Hydrochemical characterization of groundwater for consumption and agriculture: A case study from Phulpur Upazila, Bangladesh
https://doi.org/10.26832/24566632.2023.0804025
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation in Phulpur Upazila, Bangladesh, based on its hydrochemical attributes. In our research, we examined twenty groundwater specimens from shallow and hand tube wells, adhering to international and national guidelines. The data showed groundwater pH levels from 5.67 to 6.84, signifying slightly acidic to neutral properties. Total dissolved solids ranged from 79 to 298 mg/l, and conductivity varied between 120 and 832 μS/cm. Notably, the primary cations and anions were sequenced as Ca > Mg > Na > K and HCO3 > Cl > SO4 > PO4, respectively. A marked correlation was discerned among the physicochemical parameters, and the predominant groundwater type was magnesium-bicarbonate (Mg-HCO3). The main geochemical activity was identified as silicate weathering, pointing to significant rock-water interactions in the region. The groundwater displayed moderate salinity and low alkalinity, qualifying them as 'excellent to good' and 'normal' in quality metrics, respectively. The soluble sodium percentage was rated as 'excellent'. On multiple assessment scales, the groundwater quality was deemed 'good' for irrigation. In line with established classification systems, most samples were suitable for drinking and irrigation. Hence, the area's groundwater is viable for consumption and agricultural utilization. Cumulatively, our research offers critical insights for sustainable groundwater stewardship in the region, providing a foundation for policymakers to guarantee the sustained provision of high-quality groundwater for diverse applications.
Keywords:
Groundwater quality, Hydrogeochemistry, Major ions, Rock-water interactionsDownloads
References
Akter, T., Islam, M. K., Islam, M. M. S., & Monirul, M. (2019). Irrigation water quality assessment of Betagi Upazila under Barguna district in Bangladesh. Archives of Agriculture and Environmental Science, 4(4), 428-433, https://dx.doi.org/10.26832/24566632.2019.040409
Amalraj, A., & Pius, A. (2018). Assessment of groundwater quality for drinking and agricultural purposes of a few selected areas in Tamil Nadu South India: a GIS-based study. Sustainable Water Resources Management, 4, 1-21, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-017-0113-8
Ayers, R. S., & Westcot, D. W. (1985). Water quality for agriculture. FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper 29 (Rev. I). Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy.
BBS & UNICEF. (2011). Bangladesh national drinking water quality survey of 2009. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Planning Division, Ministry of Planning, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, pp. 196.
BBS (2013). District Statistics 2011. Ministry of Planning, Government of The People's Republic of Bangladesh.
BBS (2017). Yearbook of Agricultural Statistics 2016, p. 442.
BBS (2018). Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Bangladesh (Final) (2017-18) Report (Final edn.), Agargaon, Dhaka, 1207, p. 5.
Chopra, S. L., & Kanwar, J. S. (1991). Analytical Agricultural Chemistry. Kalyani Publications, New Delhi.
Das, N., Islam, M. T., Islam, M. S., & Adham, A. K. M. (2018). Response of dairy farm’s wastewater irrigation and fertilizer interactions to soil health for maize cultivation in Bangladesh. Asian-Australasian Journal of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 3(1), 33-39, https://doi.org/10.3329/aajbb.v3i1.64749
Das, N., Rahman, M. M., Islam, M. T., & Adham, A. K. M. (2019). Assessing groundwater suitability for irrigation: A case study for Durgapur Upazila of Bangladesh. Fundamental and Applied Agriculture, 4(3), 916-927, https://doi.org/10.5455/faa.45057
Davis, S. N., & De Weist, R. J. (1966). Hydrology. John Wiley and Sons Incorporation, New York.
Eaton, F. M. (1950). Significance of carbonates in irrigation waters. Soil Science, 69(2), 123-134.
