Hydrogeochemical appraisal, sources, quality and potential health risk assessment in Holocene and Pleistocene aquifers in Bangladesh.

This study integrated hydrochemical analysis, isotopic analysis, the integrated water quality index (IWQI), and the health risk assessment model to analyze hydrochemical characteristics, quality, and nitrate health risks in a typical agricultural and industrial (i.e., Holocene and Pleistocene) simultaneously affected by anthropogenic activities, as well as to explore the recharge mechanisms of the groundwater. The shallow groundwater is mainly Ca-HCO3- and deep groundwater is mainly Na-HCO3- types. In shallow and intermediate aquifers (Holocene), rainfall recharge is seen, but in deep aquifers (Holocene) and the Madhupur tract (Pleistocene), there is no evidence of recent recharge from the stable isotopic (δ2H‰ and δ18O‰) composition of groundwater. Anthropogenic sources significantly impacted the groundwater chemistry of shallow and intermediate aquifers more than geogenic sources. Most metalloids, and metals (As, and Cr, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Mn) and NO3- exceed the WHO-2011 and BD acceptable limit from shallow and intermediate groundwater. PCA analysis revealed the contamination of shallow and intermediate aquifers by metalloids, metals and from various anthropogenic activities. Based on the IWQI, HPI, HEI, and DC, groundwater samples from shallow and intermediate aquifers are unsuitable for oral consumption. The NPI shows that the metalloids, and metals are responsible for groundwater pollution in a descending order of As > Fe > Pb > Ni > Cr > Mn. Health risk assessment indicates oral and dermal consumption of contaminated water from shallow and intermediate aquifers can pose carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks for both the adults and the children. The HQ and HI values of shallow and intermediate groundwater indicates higher non-carcinogenic risk. Carcinogenic risk through oral and dermal consumption follows an order of As > Ni > Cr > Pb and Ni > Cr > As > Pb, respectively. Compared to adults, children are more susceptible to both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks. Potential threats to the health of people living in the study region need immediate attention from the public, government, and the scientific community.

Advanced approach combines integrated weight water quality index and potential toxic elements for environmental and health risk assessment supported by simulation technique in Oued Souf, Algeria.

The current research study evaluated the health and environmental risks issues associated with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the complex terminal aquifer located in the Algerian desert. The methods used included principal component and cluster (dendrogram) analysis to estimate source of ions and contamination. Various indices such as the Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI), Metal Index, hazard quotient, hazard index (HI), and cancer risk (CR) were applied to assess both environmental and human health risks. Furthermore, the Monte Carlo method was applied for probabilistic assessment of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks through oral and dermal exposure routes in both adults and children. The results revealed that approximately 16% of the samples fell within the low pollution category (HPI < 100), indicating relatively lower levels of heavy metal contamination. However, the remaining 84% of the samples exhibited high pollution levels, indicating a significant presence of heavy metal pollutants in the northeastern part of the investigated area. The calculated average risk index (RI) for the collected samples was 18.99, with a range from 0.03 to 103.21. This indicates that a large portion, 82% of the samples, could cause low ecological risk (RI < 30), whereas the remaining 18% indicate a significant environmental pollution risk. The HI for oral ingestion showed that adults had HI values ranging from 0.231 to 1.54, while children exhibited higher values, ranging from 0.884 to 5.9 (Fig. 5a). For dermal exposure, HI values in adults ranged from 2.71E-07 to 8.74E-06 and in children, from 2.18E-06 to 7.03E-05. These findings highlight the potential non-carcinogenic risks associated with oral exposure to PTEs and underscore the increased vulnerability of children to metals such as Fe, Mn, Pb, and Cr. Most samples showed CR exceeding 1 × 10-4 for chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb), indicating a significant vulnerability to carcinogenic effects in both children and adults.

Water quality assessment of Elgo river in Ethiopia using CCME, WQI and IWQI for domestic and agricultural usage.

