Chemical Characteristics of Groundwater in Carbonate Rock Areas of Korea

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis study was conducted to understand the chemical characteristics of groundwater in carbonate areas of Korea. In this study, data on pH, electric conductivity (EC), Ca , and HCO 3 − were collected from 97 wells which were installed in various carbonate rock regions of Korea. The pH values ranged from 5.7 to 9.9, and the average value was 7.3. The concentration range showed differences between the maximum value of HCO , and HCO 3 − might be not only water-rock interactions, but also irrigation return flow, because many groundwater wells had been developed for irrigation purposes. Subsequently, the influence of agriculture on groundwater chemistry was evaluated using a cumulative plot of SO 4 2− . The threshold value of SO 4 2− calculated from the cumulative frequency curve was 29.2 mg/L. Therefore, 12.4% of all the groundwater wells were affected by agricultural activity.