Hydrochemical evaluation of the quaternary aquifer and its suitability for different purposes at south Al Waqf city, Qena, Upper Egypt

• Published in: Groundwater for sustainable development Vol. 12; p. 100517
• Main Authors: Elnazer, Ahmed A., Seleem, El-Montaser M., Zeid, Salah A.M., Ismail, Ismail S.A., Bahlol, Hossam A., Salman, Salman A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-02-2021
• Subjects: Assessment; Egypt; Groundwater; Heavy metals; Irrigation; Water quality; Irrigation; Groundwater; Heavy metals; Assessment; Water quality; Egypt
• ISSN: 2352-801X; 2352-801X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gsd.2020.100517

Groundwater is the second most important natural resource of freshwater in Egypt after the River Nile. Groundwater is the unique reliable water resource in the Egyptian Deserts, for domestic, agriculture and industrial uses. Field hydrological data and twenty groundwater samples were collected from the Quaternary aquifer boreholes to ascertain their quality for drinking and agricultural purposes in the desert area south Al Waqf, Upper Egypt. The groundwater is slightly alkaline with variable salinity; TDS varies from 455 to 4595 mg/l. The predominant ions were Na and Cl, and the predominant water type is Na–K–Cl–SO4. The water-sediment interaction considered the main controller of water chemistry. The groundwater is unsuitable for human drinking purposes, wherein the case of one suitable element, another element is not suitable especially the pollution of water with As and Pb. It was detected that studied samples were permissible (especially for sodium adsorption ratio and heavy metals) for irrigation and suitable for growing most types of crops with attention to wells of high salinity.
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•Studied the Quaternary aquifer for its quality for drinking and agricultural purpose in the desert area , Upper Egypt.•The groundwater is slightly alkaline and saline with Na and Cl predominant ions were, and of Na-K-Cl-SO4 water type.•The water-sediment interaction considered the main controller of water chemistry.•The groundwater is unsuitable for human drinking purposes, mostly owing to the pollution of water with As and Pb.•The groundwater is suitable for irrigation and growing most types of crops with some attention to wells of high salinity.