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Multivariate statistical approach for the assessment of fluoride and nitrate concentration in groundwater from Zaheerabad area, Telangana State, India

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Abstract

To assess the impact of fluoride and nitrate concentration on groundwater quality at Zaheerabad area, 50 groundwater samples were collected from borewells/dugwells and analyzed for major ions. Water quality analysis of major ions shows elevated concentration of fluoride and nitrate in few groundwater samples. The pH ranges from 6.6 to 8.9, electrical conductivity (EC) ranges from 86 to 900 µS/cm, TDS ranges from 55 to 576 mg/l. Fluoride concentration ranges from 0.13 to 2.63 mg/l out of which 18% of the groundwater samples have exceeded the permissible limits of 1.5 mg/l, while in the case of nitrate concentration 16% of the groundwater samples have exceeded the permissible limits of 45 mg/l. The water quality data were interpreted through multivariate statistical techniques, viz., hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis. The results clearly show that the fluoride concentration in the study area was controlled by geogenic process, whereas the nitrate concentration in the samples was due to the excess use of fertilizers, pesticides, and organic matter. Multivariate statistical techniques are potential tools and provide greater precision for identifying contaminant parameters that are linked with environment and natural rocks.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship (RGNF), New Delhi, for pursing this program and for providing financial support for research fellowship to first author, and special thanks to Dr. M. Ramana Kumar for encouragement and support in the field work as well as analysis work. The authors are also thankful to honorable reviewers for giving their valuable suggestions and comments for the improvement of the scientific content of the manuscript. The authors are especially thankful to Jim LaMoreaux, Editor-in-Chief, for his quick response, which helped to revise the manuscript, his kind support, and encouragement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Geochemistry, University College of Science, Hyderabad, India

    G. Sakram, Sreedhar Kuntamalla & A. Narsimha

  2. CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, India

    Ratnakar Dhakate

  3. Department of Geology, Osmania University, Hyderabad, 500 007, India

    G. Machender

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  1. G. Sakram
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  2. Sreedhar Kuntamalla
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  3. G. Machender
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  5. A. Narsimha
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Correspondence to G. Sakram.

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Sakram, G., Kuntamalla, S., Machender, G. et al. Multivariate statistical approach for the assessment of fluoride and nitrate concentration in groundwater from Zaheerabad area, Telangana State, India. Sustain. Water Resour. Manag. 5, 785–796 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-018-0258-0

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