Groundwater Hydrochemical Facies Research Articles

Hydrogeochemical assessment and spatial analysis of groundwater quality parameters in North West of Morocco

Global warming, population growth, agricultural intensification, and rising industrial productivity have affected groundwater quality. However, assessing groundwater quality enables us to understand the risk of contamination better and protect these natural resources in the long term. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the physicochemical parameters of groundwater for human drinking purposes in North West of Morocco and to identify their geogenic and/or non-geogenic origins through the use of graphical diagrams (Piper and Schoeller Berkaloff) and by GIS interpolation tools to recognize the main geochemical processes governing groundwater quality.For this purpose, the physico-chemical parametrs analyzed of groundwater in the Bouregreg basin and the southern part of the Sebou basin, using 51 water points in the study region’s rural area. Specific physicochemical water parameters (pH, TH, TAC, and electrical conductivity), cations (K+, Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+), and anions (Cl-, NO3–, HCO3– and SO42-) were measured and analyzed for human consumption. Piper diagrams and ArcGIS geoprocessing were used to identify groundwater hydrochemical facies and study the spatial distribution of estimated parameters concerning geology and anthropogenic factors.All the parameters measured were below the threshold values required by the WHO for human drinking water, except nitrates, recorded in one sample at a concentration of 88.75 mg/L. Piper and Schoeller Berkaloff diagrams show that strong acid (Cl-) and weak acid (HCO3–) appear considerably over the other acids (NO3– and SO42-). In contrast, most sources show no cation dominance. The Calcium and magnesium chloride facies (43 %) and Calcium-magnesium bicarbonate facies (35 %) are the most facies presnent in this stydy. Geoprocessing showed that the chemical composition of the various sampling points is governed mainly by lithological diversity, except for S35, which showed an anthropogenic origin.

Groundwater quality evaluation based on water quality indices (WQI) using GIS: Maadher plain of Hodna, Northern Algeria.

In a semi-arid region of Maadher, central Hodna (Algeria), groundwater is the main source for agricultural and domestic purposes. Anthropogenic activities and the presence of climate change's effects have a significant impact on the region's groundwater quality. This study's goals were to use water quality indices to evaluate the groundwater's quality and its suitability for drinking and irrigation, as well as to identify contaminated wells using a geographic information system (GIS) and the spatial interpolation techniques of ordinary kriging and inverse distance weighting (IDW). The results reveal that all water samples exceeded the World Health Organization's standards for nitrate ions and had alarming concentrations of calcium, chlorine, and sulfate (WHO). According to Piper's diagram, the groundwater hydrochemical facies is composed of the elements sulfate-chloride-nitrate-calcium (SO42--Cl-NO3--Ca2+ water type). The majority of samples fall into the poor water category, slightly more than 10% fall into the very poor water category, and less than 10% fall into the good to the excellent quality category, per the water quality indices, which classify samples in a similar manner. According to irrigation water indices, every sample is suitable for irrigation. Depending on the direction of groundwater flow, the spatial distributions of Ca2+, Na+, Mg2+, SO42-, and Cl- show that their concentrations are high north of the area and relatively low south of Maadher village (Fig.3). Nitrate concentrations are high in the majority of samples, particularly those close to the Bousaada wadi. In most samples, particularly those close to the Bousaada wadi, nitrate levels are high. Various water quality models were described, and GIS spatial distribution maps were created using standard kriging and inverse distance weighting (IDW) techniques through selected semi-variograms predicted against measurements. To determine the origin of mineralization and the chemical processes that take place in the aquifer-which include the precipitation and dissolution of dolomite, calcite, aragonite, gypsum, anhydrite, and halite-the groundwater saturation index was calculated.

Identifying the geochemical evolution and controlling factors of the shallow groundwater in a high fluoride area, Feng County, China.

