Chapter 23
Preliminary Physicochemical Assessment of Groundwater in Kg. Salang, Pulau Tioman, Pahang, Malaysia Azrul Normi Idris, Ahmad Zaharin Aris, Saim Suratman and Ismail Tawnie
Abstract Fourteen groundwater samples were collected from Kg. Salang in the north-west of Pulau Tioman, Pahang and were analysed for their physicochemical characteristics. The physicochemical parameters were analysed to know the present groundwater quality as well as the possible source of ions in the groundwater. The groundwater in the study area is fresh and the dominant water type is Ca–Mg–HCO3. The occurrence of these facies is identified to be natural due the calcite of corals and shells. The statistical analysis shows strong correlation between Ca–EC. Results concluded that the parameters which were taken for the study of water quality are below the pollution level for groundwater which satisfy the requirement for the use of various purposes like domestic, agricultural, and industrial. Keywords Groundwater
Physicochemical Ions Facies Corals
Highlights • Physicochemical characteristics of groundwater were within the permissible limits. • Water samples were classified mainly as Ca–Mg–HCO3 water type. • Calcium–EC showed significant relationship as an indication of mineralization process.
A. N. Idris A. Z. Aris (&) Environmental Forensics Research Centre, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia e-mail:
[email protected] A. N. Idris e-mail:
[email protected] S. Suratman I. Tawnie Geohydrology Research Center, National Hydraulic Research Institute of Malaysia (NAHRIM), Seri Kembangan, 43300 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
A. Z. Aris et al. (eds.), From Sources to Solution, DOI: 10.1007/978-981-4560-70-2_23, Springer Science+Business Media Singapore 2014
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Introduction Islands are vulnerable to human activities and natural disaster in relation to their features as being small in size, insularity and remoteness as described (Briguglio 1995). Due to absence of surface water in dry season, Kg. Salang depends entirely on groundwater resources for domestic use. In some parts of the island, the current rate of groundwater extraction is depleting the resource faster than it is being recharged; this is because of seasonal monsoon in Malaysia. Islands have become renowned locations among tourists where an increasing number of visitors to the island caused an increase of freshwater demand (Aris et al. 2009a, b; Fleeger 1999). The present work attempts to study the physicochemical properties in groundwater of Kg. Salang, Pulau Tioman, which is, situated 54 km from land area in Mersing, Johor or Kuala Rompin, Pahang. The results of the study will help in gathering significant data pertaining to the quality status of groundwater of Pulau Tioman. The aim of this study is to determine the physico-chemical characteristic of groundwater sample in and around Kg. Salang low lying area.
Materials and Methods Kg. Salang encompasses area between 252.5800 to 252.582 N latitude and 10409.2910 to 10409.2750 E longitude. Kg. Salang is one of the main tourist attraction areas in the west coast of Pulau Tioman. Water levels were measured from each well before pumping using deep meter. A total of fourteen groundwater samples were collected during the sampling campaign that was conducted in September 2012. Polyethylene bottles were used to collect and preserved the groundwater samples based on the method described by APHA (2005). Measurement of pH and temperature were done on the field using HACH pH meter. The total dissolved solids (TDS) and electrical conductivity (EC) were also measured using the conductivity meter. Bicarbonate (HCO3-) concentrate was determined with HACH. Concentration of sodium and potassium were determined by using a flame photometer. Magnesium and calcium concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Chloride concentration was measured by silver nitrate titration. Sulphate and nitrate concentrations were measured by using colorimetric-spectrophotometer.
Results and Discussion The relative abundance of cations in the groundwater is in the order Ca2+ [ Na+ [ Mg2+ [ K+ and that of anions is HCO3- [ Cl- [ SO42- [ CO3-. Ca2+ and HCO3- are the dominant cation and anion respectively.
