Geochemical characteristics and evaluation of minor and trace elements pollution in groundwater of Tuticorin city,Tamil Nadu,India using geospatial techniques

In this work the major and trace elements pollution levels in groundwater of Tuticorin city of Tamil Nadu was investigated. This coastal city with numerous large and small scale industries has increasingly affected the water quality by dumping effluents. The mean major and trace elements levels in groundwater in descending order: Si > Sr > Zn > Fe > Rb > Se > Al > Mn > Cu > As > Cr > Ba > V > Ni > Pb > Mo > Co > Sb > Cd > Ag. The concentrations of As, Se, Pb, Ba, Al, Fe and V (0.084, 0.150, 0.057, 0.837, 0.357 and 0.052) in some of the groundwater samples exceed the standard value of world health organization (WHO, 2004). Interrelationship between the elements was done by correlation matrix and factor analysis which indicates the contribution from industrial and irrigation fields. Spatial interpolation of inverse distance method (IDW) maps of all the elements suggested that discharge of effluents from chemical factory (STERLITE, TAC, SPIC, HEAVY WATER PLANT, NILA SEA FOODS), municipal wastewater, fertilizers were added to the natural sources. Results of this research suggests that proper measures should be taken to protect the vital groundwater resources in the Tuticorin city.     

Environmental applications of geophysical and geochemical methods to map groundwater quality at Tuticorin, Tamilnadu, India

Coastal aquifers can become polluted due to natural and human activities, such as intrusion of saline water, discharge of effluents in industrial areas and chemical weathering of natural geological deposits. The present study is aimed mainly at understanding the geophysical and chemical characteristics of groundwater near Tuticorin, Tamilnadu, India by studying the electrical resistivity distribution of the subsurface groundwater by applying the Schlumberger vertical electrical sounding (VES) technique followed by chemical analysis of water samples. A total of 20 VES soundings were carried out to understand the resistivity distribution of the area and 21 water samples were collected to analyze the chemical quality. The interpretation and analysis of the results have identified different hydrogeologic behaviors, a highly saline coastal aquifer and freshwater locations. The results obtained from geophysical and geochemical sampling are in good agreement with each other. The approach shows the efficacy of the combination of geophysical and geochemical methods to map groundwater contamination zones in the study area.     

A study on hydrochemical elucidation of coastal groundwater in and around Kalpakkam region, Southern India

The chemical composition of 29 bore well water samples throughout the Kalpakkam region, South India, was determined to identify the major hydrogeochemical processes and the suitability of groundwater for domestic and irrigation purposes. The hydrochemical data were analyzed with reference to World Health Organization (WHO) standards and their hydrochemical facies were determined. The Piper plot shows that most of the groundwater samples fall in the field of mixed calcium–sodium–bicarbonate type followed by sodium–chloride, calcium–bicarbonate and mixed calcium–magnesium–chloride water types. The concentration of total dissolved solids exceeds the desirable limit in about 14% of samples; alkalinity values exceed the desirable limit in about 34% of the samples. The concentration of sulphate is well within the desirable limit at all the locations. The dominance of various heavy metals in the groundwater followed the sequence: Zn > Fe > Mn > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cr > Cd. Among the metal ions, the concentration of chromium and cadmium are within the permissible limit. Data are plotted on the US Salinity Laboratory diagram, which illustrates that most of the samples fall in the field of high salinity and low sodium hazard, which can be used to irrigate salt tolerant and semi-tolerant crops under favorable drainage conditions. Based on the analytical results, chemical indices like sodium adsorption ratio and residual sodium carbonate were calculated which show that most of the samples are good for irrigation.     

鸡西市城区地下水资源评价

鉴于鸡西市城区地下水资源类型、赋存条件、补排关系,量与质的现状,结合前人有关资料进行分析评价,提高人们对地下水资源的认识,提倡合理开采,取储兼顾、开源节流,管好用好地下水资源,更好地为城区经济建设服务。     

Development of Water Quality Index (WQI) model for the groundwater in Tirupur district, South India

