Suitability assessment of groundwater for drinking, irrigation and industrial use in some North Indian villages

New insights on the hydrochemistry, geothermometry, and isotopic characteristics of the hydrothermal groundwater of the SASS basin: case study of the Jérid geothermal field, Southern Tunisia

Chemical and isotopic indicators were used to recognize the origin of hydrothermal groundwater, to assess the mineralization processes and groundwater quality, to identify the source of solutes and the likely mixing with cold, and elucidate the fluid geothermometry in the Jérid field of Southern Tunisia. The results show that the geothermal groundwater is neutral to slightly alkaline. They are characterized by SO4-Cl-Na-Ca water type. The dissolution of evaporates and pyrite-bearing rocks is the dominant mineralization process. The groundwater quality index indicates that the majority of samples are very hard and belong to poor to unsuitable for drinking classes. Applications and calculations of hydrogeochemical parameters, including SAR, %Na, PI, Kr, and MAR, showed that the majority of samples are unsuitable for agricultural practices. The human health risk was assessed based on hazard quotient and total hazard index through ingestion and dermal contact with iron-rich groundwater. The consumption of CI groundwaters does not present non-carcinogenic risk to adults and children. The δ18 O and δ2H signatures indicate that the geothermal groundwater was recharged by ocean precipitation during cold and wet paleoclimatic periods. The slight enrichment of oxygen-18 and deuterium contents suggests a limited mixing effect between geothermal water and cold groundwater within the same aquifer. This mixing effect is confirmed by the Na-K-Mg and the chloride-enthalpy diagrams. The K-Mg and SiO2 geothermometers provided fairly reliable reservoir temperature values, ranging between 69.6 and 99 °C. Calculated geothermal potential values, varying between 469 and 16987 kWth, which allow several applications such as domestic and agricultural heating.

Assessing surface water quality in Hungary's Danube basin using geochemical modeling, multivariate analysis, irrigation indices, and Monte Carlo simulation

Evaluation of water quality is crucial for managing surface water effectively, ensuring its suitability for human use, and sustaining the environment. In the lower Danube River basin, various methods were employed to assess surface water quality for irrigation, drinking, human health risk purposes and the main mechanism control the surface water chemistry. These methods included water quality indicators (WQIs), complex statistical analyses, geographic information systems (GIS), Monte Carlo simulation, and geochemical modeling. Physicochemical analyses of surface water samples revealed primarily Ca-Mg-HCO3- is the dominant water types. Principal component analysis (PCA), ionic ratios and piper, chloro alkaline index, Chadha, and Gibbs diagrams identified three distinct water characteristics influenced by water-rocks interaction, evaporation, ions exchange, and human activities. The geochemical modeling showed Danube River water's strong ability to dissolve gypsum, halite, and anhydrite (SI < 0) and precipitate aragonite, dolomite, and calcite with saturation index (SI) value greater than 0 along its flow path. The irrigation water quality index (IWQI = 99.6-107.6), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR = 0.37-0.68), sodium percentage (Na% = 13.7-18.7), soluble sodium percentage (SSP = 12.5-17.5), Potential Salinity (PS = 0.73-1.6), and Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC = - 1.27-0.58) values were used, mainly indicating acceptable quality with some limitations. Danube River water was unsuitable for drinking based on WQI value (WQI = 81-104). Oral exposure of children to specific components showed a higher hazard index (HI > 1) compared to adults, indicating a 2.1 times higher overall non-carcinogenic risk hazard index. However, Monte Carlo simulation demonstrated negligible iron, manganese, and nitrate health hazards for both age groups. These findings are valuable for water quality management decisions, contributing to long-term resource sustainability.

