Evaluating Groundwater Pollution Using Hydrochemical Data: Case Study (Al Wahat Area East of Libya)
Affiliation(s)
1 Faculty of Engineering, Geological Engineering Department, Tripoli, Libya. 2 General Water Authority, Tripoli, Libya.
1 Faculty of Engineering, Geological Engineering Department, Tripoli, Libya. 2 General Water Authority, Tripoli, Libya.
ABSTRACT
Water is one of the most challenging current and future natural resources, which will directly affect the environment and development by the changes in its quantity, quality and regional distribution. However, Water quality is the critical factor that influences human health and irrigation proposer. This work aims to investigate hydrochemical analysis and geochemical processes influencing the groundwater of Al Wahat area (Jalou, Awjla and Jukherra), which is located in central east Libya. Thirty four water samples collected from domestic and agricultural water wells were analyzed and used for conventional classification techniques which were Piper, Durov and Stiff diagrams to evaluate geochemical processes. Cluster analysis was used to identify the water type and ions concentration and distribution. Results show significant increase of dissolved salts, especially Nitrates. Elevated nitrates concentration can be attributed to either the disposal of untreated sewage water from disposal ponds and septic tanks or the infiltration of irrigation water saturated with fertilizing chemicals. Therefore, irrigation wells revealed that suffering from nitrate contamination caused an increase of the chance of nitrate pollution. In addition, contour maps present a sudden increase in the total dissolved salts (TDS) in the northeastern part coincident with the highest of secondary ions of NO3 content, indicating the infiltration of irrigation water which is responsible partially for the groundwater degradation. Hydrogeochemical facie is NaCl type and enrichment of Na+ and Cl- can be attributed to urban untreated wastewaters and high rate of evapotranspiration. The concentrations of heavy elements such as Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, Ni and Cr were low and within the WHO ranges.
Water is one of the most challenging current and future natural resources, which will directly affect the environment and development by the changes in its quantity, quality and regional distribution. However, Water quality is the critical factor that influences human health and irrigation proposer. This work aims to investigate hydrochemical analysis and geochemical processes influencing the groundwater of Al Wahat area (Jalou, Awjla and Jukherra), which is located in central east Libya. Thirty four water samples collected from domestic and agricultural water wells were analyzed and used for conventional classification techniques which were Piper, Durov and Stiff diagrams to evaluate geochemical processes. Cluster analysis was used to identify the water type and ions concentration and distribution. Results show significant increase of dissolved salts, especially Nitrates. Elevated nitrates concentration can be attributed to either the disposal of untreated sewage water from disposal ponds and septic tanks or the infiltration of irrigation water saturated with fertilizing chemicals. Therefore, irrigation wells revealed that suffering from nitrate contamination caused an increase of the chance of nitrate pollution. In addition, contour maps present a sudden increase in the total dissolved salts (TDS) in the northeastern part coincident with the highest of secondary ions of NO3 content, indicating the infiltration of irrigation water which is responsible partially for the groundwater degradation. Hydrogeochemical facie is NaCl type and enrichment of Na+ and Cl- can be attributed to urban untreated wastewaters and high rate of evapotranspiration. The concentrations of heavy elements such as Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, Ni and Cr were low and within the WHO ranges.
Cite this paper
Rashrash, S. , Ghawar, B. and Hweesh, A. (2015) Evaluating Groundwater Pollution Using Hydrochemical Data: Case Study (Al Wahat Area East of Libya). Journal of Water Resource and Protection, 7, 369-377. doi: 10.4236/jwarp.2015.74029.
Rashrash, S. , Ghawar, B. and Hweesh, A. (2015) Evaluating Groundwater Pollution Using Hydrochemical Data: Case Study (Al Wahat Area East of Libya). Journal of Water Resource and Protection, 7, 369-377. doi: 10.4236/jwarp.2015.74029.
References
[1] PNUE Programme des Nations Unies pour l’Environnement (2004) Plan d’Action pour la Mediterranee: MAP Technical Report Series No. 158. [2] Alghariani, S.A. (2002) Future Perspectives of Irrigation in Southern Mediterranean Region: Policies and Management Issues. In: Al-Rasheed, M., Singh, V.P. and Sheriff, M.M, Eds., Proceedings of the International Conference on Water Resources Management in Arid Regions, 313-320. [3] GWA (2002) General Water Authority. Unpublished Report. [4] Wright, E.P., et al. (1974) Jalu-Tazerbo Project: Phase I Final Report. Institute of Geological Sciences, London. (Unpublished) [5] Meng, S.X. and Maynard, J.B. (2001) Use of Statistical Analysis to Formulate Conceptual Models of Geochemical Behaviour: Water Chemical Data from the Botucatu Aquifer in Sa~o Paulotate, Brazil. Journal of Hydrology, 250, 78-97.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1694(01)00423-1 [6] Yidana, S.M., Ophori, D. and Banoeng-Yakubob, B. (2008) A Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Surface Water Chemistry Data—The Ankobra Basin, Ghana. Journal of Environmental Management, 86, 80-87.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2006.11.023 [7] WHO (2006) Guideline for Drinking Water Quality. 