Suitability Of Groundwater Research Articles

Chemical Quality and Hydrogeological Settings of the El-Farafra Oasis (Western Desert of Egypt) Groundwater Resources in Relation to Human Uses

In the Egyptian deserts, new land reclamation projects have been recently established to meet the increasing-population growth rate and food demand. These projects mainly depend on the different groundwater aquifers. El-Farafra Oasis is one of the “1.5-million-feddan reclamation project” areas recently established in the Western Desert of Egypt where the only available water source is the world’s largest fossil freshwater reservoir “the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS)”. Groundwater-dependent springs, and their artificial counterpart “drilled wells”, are reliable water systems throughout the world. In the present study, hydrochemical parameters were collected in 2015 from 16 different springs and wells of the El-Farafra Oasis, and analyzed using the different water quality indices. The calculated water quality index (WQI), its correlations with the water quality parameters Gibbs, Piper, US Salinity-Lab Staff and Wilcox diagrams, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were used to evaluate the groundwater suitability for human drinking and irrigation purposes. WQI values revealed good-to-excellent groundwater quality for human drinking. In addition, the spring and well water samples investigated showed good indices for irrigation activities. Gibbs and Piper’s diagrams were presented, with most samples falling into the rock-dominance category, and belonging to hydrogeochemical facies determining the following water types: Mg(HCO3)2 type water (37.5% of the samples), no dominant ions (mixed water-type category; Ca/MgCl2) (50% of the samples), and, finally, NaCl water type (the remaining 12.5%). The groundwater chemistry in the study area is mainly controlled by rock-water interactions, particularly the dissolution of carbonate rocks and silicate weathering. The elevated nutrient concentrations, in particular nitrates, are most likely due to agricultural activities, indicating substantial anthropogenic activities in the area studied.

Groundwater quality assessment in proximity to solid waste dumpsite at Uruli Devachi in Pune, Maharashtra.

Industrialization and population growth lead to changes in the quantity as well as composition of the solid waste produced in a city. This further leads to environmental pollution and deterioration of soil as well as groundwater quality in many cities. Improper management of solid waste results in several challenges for the city inhabitants, predominantly those living around these solid waste dumpsites. If not handled properly, these dumpsites have the potential of polluting various air, water sources, land, and even vegetation. The current study was carried out for Uruli-Devachi dumpsite at Pune, Maharashtra with an objective to evaluate the groundwater quality and to confirm whether it is suitable for drinking. Samples of groundwater were taken from distinct locations including two bore and seven open wells for conditions before and after the monsoon. To ascertain the groundwater suitability for drinking, the physico-chemical characteristics were compared with Indian Standards. The chemical characteristics showed presence of excess chloride, BOD, TSS, zinc, and chromium, which can be attributed to landfill leachate joining the groundwater. The study shows that the borewells around the dumpsite are critically polluted and cause of pollution being leachate coming from the dumpsite. The periodic addition of the solid waste in the dumpsite shall further lead to deterioration of the groundwater quality in the surrounding areas; therefore, suitable steps are necessary to avert further aggravation of the problem.

Hydrogeochemical evaluation and geospatial distribution modeling of the major ion chemistry of groundwater and their suitability for drinking and irrigation in Lagelu, Southwestern Nigeria

Shallow groundwater is an essential resource for domestic, agricultural, and small-scale industrial uses in Lagelu in Oyo State, Southwestern Nigeria. A total of 20 representative groundwater samples were collected from different hand-dug wells and analyzed for the major cations, anions, and heavy metals to establish their suitability for drinking and irrigation. Geospatial variation maps of the major cations and anions were produced using the inverse distance weighted algorithm. The results of the respective concentrations of pH, TDS, EC, HCO3−, NO3−, SO42−, Cl−, PO42−, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Zn2+, Cu+, Pb2+, and As+ except Fe2+ are within the recommended range set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Nigerian Industrial Standards for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ). Based on the hydrogeochemical facies, the groundwater belongs to Na+–K+–Cl−–SO42−, and Ca2+–Mg2+–Cl−–SO42− water types. Gibb’s diagram shows that the interaction of rocks and water dominate the processes that control the ionic compositions of the groundwater due to rock weathering and dissolution. The correlation matrix that specifies the ion concentration relationship showed that TDS, K+, and Fe2+ strongly correlate positively with EC, Na+, and Ca2+, respectively. CO32−, Na+, and Cu moderately correlate positively with Cl−, Mg2+, and pH, respectively. The indices used to determine groundwater suitability for irrigation classified over 90% of the samples as suitable for irrigation.