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Table 23.1 Summary of the physicochemical parameter Variable Minimum Maximum
Mean
Standard deviation
pH EC (ls/cm) TDS K Mg Na Ca HCO3 Cl SO4 NO3
7.279 326.143 176.250 1.118 4.895 14.786 55.186 219.714 12.000 3.571 4.506
0.642 131.450 59.510 0.901 3.455 18.928 29.081 112.763 6.263 5.324 13.727
6.200 79.000 72.000 0.050 0.130 4.800 4.700 33.000 8.000 1.500 0.020
8.300 510.000 282.000 3.000 13.600 79.000 94.000 365.000 31.000 18.000 52.000
Statistical Analysis The summary of physical and chemical parameters obtained from the analysis of water samples are shown in Table 23.1. The correlation matrix in Table 23.2 displays the physicochemical parameters of the groundwater samples of 11 parameters. There is a good correlation exist between the Ca and EC, Bicarbonate. Identically a good correlation exists between TDS and EC. EC–Ca correlation is the strong positive correlation with high EC and Ca. EC–HCO3 and HCO3–Ca correlation is moderate correlation with value r between 0.3 to 0.7 (Fig. 23.1). EC–Mg, Cl–Mg and EC–Na can be considered as no correlation with outliers data. EC–Na is negative correlation with high Na value associated with low EC value.
Hydrochemical Facies of Groundwater The chemical composition of water samples from the study area is shown on the Piper diagram (Fig. 23.2). In the cation plot field, the samples plot mainly toward Ca2+ corner indicating calcium type water. In the anion plot field, the samples mostly plotted towards the CO32- ? HCO3- corner indicating carbonate or bicarbonate type water, but some of the samples plotted towards the middle triangle indicating no dominant anion type. Principally, the water samples plotted in the Ca–Mg–HCO3 dominant of the diamond field.
1 0.176 0.187 0.011 0.265 0.219 -0.086 0.301
Values in bold are different from 0 with a significance level alpha = 0.05
1 0.563 0.114 0.285 0.420 0.293 -0.073 0.200 0.506 1 0.183 -0.027 0.259 0.569 0.028 0.153
1 0.559 0.215 0.118 -0.108 0.952 0.669 -0.047 -0.043 0.436
pH EC (ls/cm) TDS K Mg Na Ca HCO3Cl SO-2 4 NO3-
1 0.527 0.524 0.197 -0.052 0.479 0.429 0.516 -0.512 -0.124 0.181
Mg+2
Table 23.2 Correlation matrix for the water quality parameters Variables pH EC TDS K+
1 -0.129 0.313 -0.029 -0.078 0.012
Na+
1 0.612 -0.086 -0.103 0.328
Ca
1 0.138 -0.191 0.261
HCO3-
1 0.097 0.256
Cl-
1 0.552
SO-2 4
1
NO3-
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Fig. 23.1 Graph of confidents ellipse in different strength correlation
Fig. 23.2 Most of the wells in the study area have a good quality of water where shown in the piper diagram
EXPLANATION
+C
2+
Ca
+H CO
2-
3
CO
Mg
2-
+
+K
2+
Ca CATIONS
SO 4
+
Na
2+
3
-
SO
2+
g +M
4
2-
l
-
Wells
-
Cl ANIONS
Conclusion The analysis of the water quality parameters of groundwater from fourteen different wells in Kg. Salang, Pulau Tioman of Pahang district shows that the pH, electrical conductivity, calcium, magnesium, chloride and bicarbonate are well within the permissible limits. The dominant cation in the water is calcium whereas the dominant anion being bicarbonate. Bicarbonate is high in the study area
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indicating the biodegradation of the organic matter in the sub surface environment. The source of the ions could therefore be from the decay of organic matter and minerals concentrated in the soil zone.
References APHA (2005) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 21st edn, American Water Works Association, Water Environment Federation, Washington, DC Aris AZ, Abdullah MH, Praveena SM (2009a) Evolution of groundwater chemistry in the shallow aquifer of small Tropical Island in Sabah, Malaysia. Sains Malaysiana 38(6):805–812 Aris AZ, Abdullah MH, Kim KW, Praveena SM (2009b) Hydrochemical changes in a small tropical island’s aquifer: Manukan Island, Sabah, Malaysia. Environ Geol 56:1721–1732 Briguglio L (1995) Small island developing states and their economic vulnerabilities. World development, Elsevier Science Ltd 23(9):1615–1632 Fleeger GM (1999) The geology of Pennsylvania’s groundwater. Educational Series 3, Harrisburg 3 Obiefuna GI, Sheriff A (2011) Assessment of shallow groundwater quality of Pindiga Gombe, Yola, NE, Nigeria for irrigation and domestic purposes. Res J Environ Earth Sci 3(2):131–141
