Abstract
Groundwater samples are collected from 30 observation wells in the study area to analyze the hydrochemical quality for determining the seawater encroachment in the part of Central Godavari Delta, Bay of Bengal, India. In order to establish the baseline hydrochemical conditions and processes determining the groundwater quality, an integrated investigation coupled with multivariate statistical analysis and hydrochemical methods are used to identify and interpret the groundwater chemistry of the aquifer system. The major land use is irrigated agriculture and aquaculture in the study area. The ground waters affected by the seawater intrusion featured high levels of sodium (Na+), chloride (Ca+), and TDS, which are the simplest common indicators for seawater influence. The elevated levels of NO3–N at some monitoring wells indicate nitrate pollution of groundwater due to anthropogenic origin such as septic effluents or chemical fertilizers. Besides the major chemical compositions, it was also demonstrated that ionic ratios would be useful to delineate seawater intrusion and they include Na+/Ca2+, Mg2+/Ca2+, SO4 2−/Ca2+, Na+/(Na+ + Cl−), and Ca−/sum of anions. This paper demonstrates the variations in hydrochemical quality of groundwater and its evolution processes in two different seasons in the coastal aquifer alluvial settings
Similar content being viewed by others
References
APHA. (1995). Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater (19th ed.). Washington: American Water Works Association, Water Environment Federation.
Arslan, H. (2012). Application of multivariate statistical techniques in the assessment of groundwater quality in seawater intrusion area in Bafra Plain, Turkey. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 185, 2439–2452. doi:10.1007/s10661-012-2722-x.
Ball, J. W., & Nordstrom, D. K. (1992). Geochemical model to calculate speciation of major, trace and redox elements in natural waters. U.S. Geological Survey, International Groundwater Modelling Center. 189 pp.
Biksham, G., & Subramanian, V. (1988). Nature of solute transport in the Godavari Basin, India. Journal of Hydrology, 103, 375–392.
Bobba, A. G. (2002). Numerical modeling of salt-water intrusion due to human activities and sea- level change in the Godavari Delta, India. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 47, S67–S80.
Brown, E., Skougstad, M. W., & Fishmen, M. J. (1983). Method for collection and analyzing of water samples for dissolved minerals and gases. Washington: US Govt. Printing Office.
CGWB. (1999). Groundwater resources and development prospects in East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh. Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India. Unpublished Report, 210 pp.
Chapelle, F. H., Zelibor, J. L., Jr., Grimes, D. J., & Knobel, L. L. (1987). Bacteria in deep coastal plain sediments of Maryland. A possible source of CO2 to groundwater. Water Resources Research, 23(8), 1625–1632.
Elango, L., Kannan, R., & Senthil Kumar, M. (2003). Major ion chemistry and identification of hydrogeochemical processes of groundwater in a part of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu. Environmental Geosciences, 4, 157–166.
Gibbs, R. J. (1970). Mechanisms controlling world water chemistry. Science, 170, 1088–1090.
Gupta, S., Mahato, A., Roy, P., & Datta, J. K. (2008). Geochemistry of groundwater, Burdwan District, West Bengal, India. Environmental Geology, 53, 1271–1282.
Hakanson, L. (1980). An ecological risk index for aquatic pollution control. A sedimentological approach. Water Resources, 14, 975–1001.
Handa, B. K. (1975). Geochemistry and genesis of fluoride containing groundwater in India. Groundwater, 13, 275–281.
Hem, J. D. (1970). Study and interpretation of chemical characterization of natural water. US Geol Survey paper (1473).
Hounslow, A. W. (1995). Water quality data analysis and interpretation. Boca Raton: Lewis Publishers.
Jalali, M. (2007). Hydrochemical identification of groundwater resources and their changes under the impacts of human activity in the Chah Basin in Western Iran. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 130, 347–364.
Kumar, M., Ramanathan, A. L., Rao, M. S., & Kumar, B. (2006). Identification and evaluation of hydrogeochemical processes in the groundwater environment of Delhi, India. Environmental Geology, 50, 1025–1039.
Kumar, M., Ramanathan, A. L., & Keshari, A. K. (2008). Understanding the extent of interactions between groundwater and surface water through major ion chemistry and multivariate statistical techniques. Hydrological Processes, 23, 297–310.
Lee, J. Y., & Song, S. H. (2007). Evaluation of groundwater quality in coastal areas: implications for sustainable agriculture. Environmental Geology, 52, 1231–1242.
Mercado, A. (1985). The use of hydrogeochemical patterns in carbonate, sand and sandstone aquifer to identify intrusion and flushing of saline water. Groundwater, 23, 635–645.
Mondal, N. C., Singh, V. S., Saxena, V. K., & Prasad, R. K. (2008). Improvement of groundwater quality due to fresh water ingress in Potharlanka Island, Krishna delta, India. Environmental Geology, 55, 595–603.
