soil and Groundwater around a Copper Tailing Mine in Fujian Province

Heavy Metal Contamination and Risk Assessment of Soil and Groundwater around a Copper Tailing Mine in Fujian Province

Hydrochemical Assessment of Groundwater and Dominant Water-Rock Interactions in Ooeides Aquifer System, North Greece

Hydrochemical Assessment of Groundwater and Dominant Water-Rock Interactions in Ooeides Aquifer System, North Greece

GIS-based hydrochemical assessment of groundwater in the Bakoya Massif, Northern Morocco

This research investigates the long-term and short-term toxicity of groundwater consumed by the population in a specific region, addressing the growing concern over groundwater pollution—particularly with heavy metals—as a significant environmental issue. The study conducts a comprehensive physicochemical analysis of water quality in the Bakoya massif, Al Hoceima, by examining thirty groundwater samples. Parameters such as pH, total dissolved solids (ranging from 559 to 3564 mg/l), and Electrical Conductivity (ranging from 747 to 4650 µS/cm) were measured. The fluoride concentration varied from 0.01 mg/l to 2.6 mg/l, surpassing the maximum allowable level of 1.5 mg/l for drinking water in Morocco in several samples. This study leverages GIS statistical analysis for hydrochemical distribution, providing insights into the mineralization processes affecting water quality. The findings highlight both natural and anthropogenic factors influencing the fluoride concentration, which remains within safe limits in most locations except for five wells. Additionally, arsenic and silicate concentrations were assessed, with arsenic exceeding the safe limit of 0.5 mg/l in two instances. This study underscores the critical need for ongoing monitoring and management of groundwater quality to safeguard public health and the environment.

Hydrogeochemical assessment of groundwater and surface water in Pomalaa District, Kolaka Regency, Southeast Sulawesi

Pomalaa is one of the area mining activities that significantly impact water quality due to increased concentrations of major elements. The research objective to analyze hydrogeochemical processes in groundwater and surface water in Pomalaa. The hydrogeochemical process is important to identify and control the process of groundwater and surface water interaction with minerals. The method used is geological and hydrogeochemical analysis based on the major elements. Sampling used random sampling. The primary data included 20 laboratory test samples and 3 drill log data. The secondary data included regional geological data. The Processing was conducted using RockWorks software and presented through the Kurlov Classification, Durov Diagram, Trilinear Piper Diagram, and Schoeller Diagram. The results of the Kurlov Classification and The Schoeller have shared a high cation content in Calcium and Magnesium and a high anion in Chloride and Sulfate. The high cation indicates geological formations contain Calcium and Magnesium. The high anion indicates rocks originating from the oceanic crust, formed due to high pressure and temperature, then exposed to the earth's surface due to tectonism. The Piper Diagram results show that the water is classified as alkaline earth water with higher alkaline content, predominantly Sulfate or Chloride. The Durov Diagram is classified as simple dissolution or mixing. The geological analysis results are consistent with the hydrogeochemical analysis, and the area shows the interaction between rocks and water in the study area. This research is important to provide information on geological water quality and hydrogeochemical analysis in Pomalaa.

Hydrogeochemical and qualitative assessment of groundwater in a southern Mediterranean region: an example of the Aïn Témouchent area (northwestern Algeria)

Abstract The present research aims to assess the hydrogeochemical processes, the suitability of groundwater for human consumption, and the influence degree of seawater intrusion of the coastal aquifers of the Aïn Témouchent region (northwestern Algeria). In this context, 29 groundwater samples were taken during April–May 2018 and analyzed for 11 physicochemical parameters. Piper and Chadha's diagrams allowed the identification of Na–Cl dominant hydrogeochemical facies and Ca (Mg)–Cl type facies, indicating the influence of salt water. Simpson's Index results highlighted that groundwater was slightly contaminated by saltwater. Obtained values of the seawater mixing index (SMI) and Cl−/(HCO3−), Na+/Cl− and Ca2+/Mg2+ ratios indicated the majority of the sampling sites are affected by seawater intrusion. The integration of the water quality index (WQI) spatial variation through the geographic information system (GIS) indicated that in the Southern part of the study region, and 55.2% of water samples are suitable as drinking water. Adversely, for the northern part, where groundwater is influenced by seawater intrusion, water sampling points fall into bad and very bad categories. The results of the study show that hydrogeochemical processes are responsible for the salinity of groundwater in the study area, in addition to marine intrusion.

