Open coal stock pile impact on surface, river, and groundwater: Noapara, Jashore case study

Abstract

Energy is the main driving force for a country's development. Every year, Bangladesh imports a huge amount of coal along with local coal to support the country's energy demand, which stock in open areas. The objective of this research is to evaluate the hydrochemical characteristics of surface, river, and groundwater in a well‐known industrial region in Bangladesh where nearby water is polluted by coal from an open coal stock pile. The findings of this research article concerning the environmental effects of open coal stockpiles will be helpful to policymakers, environmentalists, investors, and other stakeholders. Following WHO standards, GIS extrapolation was used to create maps of key ions in solution (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+) and negatively charged ions (HCO3−, SO42−, Cl−). The aquifer's hydrogeochemical process was explained using PCA techniques and the hydrogeochemical facies and water types shown by the Piper and Gibbs diagram. The findings show that the groundwater in this research region is mostly salinized (NaCl‐rich). The result confirms that 67% of the location is of good quality and 33% is of permissible water quality for the surface water sample, whereas 48% of the location is of good quality and 52% is of severe water quality for the ground water sample. Advanced technology should be used to stock the coal to reduce the open stockpile's impact on the environment.