Groundwater quality of the Tiruppur district in Tamil Nadu was investigated in this study to develop a Water Quality Index (WQI) model. Hydrochemical parameters showed tremendous variation in certain location over the seasons. Ionic chemistry of groundwater suggested that textile industries and rock-water interaction are major threats to the water quality. Analysis of Na and Ca concentration indicates that direct as well as the inverse cation exchange controls the natural cation chemistry. NO3 concentration shows that the pre-monsoon samples were affected by the fertilizer usage in agricultural fields. Na-Cl type of the water was dominant throughout the study area except few locations. WQI showed that 55% of the pre-monsoon samples and the 47% of the post monsoon samples were classified as poor/very poor/unsuitable for drinking category. Leaching of the textile waste and their transport to the downstream was well observed during the post-monsoon season. The specific contribution of river Noyyal in the transport of the solutes to the discharge zones was proved by the hydrochemistry of the samples.     

Assessing groundwater vulnerability using GIS-based DRASTIC model for Ahmedabad district,India

The present research aims to derive the intrinsic vulnerability of groundwater against contamination using the GIS platform. The study applies DRASTIC model for Ahmedabad district in Gujarat, India. The model uses parameters like depth, recharge, aquifer, soil, topography, vadose zone and hydraulic conductivity, which depict the hydrogeology of the area. The research demonstrates that northern part of district with 46.4% of area is under low vulnerability, the central and southern parts with 48.4% of the area are under moderate vulnerability, while 5.2% of area in the south-east of district is under high vulnerability. It is observed from the study that lower vulnerability in northern part may be mostly due to the greater depth of vadose zone, deeper water tables and alluvial aquifer system with minor clay lenses. The moderate and high vulnerability in central and southern parts of study area may be due to lesser depth to water tables, smaller vadose zone depths, unconfined to semi-confined alluvial aquifer system and greater amount of recharge due to irrigation practices. Further, the map removal and single-parameter sensitivity analysis indicate that groundwater vulnerability index has higher influence of vadose zone, recharge, depth and aquifer parameters for the given study area. The research also contributes to validating the existence of higher concentrations of contaminants/indicators like electrical conductivity, chloride, total dissolved solids, sulphate, nitrate, calcium, sodium and magnesium with respect to groundwater vulnerability status in the study area. The contaminants/indicators exceeding the prescribed limits for drinking water as per Indian Standard 10500 (1991) were mostly found in areas under moderate and high vulnerability. Finally, the research successfully delineates the groundwater vulnerability in the region which can aid land-use policies and norms for activities related to recharge and seepage with respect to existing status of groundwater vulnerability and its quality.     

Fluoride contamination in groundwater resources of Alleppey,southern India

Alleppey is one of the thickly populated coastal towns of the Kerala state in southern India.Groundwater is the main source of drinking water for the 240,991 people living in this region.The groundwater is being extracted from a multi-layer aquifer system of unconsolidated to semi-consolidated sedimentary formations,which range in age from Recent to Tertiary.The public water distribution system uses dug and tube wells.Though there were reports on fluoride contamination,this study reports for the first time excess fluoride and excess salinity in the drinking water of the region.The quality parameters,like Electrical Conductivity(EC) ranges from 266 to 3900 μs/cm,the fluoride content ranges from 0.68 to2.88 mg/L,and the chloride ranges between the 5.7 to 1253 mg/L.The main water types are Na-HC03,NaCO_3 and Na-Cl.The aqueous concentrations of F~- and CO_3~(2-) show positive correlation whereas F~- and Ca~(2+) show negative correlation.The source of fluoride in the groundwater could be from dissolution of fluorapatite,which is a common mineral in the Tertiary sediments of the area.Long residence time,sediment-groundwater interaction and facies changes(Ca-HCO_3 to Na-HCO_3) during groundwater flow regime are the major factors responsible for the high fluoride content in the groundwater of the area.High strontium content and high EC in some of the wells indicate saline water intrusion that could be due to the excess pumping from the deeper aquifers of the area.The water quality index computation has revealed that 62%of groundwater belongs to poor quality and is not suitable for domestic purposes as per BIS and WHO standards.Since the groundwater is the only source of drinking water in the area,proper treatment strategies and regulating the groundwater extraction are required as the quality deterioration poses serious threat to human health.     