Ethical reflections on groundwater in contaminated areas

Groundwater science has a well-known relationship with social issues when dealing with risk assessment, yet there is a lack of case studies on the topic. Here, we present reflections for dealing with two ethical challenges: (i) the access and use of public domain monitoring data and (ii) the dissemination of scientific research data and its controversial character. The case study is a long-term collaborative research project aiming to bridge the social and natural sciences to tackle ethical questions and their implications for technical reporting and scientific production in a highly contaminated area situated in Portugal. The method included comprehensive interviews with hydrogeologists within the common project, the consulting of documents and the collaborative analysis of situations in online meetings between sociologists and hydrogeologists. The interviews and formal discussions were recorded, transcribed and analysed. In the two cases related to groundwater assessment in contaminated areas we found that researchers refer to emotions and moral dilemmas when they come into regular contact with social actors. Results also show that a different kind of knowledge is produced in these cases and point to three types of researchers’ positionality. The significance of this paper is to encourage reflection and action on ethical issues in the scientific community and specifically in geoethics. Bringing researchers together to share their practice will help to disentangle some of the negative emotions and moral dilemmas of scientific practice and increase the attention researchers pay to other people’s points of view and interests so as to improve the robustness of scientific data.

Hydrogeochemical characteristics and quality assessment of surface and groundwater around Adudu-Abuni lead-zinc minefields, Northcentral Nigeria

ABSTRACTThis study aims to evaluate the effects of contaminants on the surface and groundwater resources in the mining communities of Adudu-Abuni, Central-Nigeria. Thirty-one (31) water samples including 21 surface (streams) and 10 groundwater were analyzed for physicochemical parameters (major cations, anions, and heavy metals) using the APHA (2011) and (ICP-MS) standard methods. Physicochemical analysis showed that the concentration of heavy metal for both surface and groundwater of the area in the following order of abundance Fe>Pb>Zn>Cu>Cr>Cd>As and Fe>Zn>Pb>Cu>Cr>Cd>As, respectively. High concentrations of the heavy metals in the surface and groundwater are attributed to anthropogenic activities; improper channeling of mine effluents into the environments, these effluents reacted via oxidation and dissolution process, making solutions (contaminants) infiltrate into the aquifer system. Results showed for both surface (67%) and groundwater (70%) waterfall within the rock weathering dominance for both anions and cations, with few exceptions who fall into the precipitation dominance, suggesting that rock–water interface is the primary influencer for both surface and groundwater chemistry. This deduced that rock weathering and precipitations are the principal factors controlling the water chemistry in the study areas. WQI analysis for groundwater shows that the northern axis of the area depicts poor water quality while the southern regions are good for drinking. Whereas surface water source from the southern zones is unsuitable for drinking, while those in the northern region are good. This is attributed to the proximity of Pb-Zn mines to the southern region because streams within this zone serve as repositories for mine effluents.

Contamination of Groundwater Assessment in Hard Rock Aquifer by Using Geographic Information System (Drastic Model) in the Thirumanimuthar Sub-basin, South India

Contamination of Groundwater Assessment in Hard Rock Aquifer by Using Geographic Information System (Drastic Model) in the Thirumanimuthar Sub-basin, South India

Hydrochemical Appraisal and Driving Forces of Groundwater Quality and Potential Health Risks of Nitrate in Typical Agricultural Area of Southwestern China

Elucidating the hydrogeochemical processes and quality assessment of groundwater holds significant importance for its sustainable development. In this paper, 53 groundwater samples were collected from a typical agricultural area in the northeastern Chongqing municipality in SW China. The integration of multivariate statistical analysis, ion ratio analysis, geomodelling analysis, the entropy water quality index, health risks assessment, and sensitivity analysis was carried out to explore the hydrochemical processes and quality assessment of groundwater in this study. The statistical results reveal that the cationic concentrations followed the order of Ca2+ > Mg2+ > Na+ > K+, while the anionic components were in the order of HCO3− > SO42− > NO3− > Cl−. Based on the Piper trilinear diagram, the hydrochemical types were shown as Ca-HCO3 and Ca-Mg-HCO3 types. Hierarchical cluster analysis indicated that the groundwater samples could be categorized into three groups. The hydrochemical compositions were primarily influenced by water–rock interactions (e.g., carbonate dissolution and silicate weathering). In terms of irrigation suitability, the sodium adsorption ratios (SARs) ranged from 0.05 to 1.82, and the electrical conductivity (EC) varied from 116 to 1094 μs/cm, indicating that most groundwater samples were suitable for irrigation. The entropy-weighted water quality index ranged from 15 to 94, suggesting that the groundwater samples were suitable for drinking purposes. Non-carcinogenic human health risks followed the order of children > adult females > adult males, within the average values of 0.30, 0.21, and 0.18, respectively. Sensitivity analysis showed that the parameters had the weight order of NO3 > body weight (BW) > ingestion rate (IR) > exposure frequency (EF). Hence, we recommend prioritizing the management of areas with high salinity levels, while avoiding the excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers, raising awareness among local residents about safe groundwater, and providing robust support for the sustainable development of groundwater in typical agricultural areas.