Spatial distribution and hydrogeochemical evaluations of groundwater and its suitability for drinking and irrigation purposes in kaligonj upazila of satkhira district of Bangladesh

Groundwater is a significant water resource for drinking and irrigation in Satkhira district, Bangladesh. The depletion of groundwater resources and deterioration in its quality are the results of the confluence of factors such as industrialization, intensive irrigation, and rapid population growth. For this reason, this study focused on the evaluation of tubewell water of six unions of Kaligonj upazila in Satkhira district, which is situated in the coastal southwest part of Bangladesh. Major and trace elemental concentrations were assimilated into positive matrix factorization (PMF) to identify potential sources and their respective contributions. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that groundwater salinization and manmade activities were the primary causes of heavy metals in the coastal groundwater. Its average pH value was found to be 7.5, while Dissolved oxygen, Total dissolved solids, salinity, and conductivity, with values ranging from 1.18 to 7.38 mg/L, 0.5-4.88 g/L, 0.4-5%, and 0.95 to 8.56 mS/cm, respectively. The total hardness average value was 561.7 mg/L, classified into the very hard water categories, which is why 90% of the tubewell water samples were unfit for household purposes. All samples had an excessive level of arsenic present. The iron concentration of fifteen (15) samples crossed the standard limit according to WHO 2011 value. Around 63% of the samples were of the Na+-K+-Cl--SO42- type, and about 72% were sodium-potassium and alkali types. 98% of samples were covered in chloride and bicarbonate. The findings showed that 45.83% of the groundwater samples had negative Chloroalkaline index (CAIs), while 54.16% had positive. The permeability index (PI) was an average of 73%, and residual sodium carbonate (RSC) averaged 260.2 mg/L, and the findings clearly showed that 80% of the samples weren't appropriate for irrigation. According to the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) value, 65% of the samples fell into the unsuitable category. These calculations indicated a high overall salinity hazard in the study area, which may be caused by the intrusion of sea water given that the study area is close to the coastal region. Findings compared to standards revealed that the majority of the samples were deemed unfit for drinking and irrigation purposes. Hence, additional attention must be paid to this area to ensure the availability of drinkable water and to preserve sustainable farming practices.

Groundwater hydrogeochemistry and non-carcinogenic health risk assessment in major river basins of Punjab, India

The Indian Punjab state is drained by the four rivers, along with a well-connected network of canals, and is now dealing with a slew of water quality issues and problems. In this study, basin-wise hydrogeochemical modelling of 323 groundwater samples and identification of NO3- and F- enrichment pathways in aquifer systems of Punjab were studied using different plots and multivariate statistics. To evaluate the groundwater quality and human health risks, an entropy-based water quality index and Monte Carlo simulation were used, respectively. Spatial distribution of NO3- indicated that its very high values were prominent in parts of southwestern Punjab falling under LSRB, along with few pockets in eastern and northeastern Punjab falling under MSRB and GRB. High NO3- values (> 45.0 mg/L) were found in 15.0% of Ravi River Basin (RRB) groundwater samples, 22.86% of Beas River Basin (BRB), 23.52% of Middle Sutlej River Basin (MSRB), 36.9% of Lower Sutlej River Basin (LSRB), and 21.31% of Ghaggar River Basin (GRB). The spatial distribution of NO3- revealed elevated concentrations (> 100 mg/L) in the southwestern part of Punjab, particularly in LSRB and localized pockets in the eastern and northeastern areas of Punjab within MSRB and GRB. High F- concentration (> 1.5 mg/L) was observed in 15.12% and 21.31% groundwater samples of LSRB and GRB, respectively. Spatially southern parts falling under LSRB and GRB reflected high F- content (> 1.5 mg/L) in groundwater. In LSRB, evaporative and anthropogenic processes influence the groundwater quality. The results of interionic relationships and statistical analysis revealed that NO3- has anthropogenic origin and that is being aggravated by leaching, the evaporation processes, animal excreta, septic tanks and irrigation return flows in LSRB and GRB, while F- is geogenic in nature. Hazard index (HI) values in 14.63%, 22.2%, 24.6%, 49.58%, and 34.42% samples for adults and 21.95%, 27.7%, 42.0%, 72.3%, and 52.46% samples for children were higher than unity in RRB, BRB, MSRB, LSRB, and GRB, respectively. The basin-wise demarcation of various groundwater quality parameter and assessment of human health risk would be of significance for the management of water resources.