Understanding how groundwater is formed and evolves is critical for water resource exploitation and utilization. In this study, hydrochemistry and stable isotope tracing techniques were adopted to determine the key factors influencing groundwater chemical evolution in Feng County. A total of fourteen wells and five surface water samples were investigated in November 2021. The δD and δ18O compositions show that both surface water and groundwater are recharged from atmospheric precipitation. The dominating order of cations and anions in groundwater appears to be Na+ > Mg2+ > Ca2+ > K+ and HCO3- > SO42- > Cl- > NO3- > F-, respectively. The groundwater hydrochemical facies are mainly characterized by HCO3-Ca-Mg and SO4-Cl-Na types. The chemical evolution of groundwater is dominated by water-rock interaction and cation exchange reactions. The major ions in groundwater are mainly controlled by various geogenic processes including halite, gypsum, calcite, dolomite, Glauber's salt, feldspar, and fluorite dissolution/precipitation. Furthermore, the abundant fluoride-bearing sediments, together with low Ca2+, promote the formation of high F- groundwater. Approximately 85.7% and 28.6% of groundwater samples exceeded the permissible limit for F- and NO3- respectively. Apart from geogenic F-, human interventions (i.e., industrial fluoride-containing wastewater discharge and agricultural phosphate fertilizer uses) also regulate the F- enrichment in the shallow groundwater. Nitrate pollution of the groundwater may be attributed to domestic waste and animal feces. Our findings could provide valuable information for the sustainable exploitation of groundwater in the study area and the development of effective management strategies by the authorities.

Characterization of the groundwater quality in Udham Singh Nagar of Kumaun Himalaya, Uttarakhand

The Udham Singh Nagar district is affluent in fertile land and water resources and even favoured for industrial advancement, resulting in a rapid increase of industrialization and urban growth, which are the inevitable causes of groundwater contamination. In recent years the increased rate of urbanization and Integrated Industrial Estate (IIE) in Pantnagar, Kashipur and Sitarganj area (of the district) have increased the demand for groundwater. Proper groundwater resource planning and monitoring on a regional scale are required to cope with the pace of rapid urbanization and industrialization along with dire irrigation needs. To suffice this strategy, the spatial distribution of water quality shall determine the sustainable approach to be implemented in an area. This research aims to assess the hydrochemical quality of the groundwater in Udham Singh Nagar district (areal extent 3055 Km2), Uttarakhand. The groundwater samples collected from the aquifer have shown anomalous values of Total Hardness (TH), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Magnesium (Mg2+), Iron (Fe), and Lead (Pb2+) on undergoing major elemental analysis, which confirms degradation in the groundwater quality. Moreover, the Piper Trilinear Diagram (PTD) has identified groundwater's hydrochemical facies and characterization. Based on the interpretation of TDS, most groundwater samples < 500 mg/L of dissolved solids, making it desirable for drinking. Therefore, this phenomenon attributes to suitable drinking water present in the aquifer of Udham Singh Nagar district, Uttarakhand.

Delineation of leachate plume migration and appraisal of heavy metals in groundwater around Emirin dumpsite, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

Leachate from solid waste has been identified as a major source of pollution that threatens groundwater resources worldwide. Thus, the leachate contamination status and the heavy metals health risk assessment of the Emirin dumpsite were investigated using integrated Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) and hydrochemical methods. The ERI survey comprised four 2-D profiles created with a dipole-dipole electrode array and a minimum electrode spacing of 5 m. Also, groundwater samples were collected from five wells around the dumpsite for hydrochemical analysis and the groundwater hydrochemical facies and irrigation parameters were evaluated. The health risk associated with heavy metals ingestion were as well assessed using health risk parameters such as average daily intake (ADIing), hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI). The inverted model from the ERI survey reveals thread of leachate incursion from the dumpsite identified as low resistivity signatures (<20 Ωm) within the thin porous overburden units overlying the fresh bedrock. Results of hydrochemical analysis reveal that the groundwater comprises of cations (K+>Na+>Ca2+>Mg2+) and anions (Cl−>HCO3−>SO42−) in relative abundance. Most physicochemical contents fall within the admissible World Health Organization (WHO) standards for drinking water and the groundwater hydrochemical facie reveals sodium-bicarbonate-chloride water type. However, the concentrations of nickel, iron, lead and chromium reported in this study are higher than the WHO prescribed standards, indicating that the groundwater is deteriorating, which could be attributed to leachate incursion from the nearby dumpsite. Irrigation indices suggest that groundwater sourced from the study area is suitable for agricultural purposes. The sequence of HQ due to heavy metals follows the order of Cr>Pb>Cu>Mn>Zn>Ni>Fe for both age population considered. While the HI values were estimated to be 1.93 for adults and 8.97 for children, implying that adults and children in the study area are prone to non-carcinogenic health challenges.

