Hydrochemical characterization of groundwater using multivariate statistical analysis: the Maritime Djeffara shallow aquifer (Southeastern Tunisia)

• Published in: Environmental earth sciences Vol. 76; no. 24; pp. 1 - 22
• Main Authors: Ayed, Bachaer, Jmal, Ikram, Sahal, Samir, Mokadem, Naziha, Saidi, Salwa, Boughariou, Emna, Bouri, Salem
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-12-2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural management; Agriculture; Anthropogenic factors; Aquifers; Arid regions; Biogeosciences; Cluster analysis; Coastal zone; Composition; Drinking water; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Electrical conductivity; Electrical resistivity; Environmental Science and Engineering; Geochemistry; Geology; Groundwater; Groundwater chemistry; Groundwater quality; Groundwater resources; Hydrochemicals; Hydrology/Water Resources; Irrigation; Irrigation water; Multivariate statistical analysis; Organic chemistry; Original Article; Principal components analysis; Quality assessment; Sedimentary facies; Semiarid lands; Semiarid zones; Statistical analysis; Statistical methods; Statistics; Sulfates; Terrestrial Pollution; Variance analysis; Water analysis; Water quality; Water quality assessments; Water resources; Water sampling; Maritime Djeffara; Hydrochemical; Shallow aquifer; Hierarchical cluster analysis; Water quality; Principal component analysis
• ISSN: 1866-6280; 1866-6299
• DOI: 10.1007/s12665-017-7168-6

Worldwide, groundwater resources have been considered as the main sources of drinking, domestic uses, industrial and agriculture water demands, especially in arid and semiarid regions. Accordingly, the monitoring of the groundwater quality based on different tools and methods becomes a necessity. The aim of this study was to apply several approaches to assess the water quality and to define the main hydrochemical process which affect groundwater of the Maritime Djeffara shallow aquifer. In addition to the hydrochemical approach, two multivariate statistical analyses, hierarchical clusters analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA), were carried out to identify the natural and the anthropogenic processes affecting groundwater chemistry. Hydrochemical approach, based on 47 analyzed groundwater samples, shows that most of samples present a sulfate to mixed chloride, with sodi-potassic tendency facies. According to their chemically composition, the HCA revealed three different groups (C1, C2 and C3) according to their electrical conductivity (EC) values: C1 (average EC = 4500 µS/cm), C2 (average EC = 7040 µS/cm) and C3 (average EC = 9767 µS/cm). Furthermore, PCA results show two principal factors account 84.05% of the total variance: (1) F1 represents the natural component, and (2) F2 symbolizes the anthropic component. Moreover, the groundwater quality map of the Maritime Djeffara shows three categories: suitable, doubtful and unsuitable water for irrigation. These different results should be taken to protect water resources in arid and semiarid regions, especially at the alluvial coastal regions. Also, they help to make a suitable planning to manage and protect the groundwater resources.