Shallow aquifers are vulnerable to natural geogenic processes as well as anthropogenic influences, and this is especially apparent in desert regions. Within arid and hyperarid climates, evaporation is a controlling hydrologic process leads to an important increase in the concentration of dissolved minerals of both surface water and groundwater. In groundwater, this increase is not only dependent on shallow water table depth, but also on the hydraulic properties of sediments present within the unsaturated zone of the aquifer itself. The main objective of this research is to investigate possible mechanisms that might influence water quality changes under seasonal conditions in shallow aquifers situated within the Saharan desert region of Algeria. In this work, we focus on observed changes in hydrogeochemical characteristics, and the possible responsible processes. Under arid conditions, high water mineralization results in hypersaline water or brine solution formation within shallow aquifers. Due to active physico-chemical mechanisms such as Na+/Ca2+ ion exchange, the successive precipitation of calcite, gypsum, mirabilite or blœdite and halite is induced. Biological processes were also observed as prevalent; evidenced by large measured variations in CO2 load concentrations. These processes contributed to an inverse relationship between CO2 and O2 concentrations within the shallow aquifers studied.
Groundwater is a vital resource in coastal areas to supply domestic, drinking, irrigation and industrial needs. To study the hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater and their suitability, Thirty-one (31) groundwater samples were collected from the shallow tubewells in the plain of the Djendjen river (North-East of Algeria). The water quality assessment has been carried out by evaluating the physicochemical parameters such as temperature, pH, EC, major ions i.e., Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Cl-, SO42-, HCO3- and nutrients (NH4+, NO2-, NO3-, PO43-). The chemical parameters plotted in Piper’s diagram show the dominance of two chemical facies “calcium and sodium chloride” and “calcium bicarbonate”. Based on the analytical results, groundwater in the area is found to be generally suitable for drinking. The organic pollution index (OPI) show that the water is generally in the good quality category with no organic pollution. Chemical parameters when plotted in the U.S. Salinity diagram indicate that waters are C2S1 and C3S1 types, i.e., medium to high salinity and low sodium which is good for irrigation. Four corrosion indices were calculated (The indices include the Langelier saturation index, Ryznar stability index, Puckorius scaling index, Larson). The result indicates the corrosive nature of the majority of water samples.
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