Identifying factors affecting irrigation metrics in the Haor basin using integrated Shannon's entropy, fuzzy logic and automatic linear model

The sustainability of agricultural practices is seriously threatened by the quality of water used for irrigation. This paper aims to evaluate the suitability of irrigation water and identify the region suitable for agricultural use in the Haor basin of Bangladesh using conventional irrigation indices such as sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), percent sodium (Na%), magnesium hazard ratio (MHR), permeability index (PI), and Kelly's ratio (KR), as well as novel irrigation indices such as, Shannon's entropy index for irrigation water quality (EWQ) and fuzzy logic index for irrigation water quality (FIWQI). The main influences of groundwater and surface water parameters on irrigation indices were predicted using automatic linear modeling (ALM). Forty water samples were collected from shallow tube wells, rivers, canals, ponds, and drainage systems within agricultural land sampled and analyzed for cations and anions. SAR and KR show that 52.5% and 60% of the samples exceeded the allowable level, respectively, indicating that they were unsuitable for irrigation. According to EWQI, about 55% of the analyzed samples were of good quality, while 45% were of medium quality. ALM predicted that KR (0.98), Na% (0.87), and MHR (0.14) were the main significant factors affecting SAR and KR. ALM shows that elevated sodium, magnesium, and calcium are the most important factors affecting irrigation water suitability. The EWQI and FIWQI integrated models showed that water from nearly 30% of the sampling sites would need treatment before use. A new suitability map created by overlaying all parameters showed that surface water and some groundwater in the western and southwestern portions are suitable for agriculture. The north-central part is unsuitable for irrigation due to excessive sodium and magnesium levels. This paper will highlight the irrigation pattern for regional water resource use, identify new suitable regions, and improve sustainable agricultural practices in the Haor basin.

Data-driven soft computing modeling of groundwater quality parameters in southeast Nigeria: comparing the performances of different algorithms

In recent decades, the simulation and modeling of water quality parameters have been useful for monitoring and assessment of the quality of water resources. Moreover, the use of multiple modeling techniques, rather than a standalone model, tends to provide more robust and reliable insights. In this present paper, several soft computing techniques were integrated and compared for the modeling of groundwater quality parameters (pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), modified heavy metal index (MHMI), pollution load index (PLI), and synthetic pollution index (SPI)) in Ojoto area, SE Nigeria. Standard methods were employed in the physicochemical analysis of the groundwater resources. It was found that anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic activities influenced the concentrations of the water quality parameters. The PLI, MHMI, and SPI revealed that about 20-25% of the groundwater samples are unsuitable for drinking. Simple linear regression indicated that strong agreements exist between the results of the water quality indices. Principal component and Varimax-rotated factor analyses showed that Pb, Ni, and Zn influenced the judgment of the water quality indices most. Q-mode hierarchical and K-means clustering  algorithms grouped the water samples based on their pH, EC, TDS, TH, MHMI, PLI, and SPI values. Multiple linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural network (ANN) algorithms were used for the simulation and prediction of  the pH, EC, TDS, TH, PLI, MHMI, and SPI. The MLR performed better than the ANN model in predicting EC, TH, and TDS. Nevertheless, the ANN model predicted the pH better than the MLR model. Meanwhile, both MLR and ANN performed equally in the prediction of PLI, MHMI, and SPI.

Integrated approach for the evaluation of groundwater quality through hydro geochemistry and human health risk from Shivganga river basin, Pune, Maharashtra, India

The present study is focused on seasonal variation in groundwater quality, hydrochemistry, and associated human health risk in the Shivganga river basin, Western Maharashtra, India, to promote sustainable development of groundwater resources of this semi-arid region. The qualitative geochemical analysis, contamination levels, and human health risk assessment (HHRA) of groundwater are integral steps in groundwater management in the Deccan Plateau basalt flow region of India. Representative groundwater samples (n = 68) collected from the Shivganga River basin area of Pune district, Maharashtra, during pre-monsoon (PRM) and post-monsoon (POM) seasons in 2015 were analyzed for major cations and anions. According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2017) drinking standards, EC, total dissolved solids, hardness, bicarbonate, calcium, and magnesium surpassed the desirable limit. Boron and fluoride content exceeded the prescribed desirable limit of the WHO. The pollution and drinking suitability were assessed by computing pollution index of groundwater (PIG), groundwater quality index (GWQI), and HHRA particularly for boron and fluoride toxicity. PIG values inferred that about 6% of groundwater samples has moderate, 24% has low, and 70% has insignificant pollution in the PRM season, while only 1 sample (3%) showed high pollution, 6% showed low, and 91% showed insignificant pollution in the POM season. GWQI classification demonstrated that 27% and 15% samples are within the poor category, and only 15% and 18% of the samples fall into excellent water category in the PRM and the POM seasons, respectively. Total hazard index (THI) revealed that 88% of children, 59% of adults, and about 38% of infants are exposed to non-carcinogenic risk, as THI values (>1) were noted for the PRM season, while 62% of children, 47% of adults, and 24% of infants are vulnerable to non-carcinogenic health hazard during the POM period.

