Hydrochemical Characteristic Research Articles

Double verification and quantitative traceability: A solution for mixed mine water sources

Accurate identification of mine water sources is one of the keys to safe coal mining. However, conventional water source identification methods rely on groundwater-level responses and hydrochemical characteristics. The identification results often have multiple interpretations, lack verification of the actual situation, and cannot trace source quantitatively for mixed water sources. In this paper, we propose a new double verification and quantitative traceability (DV-QT) method. The double verification consists of verification and the consistency of water source identification results based on conventional methods and verification of the rationality of both the water source identification results and the inrushing water channel results. When the verification fails, the groundwater-level or hydrochemical data shall be analyzed in depth, or the hydraulic connection between groundwater in the channel and water source needs to be determined. The quantitative traceability includes the multivariate mixing and mass balance calculations (M3) that calculate the proportion of water sources. Through an example application, the proposed method identified the causes of the identification error of the traditional hydrochemical characteristic analysis method, that is, the hydrochemical evolution process during water inrush cannot be ignored, and allowed for accurate water source identification and quantitative mine water traceability. The new approach is especially useful for mixed water sources and in mines with complicated hydrogeological conditions.

Mapping the impacts of the anthropogenic activities and seawater intrusion on the shallow coastal aquifer of Port Said, Egypt

The quality and quantity of groundwater resources have been continuously deteriorating as a result of anthropogenic activities and their excessive usage. This has intensified seawater intrusion, particularly in the coastal area of Egypt. The management of this issue and preventing ongoing groundwater contamination are crucial responsibilities. Thus, an integrated strategy using remote sensing, geophysical technique, and hydrogeochemical analysis is used in this work to identify the causes of degradation and evaluate their impacts on the groundwater quality in East Port Said, Egypt. The following points were identified: 1) Remote sensing analysis between 1984 and 2015 showed an increase in anthropogenic activities, such as the construction of fish farms and vegetation, which became their areas of 12.5 and 37.8 km2 respectively. 2) Field observations demonstrated that the groundwater resources are being overexploited and it is expected that these human activities could have an impact on the groundwater quality. 3) The results of the resistivity approach indicated that sand and clay constitute the underlying layers and the shallow subsurface strata contain a high concentration of saline water. As a result, the aquifer is vulnerable to seawater intrusion due to its homogeneity. 4) Nineteen samples of groundwater were collected from the shallow Quaternary aquifer and the hydrochemical characteristic of the samples was identified. The hydrochemical analysis showed that the groundwater across the research area is of the Na-Cl water type and is highly saline (from 7,558 to 23,218 mg/L). By integrating the aforementioned techniques, it is evident that the research region is affected by anthropogenic activities as well as seawater intrusion on groundwater quality. These results serve as a solid base for further research on groundwater-surface water interactions and the evaluation of possible sources of contamination in the shallow aquifers under stress from anthropogenic activity in such environments.

Chemical Hydrological Features and Water Quality Evaluation of Phewa Lake of Pokhara Valley Gandaki Province of Nepal

This study was conducted to investigate the hydrochemical characteristics and water quality of Phewa lake Pokhara. Water samples were collected and major hydrochemical features were analyzed viz., Transparency, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), total alkalinity (TA), total hardness(TH), dissolved oxygen (DO), microbial analysis (MA), nitrate (NO3¯), phosphate (PO43¯), ammonia(NH3), sulfate (SO42¯), chloride(Cl¯), iron(Fe2+/Fe3+), phosphorus (P) and dissolved solids (DS). The obtained values of the hydrochemical characteristic of lake water have been compared with the world health organization (WHO). The presence of phosphate concentration and the hardness in Phewa lake is higher than the WHO value indicating the problem of rapid eutrophication. This indicates that Phewa lake water has more magnesium and calcium soluble salt. Thus, the rapid eutrophication and higher concentration of organic matter could be a serious problem for lake sustainability. Various types of natural and anthropogenic activities like agricultural runoff, urbanization, discharge of domestic sewage, solid waste dump, and industrial effluent are the major problem for lake sustainability.

