Water types and carbonate saturation model of groundwater in middle Governorate (Gaza strip, Palestine)

Subject Areas : Mineralogy

Khalid  Fathi Ubeid ¹ (Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Al Azhar University, Gaza, Palestine)
Mohammad Ramadan  Al-Agha ² (Department of Environment and Earth Science, The Islamic University, Gaza, Palestine)

Received: 2019-10-03 Accepted : 2020-02-07 Published : 2020-04-01

Keywords: Hydrogeology, Groundwater, Saturation Index, Gaza Strip, Palestine,

Abstract :

This study was carried out in the Middle Governorate of Gaza Strip, Palestine. The coastal aquifer is the main source of water for domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes in the study area. During the last three decades the aquifer has deteriorated to a high degree in the quality and quantity due to the over-pumping and the encroachment of seawater. Hydrogeochemical analysis for groundwater samples from 21 domestic wells were done in 2015. The major cations and anions (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, SO42-, NO3-, and HCO3-) that influence the water quality were determined. The results of analysis show that the groundwater was chemical highly enriched with Na+ and Cl- an indication of seawater intrusion into the aquifer, while K+ and SO42- sourced from fertilizers and wastewater. The regression analysis show significant positive correlation (more than +0.80) between the hydrochemical parameters Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, and SO42. Due to main cations and anions five water types were distinguished in studied wells: (1) Na-Mg-Cl, (2) Na-Cl, (3) Na-Mg-Cl-SO4, (4) Na-Cl-SO4, and (5) Na-Ca-Cl. They represent around 48%, 19%, 19%, 10% and 5% respectively of the total wells. The calcite and dolomite were assessed in terms of the saturation index, where they show mainly negative values indicating under-saturation. The hydrogeochemical behavior is rather complicated and is affected by both anthropogenic and natural parameters.

References:

1. Abed A, Al Weshahy S (1999) Geology of Palestine. Palestinian Hydrogeological Group, Jerusalem.p 461.


2. Al-Agha MR (1995) Environmental contamination of groundwater in the Gaza Strip.Environ Geol, 25:109–113.


3. Al-Agha MR (2004) Characteristics of the Kurkar in the Gaza Strip and their importance in sustainability in coastal aquifer, J. Al Azhar University – Gaza 2: 1-20 (in Arabic).


4. Al-Agha MR (2005)  Hydrogeochemistry and carbonate saturation model of groundwater, Khanyounis Governorate - Gaza Strip, Palestine. Environmental Geology 47: 898–906.


5. Al-Agha MR, El-Nakhal HA(2004) Hydrochemical facies of groundwater in the Gaza Strip. Hydrological sciences journal 49(3): 359–372.


6. Al-Agha MR,Mortaja RSh (2005)Desalination in the Gaza Strip: drinking water supply and environmental impact. Desalination, 173: 157-171.


7. Al-Arifi SN, Al-Agha RM,El-Nahhal YZ (2013)Hydrogeology and Water Quality of Umm Alradhma Aquifer, Eastern Saudi Arabia. Journal of Environment and Earth Science 3: 118-127.


8. Al-Najar H (2007) Urban agriculture and esco-sanitation: the strategic potential toward poverty alleviation in the Gaza Strip. RICS Research 7: 9-22.


9. Alshahri F, Alqahtani M (2015) Radon Concentrations and Effective Radium Contents in Local and Imported Phosphate Fertilizers, Saudi Arabia. Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering 40: 2095–2101.


10. Aris AZ, Harun AM, Kim K, Woong KK, Praveena S, Mangala PS (2008) Compositional Change of Groundwater Chemistry in the Shallow Aquifer of Small Tropical Island Due to Seawater Intrusion. 20^th Salt Water Intrusion Meeting, Naples, Florida, USA, p. 9-12.


11. Basem S, Sami Abu F, Alfred Y. (2010) Assessment of Groundwater Quality in the Gaza Strip, Palestine Using GIS Mapping. Journal of Water Resource and Protection 2: 93-104.


12. Burg A, Heaton THE (1998) The relationship between the nitrate concentration and hydrology of a small chalk spring. Occupied land of Palestine Journal of Hydrology 204: 68–82.


