INTERNATIONALJOURNALOF GEOMATICSANDGEOSCIENCES

Volume2,No 1,2011
Copyright2010AllrightsreservedIntegratedPublishingservices

Researcharticle

ISSN0976 4380

Astudyon groundwaterqualityofNeyveliarea,Cuddaloredistrict,
tamilnadu
Umapathy.S
DepartmentofGeology,Lecturer,JawaharScienceCollege,Neyveli.
sumapathy_ney@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT
The suitability of water for different purposes like drinking, industrial water and
irrigation are assessed due to its extensive development for the above said purposes.
Drinking water standard is based upon, presence of objectionable taste,odors or colors
alongwiththepresenceofsubstanceswithadversephysiologicaleffects.Theportability
of drinking water is mainly based on recommended permissible limits of certain
parameters,whenwaterexceedsthepermissiblelimititisunfitforhumanconsumption.
The Neyveli area falls within the Cuddalore sand stone formation. The study area lies
between11020and11040Northlatitudesand79020and79040Eastlongitudes.Thirty
sixwatersampleswerecollectedintwoseasons(SummerandNorthEastMonsoon)and
hydrogeochemical characters were determined. The analyzed hydrogeochemical data
indicates thatthe important geochemical processes occurring within the formation. The
geochemicalprocesses inthestudyareaexhibitsevaporationprocessinGibbsplot.The
USSLclassification,Doneenplotrevealsthatthequalityofthewater.
Keywords:CuddaloreSandStone,Gibbsplot,Neyveli,HydrogeochemicalStudies.
1.Introduction
Freshwater is the most important resource of life. Population growth in water scarce
regions will only increase the value of the existing water. Though water is the most
widespread substance to be found in the natural environment, it is not uniformly
distributedallaroundtheglobe.Hugeamountsofwaterareboundupinthecomposition
ofdifferent mineralsoftheEarth'scrust, mantle andcore.Only0.6901%oftotalwater
can directly satisfy human needs. Groundwater constitutes the major volume of it.
Groundwaterisoneofthecomponentsofthehydrologicalcycle,storedundergroundin
geologicallayerscalledaquifersitisaresultofinfiltrationofrainfallandsurfacewater,
with which it maintains a close relationship. Water is vital for drinking, sanitation,
agriculture,industryandcountlessotherpurposes.Incontrasttothediminishingresource,
global demand for water is rising. In the coming years the ground water utilization is
likely to increase manifold for the expansion of irrigated agriculture and to achieve
nationaltargetsoffoodproduction.Theimportantlargescaleextractionsitesinthisbasin
are Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) and the boreholes of New Veeranam Schemes
(NVS).TheopencastminingofLigniterequires heavypumpingattherateof9,000to
10,000m3hr1 aswatertableconditionhastobebroughtdownbelowthelevelofmining.
The vagaries in monsoon and insufficient surface water flow conditions have lead to

SubmittedonJuly2011publishedonSeptember2011

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AstudyongroundwaterqualityofNeyveliarea,Cuddaloredistrict,tamilnadu
Umapathy. S

increaseofagriculturalanddomesticextraction(Aravindanetal.2004).Theincreaseof
humanpopulationandtheeconomicactivities in thisregionhasgrownthedemand for
largescalesuppliesoffreshwaterfromvariouscompetingendusershasincreased.Inthis
scenario deep aquifers have been bored in the coastal region, increasing the fragility of
the system, aiding the movement of the seawater into this freshwater aquifer.
Hydrogeochemistry of groundwater is determined by its chemical and biogeochemical
constituents, sediments, lithologic content and its temperature which is of a great
importanceindetermineitssuitabilityofaparticulargroundwaterforcertainutilitiesi.e.
publicwatersupply,irrigation,industrialapplication,cooling,heating,powergeneration
etc.Thequalityofgroundwaterisresultantofallbiogeochemicalprocessandreactions,
that are acting on the water from the moment it has condensed in the time, and
dischargedbyawell(or)spring(Vijayakumaretal.2010).
2.Studyarea
NeyveliliesbetweenthePonniyarriverbasinatNorthandVellarriverbasinatSouth.In
this area a small ephemeral river called Paravaranr basin within an area of 760 sq. km.
Sinceithasnotbeenincludedineitheroftheabovementionedadjacentriverbasinsthis
basinhasbeennowtakenupasaseparatebasinforthepresentstudy.Neyvelihavetwo
minesandtwoashpond.TheNeyveliwateristoconnecttheWalajatankandPerumal
tank. The Neyveli lies between the latitudes 110 20 and 110 40 North and longitudes
790 20and790 40East(Figure1).