Biochemical activity of marine yeast bottom sediments of Sevastopol bays (Black Sea)

Fungi in marine environments, including yeasts, are far less studied than fungi in terrestrial environments, not only in Black Sea but also all over the world. The data about the biochemical activity of marine yeasts are presented. Yeast strains were able to be isolated from bottom sediments of three Sevastopol bays (Karantinnaya bay, Kruglaya Bay, and Yuzhnaya bay) during a sanitary-ecological survey of department of marine sanitary hydrobiology IBSS. We have showed hydrochemical characteristic of the studied area based on the literature review. The isolates grew well in a medium composed of sugars (glucose, lactose), in vitro ability to degrade starch and peptone. In addition, they used oil and petroleum hydrocarbons as the only source of carbon and energy actively. The indigenous microflora in heavily polluted environments faces a regular threat from pollutants and has therefore evolved the necessary enzymatic setup for their detoxification.

Hydrochemical Characteristic and Their Controlling Factors in the Yarkant River Basin of Xinjiang

In this study, the hydrochemical characteristics of surface water in the Yarkant River Basin of Xinjiang and their controlling factors were analyzed using a Piper trilinear diagram, Gibbs diagram, saturation index, ion proportional relationship, and other methods. The study has significance to the surface water resources in the basin for development and utilization. The results indicated that the pH of the surface water ranged from 7.40 to 8.33, with a mean value of 7.92, which was weakly alkaline. The mean value of the total dissolved solids (TDS) of the river, canal, and reservoir water exhibited an increasing trend. The TDS mean of the river was 429.24 mg·L-1, higher than the average value of rivers worldwide (115 mg·L-1). The hydrochemical types of the river water were predominantly HCO3·SO4-Ca·Na and SO4·HCO3·Cl-Ca·Na·Mg types, of the canal water was mainly HCO3·SO4·Cl-Ca·Na type, and of the reservoir water was mostly the SO4·Cl-Na·Ca type. The TDS of the river water along the Yarkant River and Tiznap River demonstrated a continuous increase and fluctuation trend, respectively, while the variation of the primary ions was relatively complex. The primary ions of surface water were mostly influenced by rock weathering, evaporation crystallization, and cation exchange, in which gypsum and rock salt were predominantly dissolved in the process of rock weathering. In addition, human activities had significant effects on the chemical composition of the surface water downstream.

Hydrochemical characteristics of water bodies of the Moscow chanal and the Volga-Baltic system

Based on the results of field research in the summer of 2018 a hydrochemical characteristic of the current state of the Moscow Canal and the Volga-Baltic system was carried out. The spatial change in the ionic composition of water and the content of dissolved forms of trace elements in the area from Moscow to Petrozavodsk was analyzed. The dynamics of the microelement composition was characterized and the stability of the ionic composition of water over a long-term observation period was shown.

Surveillance of groundwater quality of selected rural and industrial areas of Coimbatore: A GIS Approach

Ground water is the water present inside the solid surface in the pore soil space. In cities, the people use ground water for their domestic use, in village the people use ground water for the agriculture process. Industries use ground water for their production purpose. The present study has been carried out to evaluate hydrochemical characteristic of ground water of Coimbatore district, TamilNadu, India. Geographical information system (GIS) has been applied to visualize the spatial distribution of groundwater quality in the study area. Twenty different samples were collected and analyzed for different hydrochemical parameters. The ground water in the study area is alkaline in nature. Nine samples within the area have more than maximum level of total dissolved solids. Five samples are having sodium in above maximum allowable limit. Only six samples have permissible limit in potassium in the area. Based on chloride, 90% of samples are within permissible limit. In total hardness, seven samples were exceed the allowable limit. In this agriculture area and industrial area water qualities are not much different maybe all agriculture area also has some industries or dump yard is a reason. The results obtained in this study and the spatial database established in GIS will be helpful for monitoring and managing ground water pollution in this study area.

