Hydrogeochemical studies of the groundwater at the flood plain Quaternary aquifer in Beni suef area, Egypt

Abstract

Quaternary deposits represent the main aquifer in the investigated region. Currently Groundwater contamination has become an important issue. The goal of this research is to determine the hydrochemical properties and the impact of anthropogenic activity on the groundwater. To do that, 40 water samples from surface and groundwater were collected and examined for major ions and trace elements. The western regions of the area have high TDS, Na, Ca, SO4, and Cl levels, indicating the presence of local pollution sources arising from the seepage from household, agricultural, and industrial wastes of a densely populated area. The concentration of iron, cadmium, aluminum, and manganese are above permissible levels at most of the groundwater area. Piper and Chadha diagrams revealed that The water type evolved from Ca–Mg–HCO3 in Nile waters to Na–Cl–SO4 at the western side, and then from Na–Cl–SO4 to Ca–Mg–HCO3 due to the dilution and mixing of (Ca–Mg–HCO3) infiltrated water from (EL-Ibrahimia canal, irrigation canals and agriculture land). The PCA, binary plots, and saturation indices revealed that weathering of carbonates and evaporites, cation exchange, and human activities are the main factors behind the geochemical evolution of groundwater.