Figure1:Locationmapofthestudyarea

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3.Methodology
ThewatersampleswerecollectedduringMay2009andNovember2009tobroadlycover
seasonalvariation.Thetotalsof36sampleswerecollectedattherateof18samplesper
season.Watersampleswerecollectedinwellcleanedonelitrepolythenesamplebottles
rinsed by 1:5 HCL and then by double distilled water. The sample locations were
identifiedandrecordedwithhelpofGPS(Garmin).Thesamplescollectedwereanalysed
for major cations like, Ca and Mg by Titrimetry, Na and K by Flame photometer (CL
378)anions, Cl and HCO3 by Tirimetry, SO4,PO4, and H4SiO4 by Spectrophotometry
(SL171minispec).ECandpHweredeterminedinthefieldusingelectrode.Theanalyses
weredonebyadoptingstandardprocedures(APHA,1998).
4.ResultandDisscussion
Groundwater and surface water samples were collected in space and time and analyzed
for major ions using standard procedures. The Comparison of chemical composition of
thegroundwaterinNeyveliareacollectedduring twoseasonsviz.NorthEastMonsoon
(NEM) and Summer (SUM) with WHO (1996) and ISI (1995) standards are given in
table1.Thetotalcations(TZ+)andtotalanions(TZ)balance(FreezeandCherry1979)
is considered to showsthe charge balance error percentage. The error percentage in the
samples of the present study ranges between 1% to 10%. Occurrence of errors in
chemicalanalysisofgroundwaterisalsoduetothereagentsemployed,limitationsofthe
methods and the instruments used presence of impurities in distilled water etc. The
correlation coefficient between TZ+ and TZ is around 0.6 to 0.9 TDS / EC ratio was
rangingfrom0.5to0.9.Theroleplayedbyotherionsthanthoseconsideredhereforthe
cations and anions charge balance is less significant. The average, mean, and standard
deviationvaluesindifferentseasonsaregivenintable1.aandb.Thegroundwaterinthe
study area is generally odorless and colorless in most of the places. The average
temperatureatthetimeofsamplingvariesfrom250Cto310C.
Table1:ComparisonofchemicalcompositionofwaterwithWHO(1996)andISI
(1995)standardsinmg/l(ExceptECandpH).
Parameter
EC
pH
TDS
Ca
Mg
Na
K
HCO3
SO4
Cl

GroundWater
102 6621
7.54 8.80
172 837
1748
133
11.80 250
7.60 34.40
61278.30
16300.18
36.14 365.90

WHO(1996)
1400
6.5 8.5
1000
500

200

400
250

Highestdesirable

7.0 8.5
500
75
30

300
150
250

ISI(1995)

