Abstract
A study on geochemical characterization of groundwater and its suitability for drinking and industrial purpose was carried out in and around Rourkela, an industrial city of Odisha. Altogether 36 groundwater samples were collected during May 2011 and analyzed for the water quality parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, sulphate, chloride etc. Suitability of the groundwater for drinking and industrial purpose is evaluated following various classification schemes and water quality standards. Piper’s Trilinear diagram reveals that water of the study area belongs to the Ca-Mg-HCO3 facies. Calcium and magnesium are major cations and bicarbonate is the major anion in the study area. The prolific presence of Ca, Mg and bicarbonate ions demonstrates that the total hydro-geochemistry is dominated by alkaline earths and weak acids. The chemical composition of ground water is controlled by sediment-water interaction. Various classifications show that present status of ground water is better for drinking purpose. Corrosivity ratio is analysed and Gibb’s diagram is plotted to estimate the quality of water for industrial use and rock water interaction.
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