Evaluation of Groundwater Quality for Drinking and Irrigation Purposes Using GIS-Based IWQI, EWQI and HHR Model

Abstract

Groundwater pollution has emerged as a significant water crisis in various regions around the globe. Groundwater serves as a crucial source of water for human consumption and agricultural activities in the Sichuan Basin where groundwater quality has yet to be concentrated. A total of 41 groundwater samples were collected from domestic wells in Suining city of the Sichuan Basin, which were used for analyzing the hydrogeochemical processes and suitability for irrigation and drinking purposes. In the study area, groundwater samples belonged to the HCO3-Ca type. Hydrochemical compositions were dominated by carbonate and silicate mineral dissolution with positive cation exchange. Agricultural activities and urban sewage were the primary sources of NO3− pollution. The irrigation water quality index (IWQI) was calculated using electronic conductivity (EC), Na+, Cl−, HCO3−, and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR). The IWQI values showed that the suitability of groundwater irrigation was generally good and presented the decreasing trend southeastwardly. According to the entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI), the groundwater quality for drinking purposes was generally good. However, there were some local areas with poor water quality concentrated in the southeast part. According to the human health risk (HHR) model, the groundwater was deemed safe for adults and children. However, for infants, the nitrate level in the groundwater remained high and posed potential health risks. The combined IWQI and EWQI evaluation served as a valuable reference for the utilization of the groundwater resource in the Sichuan Basin, as well as other comparable regions worldwide.