Application of geochemical modeling using NETPATH and water quality index for assessing the groundwater geochemistry in the south Wadi El-Farigh area, Egypt

Groundwater quality assessment is of utmost importance for water security in arid areas, such as south of Wadi El-Farigh due to deficiency of recharge, high evaporation rates and groundwater demand for agricultural and drinking utilities. The physicochemical parameters of 25 groundwater samples were investigated. Major ion occurrence was sequenced as Na+ ˃ Ca2+ ˃Mg2+ ˃K+ and Cl− ˃ SO42- ˃HCO3 − ˃ CO32- . The main groundwater hydrochemical facies was the (Na++K+) (Cl− + SO42-) type. The studied samples were fresh to brackish and weakly alkaline in nature. The chloro-alkaline indices demonstrate the exchange of Ca2+ and Mg2+ in groundwater with Na+ and K+ from the rock. The water quality index revealed that 80% of samples were appropriate for drinking, 8% were classified as poor, and 12% excellent. Depending on the calculated sodium absorption ratio, the studied samples were categorized as excellent for irrigation. All samples have a good level of residual sodium carbonate. The sodium absorption ratio and electric conductivity were plotted on the diagram of U.S. salinity laboratory and revealed that the moderate and high salinity with low sodium absorption ratio values could cause a negative impact on the crops. It is concluded that, silicate weathering, ion exchange and halite dissolution are the key factors affecting the chemical composition of water in the area of interest. So, the best solution would be to cultivate crops that are resistant to high salinity.

Natural and human-induced factors controlling the phreatic groundwater geochemistry of the Longgang River basin, South China

Abstract Groundwater chemical evolution is the key to ensuring the sustainability of local society and economy development. In this study, four river sections and 59 groundwater wells are investigated in the Longgang River (L.R.) basin in South China. Comprehensive hydrochemical analysis methods are adopted to determine the dominant factors controlling the chemical evolution of the local phreatic groundwater and the potential impact of human activities on groundwater quality. The results indicate that the ionic composition of the local phreatic groundwater is dominated by Ca2+ (0.9–93.8 mg/L), HCO3 − (4.4–280.0 mg/L), and SO4 2− (1.0–91.0 mg/L). Ca–Mg–HCO3, Ca–Na–HCO3, and Na–Ca–HCO3 are the major groundwater hydrochemical facies. Water–rock interactions, such as the dissolution of calcite and dolomite, are the primary source of the major ions in the local groundwater. Cation-exchange reaction has its effects on the contents of Ca2+, Mg2+, and Na+. Ammonia concentration of the sampling sections in the L.R. increases from 0.03 to 2.01 mg/L along the flow direction. Groundwater nitrate in the regions of the farmland is attributed to the lowest level of the groundwater quality standards of China, while the same test results are obtained for heavy metals in the industrial park and landfill, suggesting a negative impact of the anthropogenic activities on the local phreatic groundwater quality.