Characterization of groundwater hydrogeochemistry, quality, and associated health hazards to the residents of southwestern Bangladesh

In this research, we intended to appraise the hydrogeochemistry and human health risks of groundwater (GW) in southwestern Bangladesh, applying hydrogeochemical techniques, GW quality index (GWQI), several pollution indices, and mathematical health risk models. The trace elements (TEs) and ionic composition of GW samples were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy and ion chromatography (AAS-IC) technique. The evaporate dissolution, silicate weathering, and ionic exchange processes control the hydrogeochemistry in GW. The GWQI revealed that 34% of samples were poor to very poor quality for drinking purposes, whereas irrigation water quality indices suggested moderate suitability of GW. The mean hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) exceeded the tolerable level for adults and children, making substantial chronic health impacts on humans. The estimated carcinogenic risk of As and Pb surpassed the upper level of 1 × 10^-4 for both aged populations. Overall, the results indicate that the local inhabitants have detrimental health risks; hence, effective regulation and proper measures should be concentrated for continuous monitoring, assessment, and remediation of As, Mn, Pb, and Hg in the study area.

Investigation of health risks related with multipath entry of groundwater nitrate using Sobol sensitivity indicators in an urban-industrial sector of south India

In the present study, we used a variance decomposition based global sensitivity index to evaluate the sensitivity of input variables and their contribution for non-carcinogenic health risks via intake and dermal pathways. Groundwater samples were collected from an industrial sector (Tiruppur region) of south India during the month of January 2020. These samples were analysed for nitrate, which varied from 10 to 290 mg L^-1 having the mean of 87 mg L^-1. Nearly 58% of the samples surpassed the permissible limit (45 mg L^-1) defined by the World Health Organization. Total hazard index (THI) ranged from 0.29 to 8.52 for children, 0.28 to 8.26 for women, and 0.24 to 6.99 for men. The first-order effect (FOE) and second-order effect (SOE) were derived for the three different age groups using Sobol sensitivity approach. The FOE scores showed that nitrate concentration in groundwater is the most sensitive parameter followed by exposure frequency for children, men and women via oral pathway. The SOE scores showed that nitrate concentration along with ingestion rate had greater sensitiveness in the oral input model. The higher SOE was obtained for the interaction of nitrate with skin surface area for children via dermal pathway, but it was not significant for women and men. These results suggest that epidemiology due to nitrate risk should be studied taking into account of concentration of nitrate, exposure frequency, fraction of contact and body weight. Additionally, ingestion rate and skin surface area were considered for the assessment of health risks for children.

Groundwater quality evolution based on geochemical modeling and aptness testing for ingestion using entropy water quality and total hazard indexes in an urban-industrial area (Tiruppur) of Southern India