Morell, I., Gime’nez, E., & Esteller, M. V. (1996). Application of principal components analysis to the study of salinization on the Castellon Plain (Spain). Science of the Total Environment, 177, 161–171.
Nadler, A., Magaritz, M., & Mazor, E. (1981). Chemical reactions of seawater with rocks and freshwater experimental and field observations on brackish waters in Israel. Geochemica Cosmotica Acta, 44, 879–886.
Naidu, L. S., G. Rao, V. V. S., T. Rao, G., Mahesh, J., Padalu, G., Sarma, V. S., Prasad, P. R., Rao, S. M., & R. Rao, B. M. (2012). An integrated approach to investigate saline water intrusion and to identify the salinity sources in the Central Godavari delta, Andhra Pradesh, India. Arabian Journal of Geosciences. doi:10.1007/s12517-012-0634-2.
Rabinove, C. L., Longford, R. H., & Brookhart, J. W. (1958). Saline Water Resources of North Dakota. US Geographical Survey Water Supply Paper, pp. 1418, 364.
Raghunath, H. M. (2005). Text book of ground water, 3rd edition. New Delhi: New Age International publishers.
Rao, N. G. (2001). Occurrence of heavy rainfall around the confluence line in monsoon disturbances and its importance in causing floods. Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences. Earth and Planetary Science, 110, 87–94.
Rao, V. V. S. G., Tamma Rao, G., Surinaidu, L., Rajesh, R., & Mahesh, J. (2011). Geophysical and geochemical approach for seawater intrusion assessment in the godavari delta basin, A.P., India. Water Air Soil Pollution. doi:10.1007/s11270-010-0604-9.
Sarwade, D. V., Nandakumar, M. V., Kesari, M. P., Mondal, N. C., Singh, V. S., & Singh, B. (2007). Evaluation of sea water ingress into an Indian atoll. Environmental Geology, 52, 1475–1483.
Saxena, V. K., Singh, V. S., Mondal, N. C., & Jain, S. C. (2003). Use of chemical parameters to delineation fresh groundwater resources in Potharlanka Island, India. Environmental Geology, 44, 516–521.
Shah, R. K., & Trivedi, A. M. (1958). Chemical properties of groundwater in North Gujarat. In: Proceedings of Symposium Groundwater. Central Board of Geophysics, 4, 246–259.
Subba Rao, N., Srinivasa Rao, G., Venkateswara Rao, S., Madhusudhana Reddy, P., & John Devadas, D. (1999). Environmental control of groundwater quality in a tribal region of Andhra Pradesh, India. Journal of Geology, 71, 299–304.
Sujatha, D., & Reddy, R. B. (2003). Quality characterization of groundwater in the south-eastern part of the Ranja Reddy district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Environmental Geology, 44, 579–586.
Sukhija, B. S., Varma, V. N., Nagabhushanam, P., & Reddy, D. V. (1996). Differentiation of paleomarine and modern seawater intruded salinities in coastal groundwaters (of Karaikal and Tanjavur, India) based on inorganic chemistry, organic biomarker fingerprints and radiocarbon dating. Journal of Hydrology, 174, 173–201.
Sunitha, V., Sudarsha, V., & Rajeswara Reddy, B. (2005). Hydrogeochemistry of groundwater, Gooty area, Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Pollution Research, 24, 217–224.
Vengosh, A., & Ben-Zvi, A. (1994). Formation of a salt plume in the coastal plain aquifer of Israel: the Be’er Toviyya region. Journal of Hydrology, 160, 21–52.
Vengosh, A., & Rosenthal, E. (1994). Saline groundwater in Israel: its bearing on the water crisis in the country. Journal of Hydrology, 156, 389–430.
Vengosh, A., Spivack, A. J., Artzi, Y., & Ayalon, A. (1999). Geochemical and boron, strontium, and oxygen isotopic constraints on the origin of the salinity in groundwater from the Mediterranean coast of Israel. Water Resource Research, 35, 1877–1894.
Vengosh, A., Gill, J., Lee Davisson, M., & Bryant Hudson, G. (2002). A multi-isotope (B, Sr, O, H, and C) and age dating (3H-3He and 14C) study of groundwater from Salinas Valley, California: hydrochemistry, dynamics, and contamination processes. Water Resource Research, 38(91), 9–17.
WHO. (1993). Guidelines for drinking water quality, vol. 1 recommendations. Geneva, Switzerland.
Acknowledgment
Authors are grateful to the director of N.G.R.I., Hyderabad, for his continuous encouragement and kind permission to publish this paper.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gurunadha Rao, V.V.S., Tamma Rao, G., Surinaidu, L. et al. Assessment of geochemical processes occurring in groundwaters in the coastal alluvial aquifer. Environ Monit Assess 185, 8259–8272 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3171-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3171-x