Title: Geochemical assessment of groundwater quality: a case study from Adamawa in Northeastern Nigeria

Authors: A.B. Seli; B.A. Ankidawa; J.M. Ishaku; M.D. Aminu

Addresses: Department of Civil Engineering, Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola, Nigeria ' Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, PMB 2076, Yola, Nigeria ' Department of Geology, School of Physical Sciences, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, PMB 2076, Yola, Nigeria ' Department of Geology, School of Physical Sciences, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, PMB 2076, Yola, Nigeria

Abstract: This research assesses the hydrogeochemistry of groundwater in Ganye and environs using multivariate statistical analysis. The cation concentrations are in the order of Ca²⁺ > Mg²⁺ > K⁺ < Na⁺ while anions are HCO⁻₃ > Cl^-SO²⁻₄ > CO²⁻₃. Piper, Doruv and Schoeller diagrams identified two water types as Ca-Mg-HCO₃ and Ca-Mg-SO₄-Cl. The water type is young water of meteoric origin that resulted from the dissolution of aluminosilicate due to induced chemical weathering. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis reveal that natural mineralisation processes accompanied by increased alkalinity, temporary salinity of the water, weathering and rock-water interaction, hardness of water caused by calcium and magnesium ions and anthropogenic contamination are factors responsible for the modification of groundwater chemistry. The results of water quality index revealed that about 30% of the water sources have good quality rating, 53.3% have poor quality rating, 10% fall in the range of very poor, and 6.7% fall within the range of unsuitable for drinking.

Keywords: Ganye; groundwater; hydrogeochemistry; multivariate statistical analysis; water quality index; WQI; Nigeria.

DOI: 10.1504/IJW.2019.101339

International Journal of Water, 2019 Vol.13 No.3, pp.269 - 292

Received: 09 Nov 2018
Accepted: 02 Feb 2019
Published online: 02 Aug 2019 *

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