This study used geochemical modeling to understand the chemical evolution of groundwater, entropy water quality index to assess the aptness of groundwater for human consumption, and total hazard index to determine the possible non-carcinogenic risks among children, women, and men in an urban-industrial area (Tiruppur region) of southern India. For the above purposes, 40 groundwater samples were collected from tube and dug wells, and they were tested for various physicochemical parameters. Fluoride and nitrate levels ranged from 0.10 to 2.70 mg/l and 10 to 290 mg/l, respectively. Nearly, 50% of the fluoride samples and 58% of the nitrate samples exceeded the WHO limits of 1.5 and 45 mg/l, respectively. The majority of the groundwater samples (22.5%) represented Ca²⁺-Na⁺-Cl^- water type while the remaining samples exhibited mixed water types. Approximately, 85% of the samples indicated high levels of salinization since they had Revelle index > 0.5 meq/l. The saturation index (SI) revealed that mineral weathering; dissolution of halite, gypsum, and anhydrite; and precipitation of calcite and dolomite contributed to groundwater chemistry. Based on the entropy water quality index (EWQI), none of the groundwater samples was characterized as excellent or good water quality while 57.5% of the samples had medium water quality, and 32.5% and 10% of the samples exhibited poor and extremely poor water qualities, respectively. The last two categories are designated as unfit for consumption. The cumulative health risk (nitrate and fluoride together) ranged from 0.97 to 11.16 for children, 0.60 to 10.54 for women, and 0.39 to 6.92 for men. These values represent health risks among 88%, 80%, and 73% of the groundwater samples for children, women, and men, respectively. Therefore, proper measures should to be done to reduce the health risks associated with high nitrate and fluoride in the groundwater of the study area, which is used for drinking purposes.

Hydrogeochemical Assessment of Groundwater for Drinking and Agricultural Use: A Case Study of Rural Areas of Alwar, Rajasthan

Groundwater contributes substantially to the development of arid and semi-arid regions around the globe. The present study integrates groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking and irrigation around Alwar city of Rajasthan state, where agriculture is the major land use. The application for drinking was assessed by comparing the observed value with prescribed standards of WHO. Groundwater was found suitable for drinking at most of the locations. The suitability of groundwater for irrigation was determined by calculating ion-based ratios and comparing them against the suggested ratios and indices for agricultural quality. Suitability for irrigation was assessed against electrical conductivity (EC), percentage sodium (%Na), residual Na₂CO₃ (RSC), per cent soluble sodium (SSP), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), Mg hazard and permeability index (PI) etc., and the quality was compromised for EC, %Na and Mg Hz. Since the soil was sandy, the groundwater was found suitable for irrigation over long-term use, with the only problem of magnesium hazard. Based on the different ratios of anions and cations, silicate weathering was observed to be regulating groundwater chemistry, and the groundwater belonged to mixed CaMgCl and CaHCO₃^- type based on Piper's classification and relative abundance of ions. Further, meteoric genesis classification showed that the groundwater in the study region had direct base exchange and shallow meteoric water percolation. Presence of kaolinite and quartz minerals in soil confirmed that silicate weathering is the major process controlling groundwater chemistry.

Spatial distribution of quality of groundwater and probabilistic non-carcinogenic risk from a rural dry climatic region of South India

Having safe drinking water is a fundamental human right, which affects directly the human health. In view of this, an effort has been made for understanding the spatial distribution of quality of groundwater in a rural dry climatic region of Andhra Pradesh, South India, and associated health risks with respect to pollutants of NO₃^- and F^-, which cause the potential production of non-carcinogenic risk, using entropy-weighted water quality index (EWWQI) and total chronic hazard index (TCHI), where the population rely on the groundwater resource for drinking purpose. Groundwater quality observed from the present study region has an alkaline character with brackish type. The concentrations of K⁺, HCO₃^-, TDS, Na⁺, NO₃^-, F^-, Mg²⁺ and Cl^- come under the non-permissible limits in 100%, 100%, 96.67%, 90%, 73.33%, 46.67%, 13.33% and 6.67% of the groundwater samples, which deteriorate the groundwater quality, causing the health disorders. The overall groundwater quality computed, using EWWQI, ranges from 53.64 to 216.59 (122.22), which classifies the region spatially into 55%, 10% and 35% due to influences of the geogenic and anthropogenic pollutants, which are the respective medium, poor and very poor groundwater quality types prescribed for potable water. According to the TCHI evaluated with respect to pollutants of NO₃^- and F^-, the values of TCHI for men (1.194 to 4030), women (1.411 to 4.763) and children (1.614 to 5.449) are more than its acceptable limit of one. So, the health risk of non-carcinogenic is spatially in the decreasing order of children > women > men, depending upon their sensitiveness to pollutants and also their body weights. Further, the spatial distributions of both TCH1 and EWWQI are more or less similar, following the pollution activities, which help for establishment of the fact to recognize the intensity of various vulnerable zones. Therefore, the present study suggests the suitable environmental safety measures to control the NO₃^-- and F^--contaminated drinking water and subsequently to increase the health conditions.

