Hydrogeochemical Assessment Of Groundwater Research Articles

Hydro-geochemical assessment of ground water for drinking and agricultural purposes and potential human health risk in Aligarh city, India

Health effects are related globally to water quality. The residents of Aligarh city are solely rely on groundwater for drinking and domestic purposes. The aim of the study was to find out association between ground water quality and water borne diseases. For this purpose, the present study evaluated physicochemical quality of drinking water. The water quality was evaluated for both pre-monsoon (PRM) and post-monsoon (POM) seasons based on samples collected from 19 stations. To find the potential health risk and waterborne diseases vulnerability, questionnaires-based survey was carried out. Although most of the samples range slightly above the Bureau of Indian Standard's (BIS) permissible limit, the results revealed the sign of contamination from the surface of the earth. According to result of water quality index, the city is classified as having well to moderate water quality throughout the year. The correlation, HCA, and Trilinary plot demonstrate that natural pollution sources, human activities, and geographical factors affecting water quality in the study area. During PRM, 84.21% area falls under slight to moderate sodium hazard category where as the result gets better during POM where 68.42% area falls under the same category. Overall, the water was fit to be used for irrigation purposes. The accuracy of WBD's susceptibility maps was assessed by RMSE. During PRM, chemical parameters in groundwater, WQI and WBD's RMSE were found to be 0.1483, 0.3157 and 0.212 whereas during POM the results were 0.1822, 0.3172 and 0.1966, respectively. The results obtained from susceptibility assessment shows that drinking water will not have any major waterborne diseases. However, the result revealed that POM season is more vulnerable to some waterborne diseases than the PRM season.

Hydrogeochemical Assessment of Groundwater around Gauta, Central Nigeria

The present study was aimed at assessing the hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater with a view to identifying key processes controlling groundwater chemistry and in so doing identify any quality concerns. A total of 30 water samples were analysed for concentrations of major ions (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, SO4 2-, HCO3 - , CO3 - and Cl- ); while in-situ measurements of pH, temperature, total dissolved solids TDS and electrical conductivity EC were made. Conventional graphical plots (Gibbs, Piper, and ionic ratios) of ionic concentrations in the groundwater were used to characterize water Facies and identify major processes responsible for the ionic assemblage. The study area is underlain by two main rock types, schist and gneiss. Dominance of cations is in the order: Na+>Ca2+>Mg2+>K+; while that of the anions is in the order: HCO3 - >SO4 2-> Cl- >CO3 - . Groundwater in the study area is characterized by four types: Na-Cl type (33%); Mixed Ca-Mg-Cl type (30%); Mixed Ca-Na-HCO3 type (27%) and Mg-HCO3 type (10%). Gibbs plot indicated that the ions were mainly sourced from rock-water interaction through dissolution and leaching of the gneisses and schists of the study area. However, relatively high concentration of Cl may be due to anthropogenic activities, hence the Na-Cl water type. In terms of quality for domestic purposes, concentrations of analyzed ions and the physical parameters are within the permissible limits of both WHO and SON (NSDWQ, 2007), with the exception of a few locations that had high pH (up to 9.2) and another location with a high TDS concentration (1040mg/L). Assessment for irrigation purposes using indices such as SAR, PI, RSC and %Na show that most of the groundwater samples were suitable for use as source of water for irrigation.

Hydrogeochemical Assessment of Groundwater and Suitability Analysis for Domestic and Agricultural Utility in Southern Punjab, Pakistan

Groundwater is a critical water supply for safe drinking water, agriculture, and industry worldwide. In the Khanewal district of Punjab, Pakistan, groundwater has severely deteriorated during the last few decades due to environmental changes and anthropogenic activities. Therefore, 68 groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for their main ions and trace elements to investigate the suitability of groundwater sources for drinking and agricultural purposes. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were employed to determine the major factors influencing groundwater quality. To assess the groundwater’s appropriateness for drinking and irrigation, drinking and agricultural indices were used. The pH of the groundwater samples ranged from 6.9 to 9.2, indicating that the aquifers were slightly acidic to alkaline. The major cations were distributed as follows: Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+. Meanwhile, the anions are distributed as follows: HCO3− > SO42− > Cl− > F−. The main hydrochemical facies were identified as a mixed type; however, a mixed magnesium, calcium, and chloride pattern was observed. The reverse ion exchange process helps in exchanging Na+ with Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions in the groundwater system. Rock weathering processes, such as the dissolution of calcite, dolomite, and gypsum minerals, dominated the groundwater hydrochemistry. According to the Weight Arithmetic Water Quality Index (WAWQI), 50% of the water samples were unsafe for drinking. The Wilcox diagram, USSL diagram, and some other agricultural indices resulted in around 32% of the groundwater samples being unsuitable for irrigation purposes. The Khanewal’s groundwater quality was vulnerable due to geology and the influence of anthropogenic activities. For groundwater sustainability in Khanewal, management strategies and policies are required.