Exploration and application of hydrochemical characteristics method for quantification of pollution sources in the Danjiangkou Reservoir area

The quantification of point source (PS) pollution and non-point source (NPS) pollution in different regions is needed so that targeted management strategies for water environment managers can be prepared. The aim of this study was to establish a method for quantifying PS and NPS pollution by measuring ion concentrations. The Danjiangkou Reservoir and its main tributaries were selected as the study area. The spatiotemporal variation in the concentration of nutrients and ions was analyzed. The results showed that the main ions did not display any distinct spatiotemporal variations on the reservoir, but spatiotemporal variations were evident in the tributaries: Mg2+, Na+, SO42− and Cl− were lowest in the wet season, K+ was highest in the dry-to-wet transition season, and Si was highest in the wet season. We selected Cl−/TN, SO42−/TN, and Na+/TN as PS pollution tracking indicators and K+/TN, Ca2+/TN, and Si/TN as NPS pollution tracking indicators. The mean contribution rate of NPS pollution calculated using Cl−/TN, Na+/TN, and Si/TN, and by the isotope approach, had a significant linear relationship (p < 0.01). Therefore, Cl−/TN, Na+/TN and Si/TN were used to quantitatively assess the pollution sources. The calculated results indicated the TN load was dominated by the NPS pollution, and the average contribution rates of NPS of TN in the tributaries from the dry season to the wet season were 79%, 83%, and 93%, respectively. The TN load of NPS was highest during the wet season with a maximum value over 400 × 10−3 t a−1 km−2, while the TN load of PS was highest during the dry season with a maximum value of 39.3 t a−1. This study provides a new approach to the quantitative analysis of pollution sources by using hydrochemical characteristic ion indicators.

Seasonal variation of hydrochemical characteristics of open-pit groundwater near a closed metalliferous mine in O’Kiep, Namaqualand Region, South Africa

In this study, the hydrochemical characteristic changes of open-pit groundwater (OPGW) near a closed metalliferous mine proposed for drinking and irrigation usage were investigated. Water samples from an OPGW in O’Kiep were collected in April (dry season) and August (wet season), 2017. Data analysis methods, such as the coefficient of variation, correlation coefficient, piper trilinear plot analysis and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) among others were used to assess of the seasonal variation in the OPGW quality. The hydrochemical characteristics of the OPGW were also compared with drinking water guidelines. Based on the results, it was evident that the OPGW quality varied seasonally. The most abundant cation and anions were Ca2+ and SO42−, with recorded concentrations of 631 and 6020 mg/L, (dry season); 541 and 4450 mg/L (wet season), respectively. The OPGW was relatively rich in SO42− > Cl− > Mg2+ > Ca2+ > Na+ > K+ during the dry season; however, these cations and anions were reduced during the wet season with Cl− and Na+ subsequently increasing. PHREEQC indicated that cation exchanges played a significant role in the OPGW chemistry with Sb and Ca appearing to be the minerals with the highest precipitation potential followed by Cu7S4 and Blaubleil, respectively. Covellite, CdSe2 and NiSe were likely to be in equilibrium while Ca3Sb2 will remain in a dissolution state. Furthermore, the seasonal fluctuation in the OPGW quality characteristics was attributed to the water table level fluctuations and the water quality did not satisfy the guidelines stipulated by the South African National Standard, SANS241-1 (2015) and World Health Organisation, WHO (2011). The trilinear piper plot classified the OPGW into three types: Ca2+–Mg2+–Cl−–SO42; Ca2+–Mg2+–F−; and Ca2+–Mg2+–SO42−. Overall, the SAR values were within the permissible levels for irrigation purposes; however, long-term use of the OPGW might be detrimental for plant growth.

Hydrochemical characteristics and irrigation suitability of surface water in the Syr Darya River, Kazakhstan

The surface water hydrochemistry of the Syr Darya River in Kazakhstan was investigated at 39 locations to analyze regional hydrochemical characteristics and evaluate the irrigation suitability of the studied regions. The cations in the surface water are mainly Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+, while the anions are mainly SO42−. The main hydrochemical type is Ca-Mg-SO4-Cl. From the perspective of natural factors, the hydrochemical characteristics in the study area are derived from the dual effects of rock weathering and evaporation-concentration; however, the influence of anthropogenic factors include industrial and agricultural production near the river and the inflow of urban domestic sewage on the hydrochemical characteristic is also present. The irrigation suitability evaluation of the surface water based on SAR, Na% and KI showed that the majority of the water is suitable for irrigation, and from the TDS content analysis, 71.43% of the samples are in a critical state, indicating that the influence of TDS concentration on irrigation suitability cannot be ignored. The results have practical significance for maintaining the sustainable use of water resources in the Syr Darya River.