Monitoring of pre- and post-monsoon groundwater quality of north-eastern Haryana region using GIS

The present paper is the result of an investigation carried out to analyse the quality of sub-surface water in the districts of Yamunanagar and Ambala of the province of Haryana in India. The investigation was necessitated as the area combines the presence of industrial, commercial and residential units close to each other. A total of 30 groundwater samples were taken each during the months of April and September of 2017 and were appraised for analytical parameters, hydro-geochemical constituents and metal ions. Eight locations were observed to have an abnormal presence of only one element and were, therefore, classified to be falling in the 'Grey-Zone'. Matedi Bus Stand (Sample number - 23) was found to be adversely influenced by the presence of the most of chemical elements and thus was categorized as the 'Red Zone'. For the combined data of post-monsoon and pre-monsoon periods of 2017, the spatial distribution of pH, TDS, TA and TH showed that 100%, 90%, 91.67% and 93.33% of samples, respectively, fall under allowable limits of groundwater quality. Spatial distribution of hydro-chemical elements and metal ions showed that 96.11% of samples for cations, 98.33% for anions and 93.33% for Fe are in the 'allowable' category of groundwater. A comparison of laboratory results with the GIS maps prepared during the study has been found to be in good agreement. The classification of samples pursuance to their hydro-chemical facies indicated that most of the samples fall in Ca²⁺-Mg²⁺- H C O 3 - -Cl^- and Na⁺- H C O 3 - -Cl^- type.

Evaluation of water quality for agricultural suitability in the Benslimane region, Morocco

Morocco is basically a semiarid country with limited rainfall reducing the opportunities for rainfed agriculture. For feeding its ever growing population, irrigation is required. This study aims to evaluate the groundwater quality for irrigation in the Benslimane region by studying the main influencing chemical elements and characteristics. The main purpose is to provide the farmers and agricultural developers with a clear comprehension of the groundwater status. We focused on the determination and statistical analysis of physicochemical parameters and major elements (electrical conductivity, pH, Na⁺, K⁺,Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl^-, SO₄^2-, CO₃^2-, and HCO₃^-) for 120 samples and the derivation of water quality indices like SAR, %Na, RSC, PI, KR, and MAR, along with graphical approaches such as Wilcox's and Richards's diagrams. Factors affecting groundwater hydrochemistry and quality were also discussed. The results show generally alkaline and shallow waters, with the majority of the samples belonging to the Na-Cl facies. Rock alteration, dissolution, ion exchange, evaporation, and anthropogenic activity are the main factors controlling water chemistry. Most prospected wells indicate high salinity problems due to salt water intrusion. With regard to the suitability of groundwater for irrigation, the majority of wells is of medium to poor quality and is therefore unsuitable. These types of water are found throughout the area, with a significant dominance on the coastal zone. The long-term use of this groundwater would therefore have negative impacts on soil quality and the sustainability of agricultural production. Therefore, we recommend proper agricultural management and irrigation practices in the Benslimane region, in order to increase agricultural production while preserving water and soil resources.

Countrywide Groundwater Quality Trend and Suitability for Use in Key Sectors of Korea

Under changing climate, increasing groundwater use has risen the concern for groundwater quality variations over recent years, to maintain a healthy ecosystem. The objectives were to identify trend of temporal variations in groundwater quality and its suitability for different uses in Republic of Korea. Water quality data were collected from 198 monitoring stations of Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network (GQMN), annually for the period of ten years (2008–2017). Non-parametric trend analysis of a Mann–Kendall test and Theil–Sen’s slope was done on groundwater physico-chemical data of ten years. Groundwater suitability evaluation was done for use in main sectors including domestic (drinking) and agriculture (irrigation). For drinking suitability analysis, results were compared with World Health Organization (WHO) and Korean Ministry of Environment (KME) established guidelines. For irrigation suitability evaluation, electrical conductivity (EC), Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), percent of Na+, Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC), US Salinity Laboratory (USSL), and Wilcox diagram were used. Most significantly, water type belongs to Ca-HCO3 and Ca-SO4 types, but a small proportion belongs to Na-CO3 and Na-Cl types. Approximately, 96% and 93% of groundwater samples are suitable for drinking, based on WHO and KME guidelines, respectively. Around 98% and 83% of groundwater samples are in suitable range for irrigation use, based on USSL and Wilcox diagrams, respectively.