3rd Edition, World Health Organization. [8] EU (1998) Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 on the Quality of Water Intended for Human Consumption. Official Journal of the European Communities, L330, 32-54. [9] Foppen, J.W.A. (2002) Impact of High-Strength Was Tewater Infiltration on Groundwater Quality and Drinking Water Supply: The Case of Sana’a, Yemen. [10] Reeve, A.S., Siegel, D.I. and Glaser, P.H. (1996) Geochemical Controls on Peatland Pore Water from the Hudson Bay Lowland: A Multivariate Statistical Approach. Journal of Hydrology, 181, 285-304.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(95)02900-1 [11] Ochsenkuehn, K.M., Kontoyannakos, J. and Ochsenkuehn, P.M. (1997) A New Approach to a Hydrochemical Study of Ground Water Flow. Journal of Hydrology, 194, 64-75.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1694(96)03218-0 [12] Ragno, G., De Luca, M. and Ioele, G. (2007) An Application of Cluster Analysis and Multivariate Classification Methods to Spring Water Monitoring Data. Microchemical Journal, 87, 119-127.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.microc.2007.06.003 [13] Templ, M., Filzmoser, P. and Reimann, C. (2008) Cluster Analysis Applied to Regional Geochemical Data: Problems and Possibilities. Applied Geochemistry, 23, 2198-2213.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2008.03.004 [14] Murugesan, A., Ramu, A. and Kannan, N. (2006) Water Quality Assessment for Uttamapalayan Municipality in Theni District, Tamil Nadu, India. Pollution Research, 25, 163-166. [15] Todd, D.K. (1980) Groundwater Hydrology. 2nd Edition, John Wiley and Sons Inc., Hoboken, 315. [16] Sawyer, G.N. and McCarthy, D.L. (1967) Chemistry of Sanitary Engineers. 2nd Edition, McGraw Hill, New York. [17] Freeze, R.A. and Cherry, J.A. (1979) Ground Water. Prentice Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, 604 p. [18] Gibbs, R.J. (1970) Mechanisms Controlling World Water Chemistry. Science, 17, 1088-1090.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.170.3962.1088 [19] Jalali, M. (2007) Salinization of Groundwater in Arid and Semi-Arid Zones: An Example from Tajarak, Western Iran. Environmental Geology, 52, 1133-1149.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00254-006-0551-3
[1] PNUE Programme des Nations Unies pour l’Environnement (2004) Plan d’Action pour la Mediterranee: MAP Technical Report Series No. 158. [2] Alghariani, S.A. (2002) Future Perspectives of Irrigation in Southern Mediterranean Region: Policies and Management Issues. In: Al-Rasheed, M., Singh, V.P. and Sheriff, M.M, Eds., Proceedings of the International Conference on Water Resources Management in Arid Regions, 313-320. [3] GWA (2002) General Water Authority. Unpublished Report. [4] Wright, E.P., et al. (1974) Jalu-Tazerbo Project: Phase I Final Report. Institute of Geological Sciences, London. (Unpublished) [5] Meng, S.X. and Maynard, J.B. (2001) Use of Statistical Analysis to Formulate Conceptual Models of Geochemical Behaviour: Water Chemical Data from the Botucatu Aquifer in Sa~o Paulotate, Brazil. Journal of Hydrology, 250, 78-97.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1694(01)00423-1 [6] Yidana, S.M., Ophori, D. and Banoeng-Yakubob, B. (2008) A Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Surface Water Chemistry Data—The Ankobra Basin, Ghana. Journal of Environmental Management, 86, 80-87.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2006.11.023 [7] WHO (2006) Guideline for Drinking Water Quality. 3rd Edition, World Health Organization. [8] EU (1998) Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 on the Quality of Water Intended for Human Consumption. Official Journal of the European Communities, L330, 32-54. [9] Foppen, J.W.A. (2002) Impact of High-Strength Was Tewater Infiltration on Groundwater Quality and Drinking Water Supply: The Case of Sana’a, Yemen. [10] Reeve, A.S., Siegel, D.I. and Glaser, P.H. (1996) Geochemical Controls on Peatland Pore Water from the Hudson Bay Lowland: A Multivariate Statistical Approach. Journal of Hydrology, 181, 285-304.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(95)02900-1 [11] Ochsenkuehn, K.M., Kontoyannakos, J. and Ochsenkuehn, P.M. (1997) A New Approach to a Hydrochemical Study of Ground Water Flow. Journal of Hydrology, 194, 64-75.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1694(96)03218-0 [12] Ragno, G., De Luca, M. and Ioele, G. (2007) An Application of Cluster Analysis and Multivariate Classification Methods to Spring Water Monitoring Data. Microchemical Journal, 87, 119-127.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.microc.2007.06.003 [13] Templ, M., Filzmoser, P. and Reimann, C. (2008) Cluster Analysis Applied to Regional Geochemical Data: Problems and Possibilities. Applied Geochemistry, 23, 2198-2213.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2008.03.004 [14] Murugesan, A., Ramu, A. and Kannan, N. (2006) Water Quality Assessment for Uttamapalayan Municipality in Theni District, Tamil Nadu, India. Pollution Research, 25, 163-166. [15] Todd, D.K. (1980) Groundwater Hydrology. 2nd Edition, John Wiley and Sons Inc., Hoboken, 315. [16] Sawyer, G.N. and McCarthy, D.L. (1967) Chemistry of Sanitary Engineers. 2nd Edition, McGraw Hill, New York. [17] Freeze, R.A. and Cherry, J.A. (1979) Ground Water. Prentice Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, 604 p. [18] Gibbs, R.J. (1970) Mechanisms Controlling World Water Chemistry. Science, 17, 1088-1090.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.170.3962.1088 [19] Jalali, M. (2007) Salinization of Groundwater in Arid and Semi-Arid Zones: An Example from Tajarak, Western Iran. Environmental Geology, 52, 1133-1149.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00254-006-0551-3