Geochemical factors controlling the occurrence of high-fluoride groundwater in the western region of the Ordos basin, northwestern China

Hydrogeochemistry and isotope hydrology were carried out to investigate the spatial distribution of fluoride (F−) and the mechanisms responsible for its enrichment in the western region of the Ordos basin, northwestern China. Sixty-two groundwater samples from the unconfined aquifer and fifty-six from confined aquifer were collected during the pre-monsoon (June 2016). Over 77% of groundwater samples from the unconfined aquifer (F− concentration up to 13.30 mg/L) and approximately 66% from confined aquifer (with a maximum F− concentration of 3.90 mg/L) exhibit F− concentrations higher than the Chinese safe drinking limit (1.0 mg/L). High-F− groundwater presents a distinctive hydrochemical characteristic: a high pH value and HCO3− concentration with Ca-poor and Na-rich. Mineral dissolution (e.g., feldspar, calcite, dolomite, fluorite), cation exchange and evaporation in the aquifers predominate the formation of groundwater chemistry, which are also important for F− enrichment in groundwater. Mixing with unconfined groundwater is a significant mechanism resulting in the occurrence of high-F− groundwater in confined aquifer. These findings indicate that physicochemical processes play crucial roles in driving F− enrichment and that may be useful for studying F− occurrence in groundwater in arid and semi-arid areas.

Laboratornye issledovaniya osnovnogo komponentnogo sostava gipergalinnykh ozer

Introduction. Composition of water is an important hydrochemical characteristic of a salt water body. It is very important in shaping the conditions for the ecosystem functioning. This factor should be taken into account in determining water salinity since salinity measurements carried out by the standard oceanologic equipment using electrical conductivity in the water where the ion ratio is different from that in the oceanic water results in significant errors. Data and methods. Described are the analytical methods for laboratory determining the chlorides, sulfates, calcium, magnesium and total dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations using potentiometric titration, the potassium content – by the gravimetric method. These methods are adapted for hyperhalin waters the ion-salt composition of which is different from that of the oceanic one. The method’s error (relative deviation) did not exceed 1.7% for halogens, 4% for sulfates, 1.5% for carbonate ions, 0.7% for bicarbonate ions, 4% for calcium ions, 3,2% for magnesium and 1.3% for potassium. Results. The components of main chemical composition of the hypergaline reservoirs, namely the Aral and Dead seas, and the Lake Urmia are obtained. Salinity of these water bodies represented by total amount of the basic ions is defined. Discussion and conclusion. The natural basins under study represent the terminal lakes characterized by high water salinity, which is many times higher than that of the ocean water. The ratios of the main ions in the studied sources differ from each other significantly as well as from the similar ratios in the world ocean.

Hydrochemical characteristic and water quality assessment for drinking and agricultural purposes in District Jacobabad, Lower Indus Plain, Pakistan