Hydrogeochemical analysis of groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation with elevated arsenic and potential impact on agro-ecosystem in the upper Brahmaputra plain, India.

The upper Brahmaputra floodplain is considerably enriched with geogenic contaminants, mainly Arsenic (As) exhibiting high spatial heterogeneity. With this concern, the present study was conducted in Lakhimpur district located in the upper Brahmaputra floodplain aiming to assess the groundwater (GW) suitability for drinking and irrigation. Chemical analysis of 78 GW samples revealed significantly high As (max 0.12 mgL-1, mean 0.02 mgL-1) followed by iron (max 62.2 mgL-1, mean 19.94 mgL-1) showing uneven distribution. Hydrogeochemical analysis of the GW samples revealed that majority of the water samples belong to mixed Ca2+- Na+- HCO3- type with weathering and forward ion exchange as the dominant processes in the aquifer system. Positive correlation among iron (Fe) and As, together with close grouping in hierarchical cluster analysis and principal components analysis, indicated the involvement of reductive hydrolysis process. Calculation of saturation indices indicated that, precipitation of Fe minerals may lead to de-coupling of Fe and As contributing to the enrichment of both the elements in the GW. Further, assessment of key parameters for irrigation water quality including water quality index indicated the GW to be suitable for irrigation purpose. Finally, toxicity implications of crops produced from As contaminated water indicated higher accumulation potential of As in the food grains implying significant impacts on the agro-ecosystem and associated health hazards.

Geothermal water in Bakreshwar-Tantoli region in West Bengal, India: Implications on water quality for irrigation and drinking purposes

Groundwater becomes more critical for drinking and irrigation purposes due to reduced surface water supplies and contamination of these sources. Knowing the quality of underground water is vital to the protection of public health and sustainable water resource development. The goal of this study is, therefore, to assess the suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation purposes in the Bakreshwar-Tantaloi hot springs in West Bengal, India. This study evaluates the quality of water produced from 7 different geothermal hot springs by investigating its chemical concentration. The physicochemical parameters were examined for the water samples. The suitability of groundwater for drinking purposes was measured by contrasting the chemical concentrations with the WHO standards and also computing and comparing the Water Quality Index (WQI) value with recommended norms. The concentrations of Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl−, SO42−, and NO3− are within the WHO (2011) and BIS (2012) tolerable limit. Statistical analyses are used to reveal patterns and groups from the physiochemical dataset of groundwater samples. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and factor analysis identify the source for groundwater parameters. The correlation matrix and scatter plot matrix give the relationship among major chemical ions of water samples. Dendrogram defines the relationship between physicochemical variables and groups them into strong to weak correlations among water components.

