Geochemistry and quality assessment of groundwater using graphical and multivariate statistical methods. A case study: G
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Geochemistry and quality assessment of groundwater using graphical and multivariate statistical methods. A case study: Grombalia phreatic aquifer (Northeastern Tunisia) Besma Tlili-Zrelli & Fadoua hamzaoui-Azaza & Moncef Gueddari & Rachida Bouhlila
Received: 17 November 2011 / Accepted: 25 June 2012 / Published online: 27 July 2012 # Saudi Society for Geosciences 2012
Abstract The Grombalia coastal aquifer, situated in Northeastern Tunisia, is a water source for public, agricultural, and industrial supplies in the region. The overexploitation of this aquifer, since 1959, and the agriculture activities led to the degradation, by places, of the water quality. The present study implemented graphical, modeling, and multivariate statistical tools to investigate natural and anthropogenic processes controlling Grombalia groundwater mineralization and water quality for promoting sustainable development. To attempt this goal, groundwater was collected from 33 observation wells in January 2004, and samples were analyzed for 10 physicochemical parameters (temperature, pH, salinity, Na+, Ca2+, K+, Mg2+, Cl−, HCO3−, and SO42−). Hydrochemical facies using Piper diagram indicates a predominance of a mixed facies, of the Na-Cl-HCO3 type, or Na-Ca-Cl-SO4 type, and, with less expansion, Na Cl type. The main factors controlling Grombalia groundwater mineralization seem to be mineral dissolution of highly soluble salts especially, the halite dissolution existing in the surface salty deposits and, with less importance, the ion exchange and reverse ion exchange process with clay minerals existing in the aquifer. The comparison of the major ions of the Grombalia groundwater, with the World Health Organization norms of potability (WHO 2004), reveals that these waters cannot be used for human consumption without any treatment. Most waters of the Grombalia aquifer, with a B. Tlili-Zrelli (*) : F. hamzaoui-Azaza : M. Gueddari Laboratory of Geochemistry and Environmental Geology, Department of Geology, Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences, University Campus, Tunis, Tunisia e-mail: [email protected] R. Bouhlila Modeling in Hydraulic and Environment Laboratory, National Engineers School of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia
relatively high salinity, are not suitable for irrigation, in ordinary conditions. Nevertheless, they can be used for permeable soils, with an adequate drainage and applying an excess of leaching water. Keywords Grombalia groundwater . Tunisia . Hydrogeochemistry . Statistical analysis . Water quality
Introduction Groundwater resources in arid and semi-arid regions play a vital role in the socioeconomic development (Carreira et al. 2010). During the last few years, an understanding of the chemical composition of natural waters has become increasingly important due to the increased anthropogenic influences (Magnus Land 1997). In Tunisia, the groundwater resources, estimated at 1,840 million m3 year−1, depend on the geologic configuration of the country, which is widely dominated by sedimentary formatio
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