The increasing demand for water due to the escalation in population and aggressive agricultural activities for drinking and irrigation purposes in the rural areas of Ethiopia has put tremendous stress on water requirements. The Elgo River in southern Ethiopia is deteriorating due to sedimentation, soil erosion, stormwater runoff, and anthropogenic activities. Elgo village faces water shortages and a lack of safe drinking water. The purpose of this research was to identify the extent of pollution in Elgo River water using the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME), Water Quality Index (WQI), and Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI). A total of 12 water samples were collected from 3 river sampling sites for the dry and wet seasons to test the physicochemical and biological parameters. Results obtained were: turbidity (46.5-156) NTU, colour (103.65-606.5) TCU, EC (182-268) µS/cm, TDS (192.5-275.5) mg/l, TSS (680-2774) mg/l, Ca2+ (22-45) mg/l, Mg2+ (19.5-23.5) mg/l, Cl- (10.5-16.65) mg/l, and SO42- (17.18-47) mg/l for both the dry and wet seasons, respectively. The CCME WQI revealed that the overall results were 38.38 for the dry season and 36.6 for the wet season for drinking water parameters. The CCME WQI categorization indicates that the Elgo River water is classified as poor, with results ranging from 0 to 44. For irrigation purposes 10, parameters such as SAR, PS, PI, MAR, KI, RSC, EC, SSP, TH, and %Na were examined to compute indices using the IWQI model. The overall result of water quality indicated that IWQIs of 81.4 and 62.14 are good for the dry season and poor for the wet season, respectively. This research provides a thorough analysis through modelling to determine the suitability of water for different purposes for the tribal and backward communities of the area.

Integrating GIS and irrigation water quality index approaches for identifying groundwater irrigation potential zones in Central Gujarat, India.

In this study, groundwater irrigation potential zones are identified by measuring an integrated irrigation water quality index using a GIS platform in the Vishwamitri River Basin (VRB) region, Gujarat, India. Classification of different irrigation potential zones is about the collective paraphernalia of thematic maps, namely, electrical conductivity (EC), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), Na+, Cl-, and HCO3-, which principally regulate the groundwater quality for irrigation. The EC, SAR, and chloride values are > 3000 µS/cm, > 9 meq/L, and > 10 meq/L, respectively, indicating 98.78%, 41.78%, and 84.88% of the total area, respectively, belong to groundwater both hazardous and unsuitable for irrigation. Similarly, 39.55% of the total area is unsuitable for irrigation due to its high Na+ concentration. The permeability, porosity, and infiltration risk usually appear when excessive sodium ions reduce the rate of flow of irrigation water which moves in the lower soil zones. Similarly, high bicarbonate and chloride concentrations have been denoted to hamper the development of several crops causing symptoms analogous to lime-induced chlorosis due to toxic effects of the salt. The final irrigation potential map is marked by four levels, such as "most suitable," "moderately suitable," "moderately unsuitable," and "unsuitable for irrigation." Approximately, 56.69% of the total VRB region are covered with unsuitable for irrigation purposes. In such areas, irrigation must be avoided in usual conditions, and the halophytes, namely, Khati palak (Atriplex stocksii), Lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album), and Rudravanti (Cressa cretica) should be recommended with high soil permeability and proper drainage facilities. The soil must be highly permeable for groundwaters with high salinity and sodicity. Based on this study, policymakers and environmental managers can estimate the resource implications for drinking and irrigation.

Hydrogeochemical evaluation, groundwater contamination and associated health risk in southern Tangail, Bangladesh.