6.5 9.2
1500
200
100

600
400
1000

5.ChemicalParameters
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ThechemicalcharacteristicsanditsMaximum,minimumandaveragevaluesindifferent
seasonsinmgl1 aregiveninTable4.1,4.2and4.3.ThepHofwaterisanindicatorofits
qualityandgeochemicalequilibriumforsolubilitycalculation(hem,1985).pHindicates
thestateofequilibriumreactioninwhichthewaterprecipitates.Groundwaterinthestudy
areaisgenerallyalkalineinnaturewithpHrangingfrom5.1to8.9withanaverageof7.0.
pHislowerinSUMandishigherinNEM.Itwasfoundfluctuatingincertainlocations
with fewer abnormalities. Electrical Conductivity (EC) is an indirect measurement of
ionic strength and mineralization of natural water. EC ranges from 102 to 6621 s/cm
with an average of 883.5 s/cm. Electrical Conductivity of pure water is 0.05 s/cm
(Hem, 1991). Highest EC was observed in NEM followed by SUM. Total dissolved
solids(TDS)werehigherinNEMfollowedbySUM.
Table2a:PhysicochemicalparameterofNeyveligroundwatersamples.
(exceptEcandpHinmg/l)(SMSummerseason)
parameter
Max
Min
Avg

pH
8.1
6.6
7.2

Ec
6337.3
430.00
2225.2

Ca
261.3
11.00
88.61

Mg Na
91.2 1210.0
1.00 58.85
28.3 425.09

K
Cl
28.9 2384.0
3.00 70.90
13.1 726.06

HCO3
666.9
61.00
249.9

SO4
341.0
21.13
111.9

H4SiO4
34.00
4.30
19.22

TDS
4436.4
267.81
1538.4

Table2b:PhysicochemicalparameterofNeyveligroundwatersamples.
(exceptEcandpHinmg/l)(NEMNorthEastMonsoon)
parameter
Max
Min
Avg

pH
8.9
5.8
7.25

Ec
1123
18.80
484.91

Ca
56
1.00
22.16

Mg
19
1.00
7.89

Na
275.8
21.00
107.17

K
108.4
1.00
17.03

Cl
425.39
17.00
129.89

HCO3
195.10
24.40
88.02

SO4
192.12
7.00
75.36

H4SiO4
183.00
18.00
78.34

TDS
1266.7
201.34
481.15

5.1.Anions
Anion chemistry shows chloride is most abundant ion in most locations and in some
place it is equal to sulphate. Bicorbonate represents the major sum of alkalinity.
Alkalinity in water is the measure of its capacity of neutralization. It is formed mainly
duetotheactionofatmosphericCO2 andCO2 releasedfromorganicdecomposition.Cl
is higher,indicatingtheimpactofsalinewaterandBaseExchangereaction(Freezeand
Cherry,1979).Sulfateisfoundinwaterduetobreakingdownoforganicsubstancesfrom
fertilizers,weatheredsoil/waterandduetotheinfluenceofsalinewaters(Miller,1979
Craigand Anderson,1979Singhetal.1994).Chloride isthedominantanion followed
by HCO3>SO4>PO4 irrespectiveofseasons
5.2.Cations
Sodium is the important and most abundant alkali metal which is highly mobile and
solubleingroundwater.Calciumisanimportantelementinmanygeochemicalprocesses.
MineralslikeCalcite,PlagioclaseandHornblendearetheprimarysourcesforcalciumin
groundwater. Magnesium in groundwater is mainly due to the leaching of magnesium
bearing minerals from mafic and ultramafic rocks like Pyroxenite, Peridotite, Dunite,
Anorthosite and gabbros. Potassium in groundwater is generally lesser in groundwater
duetoitshighersolubility(Bouwer,1978).Sodium isthedominantcation followed by
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Ca>Mg>Kirrespectiveofseasons.Naisfoundtobethedominantcationitmaybedue
totheweatheringofAlkalifeldsparsinrocksorduetocationcontributionfromseawater.
Ca ranges from 1 mgl1 to 60 mgl1 with an average of 18.48 mgl1. Magnesium
concentration was ranging from 1 mgl1 to 53 mgl1 with an average of 8.4 mgl1.
Potassium ranges from 1 mgl1 to 74 mgl1 with an average of 9.58 mgl1, higher
concentration is noted in POM and lower is noted in SUM. Potassium is less
concentrationthanthesodiumduetoitsgraterresistancetoweatheringandformationof
clayminerals.
5.3.WaterQuality
Thesuitabilityofgroundwaterforirrigationpurposeismainlybaseduponheestimation
oftheparameterslikeSAR,Na%,RSC.TotalNaconcentrationandECareimportantin
classifying the water for irrigation purposes (Wilcox, 1955). Sodium percentage is
calculated against major cations and expressed in terms of SAR. Na is an important
cation which is in excess deteriorates the soil structure and reduces crop yield. SAR
valuesinallthemajorlithounitsrangesfromexcellenttogoodcategoryirrespectiveof
seasons.InWilcox(1955)classificationofelectricalconductivity,majorityofsamplesin
Neyveliareafallingoodtopermissiblerangeirrespectiveofseasons.
Salinity of groundwater and SAR also determines its utility for agricultural purposes
(USSL,1954).Salinityoriginatesingroundwaterduetoweatheringofrocksandleaching
ofionsfromtopsoil,anthropogenicsourcesalongwithminorinfluencesonclimate.The
level of Na and HCO3 in irrigation groundwater affects permeability of the soil and
drainageoftheaera.