Hydro-geochemical assessment of groundwater through statistical analysis for sustainable usage in Medchal Mandal, Hyderabad, India

The groundwater in the studied area was suspected to be affected by pollutants and was suspected that it has not been fit for human consumption. To investigate the fitness of groundwater for consumption in the studied area, water quality analysis plays an important role. This paper explores different statistical analyses to identify the acceptable range of good water quality and a clear spatial distribution of such water in the region of Medchal Mandal, Hyderabad, India. To accomplish this objective, water quality index maps (WQI) of the region have been prepared; The results revealed that villages around Yadaram, Kandlakoya, Raja bollaram, Grimapur, Muraharipalle, Bandamadharam, Somaram, Kistapur, Gosaiguda, Suthariguda, Goudavelly, and Raja bollaram Tanda have been contaminated with high amounts of fluoride. Cluster analysis, scatter plots, and Correlation matrix analysis indicated the different controlling mechanisms and interpretation techniques of water quality data. However, the water quality analysis done through variable techniques revealed that 75% of water was of fair to excellent quality. Histograms and Pearson statistic matrix were used for this purpose. It was found that there was a significant correlation of parameters in both monsoon fluoride with TDS and EC respectively (r = 0.0827 and 0.0119). Thus this research work recommended that the fluoride contaminated water in those villages is not at all fit for drinking. As a solution, it was suggested that a solid waste treatment plant in Ravolkole village should be set up to handle fluoride crisis.

Hydrogeochemical assessment of groundwater of Igboora Area, Southwestern Nigeria

The people of Igboora rely on groundwater for their domestic water supply. A hydrogeochemical study was carried out on twenty-seven groundwater samples collected from various boreholes across the study area to determine the suitability of the groundwater for drinking purpose. The total dissolve solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC) and pH of the water were measured in the field directly, while the concentrations of major ions were done in the laboratory using flame photometry and spectrophotometry methods. The hydrogeochemical facies classes was done with piper plot and the likely enrichment source(s) of the chemical facies were interpreted with Gibbs plot in conjunction with correlation analysis. The results showed that the pH was between 5.0 and 6.7 at an average (av.) of 5.8; TDS ranged from 50 – 280 (av. 183) mg/L and EC was 110 – 560 (av. 373) μS/cm. The concentrations of the major cations in mg/L were: 5 – 105.5 Ca2+, 1 – 11.9 Mg2+, 0 - 95 Na+, 0 – 112 K+, while for anions the ranges were, 9 - 58 HCO3 - , 6.8 – 28.8 CO3 2-, 1.1 – 29.4 SO4 2-, 2.9 – 26 Cl- and 16 – 90.5 for NO3 -. From the mean values, the order of the cationic dominance was Ca2+ > K+ > Na+ > Mg2+ while that of anionic was NO3 -> HCO3 - > CO3 2- > CI- > SO4 2- . The hydrogeochemical facies in the groundwater was mainly Ca-HCO3 type with minor occurrences of Na-HCO3 and Ca- Na-HCO3 types. Enrichment source of the cationic chemical facies was mainly rock dominated, while that of the anionic were from meteoric and biogenic sources. From the results of correlation analyses, the TDS has direct and positive relationships with most chemical constituents, indicating that the analysed ionic constituents dominated the dissolved solids in the groundwater. The groundwater can be said to be potable except that the water in the boreholes is slightly acidic and nitrate concentration exceeded recommended limit of 50 mg/L in many of the samples.

Hydrogeochemical Assessment of Groundwater in the Precambrian Rocks, South Eastern Desert, Egypt

This work refers to the characterization of the hydrochemistry of the southern part of the Eastern Desert in Egypt, on the basis of physico-chemical properties of groundwater occurring in the fractured Precambrian rocks inland and in sedimentary formations on the coastline of the Red Sea. Thirty-five groundwater samples have been collected from the study area for hydrochemical investigations to understand the sources of dissolved ions and assess the chemical quality of the groundwater. Several methods were used to interpret the hydrochemical data, i.e. graphical methods, principal components analysis, ions exchanges indices and saturation indices of various minerals. The results show that the major ionic relationships are Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ and Cl&#45 > > HCO3&#45 and that groundwater chemical characteristics are controlled by natural geochemical processes but also, to a lesser extent, by anthropogenic activities. Natural minerals dissolution, ion exchanges and evaporation play a prominent role in the ion enrichment of groundwater. A comparison of groundwater quality in relation to WHO water quality standards proved that most of the water samples are not totally suitable for drinking water purpose.