Water pollution is a worldwide concern that has growing severe in developed and developing nations. Increasing groundwater pollution threatening both the physical and environmental health of billions of people as well as economic progress. Consequently, hydrogeochemistry, water quality and potential health risk assessment is crucial for water resource management. The study area comprises Jamuna Floodplain (Holocene deposit) area in the west and the Madhupur tract (Pleistocene deposit) area in the eastern part. Total 39 groundwater samples were collected from the study area and were analyzed for physicochemical parameters, hydrogeochemical, trace metals, and isotopic composition. The water types are mainly Ca-HCO3- to Na-HCO3- types. The isotopic compositions (δ18O‰ and δ2H‰) analysis traces the recent recharge in Floodplain area from rainwater and no recent recharge in Madhupur tract. The concentration of NO3-, As, Cr, Ni, Pb, Fe, and Mn in shallow and intermediate aquifer at the Floodplain area exceed the WHO-2011 permissible limit and is lower at deep Holocene and Madhupur tract aquifer. The integrated weighted water quality index (IWQI) exposed groundwater from shallow and intermediate aquifer are unsuitable for drinking and deep Holocene aquifer and Madhupur tract are suitable for drinking purposes. PCA analysis confirmed that anthropogenic activity is dominant in shallow and intermediate aquifers. The non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk for adults and children is due to oral and dermal exposure. The non-carcinogenic risk evaluation revealed that the mean hazard index (HI) values range from 0.009742 to 16.37 for adults and 0.0124-20.83 for children, respectively, and most groundwater samples from shallow and intermediate aquifers exceed the permissible limit (HI>1). The carcinogenic risk ranges from 2.71 × 10-6-0.014 for adults and 3.44 × 10-6-0.017 for children via oral consumption and 7.09 × 10-11-1.18 × 10-6 for adults and 1.25 × 10-10-2.09 × 10-6 for children via dermal exposure. Spatial distribution shows the presence of trace metal and associated health risk is high in shallow and intermediate aquifer (Holocene) than in the deep (Holocene) Madhupur tract (Pleistocene). The study implies that effective water management will ensure safe drinking water for the future generation of people.

Combining stable isotope and WQI methods to study the groundwater quality: a case study in Essaouira city, Morocco.

Groundwater is an important water resource in arid and semi-arid regions. Therefore, this study aimed to assess groundwater's suitability for drinking and irrigation using the Water Quality Index (WQI) and the Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI). To this end, groundwater data were collected from 58 sites in 2019 (wet season) and 61 samples in 2020 (dry season) in the Meskala-Ouazzi sub-basin. The Piper diagram showed that Ca-Mg-Cl was the dominant groundwater facies type. The confinement due to COVID-19 has significantly improved the water quality of the Meskala-Ouazzi sub-basin. Instead, approximately 50% of sites showed improved water quality when calculating the WQI and IWQI. However, the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) showed that most samples below 10 are found in all of the examined samples, which are mostly found, indicating excellent irrigation water, and the Wilcox diagram depicted 20.14% of samples lying in the unsuitable region. Stable isotopes (δ18O and δ2H) of groundwater reveal that local precipitation is the main source of recharge. However, groundwater recharge is affected by the evaporation process due to the different geological conditions caused by topographic differences in the study area. The present study is useful for proper planning and managing water resources available for consumption and irrigation.

Dataset for the physio-chemical parameters of groundwater in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE.

This dataset considers the statistical evaluation of groundwater quality for irrigation purposes in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE. The evaluation is based on calculating Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI), Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), Sodium Percentage (%Na), and Permeability Index (PI). The article represents raw data and statistical analysis for 145 groundwater well samples which took place from January until April 2018, where each sample was analyzed for the following main physio-chemical parameters including pH, EC, HCO3 -, TDS, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, and Cl-. The outcomes of the IWQI showed that 52% of the samples were categorized under severe irrigation restrictions, where groundwater can be used for irrigation of high salt tolerance crops only. While, 44% of the investigated sites located within the high restriction category, 3% within moderate restriction, and 1% within the low irrigation restriction category. Moreover, the data has been used to find other irrigation water quality indices such as Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), Sodium Ratio (%Na), and Permeability Index (PI). These indices provided a guidance for evaluating the problems that might be developed in soil due to current irrigation practices in the study area. Furthermore, statistical analysis provided a deeper understanding of the relationship and data trends among the different physio-chemical parameters and water quality indices.