Assessing Groundwater Quality for Sustainable Drinking and Irrigation: A GIS-Based Hydro-Chemical and Health Risk Study in Kovilpatti Taluk, Tamil Nadu

The continuous investigation of water resources is essential to assess pollution risks. This study investigated a groundwater assessment in the coastal belt of Tamil Nadu’s Kovilpatti Taluk, Thoothukudi district. Twenty-one groundwater samples were collected during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons, analyzing water quality parameters, namely pH, EC, Cl−, SO42−, Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3−, TH, Na2+, and K+. The Water Quality Index (WQI) was computed and it is observed that 5% of pre-monsoon and 9% of post-monsoon samples were unsuitable for drinking. SAR, MHR, RSC, %Na and Kelley’s index were used to determine irrigation suitability. Pre-monsoon shows 29% (MHR) and 71% (RSC) unsuitable, and post-monsoon shows 59% (MHR) and 9% (RSC) unsuitable. Coastal activity, urbanization, and industrialization in Kovilpatti resulted in the degradation of groundwater quality. Solving this coastal issue requires sustainable wastewater treatment and strict industrial discharge guidelines. Spatial distribution plots, Box plots, Gibbs plots, Piper plots, Wilcox plots and Correlation Matrices had similar results to the computed WQI and its physical–chemical parameters. According to the human health risk assessment, the Mooppanpatti, Illuppaiurani, and Vijayapuri regions show high health risks due to the nitrate and fluoride concentration in the groundwater. Kadambu, Melparaipatti, Therkuilandhaikulam, and Vadakku Vandanam have low levels, posing a minimal health risk.

Stephen Foster and Radu Gogu. Groundwater assessment and management for sustainable water-supply and coordinated subsurface drainage: a guidebook for water utilities and municipal authorities

Stephen Foster and Radu Gogu. Groundwater assessment and management for sustainable water-supply and coordinated subsurface drainage: a guidebook for water utilities and municipal authorities

Hydrochemical Assessment of Groundwater from the Harrat Khyber Flood Basalts, Northwest Saudi Arabia.

The present study was carried out in the Harrat Khyber region of the Madinah province in Western Saudi Arabia. The objective of the study was to determine the main factors affecting groundwater chemistry and assess the impact of groundwater quality on human health with respect to nitrate, fluoride, and heavy metals (arsenic, chromium, copper, nickel, selenium, and zinc). Hydrochemical data for 70 groundwater samples from dug wells and bore wells from Harrat Khyber were interpreted to achieve the research objective. The groundwater chemistry is influenced by ion-exchange and the evaporation process. A wide variation in the concentration of various major ions is observed primarily due to the varied nature of the aquifer system which includes the unconsolidated wadi deposits, weathered-fractured basaltic aquifer system, and subbasaltic sedimentary aquifer system. The total hazard quotient (THQ) with respect to NO3 and F was determined. Although the F values are well within the limits of human consumption in water prescribed by WHO, the values of NO3 exceed the allowable limits in 50% of the groundwater samples. The average THQ values are 2.16, 2.92, and 2.34 for adults, children, and infants, respectively, which makes the water unsafe for human consumption. Six heavy metals (arsenic, chromium, copper, nickel, selenium, and zinc) were used to calculate the heavy-metal contamination index (HCI). The average HCI value is 19.505. Overall HCI calculation shows that the groundwater is unpolluted with respect to heavy metals. The heavy metals in water are mainly of geogenic origin.