Hydrogeochemical assessment of groundwater in Iwo, Ikonifin and Ife-Odan, Osun and Oyo states, Southwest Nigeria

Hydrogeochemical assessment of groundwater in some communities (Iwo, Ikonifin and Ife-odan) of Southwest Nigeria was carried out. The physicochemical parameters determined include pH, temperature, redox potential (Eh), electrical conductivity and depth of wells. The concentration of heavy metals was determined using Bulk Scientific model of atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Flame photometer was used to determine Na and K, while titration method was used to determine Mg and Ca. The obtained results indicate that the majority of the sampled wells were deep (>16 m) and the values of redox potentials (EH) recorded were mainly positive with the exception of a few. Most parameters were within the WHO-recommended limits in drinking water. DO was significantly higher at Ife-Odan with values of 4.96 ± 0.34 mgL−1, while wells from Ikonifin were significantly deeper than others. The PO43− and SO42−concentrations were significantly high, both in Ife-Odan and Iwo, which was attributed to possible runoff from diffuse sources (wastes). The piper diagram showed that the dominant cations were Na+ and K+, while the dominant anions were CO32− and HCO32−, suggesting that the major ions are from water–rock interactions. The concentration of lead (Pb) was found to be higher than the recommended WHO limit of 0.05 mgL−1 in drinking water from most (80 %) of the samples. Significantly (P < 0.05) high Pb concentration values were recorded from Ife-Odan (0.53 ± 0.04 mgL−1) and Ikonifin (0.6 ± 0.06 mgL−1). The cadmium (Cd) concentration was found to be slightly higher than 0.003 mgL−1, theWHO-recommended limit for all locations.

Hydrogeochemical assessment of groundwater in Kashmir Valley, India

Groundwater samples (n = 163) were collected across Kashmir Valley in 2010 to assess the hydrogeochemistry of the groundwater in shallow and deep aquifers and its suitability for domestic, agriculture, horticulture, and livestock purposes. The groundwater is generally alkaline in nature. The electrical conductivity (EC) which is an index to represent the total concentration of soluble salts in water was used to measure the salinity hazard to crops as it reflects the TDS in groundwater ranging from 97 to 1385 μS/cm, except one well in Sopore. The average concentration of major ions was higher in shallow aquifers than in deeper aquifers. In general, Ca2+ is the dominant cation and HCO\(_{3}^{-}\) the dominant anion. Ca–HCO3, Mg–HCO3, Ca–Mg–HCO3, Na–HCO3 were the dominant hydrogeochemical facies. High concentration of HCO3 and pH less than 8.8 clearly indicated that intense chemical weathering processes have taken place in the study area. The groundwater flow pattern in the area follows the local surface topography which not only modifies the hydrogeochemical facies but also controls their distribution. The groundwater in valley flows into four directions, i.e., SW–NE, NE–W, SE-NW and SE–NE directions. The results suggest that carbonate dissolution is the dominant source of major ions followed by silicate weathering and ion-exchange processes. The concentrations of all the major ions determined in the present study are within the permissible limits of WHO and BIS standards. The results of Total Hardness, SAR, Na%, Kelly Index, USDA classification, Magnesium absorption ratio, residual sodium carbonate, and PI suggested that groundwater is good for drinking, livestock, and irrigation purposes.

Hydrogeochemical assessment of groundwater in Isfahan province, Iran

Groundwater quality in five catchment areas in Isfahan province of Iran is assessed by measuring physicochemical parameters including major cation and anion compositions, pH, total dissolved solid, electrical conductivity and total hardness. For this purpose, 567 piezometric well samples were collected in October 2007. The abundance of major ions in four of the catchment areas including Gavkhuni, Ardestan, Salt lake and Central Iran desert basins is similar and follows Cl− > SO42− > Na+ > HCO3− > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+ > CO32− trend, while in the fifth basin (Karoon), the trend changes into HCO3− > Ca2+ > Cl− > SO42− > Mg2+ > Na+ > K+ >CO32−. In general, four water facies are determined and it is shown that alkali elements and strong acids are dominating over alkaline earth and weak acids. Statistical analysis including Mann–Whitney U test indicate that physicochemical parameters in three of the five investigated basins [Gavkhuni, Ardestan and Central Iran desert (CID)] are similar, while Karoon and salt lake basins display different characteristics. The result indicate that groundwater west of the province is suitable for irrigation, while in the central and eastern parts of the province the groundwater loses its quality for this purpose. It is concluded that mineral dissolution and evapotranspiration are the main processes that determine major ion compositions.

