MARIA ZEB AWAN

SP12-BES-006

GROUND WATER
CHEMISTRY

CONTENTS

Groundwater definition
Objectives
Chemical characteristics of groundwater
Dissolved constituents in ground water
GW=ground water
Trace elements in GW
Major elements in GW
Chemical characteristics of groundwater
Movement of groundwater
Movement of chemicals with groundwater
Age of GW
Reactive nature of GW
Acids in GW

GROUNDWATER DEFINITION

Groundwateris the water found

underground in the cracks and spaces in soil,
sand and rock.
It is stored in and moves slowly through
geologic formations of soil, sand and rocks
called aquifers.
The study of water flow inaquifers and the
characterization ofaquifersis called
hydrogeology.

OBJECTIVES

In this presentation we will

look at the general chemical
characteristics of
groundwater.

some of the geochemical

processes that are important
in the chemical evolution of
water that flows through the
ground will also be evaluated.

DISSOLVED CONSTITUENTS N GW

A wide range of different elements can

become dissolved in groundwater as a result
of interactions with the atmosphere, the
surficial environment, soil and bedrock.
Ground waters tend to have much higher
concentrations of most constituents than do
surface waters,
deep groundwaters have been in contact
with rock for a long time.

MAJOR COMPONENTS IN GW

They are measured in mg/L

The major dissolved components of ground
waters include :
Anions

bicarbonate
chloride
sulphate

cations

sodium
Calcium
magnesium
potassium.

TRACE ELEMENTS IN GW

All of the elements in the periodic table are

present at some concentration in most water
samples, but only a fraction of these are
important to us. Some example
concentrations (in mg/L and g/L) for the
same ten samples listed above are given in
the table below
F-, Si, Li ,B, Al , Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn ,As, Sr, and
Ba.

CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Characteristics
Temperature
Turbidity, SS

Colour

Surface Water
varies with season
Level variable, sometimes
high
Due mainly to SS (clays,
algae) except in
very soft or acidic waters
(humic acids)

Ground Water
relatively constants
Low or nil (except in karst
soil)
Due above all to dissolved
solids
Largely constant, generally
appreciably higher than in
surface water from the same
area

Mineral content

Varies with soil, rainfall,

effluents, etc.

Divalent Fe and
Mn in solution

Usually none, except at the

bottom of
Usually present
lakes and ponds in the process
of eutrophication

Dissolved O2

Often near saturation level,

absent in very polluted water

Usually none

CHEMICAL CHARACTERS (CONT.)

Characteristics

H2 S

Surface Water

Ground Water

Often present

NH4

Usually none
Found only in polluted
water

Nitrates

Level generally low

Level sometimes high

Usually moderate
proportions
Can be present but liable to
Mineral and organic disappear
micro-pollutants
rapidly once the source is
removed
Silica

Living organisms

Bacteria, viruses, plankton

Chlorinated solvents Rarely present

Eutrophic nature

Often. Increased by high

temperatures

Often found

Level often high

Usually none but any
accidental
pollutionlasts a very
long time
Iron bacteria frequently
found
Often present
None

MOVEMENT OF GROUND WATER

groundwater is in constant motion

the rate at which it moves is
generally slower than it would
move in a stream because it must
pass through the intricate
passageways between free spaces
in the rock.
First groundwater moves
downward due to the pull of
gravity.
it can also move upwards because
it will flow from higher-pressure
areas to lower pressure areas

MOVEMENT OF GW (CONT.)

MOVEMENT OF CHEMICALS ALONG WITH

GROUND WATER

AGE OF GROUNDWATER

The age (time since recharge)

varies in different parts of ground-water-flow
systems.
Age increases steadily along a particular flow
path through the ground-water-flow system
from an area of recharge to an area of
discharge.
shallow, local-scale flow systems: ages at areas
of discharge can vary from less than a day to a
few hundred years.
deep, regional flow systems : with long flow
paths (tens of miles), ages may reach thousands
or tens of thousands of years

Reactive nature of
groundwater

ACID REACTION IN GROUNDWATER

GROUNDWATER CHANGES

Seasonal changes
Continuous decrease due to water unavailability

RECHARGE OF GROUND WATER

Groundwater rechargeor deep drainage or

deep percolation is a hydrologic process
where water moves downward from surface
water togroundwater
Rechargeis the primary method that water
enters an aquifer
Water cycle
Natural recharge: rain water
Artificial recharge: seepage

RECHARGE (CONT.)

CONCLUDING POINTS

Ground water is a major reservoir stored under the

surface of earth.
It consist of different smaller to major components
that play vital role in its characterization.
Acids present is ground water help in dissolution of
rocks around the water.
Ground water movement is slower but its most
characters remain constant.
Groundwater table changes occur seasonally.
recharge of ground water is dependent on fresh and
ocean water.
Anthropogenic activities are highly disturbing
groundwater quantity and quality

REFERENCES

http://www.lenntech.com/groundwater/pro
perties
https://www.google.com.pk/search?
q=chemical+composition+of+groundwater
http://www.lenntech.com/groundwater/pro
perties.htm
http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/circ1186/html/ge
n_facts.html