Geochemistry of groundwater and saltwater intrusion in a coastal region of an island in Malacca Strait, Indonesia

Abstract

Most people in Bengkalis island use groundwater as their primary resource, but brackish water discovered in the wells located near the shore as well as in the distance. A hydrogeology study through geochemistry and isotope aspect conducted for the first time to identify the effect of saltwater intrusion (SWI) on groundwater. Na > Mg > K > Ca were the most dominant cation sequence in groundwater, while Cl > HCO3 > SO4 was the most dominant for anion. NaCl is the main type of groundwater in shallow aquifer and NaCl & NaHCO3 both became the most dominant type of groundwater in the deeper aquifer system. Most of the groundwater samples from dug wells indicating the weak acid exceeding strong acid. Meanwhile, the groundwater samples from bore wells dominated by alkalis exceeding alkaline earth. SWI analysis shows 36.4% of groundwater samples from dug wells and 40% of bore water samples experiencing the salinization process. From isotope analysis, the groundwater samples found to be originated from the higher elevation or distance source. Meanwhile, there are lighter 2H values in the samples that are indicating the groundwater flown in the deeper part of the aquifer.