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Geochemical assessment of groundwater contamination with special emphasizes on fluoride, a case study from Midyan Basin, northwestern Saudi Arabia

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Abstract

Water samples for chemical analyses were collected in January 2012. A total of 72 samples of groundwater were collected from 72 boreholes in the Midyan Basin, northwestern Saudi Arabia. Samples were collected in polyethylene bottles and preserved and the used analytical techniques were in accordance with the standard methods from American public health association. Geochemical analyses of the groundwater samples from Midyan Basin reveal the concentration of fluoride (F) between 0.98 and 2.1 mg/l. Other parameters, e.g, pH, EC, TDS, HCO3, SO4, NO3, Cl, K, Na, Mg, and Ca have been found in a variable proportion. Among them, the concentration of EC, HCO3, K, Na and Mg is higher than the permissible limits. According to thermodynamical considerations, most of the analysed samples are graded under-saturated with respect to calcite and fluoride, while saturation has been observed in some samples. The under-saturation could probably be attributed to low concentration of calcite and fluoride in the studied wells. Fluoride concentration shows weak positive correlation with EC, TDS, Na, Cl, and SO4. Factors controlling the concentration of fluoride (F) in the studied samples are the area climate, water chemistry and the presence of accessory minerals in the rocks through which groundwater is circulating, besides the anthropogenic activities in the area.

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Acknowledgments

This work is financially supported by the National Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation (NPST) program, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia (Project No. 11-ENV1589-02). We also thank the concerned staff at General Directorate of Water in Al-Bad’ City (Ministry of Water and Electricity, Saudi Arabia) for their help and valuable information during the course of field work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology and Geophysics, King Saud University, PO Box 2455, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Habes Ghrefat, Yousef Nazzal, Awni Batayneh, Taisser Zumlot, Haider Zaman, Eslam Elawadi, Abdulaziz Laboun, Saad Mogren & Saleh Qaisy

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  1. Habes Ghrefat
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  2. Yousef Nazzal
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  3. Awni Batayneh
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  4. Taisser Zumlot
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  5. Haider Zaman
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  6. Eslam Elawadi
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  7. Abdulaziz Laboun
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  8. Saad Mogren
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  9. Saleh Qaisy
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Correspondence to Yousef Nazzal.

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Ghrefat, H., Nazzal, Y., Batayneh, A. et al. Geochemical assessment of groundwater contamination with special emphasizes on fluoride, a case study from Midyan Basin, northwestern Saudi Arabia. Environ Earth Sci 71, 1495–1505 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-2554-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-2554-1

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