Assessment of Groundwater Quality for Drinking Purpose in Rural Areas Surrounding a Defunct Copper Mine

Abstract

The suitability of groundwater quality of 22 wells located in the rural areas surrounding Ingaldhal defunct copper mine in Chithradurga district of Karnataka state was assessed for drinking purpose based on the various water quality parameters. Standard methods for physicochemical analysis of groundwater samples were employed. The results of analysis carried out showed the following concentration ranges: pH (7.61-8.34), EC (950-3120μS/cm), TH (410-1400mg/l), TDS (594-1913mg/l), F -(0.15-1.43mg/l), NO 3 -(14-162mg/l), HCO 3 -(417-574mg/l), SO 4 2-(68-286mg/l) and Ca 2+ (59-150mg/l), Mg 2+ (49-250mg/l), Na + (38-290mg/l), K + (6-58mg/l). The ionic dominance for the major cations and the anions respectively were in the order of Mg 2+ > Na + > Ca 2+ > K + and HCO 3 -> Cl -> SO 4 2-> NO 3 -> Fe -> F -> CO 3 -. Most of the samples analyzed were above the Guidelines set by both national (BIS) and international (WHO, 2011) bodies for drinking water. Geographical Information System (GIS) capabilities are used to classify zones with acceptable groundwater quality for drinking purpose. The Gibbs diagrams show that the groundwater samples fall both in the rock and evaporation dominance fields as well as about 18% samples fall outside the defined fields indicating integrated mechanisms for hydrochemistry such as high weathering and low rates of evaporation in addition to input from the anthropogenic activities. According to plots on the piper diagram the groundwater of the Ingaldhal and surrounding regions consists of 4 hydrochemical types, viz., Ca-Mg-HCO 3 type (n=9), Ca-Mg-SO 4 (n=6), mixed Ca-Na-HCO 3 (n=6) and Na-Cl type (n=1). Assessment of groundwater samples from various parameters indicates that groundwater in most part of the study area is chemically unsuitable for drinking purpose.

Comprehensive Assessment of Groundwater Quality around a Major Mining Company in Southern Sierra Leone

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“…4 SO − ) is presumed to be dominant across the sites and a similar observation was reported in a recent study [12] where strong acids predominate over weaker acids. The strong acidity of well waters around the sites is in contrast to a previous study conducted in Guinea where the pH content was skewed to be alkaline [13].…”

Domestic Groundwater Quality in the Northern Governorates of the West Bank, Palestine

“…Groundwater is a priceless resource of drinking water that is used for domestic utilization, industrial activities, as well as agriculture. It is commonly of good quality as compared to other water resources due to filtration in soil [1,2]. However, locative differences of groundwater quality are dependent on geological structure through which it flows and human activities near the groundwater basin [3].…”

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“…Moreover, the study site is covered entirely by sedimentary lithounits enriched in sandstone and limestone (CGWB 2007); (Herman 1978); (Basavarajappa and Manjunatha 2015). It reaches the groundwater by ion exchange processes (Annapoorna and Janardhana 2015). Magnesium is commonly found in ferromagnesian minerals in igneous rocks and as carbonates in sedimentary rocks.…”