Undeniably water is of utmost importance while considering basic necessities. This investigation emphasized on the hydrochemical evaluation and drinking water quality assessment in District Jacobabad located in lower Indus plain, Pakistan. Certainly world's largest irrigation system emerged from Indus Basin, which is underlain by well transmissive aquifer resulting in higher water table. Water supply schemes with their water sources from ground water and surface water provide piped water for drinking purpose to the community. Water samples were collected from all the forty eight supply schemes of which thirty two were found nonfunctional. Analytical parameters were compared with World Health Organization (WHO) and Pakistan Water Quality Standards but adversely substantial samples were found nonpotable. Alkalinity, bicarbonate and nitrate met the standard safe limits while values for EC, TDS, hardness, cations and anions exceeded the limits in numerous samples. SPSS and ArcGIS softwares were used for statistical analysis and spatial distribution of parameters. Hydrochemical facies were developed and suitability assessment of water resources was examined for agricultural use. The ground water type was classified as Na-HCO3 type with high salinity and it required treatment prior to irrigation. The proposed research exhibited the probable drinking water contamination sources and it demanded instant actions to further protect the valuable drinking water resources in District Jacobabad. Keywords: water quality assessment, water supply schemes, drinking and agriculture, arsenic, ArcGIS, Pakistan DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20181102.2747 Citation: Shahab A, Qi S H, Zaheer M, Rashid A, Talib M A, Ashraf U. Hydrochemical characteristics and water quality assessment for drinking and agricultural purposes in District Jacobabad, Lower Indus Plain, Pakistan. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2018; 11(2): 115–121.

Arsenic enrichment in groundwater in southern flood plain of Ganga-Son interfluves

Arsenic contamination is extensively present in the Holocene alluvial aquifer of middle plain of Ganga. Arsenic concentration in most of the public supply networks exceeds the maximum allowable limit of 50 μg/l (BIS 2003) for drinking water. The primary purpose of this work is to find out the hydrochemical characteristic of groundwater and identify the process of controlling the arsenic contamination and possible relationship among arsenic and other elements through factor analysis. High concentrations of As, Fe and NO3 are responsible due to the redox process and anthropogenic activity. The depth profile of As shows that As depleted with depth and concentration of NO3 is low associated with higher As. Piper Trilinear diagram shows hydrochemical facies categorize into three groups: (a) Ca–HCO3, (b) Na–Ca–HCO3 and (c) Na–HCO3. Dominance of Ca–HCO3 over SO4 + Cl indicates that high recharge phenomena is operated in groundwater sample of study area. According to the Eh-pH diagram, Arsenate (V) and Arsenite (III) are both type of species present in groundwater sample. The poor relationship between As and Fe indicates that, process of releasing As in groundwater are reduction of arseniferous iron hydroxide coupled to precipitation of Fe as FeCO3 when anoxic conditions develop during microbial oxidation of sedimentary organic matter. Multivariate statistical analysis reveals the relationship between different elements. Correlation matrix suggested that strong positive pair association between As–pH, NO3–Cl and Na–Cl etc. are responsible due to carbonate and silicate weathering with some anthropogenic activity. The present study shows that the As concentration in groundwater sample in the study area does not only make alarm but also calls for the immediate action.

CURRENT STATE OF THE ECOSYSTEM OF THE LAKE SABYNDYKOL

The ecological condition of an ecosystem of the lake Sabyndykol is analysed, the hydrological and hydrochemical characteristic of a reservoir is given. Biological diversity of phytoplankton, phytobenthos, zooplankton, zoobenthos, fish fauna, coastal and water vegetation is revealed. Ground deposits of lake ecosystem are considered. The processes of instruction and shallowing of a reservoir which have amplified recently are considered. It is proved that the drain of flood and storm waters from the nearby settlement leads to water pollution. The cattle grazing on the lake coast promotes violation and destruction of coastal vegetation. Practical recommendations of nature protection character are suggested.

Comparison on the Hydrogeochemical Characteristics of Typical Karst Groundwater System in Southwest China, a Case of Qingmuguan and Laolongdong in Chongqing

To study the hydrogeochemical characteristics of southwestern typical karst underground river influenced by different land-use types and human activities, underground rivers of Qingmuguan and Laolongdong, which have similar geological background in Chongqing, were contrastively analyzed from the scale of monthly and rainfall event variation. By the means of independent t-test and principal component analysis(PCA), the results showed that ions of Ca2+, HCO3-, Mg2+, K+, NO3-, Na+, SO42-, Cl- and conductivity were distinctly different at the outlet of the two observed underground rivers, Jiangjia spring and Laolongdong. Compared with Laolongdong, Jiangjia spring showed larger monthly variation range and mean concentrations of K+, NO3-, but ions of Na+, SO42-, Cl- showed an opposite trend. Water-rock interaction played an important role in the hydrogeochemical characteristics and variations of two observed karst underground rivers. Qingmuguan underground river was mainly affected by agricultural activities, while Laolongdong underground river was dominantly influenced by urban and industrial activities. Owing to the difference in manner and intensity of human activities, the two observed karst underground river systems responded differently during a single rainfall event. The variation of water chemical indicators that highly corresponded to discharge at Jiangjia spring were relatively disordered at Laolongdong. It was shown that the hydrogeochemical characteristic of Qingmuguan was primarily influenced by soil erosion and agricultural activities, followed by water-rock interaction, while the hydrochemical characteristic of Laolongdong was dominantly influenced by water-rock interaction, followed by urban activities, industrial activities and soil erosion.