Hydrochemistry for the assessment of groundwater quality in the Kathua region, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Groundwater is a vital natural resource in the Kathua region of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Northern India, where it is used for domestic, irrigation, and industrial purposes. The main purpose of this study was to assess the hydrochemistry of the groundwater and to determine its suitability for drinking, irrigation, and industrial uses in the Kathua region. In this study, 75 groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for the physicochemical parameters such as electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids , pH, and various cations and anions. The analyzed data were computed for designing groundwater quality index to know the suitability for drinking purposes. The EC, sodium percentage, permeability index, and magnesium hazard were assessed to evaluate groundwater suitability for irrigation. Further, the corrosivity ratio was assessed to find the groundwater quality criteria for industrial purposes. The comprehensive results obtained from the water quality index indicate that almost all groundwater samples are suitable for drinking. The ionic abundance is in the order of Ca2+ > Na+ > Mg2+ > K+ for cations, and HCO3− > SO42− > Cl− > NO3− for anions, respectively. The Piper diagram shows that hydrochemistry of the groundwater is dominated by alkaline earth metals (Ca2+, Mg2+) and weak acids (HCO3−). According to the Gibbs diagram, the chemistry of groundwater is mainly controlled by the rock–water interaction process, indicating that most of the groundwater samples of the area are of bicarbonate type. The EC results classify the groundwater as excellent to good; the sodium percentage also indicates that the water is fit for irrigation. According to the Wilcox and USSLS diagrams, and permeability index, a majority of samples are suitable for irrigation with a few exceptions. The magnesium hazard depicts that there are few samples (19%), which are unsuitable for irrigation. According to the corrosivity ratio, 65 samples are safe for industrial use while the remaining 10 samples are considered to be unsafe. Thus, it is found that most of the groundwater in the area can be used for drinking, irrigation, and industrial purposes.

Geochemical Characteristics and Quality Appraisal of Groundwater From Huatugou of the Qaidam Basin on the Tibetan Plateau

Groundwater is the foremost water resource for various purposes in arid regions. The extremely arid climate makes groundwater geochemistry there evolve faster in a short distance and water supply face higher pressure of poor geochemical quality. A hyper-arid watershed on the Tibetan Plateau was investigated to get insights into the geochemical signature, formation, and quality suitability of groundwater there. A total of 13 surface water samples and 32 phreatic groundwater samples were collected for hydrogeochemical analysis. The results showed groundwater had better hydrogeochemical quality than surface water and was more favorable for human society utilization. Groundwater was dominated by relatively fresh hydrochemical facies of HCO3–Ca, mixed HCO3–Na·Ca, and mixed Cl–Mg·Ca type with more than 93% of samples having the TDS below 1,000 mg/L. Most of the groundwaters were soft fresh water (84.38%) and had excellent to good quality (93%) for domestic purposes based on entropy-weighted water quality index evaluation. Groundwater was suitable for irrigation in terms of sodium and permeability hazard, but the potential salinity hazard should be concerned. The poor geochemical quality of groundwater was ascribed to the salinity caused by strong evaporation. Natural rock–water interactions including silicate weathering, carbonate dissolution, and cation exchange were still the predominated processes governing groundwater chemical composition. The influence of human activities was very limited. Groundwater resource exploitation and management should mainly consider the salinity and strong evaporation due to shallow water depth.

Geochemical processes influencing groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation uses in Hombolo catchment

Abstract This study identifies the major geochemical processes that regulate groundwater quality in the Hombolo catchment to make it suitable for drinking and irrigation purposes. The major cations and anion concentrations were used to develop the major geochemical processes governing the groundwater quality. The major geochemical processes were evaluated using historical data gathered from 1983 to 2018. The developed geochemical processes indicated the mineral dissolution, ion exchange and evaporation were the dominant that influence groundwater quality in the catchment using mole ratio concept and Gibbs diagram. The suitability of groundwater for irrigation was evaluated using the permeability index (PI), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and percentage soluble sodium (PSS) while the suitability of groundwater for drinking was evaluated using the water quality index (WQI). The sodicity indicated to have the average SAR of 5.16 as excellent class, average PSS of 50.89 as permissible to good class and average PI of 74.47 as suitable class level. The groundwater for drinking use indicated the WQI of 104 as poor class level. The groundwater is suitable for irrigation activities but the quality for drinking is deteriorating with time.

