Literature–Translation–Criticism

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Application of statistical techniques to identify the hydrogeochemical processes in coastal aquifers of Pondicherry region- Tamil Nadu

© 2014, Capital Publishing Company.Groundwater pollution can be illustrated as degrading of water quality for any usage. The Eleven hydrochemical parameters of groundwater samples from different formation were used in this study to understand groundwater chemistry in this complex multilayer aquifer system. The statistical analysis of the results shows that dominant process of weathering of feldspar, pyroxene and ion exchange. The water flows along the formation dissolving these ions along its flow path through the process of leaching of the secondary salts inherited in the formation obtained by the mixing of several geochemical processes. The anthropogenic impacts in the groundwater are noted in the younger formation than that of Cretaceous and Lower Cuddalore

Spatial and temporal variations of radon concentrations in groundwater of hard rock aquifers in Madurai district, India

Radon (222Rn) and other radionuclides in groundwater can lead to health problems if present in higher concentrations. A study was carried out in Madurai district of Tamilnadu by collecting groundwater samples for four different seasons and aims to identify the regions with higher 222Rn concentration along with their spatial and seasonal variations. 222Rn has been compared with field parameters, log pCO2, major ions and uranium to detect the factors responsible for the higher concentration in groundwater. The weathering process induces the release of higher uranium ions from the granitic terrain from the rock matrix which enhances the 222Rn levels in groundwater

A Study on the Behaviour of Total Carbon and Dissolved Organic Carbon in Groundwaters of Pondicherry Region, India

Organic carbon concentrations can vary considerably, both spatially and temporally, so a large number of analyses are frequently required to produce a representative estimate of concentrations. Natural organic carbon is mainly derived from decomposing vegetation and other organic matter in the soil zone. In this scenario, a baseline attempt was made to study the behaviour of organic carbon content in groundwater by collecting samples from the layered aquifer sequence of Pondicherry. The samples were collected from Recent Alluvium (30), Upper Cuddalore(13), Lower Cuddalore (13), Other Tertiary formation (7), Mixed aquifer (5) and Cretaceous formations (24). The analysis of these samples show that higher concentration of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) was noted in the Alluvial formation and the average concentration was higher in Upper Cuddalore Formation. The samples of these formations were compared with pH, Ionic strength, and log pCO2 and bicarbonate concentration. The alluvial aquifer shows that pH governed dissolution along the coastal tracts and in Upper Cuddalore formation it’s based on interaction between aquifer matrix and groundwater

A study on the arsenic concentration in groundwater of a coastal aquifer in south-east India: an integrated approach

The occurrence of arsenic in drinking water and its detrimental effects have drawn much attention in recent years. Several studies have been conducted in the deltaic plains of River Ganga, NE part of the India, and in other countries, but no systematic study was conducted in South India on occurrence of arsenic in groundwater. The main aim of this study is to determine the level of arsenic in groundwater and to understand the relation with other geochemical parameters of groundwater in the south-eastern coastal aquifer at Kalpakkam region, India. This region is represented by three different lithologies, viz. charnockites, flood plain alluvium and marine alluvium. Twenty-nine representative samples of groundwater were collected and analysed for major ions, metals and isotopes such as 2H and 18O. In addition, geophysical method was also attempted to understand the subsurface condition. The spatial variation in arsenic (As) indicates that higher concentration was observed around the landfill sites and irrigated regions, which was supported by geochemical, statistical and isotopic inferences. The variation in the As with depth, lithology and sources has been clearly brought out. Though the values of As does not exceed the drinking water permissible limit (10 mg/l), it has reached a near permissible level of 8.7 ppb. Hence, it is essential to understand the geochemical behaviour of As for a proper future management of the water resource in the study area

Significance of pCO2 values in determining carbonate chemistry in groundwater of Pondicherry region, India

The partial pressure of Carbon-Di-oxide plays a significant role in the water chemistry. It reflects thegeochemical process and relates to the saturation index (SI) of the Carbonate minerals. A total number of 98 samples were collected from layered sequential aquifers like Alluvium, Upper Cuddalore sandstone, Lower Cuddalore Sandstone and Cretaceous formations, during Pre-Monsoonand Post-Monsoon seasons. Chemical parameters of groundwater such as pH, EC, TDS, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl–, HCO–3 , SO2–4 , PO3–4 and H4SiO4 were determined. The study shows that an increase in the log pCO2 values during water-rock interaction which influences the processof mineral dissolution. Saturation index of the carbonate minerals like Calcite, Aragonite, Dolomite and Magnesite were derived and compared with the log pCO2 values. In both the seasons the decreasing log pCO2 increases the saturation index of most of the carbonate minerals studied. The saturation index of almost all carbonate minerals during both the seasons showed negative correlationirrespective of the formation. Log pCO2 also develops a negative correlation with pH in groundwater of the study area

Assessment of sources for higher Uranium concentration in ground waters of the Central Tamilnadu, India

The uranium concentration in groundwater has attained greater importance considering the health effects in mankind. Groundwater being the major source of uranium; sampling and analysis of groundwater for the major cations and anions along with uranium has been carried out in hard rock aquifers of Madurai district. The sampling has been carried out in varied aquifers like, Charnockites, Hornblende Biotite Gneiss, Granites, Quartzites, Laterites and sandstone. The cation and anions showed the following order of dominance Na+>Ca2+>Mg2+>K+ and that of anions are HCO3->Cl->SO42-> NO3->PO43-. Higher concentration of uranium was found along the granitic aquifers and it varied along the groundwater table condition. Further it was identified that the mineral weathering was the predominant source of U in groundwater. Tritium studies also reveal the fact that the younger waters are more enriched in uranium than the older groundwater with longer residence time

Occurrence of the radionuclides in groundwater of crystalline hard rock regions of central Tamil Nadu, India

A study was conducted to understand the occurrence of the radionuclides in groundwater of crystalline hard rock region. Samples were collected to analyze major cations, anions, U, 222 Rn and stable isotopes of oxygen, hydrogen. It was inferred that few samples have U and 222 Rn concentrations higher than the permissible limit of drinking water standard. High degree of weathering of granitic rocks and long contact time of groundwater with the aquifer matrix could be the reason for enhanced U and 222 Rn levels in groundwater. The association of U with SO4 also proves that there exists anthropogenic influence in groundwater composition