Gayathri, J. A., Raj, V. T., Sreelash, K., Maya, K., Vandana, M., & Padmalal, D. (2021). Spatiotemporal variability in groundwater chemistry of a mountainous catchment with complex geologic and climate gradients in south west India. Environmental Earth Sciences, 80, 1-18, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-021-09862-6
Ghosh, A. B., Bajaj, J. C., Hasan, R., & Singh, D. (1983). Soil and water testing methods: a laboratory manual. IARI, New Delhi, 31-36.
Gibbs, R. J. (1970). Mechanisms controlling world water chemistry. Science, 170(3962), 1088-1090.
Gupta, I. C. (1979). Use of saline water in arid and semiarid zones of India. Oxford and IBH publications, New Delhi.
Hasan, M., Islam, M. A., Alam, M. J., Rahman, M., & Hasan, M. A. (2022). Hydrogeochemical characterization and quality assessment of groundwater resource in Savar—An industrialized zone of Bangladesh. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 194(8), 549, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10137-1
Hasan, S., Adham, A. K. M., Islam, M. T., & Islam, D. (2016). Effect of climate change on groundwater quality for irrigation purpose in a limestone enriched area. International Review of Civil Engineering, 7, 5-12, https://doi.org/10.15866/irece.v7i1.8239
ISI (1983). Indian standard specification for drinking water. Indian Standard Institute, IS, 10500, 12.
Islam, M. S., Islam, M. T., Hossain, S. A. A. M., Adham, A. K. M., & Islam, D. (2017a). Impacts of dairy farm’s wastewater irrigation on growth and yield attributes of maize. Fundamental and Applied Agriculture, 2(2), 247-255.
Islam, M. T., Adham, A. K. M., & Islam, D. (2015). Effects of dairy farm’s wastewater irrigation on wheat production and soil health. Journal of Environmental Science and Natural Resources, 8(2), 157-162, https://doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v8i2.26884
Islam, M. T., Das, N., Jahan, N., Siddik, M. S., Mahmud, K., & Adham, A. K. M. (2023). Utilizing geographic information system and indexing to evaluate irrigation suitability of groundwater in Kalihati Upazila, Bangladesh. Archives of Agriculture and Environmental Science, 8(3), 385-396, https://doi.org/10.26832/24566632.2023.0803017
Islam, S. M. D-U., Bhuiyan, M. A. H., Rume, T., & Azam, G. (2017b). Hydrogeochemical investigation of groundwater in shallow coastal aquifer of Khulna District, Bangladesh. Applied Water Science, 7, 4219-4236, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-017-0533-5
Islam, S. M. D-U., Majumder, R. K., Uddin, M. J., Khalil, M. I., & Alam, M. F. (2017c). Hydrochemical characteristics and quality assessment of groundwater in Patuakhali district, Southern Coastal Region of Bangladesh. Exposure and Health, 9(1), 43-60, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-016-0221-y
Jahan, N., Khan, M. B., Ali, M. A., Islam, M. T., & Siddik, M. S. (2020). Spatial appraisal of groundwater quality for drinking purposes: A case study of Kalihati Upazila, Bangladesh. Fundamental and Applied Agriculture, 5(4), 521-536, https://doi.org/10.5455/faa.129984
Jalil, A. A., Luyun, R. A. Jr., Delos Reyes, A. A. Jr., & Bato, V. A. (2022). Evaluation of groundwater quality for domestic purposes of Malamawi Island, Isabela City, Basilan, Philippines. International Journal of Agricultural Technology, 18(3), 1001-1012
Javed, T., Sarwar, T., Ullah, I., Ahmad, S., & Rashid, S. (2019). Evaluation of groundwater quality in district Karak Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Water Science, 33(1), 1-9, https://doi.org/10.1080/11104929.2019.1626630
Kelley, W. P. (1963). Use of saline irrigation water. Soil Science, 95, 385-391.