Evaluation of Groundwater Using an Integrated Approach of Entropy Weight and Stochastic Simulation: A Case Study in East Region of Beijing.

Groundwater is an important source of water in Beijing. Hydrochemical composition and water quality are the key factors to determine the availability of groundwater. Therefore, an improved integrated weight water quality index approach (IWQI) combining the entropy weight method and the stochastic simulation method is proposed. Through systematic investigation of groundwater chemical composition in different periods, using a hydrogeochemical diagram, multivariate statistics and spatial interpolation analysis, the spatial evolution characteristics and genetic mechanism of groundwater chemistry are discussed. The results show that the groundwater in the study area is weakly alkaline and low mineralized water. The south part of the study area showed higher concentrations of total dissolved solids, total hardness and NO3--N in the dry season and wet season, and the main hydrochemical types are HCO3--Ca and HCO3--Ca-Mg. The natural source mechanism of the groundwater chemical components in Chaoyang District includes rock weathering, dissolution and cation exchange, while the human-made sources are mainly residents and industrial activities. Improved IWQI evaluation results indicate that water quality decreases from southwest to northeast along groundwater flow path. The water quality index (WQI) method cannot reflect the trend of groundwater. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the improved IWQI method could describe the overall water quality reliably, accurately and stably.

Evaluation of sustainable groundwater utilization using index methods (WQI and IWQI), multivariate analysis, and GIS: the case of Aksehir District (Konya/Turkey).

Aksehir district is one of the regions where significant agricultural production and industrial activities are carried out. Groundwater is the most important water resource in this region used for different purposes, especially for drinking and irrigation water. In order to ensure sustainable water management in the study area, it is necessary to reveal the drinking and irrigation water quality of groundwater and to take precautions and determine the management plans. In the present study, groundwater quality was evaluated using water quality index methods (WQI and IWQI) and statistical analyses to determine the sustainable and most appropriate usage of groundwater. In addition, spatial distribution maps were prepared using GIS for drinking and irrigation WQI assessments of the groundwater. A total of 31 groundwater samples were collected from wells in October 2018 and physicochemical analysis results were evaluated. According to the results obtained with the WQI method, all groundwater samples in the study area are definitely not suitable for use as drinking water. According to the results obtained by the IWQI method, samples S23, S24, S25, S27, S28, S29, and S31 especially are not suitable for use as irrigation water. Statistical evaluations support the results obtained from WQI and IWQI methods. Also, factor analysis indicates that anthropogenic pollution, especially agricultural applications, is effective on the chemical and quality characteristics of groundwater samples in addition to the geological properties. As seen in the spatial distribution maps for WQI and IWQI results, while the quality of groundwaters around Dogruözü and Erdogdu is not suitable for drinking water, the groundwater quality in the north-east of the study area is also unusable for irrigation water. Consequently, the use of groundwater in the region as drinking water can be dangerous for human health and alternative drinking water resources should be investigated. In addition, in order to ensure the sustainable use of groundwater, it is necessary to control agricultural activities in the region, to monitor the use of pesticides and fertilizers, and to encourage organic farming practices in the region.

Groundwater quality assessment using a new integrated-weight water quality index (IWQI) and driver analysis in the Jiaokou Irrigation District, China.

