Geochemical-based appraisal of karst groundwater quality, west Nile Valley, central Egypt, for drinking and irrigation

Study region: west El-Minya region is located West Nile Valley in the central part of Egypt.Study focus: The research aims to evaluate the geochemical processes affecting the groundwater and its suitability for drinking and agricultural purposes. This was achieved through integrated the analysis of...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hassan Alzahrani, Abdullah Basaloom, Sayed Mosaad
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-02-01
Series:Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581824005019
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832591773074980864
author Hassan Alzahrani
Abdullah Basaloom
Sayed Mosaad
author_facet Hassan Alzahrani
Abdullah Basaloom
Sayed Mosaad
author_sort Hassan Alzahrani
collection DOAJ
description Study region: west El-Minya region is located West Nile Valley in the central part of Egypt.Study focus: The research aims to evaluate the geochemical processes affecting the groundwater and its suitability for drinking and agricultural purposes. This was achieved through integrated the analysis of ionic concentration data, using Piper and Gibbs diagrams, ionic ratios, multivariate analysis, and Water Quality Indices (WQI).New hydrological insight: Funding indicated that the groundwater varies from fresh to brackish. The water types are characterized by Na-Cl-SO4 and Ca-Mg-SO4-Cl. Binary diagrams and factor analysis identified key mechanisms regulating major ion chemistry, including silicate weathering and ion exchange, with a minor contribution from carbonate and gypsum dissolution. The Drinking Water Quality index (DWQI) indicated that 75 % of groundwater samples are appropriate for drinking, especially in the southern and middle of the study area. Various agricultural indices were used to assess groundwater suitability for irrigation, indicating that most samples are suitable for irrigation use. The Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI) indicated that 42.86 % of the groundwater samples fell in a moderate restriction, while the rest of the sample was divided between the high and low restriction classes. The study shows vulnerability in water quality, highlighting the need for improved groundwater management. Adjusting watering frequency and using modern irrigation methods, like drip and sprinkler systems, can enhance water-use efficiency and reduce aquifer depletion.
format Article
id doaj-art-68db81dd5c0c44458f19221e2109dab8
institution Kabale University
issn 2214-5818
language English
publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies
spelling doaj-art-68db81dd5c0c44458f19221e2109dab82025-01-22T05:42:14ZengElsevierJournal of Hydrology: Regional Studies2214-58182025-02-0157102152Geochemical-based appraisal of karst groundwater quality, west Nile Valley, central Egypt, for drinking and irrigationHassan Alzahrani0Abdullah Basaloom1Sayed Mosaad2Department of Geology and Geophysics, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi ArabiaMissouri University of Science and Technology, McNutt Hall, 1400 N. Bishop Ave, Rolla, MO 65401, USAGeology Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, 11790 Ain Helwan, Cairo, Egypt; Corresponding author.Study region: west El-Minya region is located West Nile Valley in the central part of Egypt.Study focus: The research aims to evaluate the geochemical processes affecting the groundwater and its suitability for drinking and agricultural purposes. This was achieved through integrated the analysis of ionic concentration data, using Piper and Gibbs diagrams, ionic ratios, multivariate analysis, and Water Quality Indices (WQI).New hydrological insight: Funding indicated that the groundwater varies from fresh to brackish. The water types are characterized by Na-Cl-SO4 and Ca-Mg-SO4-Cl. Binary diagrams and factor analysis identified key mechanisms regulating major ion chemistry, including silicate weathering and ion exchange, with a minor contribution from carbonate and gypsum dissolution. The Drinking Water Quality index (DWQI) indicated that 75 % of groundwater samples are appropriate for drinking, especially in the southern and middle of the study area. Various agricultural indices were used to assess groundwater suitability for irrigation, indicating that most samples are suitable for irrigation use. The Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI) indicated that 42.86 % of the groundwater samples fell in a moderate restriction, while the rest of the sample was divided between the high and low restriction classes. The study shows vulnerability in water quality, highlighting the need for improved groundwater management. Adjusting watering frequency and using modern irrigation methods, like drip and sprinkler systems, can enhance water-use efficiency and reduce aquifer depletion.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581824005019Karst limestone aquiferGeochemical methodsMultivariate statistical analysisIWQIDWQI
spellingShingle Hassan Alzahrani
Abdullah Basaloom
Sayed Mosaad
Geochemical-based appraisal of karst groundwater quality, west Nile Valley, central Egypt, for drinking and irrigation
Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies
Karst limestone aquifer
Geochemical methods
Multivariate statistical analysis
IWQI
DWQI
title Geochemical-based appraisal of karst groundwater quality, west Nile Valley, central Egypt, for drinking and irrigation
title_full Geochemical-based appraisal of karst groundwater quality, west Nile Valley, central Egypt, for drinking and irrigation
title_fullStr Geochemical-based appraisal of karst groundwater quality, west Nile Valley, central Egypt, for drinking and irrigation
title_full_unstemmed Geochemical-based appraisal of karst groundwater quality, west Nile Valley, central Egypt, for drinking and irrigation
title_short Geochemical-based appraisal of karst groundwater quality, west Nile Valley, central Egypt, for drinking and irrigation
title_sort geochemical based appraisal of karst groundwater quality west nile valley central egypt for drinking and irrigation
topic Karst limestone aquifer
Geochemical methods
Multivariate statistical analysis
IWQI
DWQI
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581824005019
work_keys_str_mv AT hassanalzahrani geochemicalbasedappraisalofkarstgroundwaterqualitywestnilevalleycentralegyptfordrinkingandirrigation
AT abdullahbasaloom geochemicalbasedappraisalofkarstgroundwaterqualitywestnilevalleycentralegyptfordrinkingandirrigation
AT sayedmosaad geochemicalbasedappraisalofkarstgroundwaterqualitywestnilevalleycentralegyptfordrinkingandirrigation