Hydro-geochemical evolution, quality, and health risk assessment of groundwater in crystalline basement aquifer in Keffi, Nigeria

Hydro-geochemical evolution, quality, and health risk assessment of groundwater in crystalline basement aquifer in Keffi, Nigeria

Hydrochemical Characterization and Quality Assessment of Groundwater in the Southern Plain of Hebei Province, China

The purpose of this research was to understand the hydrogeochemical characteristics and assess the quality of phreatic and confined groundwater in southern Hebei Province. A total of 107 groundwater samples were collected, representing different aquifer conditions over the study area. Multivariate statistical analysis, hydrochemical maps, ionic ratio coefficients, geographic information system (GIS) and geochemical simulation were comprehensively and systematically used to reveal the hydrochemical characteristics of groundwater and its controlling mechanism. The results revealed that both phreatic (pH = 7.02–9.08) and confined groundwater (pH = 7.00–10.60) were slightly alkaline. The hydrochemical types were mainly present as the HCO3-Ca-Mg type in the western premontane area and mixed Ca-Mg-SO4-Cl and Na-Cl-SO4 types in the eastern plains. The hydrochemical composition was dominated by water–rock interactions of natural processes, including silicate weathering, dissolution of sulfate minerals (gypsum, anhydrite), and cation-exchange adsorption. Anthropogenic activities were the main factor causing NO3− content in some groundwater samples to exceed the geochemical baseline. The hydrogeochemistry of groundwater in different aquifers was significantly varied. The average contents of TH, TDS, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl− and SO42− in phreatic aquifers were significantly higher than those in confined aquifers. The Entropy Weighted Water Quality Index (EWQI) results revealed that 17.78% of phreatic and 50% of confined water samples were meeting the purpose of drinking water. The groundwater samples with EWQI values exceeding 100 were mainly situated in the Handan urban area and the eastern region of Xingtai City, which should be avoided for direct utilization and needs to be improved through protection and management measures, to enhance the quality of groundwater. Correlation analysis showed that groundwater quality was significantly dominated by TH, TDS, Na+, Mg2+, Cl− and SO42− concentrations.

Establishing a water baseline for the unconventional gas industry: A multiple environmental isotopes assessment (18O, 2H, 3H, 13C, and 14C) of surface and groundwater in the São Francisco Basin, Brazil

Unconventional hydrocarbon production has become the target of an intensive environmental debate due to the risks it poses to water resources. Fracking, while enabling the extraction of oil and gas from ultra-low permeability reservoirs, also possesses the risk of polluting water systems through failures from hydraulic fracturing and its associated procedures. The need to foster national industrial development with a transitional energy matrix has led Brazil to discuss the environmental suitability before producing its large unconventional reserves. Many studies have highlighted the need for a robust environmental characterization before the development of the unconventional industry. In this sense, multiple environmental isotopes may work as a proxy for identifying water contamination right from the early stages. Environmental isotopes may also be applied to enhance the understanding of the natural geochemical processes intrinsic to a given area. This study presents an environmental isotopes baseline for the groundwater and riverine water systems within the São Francisco Basin, a proven tight gas reservoir in Brazil, in a pre-operational context. δ18O, δ2H, 3H, δ13C, and Δ14C were evaluated in three different seasons in groundwater and surface water samples, along with other auxiliary parameters such as physical-chemical parameters (in situ), major ions, and d-excess. The δ2H and δ18O in surface water shows an upstream → downstream enrichment trend, with some variations suggesting baseflow interactions in the surface water systems. An evaporation line for the study area was defined as δ2H = 4.6903 δ18O + 10.362. δ13C indicates a mutual dissolution of silicates and carbonates in the groundwater system and suggests a group of samples highly related to the recharge areas. Groundwater dating denotes the Serra da Saudade Formation as a modern fractured aquifer with a strong recharge capacity. These findings support stakeholders in environmental monitoring and management of the unconventional gas industry.

Groundwater Assessment Using MIF Technique in a Small Basin of Malwa Region, Madhya Pradesh, India

Water, a vital natural resource and essential component for all living organisms, exists in two primary forms: surface water and groundwater. Groundwater, a significant global resource, is unevenly distributed worldwide. Enhancing groundwater recharge is a fundamental hydrological parameter for assessing, managing, and modelling groundwater resources. However, determining recharge rates is a complex and challenging task, despite its crucial role in recharge assessments. The current study has been conducted in northwest part of Madhya Pradesh. The Neemuch and Mandsaur district comes under semi-arid zones and faces the problem of scarcity of water annually. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate groundwater potential zones using an integrated approach using geospatial tools. Various thematic parameters i.e., slope, rainfall, geology, drainage density lineaments, geomorphology and soil were considered for identifying evaluate potential zones. Thematic maps were generated using SRTM DEM, Sentinel-2 Imagery, and Survey of India (SOI) toposheets at a scale of 1:50000. The selected thematic factors were integrated for the determination of the groundwater potential of the study area, with appropriate weightage factors given to different themes by means of the multi-influencing factor (MIF) approach. This process was repeated for other layers, resulting in reclassified layers. These layers were then combined to delineate zones classified as “very good”, “good”, “moderate”, “poor”, and “very poor” for groundwater potential. The assessment of groundwater potential information using geospatial techniques can aid in identifying suitable locations for providing safe drinking water to rural populations. This comprehensive integrated approach of RS and GIS in assessing groundwater potentiality offers valuable insights for effective identification of suitable areas to meet the potable water needs of rural communities.