Groundwater is an important water resource in arid and semi-arid regions. The impact of human activities on groundwater is increasing. After 60 years running, the groundwater quality and its formation mechanism are imperative questions needed to be answered in Jiaokou Irrigation District, Guanzhong Basin, China. In this study, the quality of groundwater in Jiaokou Irrigation District was assessed by a new integrated-weight water quality index (IWQI), and the groundwater chemistry is studied through integrated statistical, geostatistical and hydrogeochemical approaches. The patterns for the average anion and cation concentrations were HCO3- > SO42- > Cl- > NO3- > CO32- > NO2-, and Na+ > Mg2+ > Ca2+ > K+ > NH4+, respectively. Statistics showed that the major water chemistry types were HCO3-Na, SO4·Cl-Na, and Cl·SO4-Na. A new integrated-weight water quality index (IWQI) was proposed based on the entropy-weighted method and CRITIC method and showed excellent performance for explaining and evaluating the groundwater quality. The IWQI results show 65.33% of groundwater, mainly distributed in the central and western parts of this study area, was unsuitable for drinking. Furthermore, SO42－, HCO3－, Cl－, NO3－, and Na+ had more important effects on groundwater quality. The weathering process affecting groundwater quality in the study area is carbonate dissolution, followed by silicate weathering and evaporite dissolution, whereas the major geochemical processes include the dissolution and precipitation of calcite, as well as the dissolution of dolomite and gypsum (anhydrite). Cation exchange also plays an important role in the hydrogeochemical evolution of groundwater with a long residence time. Anthropogenic activities affecting groundwater quality included long-term irrigation infiltration and excessive use of fertilizers. The findings and the results of the study can improve understanding of the processes driving groundwater chemistry in Jiaokou Irrigation District, and can be used for reference to other similar regions in the world.

Groundwater pollution index (GPI) and GIS-based appraisal of groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation in coastal aquifers of Tiruchendur, South India.

We assessed groundwater pollution index (GPI) and groundwater quality of coastal aquifers from Tiruchendur in South India for drinking and irrigation by evaluating the physico-chemical parameters of 35 samples of mainly Na-Cl type in an area of 470 km2 with respect to the World Health Organization (WHO) standard as well as by estimating different indices such as total hardness (TH), sodium percentage (Na%), magnesium ratio (MR), Kelley's ratio index (KR), potential salinity (PS), Langelier saturation index (LSI), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), sodium adsorption rate (SAR), permeability index (PI), and the irrigation water quality index (IWQI). Minimal influence of aquifer lithology and the dominant influence of evaporation on groundwater chemistry reflected the semi-arid climate of the study area. Electrical conductivity (EC) of about 89% of the samples across 418 km2 exceeded the permissible limit and Ca values of 74% of samples, however, remained within the allowable limit for drinking. More chloride was caused by influx of seawater and salt leaching and higher K was due to excessive fertilizer usage for agriculture. The spatial distribution map created using inverse distance weighting (IDW) method shows that the suitable groundwater is present close to the river basin. GPI values between 0.40 and 4.7, with an average of 1.5, classify insignificant pollution in 43% of the study region and the groundwater suitable for drinking purposes. In addition, 17% of the groundwater samples are also marginally suitable for drinking. The irrigation water quality indices provided contradictory assessments. Indices of TH, Na%, MR, PS, and LSI suggested 32-95% of the samples as unsuitable for irrigation, whereas the indices of RSC, SAR, and PI grouped 72-100% samples as permissible for irrigation. The IWQI map, however, indicated that the groundwater from more than half of the study area are not apt for irrigation and the groundwater of about one-third of the area could only be applied to salt-resistant plants.

Application of neural network and time series modeling to study the suitability of drain water quality for irrigation: a case study from Egypt.

Limited water resources are one of the major challenges facing Egypt during the current stage. The agricultural drainage water is an important water resource which can be reused for agriculture. Thus, the current study aims to assess the quality of drainage water for irrigation purpose through monitoring and predicting its suitability for irrigation. The chemical composition of Bahr El-Baqr water drain, especially salinity, as well as ions are mainly involved in calculating indicators of water suitability for irrigation, i.e., Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, HCO-3, Cl-, and SO42-. Further analysis was carried out to evaluate the irrigation water quality index (IWQI) through integrated approaches and artificial neural network (ANN) model. Further, ARIMA models were developed to forecast IWQI of Bahr El-Baqr drain in Egypt. The results indicated that the computed IWQI values ranged between 46 and 81. Around 11% of the samples were classified as excellent water, while 89% of the samples were categorized as good water. The results of IWQI showed a standard deviation of 8.59 with a mean of 62.25, indicating that IWQI varied by 13.79% from the average. ANN model showed much higher prediction accuracy in IWQI modeling with R2 value greater than 0.98 during training, testing and validation. A relatively good correlation was obtained, between the actual and forecasted IWQI based on the Akaike information criterion (AIC); the best fit models were ARIMA (1,0) (0,0) without seasonality. The determination coefficient (R2) of ARIMA models was 0.23. Accordingly, 23% of IWQI variability could be explained by different model parameters. These findings will support the water resources managers and decision-makers to manage the irrigation water resources that can be implemented in the future.

