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Fluoride-contaminated groundwater of Birbhum district, West Bengal, India: Interpretation of drinking and irrigation suitability and major geochemical processes using principal component analysis

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Abstract

The present research work is confined to a rural tract located in the north-western part of Birbhum district, West Bengal, India. Chemical analysis of the groundwater shows the cations is in the order of Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ while for anions it is HCO3 ─ > Cl─ > SO4 2─ > NO3 ─. The F─ concentration was found to vary from 0.01 to 18 mg/L in the pre-monsoon and 0.023 to 19 mg/L in post-monsoon period. 86% of samples show low F─ content (<0.60 mg/L) whereas, 8% exhibit elevated concentration of F─ (>1.2 mg/L) mainly in the central and north-central parts of the study area at a depth of 46 to 98 m. The prime water type is CaHCO3 succeeded by F─-rich NaHCO3 and NaCl waters. The suitability analysis reveals that the water at about 81% of the sampling sites is unsuitable for drinking and at 16% of sites unsuitable for irrigation. The alkaline nature of the water and/or elevated concentration of Fe, Mn and F─ make the water unsuitable for potable purposes while the high F─ and Na+ contents delimit the groundwater for irrigation uses. Multivariate statistical analysis suggests that chemical weathering along with ion exchange is the key process, responsible for mobilization of fluoride in groundwater of the study area.

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Acknowledgments

The author (AKB) is grateful to the Director, CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur, for giving permission to publish this paper. The author is also indebted to CSIR, Government of India, for the financial support through the Clean Water Project (ESC0306). The author is thankful to the authorities of Haridaspur and Narayanpur Gram Panchayats, Birbhum district, West Bengal, for providing support during the field studies.

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  1. Environmental Engineering Group, CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Mahatma Gandhi Avenue, Durgapur, West Bengal, 713209, India

    Asit Kumar Batabyal

  2. Department of Environmental Science, The University of Burdwan, Burdwan, West Bengal, 713104, India

    Srimanta Gupta

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  1. Asit Kumar Batabyal
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  2. Srimanta Gupta
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Correspondence to Asit Kumar Batabyal.

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Batabyal, A.K., Gupta, S. Fluoride-contaminated groundwater of Birbhum district, West Bengal, India: Interpretation of drinking and irrigation suitability and major geochemical processes using principal component analysis. Environ Monit Assess 189, 369 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-6041-0

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