Health implications of selected heavy metals around hydrocarbon impacted sites in the Niger Delta: A preliminary investigation

This study appraises the levels of Heavy metals and health implications in Khana and Gokana LGAs of Rivers State, Nigeria. A random sampling approach was employed for groundwater sampling and samples were collected from a total of twenty-two (22) boreholes in the area. A total of ten (10) residential boreholes were sampled in Khana LGA and twelve (12) in Gokana LGA. Iron (Fe) in Khana area showed concentration exceeding WHO and NSDWQ regulatory limits of 0.3mg/l in BH2, BH4, BH5, BH7, BH8, BH9 and BH10 while in Gokana area, BH11, BH12, BH14, BH17, BH19 and BH20 had Fe concentration exceeding the regulatory requirements. The result shows that Fe concentration in groundwater in the study area is significantly high to render the groundwater unsuitable for oral ingestion. Manganese concentration in samples from Khana showed concentrations above WHO standard in BH3, BH6 and BH9 while only BH16 exceeded the regulatory limit in Gokana area and then all other samples concentrations were within WHO regulatory limit for potable drinking water. Copper (Cu) and Lead (Pb) concentration showed levels below permissible limits in all samples analyzed. The results of hazard index from oral ingestion of water from boreholes in the area ranged from 0.30 to 1.13, with an average of 0.69. Based on USEPA classification, apart from BH9 and BH16 where harmful effect from groundwater consumption is recognized, there is no non-carcinogenic harmful effect that may arise from oral ingestion of most of the groundwater sources in the area. The spatial map revealed that the southern central area is a hot spot that needs urgent attention. The results of hazard index from dermal contact with groundwater in the area ranged from 0.02 to 0.36, with an average of 0.18. Carcinogenic health risk from oral ingestion of groundwater in the area ranged from 1.07 to 16.69, with an average of 8.69. Similarly, cancer risk from dermal contact with groundwater in the area ranged from 0.02 to 0.25 with an average of 0.13. Based on USEPA guidelines as revealed in this study, oral ingestion or dermal contact with groundwater from any borehole cited in Gokana and Khana areas are associated with possible cancer risk. The results and of this study will serve as a baseline data in the investigation of the suitability of groundwater in oil producing areas of Khana and Gokana LGAs of Rivers State for human consumption. Thus, the study has revealed the need of an urgent remediation of oil impacted areas in the study area to mitigate further impact on human health.

Multi-parametric analysis of groundwater quality to assess human health risk and hydrogeochemical processes in an agriculturally intensive alluvial aquifer of Northwest India

ABSTRACT Groundwater is one of the most vital sources of irrigation in semi-arid regions of India, and in Punjab, India this resource is being highly exploited due to intensive agricultural practices. In the present study, groundwater quality in Bathinda district of Punjab, India was evaluated to know its suitability for drinking and human health risk associated with direct use of groundwater. To examine the suitability of groundwater for drinking purposes, drinking water quality index (DWQI) approach was used. Non-carcinogenic human health risk associated with the presence of fluoride and nitrate in groundwater was evaluated for the adults and children, through dermal and oral ingestion exposure pathways. Further, to know the processes governing the aquifer geochemistry, Gibbs plot, interionic relationships and principal component analysis were carried out. The results of the present investigation revealed that quality in 73% groundwater samples was not suitable for direct consumption. The results of hazard index (HI) indicated that 91% samples in case of men and 95% samples in case of women and children have HI value more than 1. There is a high non carcinogenic human health risk potential due to direct use of groundwater, and children and women are more prone to this risk. The inter-ionic relationships exhibited that evaporation processes due to semi-arid hot type climate, silicate weathering, shallow groundwater level, interaction of canal and ground water along with the agricultural return flow mainly controlled the groundwater chemistry in the area under investigation.

