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Trace Elements Hydrochemistry and Suitability of the Groundwater in Wadi An Numan Area, Makkaah District, Western Arabian Shield, Saudi Arabia

  • Research Article - Earth Sciences
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Abstract

This paper aims to study the rare and trace elements and the suitability of the groundwater of wadi An Numan, south of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Detailed investigations have been carried out concerning the hydrological and hydrochemical of wadi An Numan area. The study area comprises crystalline and metamorphic rocks and Quaternary wadi fill sediments. The groundwater is mainly present in the Quaternary sedimentary fills which range in thickness from 3 to 15 m in upstream areas to more than 50 m in the downstream. Hydrologically, the annual rainfall in wadi An Numan is irregular and varies from year to year. As, Mo, Zn, P, Pb, Co, Cd, Ni, Ba, Fe, B, Si, Hg, Mn, Cr, V, Bi, Cu, U, Al, Li, Rb, Au, Cr, Sr, F, and NH4 are the main rare and trace elements analyzed in the groundwater samples. Distribution maps were constructed to illustrate the variations of these elements all over the studied sub-basins of wadi An Numan. In addition, the variation diagrams between these elements are also deduced and described. The chemical analyses show that the groundwater is only enriched with nitrate (NO3) ions and it is suitable for agricultural and industrial uses based on the international standards and indices used for irrigation and industrial waters.

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  1. Faculty of Earth Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. BOX 80206, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia

    M. A. M. Sharaf

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  1. M. A. M. Sharaf
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Sharaf, M.A.M. Trace Elements Hydrochemistry and Suitability of the Groundwater in Wadi An Numan Area, Makkaah District, Western Arabian Shield, Saudi Arabia. Arab J Sci Eng 38, 1871–1887 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-012-0399-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-012-0399-7

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