Hydrochemical characteristic of sapropels in Novosibirsk oblast

Sapropels of lake systems in Novosibirsk oblast were studied to develop a scientific basis for their rational use. Sapropels from lakes in Novosibirsk oblast have been classified based on the ash content, chemical composition, and genesis. Organic–mineral and mineral–organic calcium and mixed sapropels of macrophyte and macrophyte–plankton genesis have been shown to be predominant by far among sapropel deposits in lakes in Novosibirsk oblast.

Modeling the impact of groundwater depletion on the hydrochemical characteristic of groundwater within Mullusi carbonate aquifer-west Iraq

The study of groundwater impact on the hydrochemical characteristic of groundwater within Mullusi aquifer, west Iraq was conducted using the chemical analysis results in 14 production wells and groundwater levels observation in 17 water wells. The interpretation of hydrochemical phenomena related to ions sources was determined based on spatial analysis maps of various hydrochemical ratios using ArcGis software. The study also determined the relation of groundwater velocity and static water levels with the hydrochemical ratios using statistical application of Curve expert v1.3 program. The variations of ion concentration were examined using the statistical significant differences for chemical constituents of water within Mullusi aquifer. The impact of dewatering due to high exploitation was explained by increasing the magnesium and chloride concentrations and lowering static water levels. Magnesium and chloride concentration may reach their maximum limits for drinking at a groundwater level of 485 m asl. Accordingly, any decline in the water level of Mullusi aquifer that occurs from 4.5 to 30.5 m may cause deterioration in groundwater quality. This study modeled the effect of groundwater depletion on the groundwater quality in a theoretical equations approach.

Hydrochemical and isotopic study of groundwater in Wadi El Hechim–Garaa Hamra basin, Central Tunisia

Hydrochemical and isotopic study of Miocene and Mio-Plio-Quaternary (M-P-Q) aquifers in Wadi El Hechim–Garaa Hamra basin, Central Tunisia was undertaken in order to investigate recharge mode and processes leading to mineralization of groundwater as well as interaction between both systems. The results revealed striking differences between the two aquifer systems. While the Miocene aquifer contains recently recharged waters with generally low mineralization (around 0.5 g L−1), stemming mainly from dissolution of carbonate minerals, the M-P-Q aquifer reveals TDS values reaching 3 g L−1, controlled mainly by dissolution of evaporitic minerals. Isotopic data indicate that the Miocene aquifer contains water recharged in past several decades (bomb tritium and bomb radiocarbon detected). The M-P-Q system appears to be much slower, with time scales of groundwater flow possibly reaching some thousands of years. Sharp discontinuity of hydrochemical and isotope characteristic of groundwater observed across the major tectonic fault separating the Miocene and M-P-Q aquifers supports the idea of very limited (if any) hydraulic interconnection between both studied systems. This in turn calls for revision of existing conceptual models of groundwater flow in the region postulating significant groundwater fluxes crossing the fault in the direction of M-P-Q aquifer and adjacent aquifers in the Wadi al Fakka plain.

Hydrochemical characteristic of mineral springs in Southwestern Transbaikalia

The results of studying mineral springs in Southwestern Transbaikalia are given. Physicochemical equilibria are calculated for balneologically active components (fluorine, silicon) with the aim to reveal the role of dissolution and precipitation of minerals in the formation of mineral water chemistry. A typification of springs is proposed.