Assessment of Concentration Levels of Contaminants in Groundwater of the Soutpansberg Region, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Groundwater contributions towards improved food security and human health depend on the level of contaminants in groundwater resources. Many people in rural areas use groundwater for drinking purposes without treatment and knowledge of contaminant levels in such waters, owing to parachute research in which research outputs are not shared with communities. This study argues that parachute research exposes groundwater users to health hazards and threatens the food security of communities. Concentration levels of contaminants were measured to ascertain suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation purposes. A total of 124 groundwater quality samples from 12 boreholes and 2 springs with physiochemical data from 1995 to 2017 were assessed. This study found high concentration levels of contaminants, such as F−, NO3−, Cl−, and total dissolved solids, in certain parts of the studied area. In general, groundwater was deemed suitable for drinking purposes in most parts of the studied area. Combined calculated values of sodium adsorption ratios, Na%, magnesium hazards, the permeability index, residual sodium carbonate, and total dissolved solids determined that groundwater was suitable for irrigation purposes. The discussion in this paper shows that scientific knowledge generated on groundwater quality is not aimed at developing skills and outputs for improved human health and food security but rather for scientific publication and record keeping, leaving communities where such data has been gathered devoid of knowledge about groundwater quality. In this study, it is recommended that research outputs on groundwater quality should be shared with groundwater users through various initiatives.

Development and evaluation of a water quality index for groundwater quality assessment in parts of Jabalpur District, Madhya Pradesh, India

Abstract Groundwater is an important source for drinking water supply in Jabalpur District, Madhya Pradesh, India. An attempt has been made in this work to understand the suitability of groundwater for human consumption. The parameters of pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Copper (Cu), Chromium (Cr), Sulphate (SO4), Iron (Fe), Nitrate (NO3), Chloride (Cl), Total Hardness (TH), Total Alkalinity (TA), and Sodium (Na) were analyzed to estimate the groundwater quality. The water quality index (WQI) has been applied to categorize the water quality, which is quite useful to infer the quality of water for the people and policy makers in the concerned area. The WQI in the study area ranges from 17.90 to 176.88. According to the WQI rating, sites 1, 3, and 4 are not appropriate for drinking water or have low water quality and site 2 has moderate drinking condition, whereas site 5 has excellent drinking condition. The current study suggests that the groundwater of the area with deteriorated water quality needs treatment before consumption. HIGHLIGHTS WQI values in sites 1, 3 and 4 are 106.99, 176.88, 161.25, showing that the groundwater is not suitable for drinking purposes. WQI value in site 5 is 17.90, showing that water is fit for drinking purposes. Principal component analysis reveals that four parameters are responsible for the high values of WQI. The outcome of the study will be helpful in formulating effective drinking water management measures for residents in the Jabalpur region, India.

Evaluation of the suitability of groundwater for irrigational purposes using irrigation water quality indices and geographical information systems (GIS) at Patna (Bihar), India

Evaluation of the suitability of groundwater for irrigational purposes using irrigation water quality indices and geographical information systems (GIS) at Patna (Bihar), India

Groundwater suitability determination near solid waste dump site at Pune

Groundwater suitability determination near solid waste dump site at Pune

Assessment of groundwater quality and its controlling processes in Bemetara District of Chhattisgarh State, India

Groundwater withdrawal at very fast rate poses threat on existing groundwater resources in different parts of the world. This reduction in groundwater levels significantly disturbed the natural aquifer flow rate and thereby different hydrogeochemical processes, which may further impair the groundwater quality. The groundwater quality in rural area of Chhattisgarh State is degraded, and the problem of saline water poses health risk to people. In this research investigation, suitability of groundwater of Bemetara District, Chhattisgarh, India, has been evaluated for drinking purpose through water quality index (WQI) method and principal component analysis (PCA). Total 116 groundwater samples were collected during the pre-monsoon (June 2019) and post-monsoon season (December 2019) and analyzed for physicochemical parameters. Total dissolved solids ranged from 250 to 10,440 mg/L and 289 to 3583 mg/L during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon, respectively, and 55% of the total samples exceeded acceptable BIS limit in pre-monsoon, while about 66% samples exceeded in post-monsoon season. SO42− concentrations varied from 3 to 5734 mg/L during pre-monsoon and 4.5 to 2002 mg/L during post-monsoon, respectively. Total 28% samples in pre-monsoon and 18% samples in post-monsoon season exceeded the maximum permissible BIS limit (400 mg/L) of SO42− ion in the study area. On the basis of WQI, the quality of groundwater varies from “Excellent water” to “Good water” category. The groundwater of northeastern part of the district is not suitable for drinking, and therefore, it is recommended to treat this groundwater before human consumption with special reference to SO42− contamination. PCA inferred that four components are sufficient to explain the variance in chemistry of groundwater that is mainly governed by dissolution of gypsum mineral, other rock–water interaction and anthropogenic activities. Further, water quality was improved in the direction of groundwater flow in the study area, establishing a direct relationship between groundwater flow and water quality of the Bemetara District. This study provides very useful database to design sustainable groundwater management plan for the district.