Khatri, N., & Tyagi, S. (2015). Influences of natural and anthropogenic factors on surface and groundwater quality in rural and urban areas. Frontiers in life science, 8(1), 23-39, https://doi.org/10.1080/21553769.2014.933716
Krishna Kumar, S., Bharani, R., Magesh, N. S., Godson, P. S., & Chandrasekar, N. (2014). Hydrogeochemistry and groundwater quality appraisal of part of south Chennai coastal aquifers, Tamil Nadu, India using WQI and fuzzy logic method. Applied Water Science, 4(4), 341-350, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-013-0148-4
Kumar, P., Mahajan, A. K., & Kumar, A. (2020). Groundwater geochemical facie: implications of rock-water interaction at the Chamba city (HP), northwest Himalaya, India. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27, 9012-9026, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-07078-7
LGED (2013). Second rural transport improvement project, p. 8.
Mostafa, M. G., Uddin, S. M. H., & Haque, A. B. M. H. (2017). Assessment of hydro-geochemistry and groundwater quality of Rajshahi City in Bangladesh. Applied Water Science, 7, 4663-4671, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-017-0629-y
Naidu, S., Gupta, G., Singh, R., Tahama, K., & Erram, V. C. (2021). Hydrogeochemical processes regulating the groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking and irrigation purpose in parts of coastal Sindhudurg District, Maharashtra. Journal of the Geological Society of India, 97, 173-185, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-021-1649-7
Nemčić-Jurec, J., Singh, S. K., Jazbec, A., Gautam, S. K., & Kovač, I. (2019). Hydrochemical investigations of groundwater quality for drinking and irrigational purposes: two case studies of Koprivnica-Križevci County (Croatia) and district Allahabad (India). Sustainable Water Resources Management, 5, 467-490, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-017-0200-x
Nizam, M., Zaman, M., Rahman, M., & Islam, M. (2016). Quality status of groundwater of some selected villages of Bhaluka Upazila in Bangladesh for drinking, irrigation and livestock consumption. Journal of the Bangladesh Agricultural University, 12(2), 313-319, https://doi.org/10.3329/jbau.v12i2.28690
Öztürk, M., & Dişli, E. (2022). Hydrochemical and environmental isotopes characteristic of groundwater and controlling factors for waters’ chemical composition in the iron–copper mine area of Elazığ, SE Turkey. Environmental Chemistry, 19(6), 350-374, https://doi.org/10.1071/EN22070
Piper, A. M. (1944). A graphic procedure in the geochemical interpretation of water-analyses. Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union, 25(6), 914-928, https://doi.org/10.1029/TR025i006p00914
Prasanth, S. V. S., Magesh, N. S., Jitheshlal, K. V., Chandrasekar, N., & Gangadhar, K. (2012). Evaluation of groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking and agricultural use in the coastal stretch of Alappuzha District, Kerala, India. Applied Water Science, 2, 165-175, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-012-0042-5
Ragunath, H. M. (1987). Groundwater (2nd edn). Wiley Eastern Ltd., New Delhi, p. 563.
Rana, M. M., Islam, M. T., Datta, S., Rahman, M. M., & Adham, A. K. M. (2019). Suitability of powerplant disposed water for irrigation of Ashuganj agro-irrigation project in Bangladesh. Progressive Agriculture, 30(1), 113-124, https://doi.org/10.3329/pa.v30i1.42218
Ravi, R., Aravindan, S., Shankar, K., & Balamurugan, P. (2020). Suitability of groundwater quality for irrigation in and around the main Gadilam river basin on the east coast of southern India. Archives of Agriculture and Environmental Science, 5(4), 554-562, https://dx.doi.org/10.26832/24566632.2020.0504019
Shahid, S., Wang, X. J., Keramat, M., Akhter, G., Farooq, S. H., & Lubis, R. F. (2014). Vulnerability and adaptation to climate change in groundwater-dependent irrigation systems in Asian countries. APN Science Bulletin, 4, 124-126.