A study on the status of fluoride ion in groundwater of coastal hard rock aquifers of south India

India has an increasing incidence of fluorosis, dental and skeletal, with nearly about 62 million people at risk. High fluoride groundwaters are present especially in the hard rock areas of the country. This paper analyzes the most extensive database on fluoride and other chemical constituent distribution in the coastal hard rock aquifers of Thoothukudi district. A total of 135 samples were collected and analyzed for major cations and anions to assess the geochemical process. The fluoride concentration in drinking waters varied from BDL to 3.2 mg?l^?1 in the study area. Majority of the samples do not comply with WHO standards for most of the water quality parameters. The saturation index of fluorite saturation index was used to correlate with F^? to identify their relationship to increase of fluoride levels. The correlation between the F^? concentration and the water type was also attempted. Spatial distribution of fluoride in groundwater was studied to understand the influencing factors. The relationship of F^? with HCO^? _3, Na⁺ and pH concentrations were studied and found that HCO^? ₃, has good correlation with F^? than the other parameters.     

Sustainability analysis of groundwater resources in a coastal aquifer, Alabama

Fort Morgan Peninsula is an attached portion of a dynamic barrier complex in the northern Gulf of Mexico and is a large tourist area that brings in a significant amount of revenue for Alabama. Many of the hotels and tourist attractions depend on the groundwater as their water supply. The over-withdrawal of groundwater and saltwater intrustion will have a negative impact on the ecology, tourism and economy if groundwater resources are not properly monitored and managed. In this study a calibrated groundwater flow model was used to analyze the sustainability of groundwater resources at Fort Morgan Peninsula. Detailed flow budgets were prepared to check the various components of inflow and outflow under different water use and climatic conditions. The results indicated the locations where groundwater was over-pumped and subjected to saltwater intrusion, or will be subjected to saltwater intrusion under a range of projected water use and climatic conditions.     

Significance of saturation index of certain clay minerals in shallow coastal groundwater,in and around Kalpakkam,Tamil Nadu,India

The saturation index of clay minerals like Gibbsite, Kaolinite, Illite, Montmorillonite and Chlorite in groundwater were studied in detail by collecting 29 groundwater samples from the shallow coastal aquifers in and around Kalpakkam. The samples collected were analysed for major cations, anions and trace elements by using standard procedures. The study reveals that pH has a significant role in the saturation index (SI) of minerals. It also shows that the relationship of electrical conductivity to the SI of these minerals is not significant than that of the ionic strength, log pCO₂ values, and alumina silica ratio have significant relation to the SI of these clay minerals. The SI of these clay minerals was spatially distributed to identify the areas of higher SI. Silica has good correlation to SI of Kaolinite, Gibbsite and Montmorillonite and Al has good correlation to SI of all the minerals except to that of Chlorite.     

Assessment of groundwater quality in and around Vedaraniyam,South India

Groundwater from 47 wells were analyzed on the basis of hydrochemical parameters like pH, electric conductivity, total dissolved solids, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Cl^?, CO₃ ^2?, HCO₃ ^?, NO₃ ^?, PO₄ ^3? and F^? in the Cauvery delta of Vedaraniyam coast. Further, water quality index (WQI), sodium percentage (Na %), sodium absorption ratio, residual sodium carbonate, permeability index and Kelley’s ratio were evaluated to understand the suitability of water for drinking and irrigation purposes. The result shows significant difference in the quality of water along the coastal stretch. The order of dominance of major ions is as follows: Na⁺ ≥ Mg²⁺ ≥ Ca²⁺ ≥ K⁺ and Cl^? ≥ HCO₃ ^? ≥ CO₃ ^2? ≥ PO₄ ^3? ≥ F^?. Na/Cl, Cl/HCO₃ ratio and Revelle index confirmed that 60–70 % of the samples were affected by saline water intrusion. WQI showed that 36 % of the samples were good for drinking and the remaining were poor and unsuitable for drinking purpose. The degradation of groundwater quality was found to be mainly due to over-exploitation, brackish aquaculture practice, fertilizer input from agriculture and also due to domestic sewage.     

Aquifer characteristics and its modeling around an industrial complex,Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu,India: A case study

Anthropogenic pollution of shallow groundwater resources due to industrial activities is becoming a cause of concern in the east coastal belt of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Integrated hydrogeological, geophysical and tracer studies were carried out in the coastal region encompassing an industrial complex. The objective has been to gain knowledge of aquifer characteristics, ascertaining groundwater movement and its flow direction, which would in turn reveal the possibility of contamination of groundwater regime and its better management. The results of multi-parameters and model study indicate that the velocity of groundwater flow ranges from 0.013 m/d to 0.22m/d in and around the industrial complex in upstream western part of the catchment and 0.026 m/d to 0.054m/d in the downstream eastern part, near the coast. These parameters are vital for the development of groundwater management scheme.     

