Identification of hydrochemical processes and assessment of groundwater quality: a case study of the intergranular aquifer in Dili City, Timor-Leste

Drinking water quality is a major concern in Quaternary sedimentary areas with unplanned urban growth and poor waste management, like Dili City, which relies heavily on groundwater to meet daily needs. This study assesses the suitability of groundwater for drinking by analyzing 113 samples from dome...

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Main Authors: Marçal Ximenes, João A. M. S. Pratas, José M. M. De Azevedo, Fernando. P. O. O. Figueiredo, Mattew Currell
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-01-01
Series:Geology, Ecology, and Landscapes
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/24749508.2025.2449622
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author Marçal Ximenes
João A. M. S. Pratas
José M. M. De Azevedo
Fernando. P. O. O. Figueiredo
Mattew Currell
author_facet Marçal Ximenes
João A. M. S. Pratas
José M. M. De Azevedo
Fernando. P. O. O. Figueiredo
Mattew Currell
author_sort Marçal Ximenes
collection DOAJ
description Drinking water quality is a major concern in Quaternary sedimentary areas with unplanned urban growth and poor waste management, like Dili City, which relies heavily on groundwater to meet daily needs. This study assesses the suitability of groundwater for drinking by analyzing 113 samples from domestic wells, taking into account natural and human influences. The analysis focuses on major and minor ions (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, SO₄²⁻, HCO₃⁻, F⁻), physicochemical parameters (pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids), and toxic elements (Mn, Fe, Pb, Al, As, Zn, Cd, Ni). Statistical methods (PCA and HCA) are used to determine the group of water types and trace chemical origins, while the Water Quality Index (WQI) assesses drinking suitability. Groundwater types identified include Ca-Cl-HCO₃, mixed Ca-Mg-HCO₃, Na-HCO₃, mixed Na-Cl-HCO₃, and Ca-HCO₃, with Ca-Mg-HCO₃ being the most common. The major ions are ordered as Ca > Na > Mg > K and HCO₃ > SO₄ > Cl. The Gibbs diagram shows the main geochemical processes are rock-water interactions, especially silicate and carbonate weathering. Organic matter and human activities also play a role. The WQI shows that 93.81% of the samples are “excellent” for drinking, while 2.65% and <1% are “good” and “poor” quality respectively.
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series Geology, Ecology, and Landscapes
spelling doaj-art-dbe3f38d01904b13b454d1ca6e6149c92025-01-21T06:04:25ZengTaylor & Francis GroupGeology, Ecology, and Landscapes2474-95082025-01-0112310.1080/24749508.2025.2449622Identification of hydrochemical processes and assessment of groundwater quality: a case study of the intergranular aquifer in Dili City, Timor-LesteMarçal Ximenes0João A. M. S. Pratas1José M. M. De Azevedo2Fernando. P. O. O. Figueiredo3Mattew Currell4Instituto de Geociências de Timor-Leste (IGTL), Divisão Hidrogeològico e Enginharia Geológica, Dili, Timor-LesteDepartamento de Ciências da Terra, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, PortugalDepartamento de Ciências da Terra, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, PortugalDepartamento de Ciências da Terra, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, PortugalSchool of Engineering &amp; Built Environment, Griffith University, Qld, AustraliaDrinking water quality is a major concern in Quaternary sedimentary areas with unplanned urban growth and poor waste management, like Dili City, which relies heavily on groundwater to meet daily needs. This study assesses the suitability of groundwater for drinking by analyzing 113 samples from domestic wells, taking into account natural and human influences. The analysis focuses on major and minor ions (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, SO₄²⁻, HCO₃⁻, F⁻), physicochemical parameters (pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids), and toxic elements (Mn, Fe, Pb, Al, As, Zn, Cd, Ni). Statistical methods (PCA and HCA) are used to determine the group of water types and trace chemical origins, while the Water Quality Index (WQI) assesses drinking suitability. Groundwater types identified include Ca-Cl-HCO₃, mixed Ca-Mg-HCO₃, Na-HCO₃, mixed Na-Cl-HCO₃, and Ca-HCO₃, with Ca-Mg-HCO₃ being the most common. The major ions are ordered as Ca > Na > Mg > K and HCO₃ > SO₄ > Cl. The Gibbs diagram shows the main geochemical processes are rock-water interactions, especially silicate and carbonate weathering. Organic matter and human activities also play a role. The WQI shows that 93.81% of the samples are “excellent” for drinking, while 2.65% and <1% are “good” and “poor” quality respectively.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/24749508.2025.2449622Groundwater qualityhydrogeochemistrymultivariate statisticsWQIDili City
spellingShingle Marçal Ximenes
João A. M. S. Pratas
José M. M. De Azevedo
Fernando. P. O. O. Figueiredo
Mattew Currell
Identification of hydrochemical processes and assessment of groundwater quality: a case study of the intergranular aquifer in Dili City, Timor-Leste
Geology, Ecology, and Landscapes
Groundwater quality
hydrogeochemistry
multivariate statistics
WQI
Dili City
title Identification of hydrochemical processes and assessment of groundwater quality: a case study of the intergranular aquifer in Dili City, Timor-Leste
title_full Identification of hydrochemical processes and assessment of groundwater quality: a case study of the intergranular aquifer in Dili City, Timor-Leste
title_fullStr Identification of hydrochemical processes and assessment of groundwater quality: a case study of the intergranular aquifer in Dili City, Timor-Leste
title_full_unstemmed Identification of hydrochemical processes and assessment of groundwater quality: a case study of the intergranular aquifer in Dili City, Timor-Leste
title_short Identification of hydrochemical processes and assessment of groundwater quality: a case study of the intergranular aquifer in Dili City, Timor-Leste
title_sort identification of hydrochemical processes and assessment of groundwater quality a case study of the intergranular aquifer in dili city timor leste
topic Groundwater quality
hydrogeochemistry
multivariate statistics
WQI
Dili City
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/24749508.2025.2449622
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