Using GIS methods for determining the spatial distribution of groundwater hydrochemical facies: a case study for a shallow aquifer in Fuyang, China

The determination of groundwater hydrochemical facies (GHF) is useful for analyzing the chemical composition of groundwater, tracking sources of groundwater recharge and assessing how its chemical composition changes along groundwater flowpaths due to water–rock interactions. This paper proposes a geographical information systems (GIS)-based method for identifying and mapping the spatial distribution of GHF categories in an aquifer. Several procedures including spatial interpolation, raster reclassification, raster-to-vector conversion, spatial union overlay, and generalization methods are coupled in GIS tools to determine the type and distribution of GHF categories. This method was implemented to distinguish shallow GHF categories for a shallow aquifer near Fuyang City in Anhui Province, China. The results obtained from the GIS assessment of water quality data from 30 wells show there were seven types of hydrochemical facies identified in the study area. The major GHFs categories are HCO3–Na + K + Ca + Mg, HCO3–Ca + Mg, HCO3–Na + K + Ca, and HCO3–Na + K, which cover 94% of the total area. The GIS method correctly identified the GHF categories determined in 80% of the wells in the area. The major GHFs categories progressively change in the direction of groundwater flow from HCO3–Ca + Mg to HCO3–Na + K+Ca + Mg, then to HCO3–Na + K + Ca, and then to HCO3–Na + K. The changes in the proportions of major ions in groundwater, coupled with salinity increases in the direction of groundwater flow are due to the combined effects of water–rock interactions in the aquifer and human activities. The method can relatively efficiently identify and map GHF zones for aquifers.

Analysis of the hydro-chemical characteristics and origin of the karst groundwater, East Jinan city

Understanding of the hydrochemical characteristics of the groundwater provides insight into the interaction of water with the environment. In this study, twenty-four groundwater samples were collected from study area analysed for various chemical parameters such as pH, K+, Na+, Ca1+, Mg2+, SO42−, HCO3−, Cl−, TDS, TH. The objective of the study was to determine the groundwater hydrochemical facies and the main hydrochemical processes of governing the groundwater chemistry. The groundwater samples fall within the Ca-Mg-HCO3 and Ca-Mg-Cl type in Piper trilinear diagram. Water-rock interaction and anthropogenic activities appear to be the major processes controlling the groundwater chemistry.

Analisis Karakteristik Hidrogeokimia Airtanah Di Pulau Koral Panggal, Kepulauan Seribu, DKI Jakarta

The small island has a very unique hydrological characteristics. The unique character are low rainfall, rain catchment narrow and high vulnerability to seawater intrusion. This study aims to (1) analyze the groundwater hydrogeochemistry facies in Panggang Cay and (2) to analyze the evolution of groundwater hydrogeochemistry in Panggang Cay. Data used include major element analysis results of the groundwater samples taken from the study site. Hidrogeochemistry fasies of groundwater determined the type of diagram analysis stiff, while the analysis of the hydrogeochemistry evolution of groundater analyzed using piper diagram. Groundwater hydrochemical facies in Panggang Cay is MgCl2 with hydrogeochemical evolution of CaCO3 into MgCl2. The evolution of hydrogeochemistry fasies that occur indicate the sea water intrusion process.

Characterization of the regional groundwater quality evolution in the North Plain of Jiangsu Province, China

Groundwater plays an important role as domestic water in the North Plain of Jiangsu Province, China with a total area of 6.37 × 104 km2. The characterization and evolution of regional groundwater quality were surveyed and discussed based on the field data, including 597 data collected in the 1980s and 1346 samples analyzed in the 2000s. The evolution of groundwater quality for phreatic, shallow and deep confined aquifers for more than two decades was discussed by comparing the distribution maps of TDS concentration and groundwater hydrochemical facies in different periods. Piper diagrams of water chemical composition showed that there were significant changes for the groundwater quality during the past 20 years, which is mainly attributed to two opposite effects from human activities. On the one hand, agricultural irrigation using the fresh surface water and exploration of the saline groundwater for domestic and industry usage lead to the desalination of groundwater in large-scale areas. On the other hand, groundwater pollution including human waste and heavy use of fertilizers lead to the deterioration of groundwater quality in local areas (e.g., the increase of TDS concentration is an obvious indicator). It is suggested that the groundwater, especially the shallow phreatic water, could be artificially diluted by groundwater exploration and usage, which may provide an important water source to make up for the serious shortage of living water in this study area. However, groundwater pollution such as from nitrogen needs to be controlled as a critical issue to be faced in the next step.

