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Hydrochemical Characteristics and Quality Assessment of Stream Water in Parts of Gadag, Koppal and Ballery Districts of Karnataka, India

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Journal of the Geological Society of India

Abstract

Seventeen water samples were collected from various streams in parts of Gadag, Koppal and Ballery districts of Karnataka and analyzed for major ions and heavy metals to determine the processes controlling surface water chemistry and suitability of water for drinking, livestock uses and irrigation purposes. The water samples are moderately alkaline to alkaline in nature and soft to moderately hard. The order of cations is Na>Ca>Mg>K, of anions is HCO3>Cl>SO4>CO3>NO3 and heavy metals Sr>Fe>V>Ba>Zn>Ni>Mn>As>Cu>Cr>Pb>Co. According to Gibbs diagram, the water samples fall in the dominant rock-water interaction area, suggesting chemical weathering of the rock forming minerals as the main process contributing ions to the surface water. Scatter plots of Ca + Mg vs HCO3 + SO4 and Ca/Na vs HCO3/Na clearly indicate the silicate weathering playing a dominant role on water chemistry. The evolution of surface water into Ca-Na-HCO3 and Ca-HCO3 water types is due to easy dissolution of silicate minerals and less time for water-rock interaction. Surface water samples are characterized by Na-Ca-HCO3-Cl the principal water type of schoeller’s plot, which can be related to the weathering of the silicate rocks along with some anthropogenic input. The physical parameters, major ions and heavy metals are within the permissible limits of WHO and BIS standards except for two samples, suggesting the water as suitable for domestic and livestock uses. The stream water is suitable for irrigation as per the quality parameters and plots including EC, sodium percent, sodium adsorption ratio, Wilcox and USDA classification diagrams.

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Acknowledgements

The work has been carried out under the Geological Survey of India, SU: AP, Hyderabad, field season programme 2017–18. The authors gratefully acknowledges Director General, Geological Survey of India, Dy. Director General and HOD, Geological Survey of India, Southern Region, Hyderabad and Dy. Director General, State Unit Andhra Pradesh, Southern Region, Hyderabad for providing necessary facilities to carry out the work. The authors are thankful to the officers of Geochemical Lab. GSI SR, Hyderabad for analysis of the water samples. The authors are also highly indebted to the anonymous reviewers for their valuable scientific comments and suggestions.

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  1. Geological Survey of India, State Unit, Andhra Pradesh, SR, Hyderabad, 500 068, India

    Nadeem Ahmad Bhat, Prasun Ghosh, Waseem Ahmed, Farha Naaz & Alakananda Priyadashinee

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  1. Nadeem Ahmad Bhat
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  2. Prasun Ghosh
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Bhat, N.A., Ghosh, P., Ahmed, W. et al. Hydrochemical Characteristics and Quality Assessment of Stream Water in Parts of Gadag, Koppal and Ballery Districts of Karnataka, India. J Geol Soc India 94, 635–640 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-019-1370-y

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