Hydrogeochemical assessment of groundwater in Kaltungo and Environs, northeastern Nigeria.

Analytical results indicate that groundwater samples from kaltungo and environs are polluted due to high concentrations of iron, fluoride, nitrate, and coliform bacteria. Iron concentrations range from 1.9 mg/l to 4.8 mg/l, fluoride values range from 0.6 mg/l to 1.9 mg/l, and nitrate concentrations range from 46.8 mg/l to 164 mg/l while coliform number counts range from nil to 80 number counts. The results further reveal that the water is generally good for agricultural uses. The SAR values range from 0.003 meq/l to 0.38 meq/l, RSC values range from -6.20 meq/l to 4.97 meq/l, EC values vary from 160 1S/cm to 790 1S/cm, and TDS ranges from 80 mg/l to 400.5 mg/l. However, the water may not be suitable for some industries due to high concentrations of iron, bicarbonate, and total hardness. Bicarbonate values range from 206 mg/l to 612 mg/l, and total hardness range from 73.4 mg/l to 163.7 mg/l. Piper trilinear plots classified the water into Ca-(Mg)-HCO3 which belongs to the normal alkaline fresh water type. Based on Mg2+/Ca2+ ratio, about 39% of water samples reveal water from silicate aquifer. Plots of logTDS against Na+/(Na+ + Ca2+) reveal that the groundwater chemistry is influenced by evaporation, weathering induced dissolution, and dilution effects. The water would require treatment for human consumption and for industrial applications. It is recommended that regular groundwater quality monitoring will ensure groundwater quality protection and conservation.KEY WORDS: Groundwater chemistry, silicate aquifer, alkaline fresh water, kaltungo area, polluted.

Hydrogeochemical assessment of groundwater in Neyveli Basin, Cuddalore District, South India

In the light of progressive depletion of groundwater reservoir and water quality deterioration of the Neyveli basin, an investigation on dissolved major constituents in 25 groundwater samples was performed. The main objective was detection of processes for the geochemical assessment throughout the area. Neyveli aquifer is intensively inhabited during the last decenniums, leading to expansion of the residential and agricultural area. Besides semi-aridity, rapid social and economic development stimulates greater demand for water, which is gradually fulfilled by groundwater extraction. Groundwaters of the study area are characterized by the dominance of Na + K over Ca + Mg. HCO3 was found to be the dominant anion followed by Cl and SO4. High positive correlation was obtained among the following ions: Ca–Mg, Cl–Ca,Mg, Na–K, HCO3–H4SiO4, and F–K. The hydrochemical types in the area can be divided into two major groups: the first group includes mixed Ca–Mg–Cl and Ca–Cl types. The second group comprises mixed Ca–Na–HCO3 and Ca–HCO3 types. Most of the groundwater samples are within the permissible limit of WHO standard. Interpretation of data suggests that weathering, ion exchange reactions, and evaporation to some extent are the dominant factors that determine the major ionic composition in the study area.

Hydrogeochemical assessment of groundwater in Iddo area, southwestern Nigeria

Hydrogeochemical assessment of groundwater in Iddo area, southwestern Nigeria

Hydrogeochemical assessment of groundwater in Moro area, Kwara state, Nigeria

Detailed study of chemical analysis results of several groundwater samples (UNICEF-Assisted Water project, Kwara state, Nigeria) were carried out in an attempt to assess the quality and usability of groundwaters in the Moro area. Chemical analysis results indicate higher concentrations of Ca2+, Mg2+, and HCO3 − as compared to Na+, K+, Cl−, and SO4 2−. With exception of few locations where Fe is relatively higher, the concentrations of these ions together with other water quality parameters are all within permissible limits of the domestic and agricultural standards. On the basis of the analytical results, groundwaters in the study area are largely characterized as Ca-(Mg)-HCO3 type reflecting (possibly) young facies with limited migratory history. The occurrence of Ca-(Mg)-Na-HCO3 water type in certain areas is attributed to cation exchange processes. In addition, the observed scattered relationship between the TDS and the thickness of weathered horizons in the boreholes indicates the contribution of precipitation (recharge) to the ionic inputs in the groundwaters in addition to the weathering and dissolution processes.