HYDROGEOLOGICAL AND HYDROGEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NATAL GROUP SANDSTONE, SOUTH AFRICA

The Palaeozoic age Natal Group Sandstone (NGS) that outcrops from Hlabisa (in the north) to Port Shepstone (in the south) and Greytown (to the west) to Stanger (to the east) in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, is investigated in terms of its hydrogeological characteristics. The NGS, which consists of a Lower Durban Formation and an Upper Mariannhill Formation, forms a secondary/fractured aquifer system that has variable to good productivity across its members. This aquifer is characterised by borehole yields ranging from 0.2 L/s to 25 L/s, with more than 50% of the boreholes having blow yields greater than 3 L/s. Preliminary analysis indicates that higher-yielding boreholes are associated with a network of intersecting fractures and faults, that are recommended targets for future borehole drilling in the area. Groundwater recharge increases from west to east and from north to south. The south-eastern sector receives up to 120 mm/a of recharge compared to the north-eastern sector where recharge declines to less than 30 mm/a. Depth to groundwater decreases southwards commensurate with an increase in the rate of recharge. The general direction of groundwater flow is eastwards, to the Indian Ocean. Groundwater in the NGS is of good quality in terms of major and trace element composition. The electrical conductivity (EC) values measured are mainly less than 100 mS/m except areas north of the Mhlathuze River where EC values as high as 449 mS/m have been determined. EC, total dissolved solids (TDS) and major ion contents in the sandstone aquifer groundwaters decrease from north to south, controlled by geochemical composition of the aquifer material, the rate of recharge and impacts of sugarcane cultivation. Groundwater hydrochemical facies are either Na-HCO 3 or Na-HCO 3 -Cl. The electrical conductivity increases from inland to the coastal zone, indicating marine influences. Environmental isotope data (δ 2 H, δ 18 O, tritium) indicate that the groundwater recharge is from modern precipitation.

Hidrogeoquímica do Arsênio e de Outros Constituintes Inorgânicos Presentes nas Águas Subterrâneas da Cidade de Ouro Preto-MG

Waters with As (arsenic) concentrations above the limits set by environmental control agencies are considered dangerous to human health. As is a toxic and carcinogenic element. The groundwater hydrochemical facies which was studied in Ouro Preto - Minas Gerais is a result of the interaction among different phases presented in the solution, particularly the ionic relationships which are established between the solid phase and the water. Low water mineralization is the result of interaction between weather conditions, rock constituents, relief, and dominant weathering processes. The types and quantities of the solubilized components in the water have been linked directly to their time of residence in the aquifers. Among the main cations, have been predominantly Na+ > Ca2+ > K+ > Mg2+. For the anions, the high presence of HCO3 - >> Cl- > SO4 2- > NO3 - offers water a bicarbonated feature that comes from the system, determined mainly by water circulation near the recharge are and terrain surface. The evolution of the As concentrations during the year occurs as a result of the hydrogeological reactions controlled by the redox potential Eh — pH. The pH values of the analyzed samples ranged from 5.93 to 7.92, with a mean value of 6.72. For Eh values were found between 335 and 532 mV and a mean value of 427. In diagram Eh — pH, under chemical balance conditions, it was found that the types of As presented have been controlled by the conditions of Eh — pH. The As5+ species of oxianions (H2AsO4 - and HAsO4 2-), predominate. The diagram shows that the analyzed waters are from environments close to contact with the atmosphere and that they are of pluvial origin, with circulation close to the topographic surface, which accumulates in a generally discontinuous way along the rock fissures. The main factors in the release, mobilization and evolution of As to the groundwater have been specific and particular to the areas of research, such as the hydrological, geochemic