Temporal Variation of Coastal Groundwater Quality in East Coast of Terengganu, Malaysia

Abstract

Coastal groundwater is extremely vulnerable to saltwater contamination. This study was conducted to investigate the potential contamination of saltwater into coastal groundwater temporally. Data was obtained from PT000017 monitoring well from 2006 to 2012. Nine parameters of water quality were involved for data analyses. Two main diagrams used for data analyses are piper diagram and hydrochemical facies evolution diagram (HFE-D). All parameters were plotted to produce a piper diagram that determine the water type between different seasons. During wet season, groundwater samples are located in domain III that represent mixed Ca-Na-HCO3 water type; 2007 groundwater sample was located in domain I, represent Ca-HCO3 water type and during 2008 groundwater sample was located in domain II, represent Na-Cl water type. During dry season, groundwater samples are located in domain II that represent mixed Ca-Na-HCO3 water type meanwhile, 2009 and 2011 groundwater samples are located in domain I, represent Ca-HCO3 water type. Subsequently, HFE-D diagram was produced to determine the evolution process of salinization or freshening of coastal groundwater. In this study, all of groundwater samples were in freshening stage except during dry season 2007 groundwater sample was in the phase of saltwater intrusion.

Sedimentation and water quality deterioration problems at Terengganu River Basin, Terengganu, Malaysia

“…This river basin is situated between a latitude of 4°40′N-5°20′N and a longitude of 102°30′E-103°09′E in the North Eastern coastal region of Peninsular Malaysia. The main tributaries of Terengganu River basin are the Nerus River basin, Sekati River basin, Manir River basin, Kepung River basin, Telemung River basin, Cepuh River basin, Pertang River basin, Tersat and Berang River basin, Pur River basin, Pauh River basin, Pueh River basin, Dura River basin and Sala River basin with a total catchment area of about 5,000 km 2 [11,46,47]. These rivers pass through different socio-economical activities organized areas such as sand mining, agricultural practices, tourism, farming, aquacultures, commercial industries, urban and rural settlements, reserves and forests (Taman Negara).…”

“…The rivers are very important source to humans and other organisms as they are essential resources for living organisms. Any anthropogenic, hydrological, geomorphological factors and climate changes around the catchment can have detrimental effects on both sediment quantity and quality [7][8][9][10][11].…”