13. El Kammar MM, El Kashouty M, Al Agha M, Arafat H (2013) The environmental impact on the hydrogeochemical characterization of the Kurkar aquifer system, Gaza strip, Palestine. Life Science Journal, 10: 158-169.


14. El-Nakhal HA (1968) Geology of groundwater in Gaza Sector.MSc. Thesis, Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Egypt.


15. Gharbia AS, Gharbia SS, Abushbak T, Wafi W, Aish A, Zelenakova M, Pilla F (2016) Groundwater Quality Evaluation Using GIS Based Geostatistical Algorithms. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection 4: 89-103.


16. Heen ZHA, Muhsen S (2016) Application of Vertical Electrical Sounding for Delineation of Sea Water Intrusion into the Freshwater Aquifer of Southern Governorates of Gaza Strip, Palestine. IUG Journal of Natural Studies 24(2).


17. Kadi MW, Al-Eryani DA (2012) Natural Radioactivity and Radon Exhalation in Phosphate Fertilizers. Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering 37: 225–231.


18. Khalaf A, Al-Najar H,Hamad J (2006) Assessment of rainwater runoff due to the proposed regional plan in the Gaza Governorates. Journal of Applied Sciences 6: 2693-2704.


19. Mandel S, Shiftan ZL (1981) Groundwater Resources ; Investigation and Development. Academic Press Inc., New York.


20. Mogheir Y, Singh V (2002) Application of Information Theory to Groundwater Quality Monitoring Networks. Water Resources Management 16: 37-49.


21. PWA - Palestinian Water Authority (2013a) Evaluation of Groundwater-Part A- Water Levels in the Gaza Coastal Aquifer. Palestine.


22. PWA - Palestinian Water Authority (2013b) Evaluation of Groundwater -Part B- Water Quality in the Gaza Strip Municipal Wells. Palestine.


23. Qahman K, Larabi A (2003) Simulation of seawater intrusion using SEAWAT code in Khan Younis Area of the Gaza Strip aquifer, Palestine. In: Proceedings of JMP2003 international conference, Toulouse, France.


24. Qahman K, Larabi A (2006) Evaluation and numerical modeling of seawater intrusion in the Gaza aquifer (Palestine). Hydrogeology Journal, 14: 713-728.


25. Qahman K, Larabi A, Ouazar D, Naji A,Alexander HD (2009) Optima extraction of groundwater in the Gaza coastal aquifer. Journal of Water Resource and Protection 4: 249-259. 


26. Qahman K, Zhou Y (2001) Monitoring of seawater intrusion in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. In: Proceedings of first International Conference on saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers, Morocco.


27.  Shomar B (2006) Groundwater of the Gaza Strip: Is it drink-able? Environmental Geology 50: 743–751.


28. Shomar B, Fakher S, Yahya A (2010) Assessment of Groundwater Quality in the Gaza Strip, Palestine Using GIS Mapping. Journal of Water Resource and Protection 2: 93-104.


29. Shomar B, Osenbrück K, Yahya A (2008) Elevated nitrate levels in the groundwater of the Gaza Strip: Distri-bution and sources. Science of the Total Environment 398: 164–174.


30. Ubeid KF (2010) Marine lithofacies and depositional zones analysis along coastal ridge in Gaza Strip, Palestine. Journal of Geography and Geology 2: 68-76.


31. Ubeid KF (2011)The nature of the Pleistocene-Holocene palaeosols in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. Geologos 17: 163-173.


32.  Ubeid KF (2016) Quaternary Stratigraphy Architecture and Sedimentology of Gaza and Middle- to Khan Younis Governorates (The Gaza Strip, Palestine). International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications 6: 109-17.


33. World Health Organization (WHO) (2004) Guidelines for drinking-water quality, 3rd edn., vol:1. Recommendations. Geneva, Switzerland.


34. Xiao J, Jin Z, Wang J, Zhang F (2015)  Major ion chemistry, weathering process and water quality of natural waters in the Bosten Lake catchment in an extreme arid region, NW China. Environmental Earth Sciences 73: 3697–3708.


35. Yakirevich A, Melloul A, Sorek S, Shaat S (1998) Simulation of seawater intrusion into the Khan Yunis area of the Gaza Strip coastal. Journal of  Hydrogeolgy 6:549–559.