Geospatial distribution of groundwater quality using entropy water quality index and statistical assessment: A study from a tropical climate river basin

Abstract

A combination of multivariate statistical techniques and an integrated water quality index methodology was adopted to understand the genesis of major ionic composition of groundwater in a tropical river basin of South India. The present study aims to examine the hydrochemical characterisation and drinking suitability of groundwater reserves of Kallada River Basin (KRB), India by collecting samples from 31 wells during pre‐monsoon (May 2019), monsoon (September 2019), and post‐monsoon (February 2020) seasons. The findings were compared with the maximum acceptable limites prescribed by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS 2012) and World Health Organization (WHO 2017). The study also highlights the comparison of the present work with the regional and global average cation and anion concentrations. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) extracted three factors and the obtained results shows that Cl−, TDS, Na+, and Ca2+ ions contribute towards the moderate pollution load in groundwater. The increased population around the river basin indicates the unhygienic practices in the area and hence eco‐friendly authority steps/actions should be taken to enhance the groundwater quality of the basin. The findings of this study outlines the desire for groundwater research with a further marked focus on upgrading the quantity and quality of groundwater reserves on a global scale.

Assessment of deep aquifer groundwater quality in a geographically unique climatic region of Southern Western Ghats, India using water quality indices

“…Moreover, the groundwater characteristics are affected by the dissolved ions from both natural and human-induced sources. The natural sources are geogenic in origin and account for the variations in the chemical composition that change both spatially and temporally (Brindha et al, 2013;Gunduz et al, 2009;Mohan & Krishnakumar, 2021a;Zahid et al, 2008).…”

“…Moreover, the groundwater characteristics are affected by the dissolved ions from both natural and human‐induced sources. The natural sources are geogenic in origin and account for the variations in the chemical composition that change both spatially and temporally (Brindha et al., 2013; Gunduz et al., 2009; Mohan & Krishnakumar, 2021a; Zahid et al., 2008). Anthropogenic influences in the form of domestic liquid wastes, chemical fertilizers, and return‐flows from agricultural fields, on the other hand, impair the pristine nature of the groundwater system (Subba Rao & Surya Rao, 2010).…”