Shariot-Ullah, M., Islam, M. T., & Mahmud, K. (2016). Impacts of irrigation with sugar mills’ wastewater and fertilizer on soil chemical and solute-transport properties. Asian-Australasian Journal of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 1(3), 521-532, https://doi.org/10.3329/aajbb.v1i3.64020
Siebert, S., Burke, J., Faures, J. M., Frenken, K., Hoogeveen, J., Doell, P., & Portmann, F. T. (2010). Groundwater use for irrigation – A global inventory. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 14(10), 1863-1880, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-1863-2010
Singh, D., Chhonkar, P., & Pandey, R. (1999). Soil plant water analysis: a methods manual. Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, pp. 80-82.
Tandon, H. (1995). Recycling of crop, animal, human and industrial wastes in agriculture. Fertilizer Development and Consultation Organization (FDCO), New Delhi.
Tiwari, A. K., Singh, A. K., & Mahato, M. K. (2018). Assessment of groundwater quality of Pratapgarh district in India for suitability of drinking purpose using water quality index (WQI) and GIS technique. Sustainable Water Resources Management, 4(3), 601-616, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-017-0144-1
Todd, D. K., & Mays, L. W. (1980). Groundwater hydrogeology. John Willey and Sons Inc., New York.
Todd, D. K., & Mays, L. W. (2005). Groundwater Hydrology (3rd edn.). John Willey and Sons Inc., New York.
USEPA, (1992). Guidelines for water use. Washington, D.C., United States.
USSL Salinity Laboratory (1954). Diagnosis and improvement of saline and alkali soils (No. 60). US Department of Agriculture, p. 160.
Van Stempvoort, D. R., Spoelstra, J., Bickerton, G., Koehler, G., Mayer, B., Nightingale, M., & Miller, J. (2023). Sulfate in streams and groundwater in a cold region (Yukon Territory, Canada): Evidence of weathering processes in a changing climate. Chemical Geology, 631, 121510, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2023.121510
Vijai, K., & Khan, S. M. M. N. (2021). Analysis of groundwater quality for irrigation purpose in Pennagaram block of Dharmapuri District, Tamilnadu, India. Materials Today: Proceedings, 48(2), 527-534, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2021.07.330
Wang, H., Ni, J., Song, Q., Li, C., Wang, F., & Cao, Y. (2021). Analysis of coastal groundwater hydrochemistry evolution based on groundwater flow system division. Journal of Hydrology, 601(1), 126631. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126631
WHO (2004). Guidelines for drinking-water quality recommendations 1. World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
WHO (2011). Guidelines for drinking water quality (4th edn.). Geneva, Switzerland.
Wilcox, L. V. (1955). Classification and use of irrigation waters (No. 969). US Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., United States, pp. 1-19.
Wolf, B. (1982). A comprehensive system of leaf analyses and its use for diagnosing crop nutrient status. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 13(12), 1035-1059, https://doi.org/10.1080/00103628209367332
World Bank (2016). Bangladesh growing the economy through advances in Agriculture. World Bank Online Data Catalog/Population, World Bank, Washington, DC, USA.
Yasir, & Srivastava, S. (2016). Monitoring of ground water quality in the province of district Dehradun, (Uttarakhand), India. Archives of Agriculture and Environmental Science, 1(1), 43-48. Retrieved from https://journals.aesacademy.org/index.php/aaes/article/view/aaes-01-01-06
Yasmin, G., Islam, D., Islam, M.T., Shariot-Ullah, M., & Adham, A. K. M. (2019). Evaluation of groundwater quality for irrigation and drinking purposes in Barishal district of Bangladesh. Fundamental and Applied Agriculture, 4(1), 632-641, https://doi.org/10.5455/faa.301258
Zakir, H. M., Akter, A., Rahman, A., Sharmin, S., & Arafat, M. Y. (2018). Groundwater quality evaluation for irrigation and drinking utilities collected from sadar Upazila of Jamalpur district, Bangladesh. Asian Journal of Applied Chemistry Research, 2(1), 1-13, https://doi.org/10.9734/AJACR/2018/43974
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2023 Agriculture and Environmental Science Academy
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