Dataset on the evaluation of hydrochemical properties and groundwater suitability for irrigation purposes: South-western part of Jashore, Bangladesh.

The data herein presented concerns the article entitled "Evaluation of hydrochemical properties and groundwater suitability for irrigation uses in southwestern zones of Jashore, Bangladesh". Data was collected during 2018-2019 in the southwestern zones of Jashore, Bangladesh. One hundred groundwater samples (boreholes and tube wells) were collected to evaluate groundwater quality, using the irrigation water quality index (IWQI) as an indicator. Fourteen hydrochemical parameters (pH, EC, TDS, NO3N, pH, EC, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Cl-, HCO3 -, SO4 2- and Fe2+) were used to calculate irrigation water quality indices (KI, Na%, PI, SAR, SSP, MH, and TH). Statistical methods such as Viper diagrams, USSL, and Wilcox diagrams were used to visualize datasets. The attained data can be used to assess the hydrogeochemistry of the sampled sites and groundwater quality for irrigation purposes. The findings of this work can be used in the optimization of management and treatment procedures and in the implementation of sustainable water development.

Groundwater quality assessment for irrigation purposes based on irrigation water quality index and its zoning with GIS in the villages of Chabahar, Sistan and Baluchistan, Iran.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the groundwater quality and its suitability for irrigation purpose through GIS in villages of Chabahr city, Sistan and Baluchistan province in Iran. This cross-sectional study was carried out from 2010 to 2011 the 1-year-monitoring period. The water samples were collected from 40 open dug wells in order to investigate the water quality. Chemical parameters including EC, SAR, Na+, Cl-, pH, TDS, HCO3- and IWQI were analyzed. In order to calculate the irrigation water quality index subsequent five water quality parameters (EC, SAR, Na+, Cl-, and HCO3- ) were utilized. Among the total of 40 samples were analyzed for IWQI, 40% of the samples classified as excellent water, 60% of the samples in good water category.

Index-based assessment of suitability of water quality for irrigation purpose under Indian conditions.

Agriculture is a major sector in India which contributes around 14% of country's gross domestic product (GDP). Being an agriculture-based country, good quality of water for irrigation has been a prime requisite. Highly growing population and accelerated industrial development are causing anthropogenic pollution to both surface and groundwater on one side and geogenic contamination like arsenic, fluoride, high dissolved solids, sodicity, and iron in groundwater on other side. As a result, ensuring safe water quality for the irrigation has become a major challenge to both the central and state governments. The present irrigation water quality standards being followed in India have been set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) in the year 2000. These standards are solely based on four parameters, namely electrical conductivity, sodium percentage, sodium absorption ratio, and residual sodium carbonate, which are quite subjective and many times are not capable to exactly decide the quality of irrigation water particularly when there are large variations in the source water quality. Therefore, in the present paper, an indices-based approach is presented for categorization of irrigation water quality. These indices are mathematical equations that transform water quality data into a numeric value, which describes the quality of irrigation water. The proposed irrigation water quality index (IWQI), which is based on 12 parameters, classifies the water into five categories, viz. excellent, good, medium, bad, and very bad in the same manner as given by the CPCB and CGWB. In order to give proper rating to various parameters of the index, weights are computed using Saaty's analytic hierarchy process (AHP)-based multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approach. This approach minimizes the subjectivity in assessment of weights and improves understanding of water quality issues by generating an overall index to describe the status of water quality. The proposed index will be beneficial for the water management authorities in ensuring safe water to the stakeholders.