Hydrogeochemical characterization and groundwater quality assessment: a case study of the alluvial aquifer in the Middle Western Cheliff (Algeria)

ABSTRACT The Middle Western Cheliff plain hosts an important alluvial aquifer that is exploited for various uses including drinking water supply, irrigation and industry. This study aims to provide a hydrogeochemical characterisation of groundwater by using statistical methods and binary diagrams, as well as to evaluate the physico-chemical quality of groundwater by using the water quality index (WQI). Moreover, parametric indices such as SAR and %Na were used to evaluate the suitability of groundwater for irrigation. The hydrochemical approach based on results of 45 analyses of groundwater samples for the dry period 2019 enabled the determination of the most dominant chemical facies, which was chloride, sulphate, calcic and magnesium. The binary diagrams used indicated that the water-rock interaction and the evaporitic phenomenon are major geochemical processes that control the mineralisation of groundwater. The evaluation of groundwater quality for drinking water supply using WQI provided results with values ranging from 45.95 to 194.78, and above 60% of samples were classified into the category of excellent to good quality (WQI < 100), while the remaining 40% of water samples were classified in the category of poor quality for drinking (WQI > 100). However, the quality of groundwater is mostly acceptable for irrigation, mostly for plants with salinity-tolerant in drained soils.

Assessment of Water Quality for Agricultural Cultivation Irrigation Using the Irrigation Water Quality Index: A Case-Study Land Survey and Evaluation from Kampus Polinela II

River water has an essential role in irrigation water sources in agricultural cultivation activities on the Polinela II campus land. The availability of water on the land depends not only on river water but also on reservoirs that can be used as a source of irrigation water for cultivation activities. In this study, 21 river and pond water samples were taken during May-September 2021, and hydrochemical and hydrophysical quality tests were carried out. Assessment of the suitability of groundwater for irrigation purposes is carried out with hydrochemical parameters (Ca, K, Ca, Mg, EC, COD and Nitrogen) and different indices (SAR and ESP). Some of the data obtained were studied by geostatistical analysis and the spatial variation in the Kampus Polinela II land. The results of hydrochemical testing have different levels of variation in content so that a concise combination is carried out using the Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI) method, which gives the quality of irrigation water for crop cultivation purposes with a single value. IWQI can be used as a basis that irrigation water from river water has better irrigation properties than irrigation water from reservoirs. The IWQI found in cultivated land is divided into two water quality index classes: excellent and moderate. The excellent category from the test results is river water used for agricultural irrigation, while the moderate category is found in ponding water. Long-term irrigation by surface water and neglect of implementing soil quality improvement measures can cause negative impacts on the soil, therefore to avoid soil degradation, appropriate and effective preventive measures are needed.

Monitoring the seasonal variation of groundwaterchemistry and quality assessment for agricultural and industrial purpose of Athgarh basin, India