Comparative performance evaluation of multi-metal resistant fungal strains for simultaneous removal of multiple hazardous metals

In the present study, five fungal strains viz., Aspergillus terreus AML02, Paecilomyces fumosoroseus 4099, Beauveria bassiana 4580, Aspergillus terreus PD-17, Aspergillus fumigatus PD-18, were screened for simultaneous multimetal removal. Highest metal tolerance index for each individual metal viz., Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn (500mg/L) was recorded for A. fumigatus for the metals (Cd, 0.72; Cu, 0.72; Pb, 1.02; Zn, 0.94) followed by B. bassiana for the metals (Cd, 0.56; Cu, 0.14; Ni, 0.29; Zn, 0.85). Next, the strains were exposed to multiple metal mixture (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) of various concentrations (6, 12, 18, 30mg/L). Compared to other strains, B. bassiana and A. fumigatus had higher cube root growth (k) constants indicating their better adaptability to multi metal stress. After 72h, multimetal accumulation potential of B. bassiana (26.94±0.07mg/L) and A. fumigatus (27.59±0.09mg/L) were higher than the other strains at initial multimetal concentration of 30mg/L. However, considering the post treatment concentrations of individual metals in multimetal mixture (at all the tested concentrations), A. fumigatus demonstrated exceptional performance and could bring down the concentrations of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn below the threshold level for irrigation prescribed by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Assessment of Yamuna and associated drains used for irrigation in rural and peri-urban settings of Delhi NCR

The present study assessed the quality of Yamuna River and the Najafgarh drain water for irrigational purposes in the Delhi region in terms of spatial variations in the physicochemical characteristics as well as heavy metal concentrations. The monitoring was done for the period July 2012-August 2013 representing pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon sessions and considering six physicochemical parameters. Heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, zinc, and lead have been found in the river due to rampant discharge of industrial effluents into the river. The mean metal concentrations in the 15 sampling sites were in the range of (mg L(-1)) 0.02-0.64 (Cu), 0-0.42 (Cr), 0.13-2.22(Zn), 0.03-0.27 (Pb), 0-0.07 (Cd), and 0.01-0.13 (Ni). Multivariate statistics (PCA and HCA) were used to identify the possible sources of metal contamination and to examine the spatial changes in the Yamuna River as well as in the Najafgarh drain. This study reveals the occurrence of mean Cd concentration above the safe limit at Palla, Christian Ashram and Jagatpur of the Yamuna river while Punjabi Bagh of the Najafgarh drain necessitate treatment in terms of heavy metals such as Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn before it could be rendered useful for irrigation.

Human health risk assessment of groundwater in Hetao Plain (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China)

Groundwater quality significantly affects public health. In order to better understand groundwater suitability, a total of 887 shallow groundwater samples were collected from the Hetao Plain (HP), Inner Mongolia, China; the maximum and minimum health guideline values of each element were established in this work. Subsequently, the desirability functions (DFs) theory was employed to evaluate the human health risk of groundwater. The results indicate that 780 of the samples were unsuitable for drinking purposes due to the iron, total dissolved solids (TDS), arsenic, strontium, fluoride, and manganese concentrations present, all of which exceeded their maximum guideline value (MaGV). Only 107 samples were suitable for drinking use; however, these samples also have adverse effects on human health to some extent, due to the extremely lower concentrations of nutrient elements and existence of non-nutrient elements. Based on the observed results, groundwater that is unsuitable for drinking use must undergo bacteriological treatment prior to consumption. It was necessary for residents in the western, central, and northeastern parts of the study area are required to be supplied with certain nutrient elements, such as iron, iodine, molybdenum, manganese, and lithium. According to the human health risk assessment of groundwater, the general public can safely and reasonably consume the groundwater for drinking, agriculture irrigation, and industrial purposes.

Groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking and agricultural use in the Yanqi Basin of Xinjiang Province, Northwest China

The Yanqi Basin in Xinjiang Province is an important agricultural area with a high population density. The extensive agricultural activities in the Yanqi Basin started in the 1950s with flood irrigation techniques. Since then, the groundwater table was raised because of the absence of an efficient drainage system. This obstacle is a crucial factor that restricts sustainable socioeconomic development. Hydrochemical investigations were conducted in the Yanqi Basin, Northwestern China, to determine the chemical composition of groundwater. Sixty groundwater samples were collected from different wells to monitor the water chemistry of various ions. The results of the chemical analysis indicate that the groundwater in the area is generally neutral to slightly alkaline and predominantly contains Na(+) and Ca(2+) cations as well as HCO3(-) and SO4 (2+) anions. High positive correlations between HCO3 (-)-Mg(2+) + Ca(2+), SO 4 (2-)-Mg(2+), SO4 (2-)-Na(+) + K(+), and Cl(-)-Na(+) + K(+) were obtained. The total dissolved solids (TDS) mainly depend on the concentration of major ions such as HCO3(-), SO4 (2-), Cl(-), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), and Na(+) + K(+). The dominant hydrochemical facies for groundwater are Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-HCO3(-), Mg(2+)-Ca(2+)-SO4 (2-)-Cl(-), Na(+)-K(+)-Cl(-)-SO4 (2-), and Na(+)-K(+)-Mg(2+)-Cl(-)-HCO3(-) types. The hydrochemical processes are the main factors that determine the water quality of the groundwater system. These processes include silicate mineral weathering, dissolution, ion exchange, and, to a lesser extent, evaporation, which seem to be more pronounced downgradient of the flow system. The saturation index (SI), which is calculated according to the ionic ratio plot, indicates that the gypsum-halite dissolution reactions occur during a certain degree of rock weathering. SI also indicates that evaporation is the dominant factor that determines the major ionic composition in the study area. The assessment results of the water samples using various methods indicate that the groundwater in the study area is generally hard, fresh to brackish, high to very high saline, and low alkaline in nature. The high total hardness and TDS of the groundwater in several places indicate the unsuitability of the groundwater for drinking and irrigation. These areas require particular attention, particularly in the construction of adequate drainage as well as in the introduction of an alternative salt tolerance cropping.

Investigation of hydrochemical characteristics of groundwater in the Harzandat aquifer, Northwest of Iran

The Harzandat plain is part of the East Azerbaijan province, which lies between Marand and Jolfa cities, northwestern of Iran, and its groundwater resources are developed for water supply and irrigation purposes. The main lithologic units consist chiefly of limestone, dolomite, shale, conglomerate, marl, and igneous rocks. In order to evaluate the quality of groundwater in study area, 36 samples were collected and analyzed for various ions. Chemical indexes like sodium adsorption ratio, percentage of sodium, residual sodium carbonate, and permeability index were calculated. Based on the analytical results, groundwater in the area is generally very hard, brackish, high to very high saline and alkaline in nature. The abundance of the major ions is as follows: Cl(-) >HCO3(-)>SO4(2-) and Na(+) >Ca(2+) >Mg(2+) >K(+). The dominant hydrochemical facieses of groundwater is Na(-)Cl type, and alkalis (Na(+), K(+)) and strong acids (Cl(-), SO4(2-) are slightly dominating over alkali earths (Ca(2+), Mg(2+)) and weak acids (HCO3(-), CO3(2-). The chemical quality of groundwater is related to the dissolution of minerals, ion exchange, and the residence time of the groundwater in contact with rock materials. The results of calculation saturation index by computer program PHREEQC shows that nearly all of the water samples were supersaturated with respect to carbonate minerals (calcite, dolomite and aragonite) and undersaturated with respect to sulfate minerals (gypsum and anhydrite). Assessment of water samples from various methods indicated that groundwater in study area is chemically unsuitable for drinking and agricultural uses.