Figure2:USSLdiagraminSumandNEM
WhenSAR(alkalihazard)andspecificconductance(Salinityhazard)isplottedinUSSL
diagram, classification of water for irrigation purpose can be determined. In Alluvium
formation(Figure2) majorityofsamples fall in C2S1zoneduringSUMand indicating
medium salinity and low sodium hazard, satisfactory for plants having moderate salt
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tolerancesoils.MinorrepresentationofSUMsamplesarealsonotedinC1S1,C3S1and
C3S2 zones indicates medium to high salinity waters. Applications of gypsum in these
soilincreasessoilpermeability(GoyalandJain,1982).InNEMmostofthesamplesfall
in C3S2 indicating high to medium salinity and some samples also fall in C2S1, C3S1
andC3S3.
Permeabilityindexisanimportantfactorwhichinfluencesqualityofirrigationwater,in
relation to soil for development in agriculture. Based on permeability index, Doneen
(1948)classifiedthegroundwaterasclassI,classIIandclassIIItofindoutsuitabilityof
groundwater for irrigation purpose. In Alluvium formation (Figure 3), most of the
samplesirrespectiveofseasonsfallinclassIIindicatingwateraremoderatetogoodfor
irrigation purpose. Certain samples were noted in SUM seasons which fall in class I.
Permeabilityindexisanimportantfactorwhichinfluencesqualityofirrigationwater,in
relationtosoilfordevelopmentinagriculture.

Figure3:DoneenplotSumandNEM
Gibbs (1970) proposed a method for identifying the relationship between water
composition and mechanism controlling the chemistry. There are two plots for cations
andanions.Inalluvium(Figure4),theplotforcationsandanionsfallinrockdominant
zoneandminorrepresentationisnotedinevaporationzoneirrespectiveofseasons.

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Figure4:GibbsdiagraminSumandNEM
6.Conclusion
Thestudyofwaterchemistry inNeyveliareareveals itshydrogeochical behaviour.The
reactionofthemediumwiththeaquifermatrix,theutilityofwaterforvariouspurposes
and variation in water quality with space and time, etc., has been determined. Rainfall,
thicknessofthetopsoil,lithology,structureandanthropogenicactivitiesintheregionare
control the quality of groundwater. Groundwater is generally near acidic to alkaline in
nature. The higher level of TH, CR and Na% etc., give an alarm to the future utility.
Leaching of ions followed by weathering and anthropogenic impact controls the
chemistry of the groundwater. Rock water interaction is also identified as one of the
factorcontributingthevariationinwaterchemistry.
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2. ARAVINDAN S et al (2010). Groundwater Quality in the Hard Rock Area of

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