Impact of urbanization in groundwater of south Chennai City, Tamil Nadu, India

Chennai is one of the four major metropolitan cities in India, and is located in the southeastern part of the country. The average rate of population growth of the city is 25 % per decade and this is recurrently reducing the green-covered area in the city. Exceptionally, during the post-economic liberalization period (i.e., between the years 1997 and 2007), the city lost up to 99 % of its green-covered areas at some parts. Subsequently, the Chennai City started to experience wide range of environmental issues, including groundwater pollution and the effects of groundwater depletion. As a consequence of these factors, a study was undertaken to determine the impact of urbanization on the groundwater quality. In the present study, groundwater samples were collected from 54 stations from the study area during the premonsoon and postmonsoon seasons for the year 2011–2012 and were analyzed for physico-chemical parameters and trace elements. The type of water that predominated in the study area was assessed based on hydrochemical facies. The study of the hydrochemical characteristics of the major ions in these waters shows that in premonsoon, the alkalis and the alkaline earth metals are found to be balanced by chlorides and bicarbonates and sulphates, respectively. Reverse ion exchange study illustrates that Ca, Mg and Na concentrations are interrelated through reverse ion exchange. Box and whisker plots illustrate the seasonal effect on the chemical parameters of the groundwater. Gibbs’ diagram reveals that the chemical composition of the groundwater in the study area is predominated by rock–water interaction. Besides, suitability of groundwater for irrigation was evaluated based on sodium adsorption ratio, Kelley’s ratio, magnesium ratio, Wilcox and USSL diagrams.     

Depositional environment in and around Tamiraparani estuary,and off Tuticorin,Tamil Nadu,India: clues from grain size studies

The sediments of the estuaries and offshore Tuticorin along the southern coast of Tamil Nadu were studied for their textural variation. Ninety sediment samples were collected from three sectors (river, estuary, offshore) on the basis of prevailing energy conditions and oceanographic parameters. Frequency curves show unimodal to bimodal in nature. Offshore samples also fall in bimodal with medium and fine sand where sediment is additionally deposited by the Tamiraparani River. The mean values ranging from 1.69 to 2.01 φ with medium to fine sand. The fine sand in the riverine region indicates the depositional nature of the sediments. In pre-monsoon, the standard deviation ranges from 0.29 to 0.81 φ, which falls in the very well sorted to moderately well sorted. Estuary ranges from 0.63 to 1.30 φ, with moderately sorted, whereas in the marine sediments ranges from 0.4 to 1.01 φ, with moderately to moderately well- sorted and some patches of poorly sorted is observed. In both monsoons, the grain size variations are mostly influenced in river and offshore samples compared to the estuaries. The CM pattern indicates the deposition of sediments in graded suspension. In estuary, the sediments are medium sand with moderately to poorly sorted, fine skewed which are indicative of denudation processes taking place there. In marine, the sediments are medium-to-fine, moderately-to-well sorted, and fine skewed to very fine skewed sediments, probably as a result of the influence of palaeo-sediments deposited by rivers from inland as well as by waves and currents from offshore. Further, the marine samples also highlight depositional processes.     

Bayesian analysis of groundwater quality in a semi-arid coastal county of south Texas

Bayesian frameworks for comparing water quality information to a pre-specified standard or goal and comparing water quality characteristics among two different entities are presented and illustrated using chloride and total dissolved solids (TDS) measurements obtained in the shallower Chicot and the deeper Evangeline formations of the Gulf coast aquifer underlying Refugio County, TX. The Bayesian approach seeks to present evidence in favor of the competing hypotheses which are weighed equally and unlike classical statistics do not make a decision in favor of one hypothesis. When comparing water quality information to a specified goal, the Bayesian approach addresses the more practical question—given all the information, what is the probability of meeting the goal? Similarly, when comparing the water quality between two entities, the approach simply emphasizes the nature and extent of differences and as such is better suited for evaluative studies. Bayesian analysis indicated that average chloride concentrations in the Evangeline formation was 1.65 times the concentrations in the Chicot formation while the corresponding TDS concentration ratio was close to unity. The probability of identifying water with TDS ≤1,000 g/m³ was extremely low, especially in the more prolific Evangeline formation. The probability of groundwater supplies with mean chloride concentrations ≤500 g/m³ was relatively high in the Chicot formation but very low in the Evangeline formation indicating the possible need for blending groundwater with other sources to meet municipal water quality goals.     

