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Groundwater quality of Yemen volcanic terrain and their geological and geochemical controls

نوعية المياه الجوفية في بركانيات اليمن وضوابطها الجيولوجية والجيوكيميائية

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Abstract

One hundred thirty boreholes of volcanic aquifers in rural Yemen Highland Groundwaters (YHGs) were chemically investigated to assess the suitability of water for drinking. Focus is to identify inorganic constituents of significant risk to health that occur in groundwaters of this area. Results showed that a number of boreholes contain, apart from fluoride, levels of nitrate, some heavy metals, total dissolved solids, and sulfates that could pose a health risk for consumers. The lateral variations of major ions with depth varied within the same aquifer based on the dynamic equilibrium of groundwater and hydrogeological conditions. The main inorganic groundwater contaminant in volcanic YHG is fluoride which is attributed to groundwater lithology and water type. Fluoride appears high in Ca-poor groundwater and where cation exchanges of Ca for Na are dominant. High F concentration in YHG is an extension of East African fluoride-rich groundwater. Majority of tube wells show that Fe concentration exceeds WHO guideline many folds. Much of the iron and manganese in groundwaters are naturally occurring, since the source rocks are enriched in ferromagnesian minerals. NO −3 and Cl− concentrations that have been detected in some wells may indicate sewage and/or agricultural runoff. Elevated concentration of chemical constituents in groundwater is a sign of groundwater degradation.

Abstract

تم فحص 130 بئر جوفي في المناطق الواقعة ضمن الإطار الجغرافي لبركانيات اليمن كيميائيا لغرض تقييم صلاحية هذه المياه للشرب. تم التركيز علي العناصر الغير عضوية المتركزة في المياه الجوفية لهذه المناطق والتي تشكل خطورة علي الصحة. أشارت النتائج إلي أن هناك العديد من الآبار تحتوي علي نسب عالية من ،النترات، الكلور، وارتفاع في المكونات الصلبة الذائبة ناهيك عن مستويات الفلور والفلزات الثقيلة المرتفعة. التباين الرأسي والأفقي في تركيز الأيونات يعود إلي التوازن الديناميكي للمياه في الخزان وكذا إلي طبيعة الخزان الجيولوجية. يعتبر عنصر الفلور هوا لملوث الرئيس في مناطق المرتفعات الريفية وعزي ذلك إلي طبيعة الصخور الحاوية ونوعية المياه السائدة. تبين أن الفلور في المياه الجوفية مرتبط بالكالسيوم ويبرز عندما تكون المياه فقيرة في الكالسيوم وحيثما يكون التبادل الأيوني للكالسيوم بالصوديوم في مستوياته العلياء. زيادة نسبة الفلور في مناطق المرتفعات هو استمرار لنفس الظاهرة المنتشرة في مناطق الصدع الأفريقي. أظهرت غالبية الآبار تراكيز عالية في نسبة عنصر الحديد تفوق دليل منظمة الصحة العالمية لمياه الشرب وعزي ذلك إلي توفر المعادن الغنية بالحديد والمغنسيوم في صخور المصدر. أظهرت بعض الآبار نسب عالية من النترات والكلور لتؤكد وجود مصادر خارجية للتلوث يتمثل في مخلفات المجاري والراجع من عمليات الري. الزيادة في نسب العناصر الكيميائية في المياه الجوفية يمكن أن يكون مؤشر علي التدهور في نوعية المياه.

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Mr. Abdul Hamid Al-Sha’abi, Director, Rural Water Authority Laboratory, and his team for their unconditional assistance with the data extraction. The two anonymous reviewers provided very constructive and helpful comments which enabled a considerable improvement of the original draft. All interpretations and errors are my own.

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  1. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Sana’a University, P.O. Box 1247, Sana’a, Republic of Yemen

    Ahmed Saif Al-Mikhlafi

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Correspondence to Ahmed Saif Al-Mikhlafi.

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Al-Mikhlafi, A.S. Groundwater quality of Yemen volcanic terrain and their geological and geochemical controls. Arab J Geosci 3, 193–205 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-009-0068-7

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