Hydrochemical Assessment and Quality of Groundwater in Tchamba Prefecture, Upstream of the Mono River Basin, Togo

Hydrochemical Assessment and Quality of Groundwater in Tchamba Prefecture, Upstream of the Mono River Basin, Togo

Groundwater Quality Assessment Based on the Random Forest Water Quality Index—Taking Karamay City as an Example

In the past few decades, global industrial development and population growth have led to a scarcity of water resources, making sustainable management of groundwater a global challenge. The Water Quality Index (WQI) serves as a comprehensive method for assessing water quality and can provide valuable recommendations at the water quality level, optimizing policies for groundwater management. However, the subjectivity and uncertainty of the traditional WQI have negative impacts on evaluation outcomes, particularly in determining indicator weights and selecting aggregation functions. The proposed water quality index for groundwater based on the random forest (RFWQI) model in this study addresses these issues. It selects water quality indicators based on the actual pollution situation in the study area, employs an advanced random forest model to rank water quality indicators, determines indicator weights using the rank centroid method, scores the indicators using a sub-index function designed for groundwater development, and compares the results of two commonly used aggregation functions to identify the optimal one. Based on the aggregated scores, the water quality at 137 monitoring sites is classified into five levels: “Excellent”, “Good”, “Medium”, “Poor”, or “Unacceptable”. Among the 11 water quality indicators (sodium, sulfate, chloride, bicarbonate, total dissolved solids, fluoride, boron, nitrate, pH, CODMn, and hardness), chloride was given the highest weight (0.236), followed by total dissolved solids (0.156), and sodium was given the lowest weight (0.008). The random forest model exhibits a good prediction capability before hyperparameter tuning (86% accuracy, RMSE of 0.378), and after grid search and five-fold cross-validation, the optimal hyperparameter combination is determined, further improving the performance of the random forest model (94% accuracy, F1-Score of 0.967, AUC of 0.91, RMSE of 0.232). For the newly developed groundwater sub-index function, interpolation is used to score each indicator, and after comparing two aggregation functions, the NSF aggregation function is selected as the most suitable for groundwater assessment. Overall, most of the groundwater in the study area was of poor quality (52.5% of low quality) and not suitable for drinking.

Vulnerability Assessment of Groundwater Impacted by Wastewater Receiving Ponds: A Case Study in Roorkee, Northern India

Groundwater is an important drinking water source increasingly threatened by reduced groundwater recharge and direct or indirect contamination. Aquifers recharged by surface water bodies can get contaminated through seepage from already impacted surface water bodies. In the present study, various models were used to assess the vulnerability of groundwater intended for public use to contamination by local wastewater-receiving ponds (WRPs). The water quality parameters and water quality index (WQI) were analyzed for two WRPs (Sites A and B) and hand pumps located in their vicinity. Fourteen water quality parameters were measured for both the groundwater and WRPs and compared with the vulnerability models for the two WRPs. Four vulnerability models—GOD, DRASTIC, ASSIGN, and LeGrand models that used the land-use characteristics, depth to groundwater, soil type, slope, and precipitation data—were employed. The results of the vulnerability assessment agreed with the WQI (p-value < 0.05) for the LeGrand model. The performance of GOD, DRASTIC, and ASSIGN models was disappointing. The water quality was unsuitable for human use in both the WRPs and the groundwater sampled from their vicinity. The WQI ranged from 49 to 62, indicating poor-to-medium water quality for both groundwater aquifers. The results of LeGrand’s model confirmed that Sites A and B were vulnerable to water quality deterioration because of surface water contamination. There was a significant negative correlation between WQI and LeGrand’s vulnerability index for Site A (p-value = 0.0145, r = −0.682) (Pearson’s correlation) and Site B (p-value = 0.0013, r = −0.813) (Pearson’s correlation). It better suits to represent transient conditions of the groundwater, that is, varying groundwater levels and water table gradients.