Geochemical processes, salinity sources and utility characterization of groundwater in a semi-arid region of Iraq through geostatistical and isotopic techniques.

Autor: Al Maliki A; Ministry of Science and Technology/ Environment, Water and renewable energy Directorate, Baghdad, Iraq., Kumar US; Isotope Hydrology Section, Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria. U.D.Saravana-Kumar@iaea.org., Falih AH; Ministry of Science and Technology/ Environment, Water and renewable energy Directorate, Baghdad, Iraq., Sultan MA; Ministry of Science and Technology/ Environment, Water and renewable energy Directorate, Baghdad, Iraq., Al-Naemi A; Ministry of Science and Technology/ Environment, Water and renewable energy Directorate, Baghdad, Iraq., Alshamsi D; Geosciences Department, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, 15551, United Arab Emirates.; National Water and Energy Center, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, 15551, United Arab Emirates., Arman H; Geosciences Department, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, 15551, United Arab Emirates., Ahmed A; Geosciences Department, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, 15551, United Arab Emirates.; National Water and Energy Center, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, 15551, United Arab Emirates.; Geology Department, Division of Water Resource, Desert Research Center, Mathaf El Matariya Street, Cairo, 11753, Egypt., Sabarathinam C; Water Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Kuwait City, Kuwait.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Environmental monitoring and assessment [Environ Monit Assess] 2024 Mar 14; Vol. 196 (4), pp. 365. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Mar 14.
DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12533-1
Abstrakt: Identifying factors contributing to water salinity is paramount in efficiently managing limited water resources in arid environments. The primary objective of this study is to enhance understanding regarding the hydrochemistry, source, and mechanism of water salinity, as well as to assess the suitability of water for various uses in southern Iraq. The groundwater samples were collected from water wells and springs and analyzed for major cations and anions along with stable isotopes (δ 18 O and δ 2 H) to accomplish the objective. The analysis of major ion chemistry, hydrochemical techniques, principal component analysis (PCA), and isotope signatures were adopted to determine the primary factors contributing to water mineralization. The study inferred that evaporation and geological processes encompassing water-rock interactions, such as dissolution precipitation and ion exchange, were key processes. The stable isotope analysis revealed that the water originated from meteoric sources and underwent significant evaporation during or before infiltration. The utility assessment of water samples indicates that most samples are not appropriate for consumption and are significantly below the established standards for potable water. In contrast, a significant portion of the groundwater samples were found to meet the criteria for irrigation suitability by adopting Wilcox and the US Salinity Laboratory criteria. The groundwater could be considered for irrigation with proper salinity control management. Overall, this study has significantly improved the understanding of the hydrogeochemical regimes and acts as a first step toward the sustainable utilization of water resources.
(© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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