Abstract:
Groundwater resources are utilized for drinking, irrigation and industrial purposes. There is growing concern on deteriorating quality of groundwater due to geogenic and anthropogenic activities. Arsenic (As) contamination of ground water is one of the major threats to human health especially in the Ganga river basin (GRB) and it has attracted national and international attention. In the present study, the hydro-chemical characteristics of groundwater and its suitability for drinking and irrigation purposewas investigatedforBallia District, Uttar Pradesh. Groundwater samples collected during pre-monsoon season (May, 2015) from India-mark-hand pump (110-140 feet depth) from four As affected blocks (Sohaon, Hanuman-ganj, Bellhari and Dubhad) ofBallia district for evaluating the physicochemical parameters and the results revealed that calcium is the dominant cation followed by Mg2+, Na', and K+ and HCO3- is the major anion followed by Cl- and SO4-. The scatter diagram between (Ca2++Mg24) vs. Tz' for groundwater showed a strongly positive correlation (R2=0.73) and it reflected the high abundance of calcium and magnesium in the groundwater. The Piper diagram suggested that major hydro geochemical faciesare of Ca—Mg-
HCO3 type. The chemical results showed that approximately 70% of samples were enriched with As concentrations >101.ig/. Arsenic concentration in the monitored water samples ranged from below detectable limit (BDL) to 461m/L. The concentration of Ca2+, Mg2+ and HCO3- ions exceeded the acceptable limit of drinking water in many of groundwater samples. Groundwater is recognized as under good to suitable category for irrigation purposes based on SAR value.
