Groundwater quality in the coastal stretch between Sirkazhi and Manampandal, Tamil Nadu, India using ArcGIS Software
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Groundwater quality in the coastal stretch between Sirkazhi and Manampandal, Tamil Nadu, India using ArcGIS Software M. Thiyagarajan & R. Baskaran
Received: 17 August 2011 / Accepted: 2 December 2011 / Published online: 24 December 2011 # Saudi Society for Geosciences 2011
Abstract An attempt has been made in this research paper to understand the groundwater quality of coastal stretch from Sirkazhi to Manampandal of Nagapattinum district, Tamil Nadu (India). A total of 47 samples were taken for the baseline study. The water samples collected in the field were analyzed for electrical conductivity, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), major cations like calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and anions like bicarbonate, carbonate, chloride, nitrate, and sulfate, in the laboratory using the standard methods given by the American Public Health Association. The groundwater locations were selected to cover the entire study area and attention was given to the area where contamination is expected. The expected groundwater contaminants were chloride, nitrate, TDS, Na, and K. The results were evaluated in accordance with the drinking water quality standards given by the World Health Organization. To know the distribution pattern of the concentration of different elements and to demarcate the higher concentration zones, the contour maps for various elements were also generated, discussed, and presented. Keywords Sirkazhi . Manampandal . Coastal zone . GIS . Water quality . Permissible limit
Introduction The major problems in the groundwater sector of coastal areas are the ever increasing freshwater demands, declining water table leading to reduction in sustainability of tube M. Thiyagarajan (*) : R. Baskaran Department of Industries and Earth Sciences, Tamil University, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India 613 010 e-mail: [email protected]
wells, and salinity ingress in coastal aquifers (Anon 2005). The knowledge of hydrochemistry is essential to determine the origin of chemical composition of groundwater (Zaporozec 1972). Geochemical processes have been shown to have an influence on the prevalence of anthropogenic and natural contaminants in coastal environments worldwide (Toda et al. 2002). Various workers in India have carried out extensive studies on water quality. Laluraj et al. (2005) have studied groundwater chemistry of shallow aquifers in the coastal zones of Cochin and concluded that groundwater present in the shallow aquifers of some of the stations were poor in quality and beyond potable limit as per the standard set by WHO and ISI. During rainy seasons, the sea becomes rough and encroaches towards land, and during summer seasons, the saline water find its way through tidal channels and it admixes with shallow coastal aquifers. Therefore, the quality of shallow and deep groundwater becomes brackish (Kumar 2001; Rajendran et al. 2002). People in the coastal area are facing brackish to salinity problems in both shallow and deep tubewell water. Aquifers in the coastal area are generally fragile and in most of
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