Spatio-Temporal Variation of Groundwater Quality and Source Apportionment Using Multivariate Statistical Techniques for the Hutuo River Alluvial-Pluvial Fan, China

Qianqian Zhang, Long Wang, Huiwei Wang, Xi Zhu and Lijun Wang
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Qianqian Zhang: Hebei and China Geological Survey Key Laboratory of Groundwater Remediation, Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050061, China
Long Wang: School of Geology and Mining Engineering, Xinjiang University, Yanan Road, Urumqi 830047, China
Huiwei Wang: Hebei and China Geological Survey Key Laboratory of Groundwater Remediation, Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050061, China
Xi Zhu: Hebei and China Geological Survey Key Laboratory of Groundwater Remediation, Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050061, China
Lijun Wang: Hebei and China Geological Survey Key Laboratory of Groundwater Remediation, Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050061, China

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-14

Abstract: Groundwater quality deterioration has become an environmental problem of widespread concern. In this study, we used a water quality index (WQI) and multivariate statistical techniques to assess groundwater quality and to trace pollution sources in the Hutuo River alluvial-pluvial fan, China. Measurement data of 17 variables in 27 monitoring sites from three field surveys were obtained and pretreated. Results showed that there were 53.09% of NO 3 − , 18.52% of SO 4 2 − and 83.95% of total hardness (TH) in samples that exceeded the Grade III standard for groundwater quality in China (GB/T 14848-2017). Based on WQI results, sampling sites were divided into three types: high-polluted sites, medium-polluted sites and low-polluted sites. The spatial variation in groundwater quality revealed that concentrations of total dissolved solids (TDS), Cl − , TH and NO 3 − were the highest in high-polluted sites, followed by medium-polluted and low-polluted sites. The temporal variation in groundwater quality was controlled by the dilution of rainwater. A principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the primary pollution sources of groundwater were domestic sewage, industrial sewage and water–rock interactions in the dry season. However, in the rainy and transition seasons, the main pollution sources shifted to domestic sewage and water–rock interactions, nonpoint pollution and industrial sewage. According to the absolute principal component scores-multivariate linear regression (APCS-MLR), most water quality parameters were primarily influenced by domestic sewage. Therefore, in order to prevent the continuous deterioration of groundwater quality, the discharge of domestic sewage in the Hutuo River alluvial-pluvial fan region should be controlled.

Keywords: groundwater quality; spatial variation; temporal variation; source apportionment; multivariate statistical techniques (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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