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Assessment of the Hydrogeochemistry and Groundwater Quality of the Tarim River Basin in an Extreme Arid Region, NW China

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Abstract

The concentrations of the major and trace elements in the groundwater of the Tarim River Basin (TRB), the largest inland river basin of China, were analyzed before and during rainy seasons to determine the hydrogeochemistry and to assess the groundwater quality for irrigation and drinking purposes. The groundwater within the TRB was slightly alkaline and characterized by high ionic concentrations. The groundwater in the northern sub-basin was fresh water with a Ca2+–HCO3 − water type, whereas the groundwater in the southern and central sub-basins was brackish with a Na+–Cl− water type. Evaporite dissolution and carbonate weathering were the primary and secondary sources of solutes in the groundwater within the basin, whereas silicate weathering played a minor role. The sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), water quality index (WQI), and sodium percentage (%Na) indicated that the groundwater in the northern sub-basin was suitable for irrigation and drinking, but that in the southern and central sub-basins was not suitable. The groundwater quality was slightly better in the wet season than in the dry season. The groundwater could be used for drinking after treatment for B3+, F−, and SO4 2− and for irrigation after control of the sodium and salinity hazards. Considering the high corrosivity ratio of the groundwater in this area, noncorrosive pipes should be used for the groundwater supply. For sustainable development, integrated management of the surface water and the groundwater is needed in the future.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the West Light Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Science Foundation of China through Grants 41003012 and the Key Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences through Grant KZZD-EW-04. We thank Mr. Dejun Wan at the Institute of Earth and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Associate Professor Yuxin Zhu at the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences for their kind helps to sample collection and analyses.

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  1. State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an, 710075, China

    Jun Xiao, Zhangdong Jin & Jin Wang

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  1. Jun Xiao
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  2. Zhangdong Jin
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  3. Jin Wang
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Correspondence to Zhangdong Jin.

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Xiao, J., Jin, Z. & Wang, J. Assessment of the Hydrogeochemistry and Groundwater Quality of the Tarim River Basin in an Extreme Arid Region, NW China. Environmental Management 53, 135–146 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-013-0198-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-013-0198-2

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