Assessment of Inorganic Chemicals in Groundwater in Rural Provinces of Korea

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Research article

Journal of the Korean Society for Environmental Analysis 2017;20(2):100-116.

Abstract

In this study, we focused on the evaluation, comparison of the physiochemical characteristics, and distribution of cations and anions in groundwater sampled in rural areas of Korea. The on-site measurements of pH, EC, DO, and ORP (average, minimum, and maximum) respectively ranged as follows: 5.7~8.7, 49~1,224 μS/cm, 0.5~11.8 mg/L, and -53.0~697 mV. The assessments of water quality for agricultural usages were evaluated using SAR, sodium (%), RSC, PI, SSP, MH, PS, and Kelly’s ratio (KR) and were classified as SAR [Excellent (100%)], Sodium [Excellent (2.1%), Good (51.1%), Permissible (39.3%), Doubtful (6.2%), Unsuitable (0.7%)], RSC [Good (100%)], PI [Excellent (100%)], SSP [Excellent (0.7%), Good (37.2%), Fair (61.4%), Poor (0.7%)], MH [Acceptable (96.6%), Non-Acceptable (3.4%)], KR [Permissible (69.7%), (Non-Permissible (30.3%)], and PS [Excellent to Good (100%)]. In addition, classifications of groundwater based on the Piper diagram showed that the groundwater was grouped into the Ca2+-(Cl--NO3 -) and Ca2+-HCO3 - types, which are general features of groundwater in Korea. Moreover, the tracking of dominance types (classified as evaporation, rock, and precipitation) based on the Gibbs diagram showed that the origins of anions and cations in the groundwater are of rock dominance.

Key Words: Groundwater, Geochemical characteristics, Piper diagram, Gibbs diagram, Wilcox diagram, US salinity laboratory diagram, Chadha diagram