Groundwater Chemistry and Quality in an Intensively Cultivated River Delta

The deltaic region of Cauvery River in Tamil Nadu, India is one of the intensively cultivated regions of India. The present study was carried out with the objective of assessing the groundwater quality and to evaluate the suitability of water for domestic and agricultural use in the deltaic region o...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Exposure and health 2015-06, Vol.7 (2), p.125-141
Main Authors: Vetrimurugan, E., Elango, L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Alkalinity
Aquatic Pollution
Aquifers
Chemistry
Coastal zone
Drinking water
Earth and Environmental Science
Environment
Environmental Health
Fertilizers
Groundwater
Groundwater chemistry
Groundwater quality
Humidity
Hydrology
Ions
Irrigation
Nitrates
Original Paper
Pollution
Quality assessment
Rainfall
River flow
Rivers
Sediments
Sodium
Waste Water Technology
Water analysis
Water and Health
Water Management
Water Pollution Control
Water quality
Water Quality/Water Pollution
Water sampling
Wind
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The deltaic region of Cauvery River in Tamil Nadu, India is one of the intensively cultivated regions of India. The present study was carried out with the objective of assessing the groundwater quality and to evaluate the suitability of water for domestic and agricultural use in the deltaic region of this river. Groundwater samples were collected from 44 wells once in two months from July 2007 to September 2009. EC, pH, Eh and concentrations of ions (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, SO 4 , HCO 3 and NO 3 ) were determined. Groundwater occurs in the alluvial formation generally in unconfined condition in this area. Na, Cl and HCO 3 are the dominant ions in groundwater. Groundwater is unsuitable for drinking in the coastal part and in few locations in the southwestern part of the area. Relatively high concentrations of fluoride and nitrate near the surface suggest the impact of fertilizers. Groundwater in the coastal region is unsuitable for irrigation due to sodium hazard. High concentration of ions in groundwater of the coastal region is due to poor flushing of groundwater into the sea and due to fine-grained nature of sediments in the aquifer. Hence proper management strategy is required to control salinity buildup either by increasing the rainfall recharge or by maintaining the river flow over a long period.
ISSN:1876-1658
2451-9766
1876-1666
2451-9685
DOI:10.1007/s12403-014-0133-7