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Major Ion Chemistry and Quality Assessment of Groundwater in and Around a Mountainous Tourist Town of China

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Abstract

Groundwater is widely used for various purposes over the world. To investigate the quality of groundwater for domestic and agricultural purposes in a mountainous tourist town of China, nine groundwater and three river water samples were collected during June 2015 for analysis of major ions (K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3 −, SO4 2−, Cl−, and CO3 2−), pH, total dissolved solids, electric conductivity, and total hardness. The sources of major ions were discussed in detail by correlation analysis and bivariate diagrams. Sodium adsorption ratio, residual sodium carbonate, soluble sodium percentage, permeability index, and Kelley’s ratio were applied for irrigation water quality assessment. Physiochemical parameters were also compared with the WHO and national standards for domestic purpose. The results demonstrate that both groundwater and river water are fresh water. The abundance of cations in collected water samples is Ca2+ > Na+ > Mg2+ > K+, while that of anions is HCO3 − > SO4 2− > Cl−. All major ion concentrations except CO3 2− in groundwater are higher than those in the river water because of more contacts with rocks and more mineral dissolution in the groundwater. Groundwater in the study area is mainly of SO4·Cl–Ca·Mg type and HCO3–Ca·Mg type, and river water is of SO4·Cl–Ca·Mg type. Groundwater and river water in the study area are both controlled mainly by rock weathering. The dissolutions of halite, carbonates, and silicates, as well as cation exchange and human activities such as fertilizer application in agriculture, geothermal bathing, and tourism are drivers for the variation of major ions in the water. Groundwater is generally suitable for domestic uses except some local samples experiencing low pH and high hardness. Both groundwater and river water in the study area are suitable for irrigation. Land irrigated rationally with such water will have no salinity and alkali hazards.

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks to the funds granted by the Innovation Training Program for Undergraduate Students of Chang’an University (201510710072), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41502234), the Foundation of Outstanding Young Scholar of Chang’an University (310829153509), the General Financial Grant from the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2015M580804), the Special Financial Grant from the Shaanxi Postdoctoral Science Foundation, the Special Fund for Basic Scientific Research of Central Colleges (310829151072), and the Special Fund for Scientific Research on Public Interest of the Ministry of Water Resources (201301084). We are also grateful to Tao Qian who has helped us a lot in the sample analysis. The anonymous reviewers and the editors are sincerely acknowledged for their constructive comments which have helped us in improving the quality of the original manuscript.

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  1. Key Laboratory of Subsurface Hydrology and Ecological Effects in Arid Region of the Ministry of Education, Chang’an University, No. 126 Yanta Road, Xi’an, 710054, China

    Peiyue Li, Yuting Zhang, Nuan Yang, Lijun Jing & Peiyuan Yu

  2. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Chang’an University, No. 126 Yanta Road, Xi’an, 710054, Shaanxi, China

    Peiyue Li, Yuting Zhang, Nuan Yang, Lijun Jing & Peiyuan Yu

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  1. Peiyue Li
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Li, P., Zhang, Y., Yang, N. et al. Major Ion Chemistry and Quality Assessment of Groundwater in and Around a Mountainous Tourist Town of China. Expo Health 8, 239–252 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-016-0198-6

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