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Application of GIS-based DRASTIC model approaches in assessing groundwater vulnerability for shallow alluvial aquifer deposited

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Abstract

Groundwater can be contaminated by many sources, such as anthropogenic activities on the ground surface. To evaluate the vulnerability of groundwater to contamination, the present study was conducted in the shallow alluvial aquifer of Bachok, Kelantan, by embedding several hydrogeological parameters using the GIS-based DRASTIC model. Considering the importance of land use activities on groundwater vulnerability, the land use map of the study area was integrated with the DRASTIC model, known as the integrated land use DRASTIC model. Results of the DRASTIC model classified 58.36% of the area as high vulnerability, 14.40% as moderate vulnerability, and 27.14% as low vulnerability. Meanwhile, the integrated land use DRASTIC map showed that most parts of the study area have moderate vulnerability (61.03%). The depth to the water table and net recharge parameters have contributed to large variations in groundwater vulnerability indices. The models were validated using nitrate concentrations. Negative weak correlations were measured between nitrate concentrations with DRASTIC index (− 0.318; p < 0.001) and between nitrate concentrations with integrated land use DRASTIC index (− 0.309; p < 0.001). These findings have led to the conclusion that nitrate concentrations and vulnerability index values may not correlate so that the more coherent measure of other types of pollutants can be used in the future.

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Acknowledgements

We want to thank the staffs of the Department of Mineral and Geosciences, Department of Drainage and Irrigation, Malaysian Centre for Geospatial Data Infrastructure, Bachok Land and District Office, and Bachok District Council who have provided the data and maps during this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition Sciences, Kulliyyah of Allied Health Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuantan Campus, 25200, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia

    Aida Soraya Shamsuddin & Wan Azdie Mohd. Abu Bakar

  2. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Aida Soraya Shamsuddin, Sharifah Norkhadijah Syed Ismail, Emilia Zainal Abidin & Ho Yu Bin

  3. East Coast Environmental Research Institute (ESERI), Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Gong Badak Campus, 21300, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia

    Hafizan Juahir

Authors
  1. Aida Soraya Shamsuddin
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  2. Sharifah Norkhadijah Syed Ismail
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  3. Emilia Zainal Abidin
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  6. Wan Azdie Mohd. Abu Bakar
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Contributions

Conceptualization, Aida Soraya Shamsuddin and Sharifah Norkhadijah Syed Ismail; methodology, Aida Soraya Shamsuddin and Sharifah Norkhadijah Syed Ismail; software, Aida Soraya Shamsuddin and Sharifah Norkhadijah Syed Ismail; validation, Sharifah Norkhadijah Syed Ismail, Emilia Zainal Abidin, and Ho Yu Bin; investigation, Aida Soraya Shamsuddin, Sharifah Norkhadijah Syed Ismail, Emilia Zainal Abidin, Ho Yu Bin, Hafizan Juahir, and Wan Azdie Mohd. Abu Bakar; resources, Aida Soraya Shamsuddin, Sharifah Norkhadijah Syed Ismail, and Hafizan Juahir; data curation, Aida Soraya Shamsuddin, Sharifah Norkhadijah Syed Ismail, Emilia Zainal Abidin, Ho Yu Bin, Hafizan Juahir, and Wan Azdie Mohd. Abu Bakar; writing—original draft preparation, Aida Soraya Shamsuddin; writing–review and editing, Sharifah Norkhadijah Syed Ismail, Emilia Zainal Abidin, Ho Yu Bin, Hafizan Juahir, and Wan Azdie Mohd. Abu Bakar; visualization, Aida Soraya Shamsuddin and Sharifah Norkhadijah Syed Ismail; supervision: Sharifah Norkhadijah Syed Ismail, Emilia Zainal Abidin, and Ho Yu Bin; project administration, Aida Soraya Shamsuddin; funding acquisition, Aida Soraya Shamsuddin. All authors read and agreed to the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Sharifah Norkhadijah Syed Ismail.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Communicated by Broder J. Merkel.

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Shamsuddin, A.S., Ismail, S.N.S., Abidin, E.Z. et al. Application of GIS-based DRASTIC model approaches in assessing groundwater vulnerability for shallow alluvial aquifer deposited. Arab J Geosci 14, 2693 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-08865-8

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