Groundwater Quality assessment using Water Quality Index (WQI) in parts of Varanasi District,Uttar Pradesh,India

Either naturally occurring process or human activities may have a significant impact on the quality of sub-surface waters which further limit its use. Multivariate statistical techniques such as factor analysis (FA), cluster analysis (CA) were applied for the evaluation of spatial variations and the interpretation of ground water quality data around Bacheli and Kirandul area. The major anions, cations and heavy metals were determined for each of 20 samples collected in pre-monsoon seasons. Hydrochemical parameters like EC, pH, TDS, TH, TA, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Cl^-, F^-, SO₄^2-, As, Sb, Se, Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu were estimated in pre monsoon and post monsoon seasons. Different geochemical controls of the investigated parameters were also assessed. Factor 1 explains 33.47% of the total variance and indicates atmospheric controls and silicate mineral weathering process. Factor 2 explains 13.83% of total variance, indicating silicate mineral weathering process resulting in elevated pH. Generally, water types tend towards magnesium-bicarbonate-chloride.     

Evaluation of groundwater resources for drinking and agricultural purposes, Abar Al Mashi area, south Al Madinah Al Munawarah City, Saudi Arabia

A hydrogeochemical study was conducted on the groundwater of south Al Madinah Al Munawarah City, Saudi Arabia, to assess the quality of groundwater for drinking and irrigation uses. Groundwater samples have been collected and analyzed for major and some trace constituents from the study area. The nitrate concentration in most groundwater samples of the study area exceeded the safe limits for drinking purposes, whereas the concentrations of phosphate, boron, and trace constituents were below the maximum permissible limit for drinking purposes; Cr in two samples showed high content over the recommended limits of drinking purposes. Uncontrolled abstraction of groundwater in Abar Al Mashi area caused many environmental problems including water resource depletion and contamination. Correlations between chloride and major ions were positive and may be attributed to impact of agricultural activities on groundwater chemistry. Groundwater of the study area was classified into six water types. The chemical water types of groundwater in the study area contain CaHCO₃ in the eastern and southeastern parts and NaCl in western and northwestern parts, reflecting different land use characteristics and pollution sources. Piper diagram showed that almost all the samples fall in one zone, indicating similar chemical signature. Groundwater can be used safely for drinking with special treatments to eliminate the effect of increased concentrations of total dissolved solids, nitrate, and chromium. The groundwater of the study area can be used safely for irrigation on clay soil; however, specific crops should be selected according to their salt tolerance.     

Hydrogeochemical characterization and suitability appraisal of groundwater around stone quarries in Mahendragarh,India

The present study is the first attempt to assess the impact of stone quarrying on quality of groundwater and its suitability for drinking and irrigation in Mahendragarh region of Haryana State. The suitability for drinking and irrigation was determined by comparing the observed values with prescribed standards and indices. The groundwater was found suitable for drinking for most of the parameters except TDS, total hardness, calcium, magnesium, and nitrate. With respect to suitability in agriculture, the groundwater was classified as good with the only problem of magnesium hazard in few villages located north of mining region. Based on the ratios of different anions and cations, silicate weathering and reverse base exchange were found responsible for regulation of groundwater chemistry. Most of the shallow meteoric genesis groundwater samples were classified as Na–Cl type, and the deep meteoric genesis groundwater was classified as Na–HCO₃ type. Values of base exchange and piper trilinear, too, confirmed that the groundwater belonged to either Na–Cl or Ca–Mg–Cl type. Further, FTIR analysis of crushed mined material and soil around mining area confirmed the presence of calcite and kaolinite, respectively, which confirmed that silicate weathering is regulating groundwater chemistry. The study concluded that there is no significant direct effect of stone quarrying on groundwater in Mahendragarh district.