Assessment of the adequacy of groundwater quality for residential and irrigation applications in India

Groundwater quality is a crucial factor influencing both agricultural productivity and domestic water use, especially in regions heavily dependent on groundwater for irrigation and drinking water. This study evaluates the suitability of groundwater in the Ariyalur District of Tamil Nadu, India, an a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: R. Arulnangai, G. Muralitharan, H. Asia Thabassoom, R. Ganesamoorthy, K. Thirugnanasambandham, R. Parameswari
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-04-01
Series:Desalination and Water Treatment
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1944398625002450
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849734126018494464
author R. Arulnangai
G. Muralitharan
H. Asia Thabassoom
R. Ganesamoorthy
K. Thirugnanasambandham
R. Parameswari
author_facet R. Arulnangai
G. Muralitharan
H. Asia Thabassoom
R. Ganesamoorthy
K. Thirugnanasambandham
R. Parameswari
author_sort R. Arulnangai
collection DOAJ
description Groundwater quality is a crucial factor influencing both agricultural productivity and domestic water use, especially in regions heavily dependent on groundwater for irrigation and drinking water. This study evaluates the suitability of groundwater in the Ariyalur District of Tamil Nadu, India, an area increasingly challenged by water scarcity and quality degradation. What sets this research apart is its comprehensive, multi-seasonal assessment of groundwater quality over a three-year period (May 2015–August 2017), covering pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons. By analysing key physicochemical parameters—such as pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, hardness, and various ions—this study provides a detailed picture of the groundwater's suitability for agricultural and domestic uses. Additionally, novel water quality indicators, including sodium adsorption ratio, sodium percentage, residual sodium carbonate, Kelly's ratio, and permeability, are employed to assess potential impacts on soil health and irrigation efficiency. The study’s findings reveal significant seasonal variations in water quality, highlighting the critical need for region-specific water quality monitoring and management strategies. This research contributes valuable baseline data that can guide water quality management in semi-arid regions of India and other similar agro-ecological zones, offering insights crucial for sustainable water use and policy-making. The novelty of this study lies in its integrated approach to evaluating both agricultural and domestic water quality within the context of changing seasonal conditions, which has important implications for improving water management practices in the region.
format Article
id doaj-art-629abe41605847fcb6e8f05cd1dacdbb
institution DOAJ
issn 1944-3986
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Desalination and Water Treatment
spelling doaj-art-629abe41605847fcb6e8f05cd1dacdbb2025-08-20T03:07:51ZengElsevierDesalination and Water Treatment1944-39862025-04-0132210122910.1016/j.dwt.2025.101229Assessment of the adequacy of groundwater quality for residential and irrigation applications in IndiaR. Arulnangai0G. Muralitharan1H. Asia Thabassoom2R. Ganesamoorthy3K. Thirugnanasambandham4R. Parameswari5PG & Research Department of Chemistry, Jamal Mohamed College, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, IndiaDepartment of Microbiology, Bharathidasan University, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, IndiaPG & Research Department of Chemistry, Jamal Mohamed College, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, IndiaDepartment of Chemistry, Vinayaka Mission’s Kirupananda Variyar Arts and Science College, Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation (DU), Salem, Tamil Nadu, India; Corresponding authors.Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Lawley Road, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641003, India; Corresponding authors.Department of Biotechnology, Thiruvalluvar University, Serkkadu, Vellore 632115, IndiaGroundwater quality is a crucial factor influencing both agricultural productivity and domestic water use, especially in regions heavily dependent on groundwater for irrigation and drinking water. This study evaluates the suitability of groundwater in the Ariyalur District of Tamil Nadu, India, an area increasingly challenged by water scarcity and quality degradation. What sets this research apart is its comprehensive, multi-seasonal assessment of groundwater quality over a three-year period (May 2015–August 2017), covering pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons. By analysing key physicochemical parameters—such as pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, hardness, and various ions—this study provides a detailed picture of the groundwater's suitability for agricultural and domestic uses. Additionally, novel water quality indicators, including sodium adsorption ratio, sodium percentage, residual sodium carbonate, Kelly's ratio, and permeability, are employed to assess potential impacts on soil health and irrigation efficiency. The study’s findings reveal significant seasonal variations in water quality, highlighting the critical need for region-specific water quality monitoring and management strategies. This research contributes valuable baseline data that can guide water quality management in semi-arid regions of India and other similar agro-ecological zones, offering insights crucial for sustainable water use and policy-making. The novelty of this study lies in its integrated approach to evaluating both agricultural and domestic water quality within the context of changing seasonal conditions, which has important implications for improving water management practices in the region.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1944398625002450Groundwater qualityIrrigation suitabilityHydro chemical analysisPhysio chemical parametersSeasonal variabilitySemi-arid regions
spellingShingle R. Arulnangai
G. Muralitharan
H. Asia Thabassoom
R. Ganesamoorthy
K. Thirugnanasambandham
R. Parameswari
Assessment of the adequacy of groundwater quality for residential and irrigation applications in India
Desalination and Water Treatment
Groundwater quality
Irrigation suitability
Hydro chemical analysis
Physio chemical parameters
Seasonal variability
Semi-arid regions
title Assessment of the adequacy of groundwater quality for residential and irrigation applications in India
title_full Assessment of the adequacy of groundwater quality for residential and irrigation applications in India
title_fullStr Assessment of the adequacy of groundwater quality for residential and irrigation applications in India
title_full_unstemmed Assessment of the adequacy of groundwater quality for residential and irrigation applications in India
title_short Assessment of the adequacy of groundwater quality for residential and irrigation applications in India
title_sort assessment of the adequacy of groundwater quality for residential and irrigation applications in india
topic Groundwater quality
Irrigation suitability
Hydro chemical analysis
Physio chemical parameters
Seasonal variability
Semi-arid regions
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1944398625002450
work_keys_str_mv AT rarulnangai assessmentoftheadequacyofgroundwaterqualityforresidentialandirrigationapplicationsinindia
AT gmuralitharan assessmentoftheadequacyofgroundwaterqualityforresidentialandirrigationapplicationsinindia
AT hasiathabassoom assessmentoftheadequacyofgroundwaterqualityforresidentialandirrigationapplicationsinindia
AT rganesamoorthy assessmentoftheadequacyofgroundwaterqualityforresidentialandirrigationapplicationsinindia
AT kthirugnanasambandham assessmentoftheadequacyofgroundwaterqualityforresidentialandirrigationapplicationsinindia
AT rparameswari assessmentoftheadequacyofgroundwaterqualityforresidentialandirrigationapplicationsinindia