The groundwater chemistry of a region is sensitive to climate change and to change of agricultural practice of the surrounding region. The water quality is also largely governed by the litho hydrological character of the region. Hence monitoring the hydrochemistry of the groundwater with respect to climate change is vital for detecting its suitability for irrigation of cropland and industrial use. The present study area Athgarh basin, belongs to upper Gondwana has a varied lithology. The regional scale data can be statistically related to climate change. Moreover, seasonal variation of water quality has been monitored after systematic collection of groundwater samples and their methodical physicochemical analysis. 75 water samples were collected during pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon period of 2015-2016. The quality assessment is made through the estimation of physicochemical parameters, cations and anions. Based on these analyses, the irrigational parameters like salinity hazard, sodium absorption ratio (SAR), sodium%, residual sodium carbonate (RSC), potential soil salinity (PS), magnesium ratio (MR), corrosivity ratio (CR) and permeability index (PI) were calculated to determine the suitability of groundwater for irrigational and industrial purpose. The groundwater falling under (Doneen’s) class-II is almost good for irrigation purpose whereas groundwater falling under class-III indicates poor water quality. The groundwater samples are excellent to good as per Wilcox diagram. From Gibb’s diagrams, it can be established that the groundwater of the study area is mainly dominated by the lithology of aquifer of the concerned region.Various classifications show that present status of groundwater is suitable for irrigation purpose, except few locations, with a caution that it may deteriorate in near future

Groundwater Hydrogeochemical and Quality Appraisal for Agriculture Irrigation in Greenbelt Area, Iraq

This study highlights the groundwater hydrogeochemical characteristics and processes (hydrochemistry characteristics, ion exchange, and salinization) and quality suitability assessment for irrigation purposes from five wells in the Greenbelt area located in northwestern Al-Najaf Governorate, Iraq. The suitability of groundwater for irrigation was assessed based on the irrigation water quality index (IWQI) for thirteen parameters and groundwater quality indices such as total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), soluble sodium percent (SSP), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), total hardness (TH), permeability index (PI), potential salinity (PS), Kelley’s ratio (KR), and magnesium hazard ratio (MHR). The IWQI’s average values ranged between 76–139. The results of IWQI for the first and second sampling sites showed values of 139 and 104, respectively, indicating that the groundwater was unsuitable and unsafe for irrigation. In contrast, the IWQI for the third, fourth, and fifth sites were 83, 97, and 76, respectively, indicating that the groundwater was safe and possibly used for irrigation. The EC, TDS, PS, and MHR indices were all found to be unsuitable for irrigation in all five sites, and the KR index was also found to be unsuitable for agricultural irrigation in about 80% of the sites, while it was found that the indices of SAR, SSP, RSC, PI, and TH for all sites were suitable and safe for irrigation. As a result of this study, it has been determined that groundwater in the study area is unsuitable for agricultural irrigation. For sustainable groundwater exploitation, it is advised that a continuous water-quality-monitoring program should be implemented, as well as the development of suitable management practices.

Hydro-geochemical characteristics and quality appraisal of aquifers using multivariate statistics and associated risk assessment in Tarn-Taran district, Punjab, India.

Monitoring of groundwater is essential in the alluvial region of Tarn-Taran district, western Punjab, India where this freshwater source is being overexploited causing quality deterioration, groundwater depletion and posing serious threats to inhabitants. The present integrated study was conducted to appraise quality and suitability of groundwater for drinking/irrigation purposes, hydro-geochemical characteristics, source identification and associated health risks. In this study, 96% and 51% samples were detected with arsenic (As) and uranium (U), respectively higher than their acceptable limits posing high cancerous risks to local inhabitants via ingestion. Further, the quality indices revealed that groundwater of the study region is appropriate for irrigation but not suitable for drinking purposes. Hydro-geochemical studies showed that 83% of samples belonged to Ca2+-Mg2+-HCO3- type with major contribution of natural geogenic processes like rock-water interactions, silicate and carbonate dissolution along with reverse ion-exchange mechanisms in aquifer chemistry. Multivariate statistics revealed that along with geogenic sources, contribution of anthropogenic activities such as injudicious application of agrochemicals and domestic waste discharge was also very significant. Hazard quotient values for As were found to be 2.119 and 2.743 for children and adults, respectively representing both population groups prone to non-cancerous health risks due to As intake. Children were found to be more vulnerable than adults. This study draws an attention of public and local government about the current status of groundwater pollution in Tarn-Taran district, so that proper remediation steps can be taken to ensure the availability of good quality water.