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Assessment of groundwater quality in and around Vedaraniyam, South India

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Abstract

Groundwater from 47 wells were analyzed on the basis of hydrochemical parameters like pH, electric conductivity, total dissolved solids, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Cl−, CO3 2−, HCO3 −, NO3 −, PO4 3− and F− in the Cauvery delta of Vedaraniyam coast. Further, water quality index (WQI), sodium percentage (Na %), sodium absorption ratio, residual sodium carbonate, permeability index and Kelley’s ratio were evaluated to understand the suitability of water for drinking and irrigation purposes. The result shows significant difference in the quality of water along the coastal stretch. The order of dominance of major ions is as follows: Na+ ≥ Mg2+ ≥ Ca2+ ≥ K+ and Cl− ≥ HCO3 − ≥ CO3 2− ≥ PO4 3− ≥ F−. Na/Cl, Cl/HCO3 ratio and Revelle index confirmed that 60–70 % of the samples were affected by saline water intrusion. WQI showed that 36 % of the samples were good for drinking and the remaining were poor and unsuitable for drinking purpose. The degradation of groundwater quality was found to be mainly due to over-exploitation, brackish aquaculture practice, fertilizer input from agriculture and also due to domestic sewage.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Remote Sensing, Bharathidasan University, Khajamalai Campus, Thiruchirappalli, 620 023, India

    P. Krishnakumar, C. Lakshumanan, V. Pradeep Kishore & G. Santhiya

  2. National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Industrial Estate (P.O), Pappanamcode, Trivandrum, 695019, Kerala, India

    M. Sundararajan

  3. Department of Earth Science, Annamalai University, Chidambaram, 608002, India

    S. Chidambaram

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  1. P. Krishnakumar
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  2. C. Lakshumanan
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  3. V. Pradeep Kishore
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  4. M. Sundararajan
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Correspondence to M. Sundararajan.

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Krishnakumar, P., Lakshumanan, C., Kishore, V.P. et al. Assessment of groundwater quality in and around Vedaraniyam, South India. Environ Earth Sci 71, 2211–2225 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-2626-2

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