GEOCHEMICAL AND TEMPORAL ASSESSMENT OF GROUNDWATER FOR DRINKING AND IRRIGATION NEEDS IN MADURAI NORTH TALUK, TAMIL NADU, INDIA | ||||
| Journal of Environmental Studies | ||||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 31 July 2025 | ||||
| Document Type: High quality original papers | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jesj.2025.400529.1139 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
Ravi M   1; Dinesh Kumar M2; Tholkapiyan M3; Venkatraman V4
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| 1Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Civil Engineering, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Pin code. 602105 | ||||
| 2Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Pin code.602105 | ||||
| 3Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Chennai Institute of Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Pin code: 600069 | ||||
| 4Assistant Professor & Head, Department of Civil Engineering, Solamalai College of Engineering, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India, Pin code. 625020. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| The objective of this study is to conduct a geochemical and temporal assessment of groundwater quality in Madurai North Taluk to determine whether groundwater is suitable for potable use and irrigation. The study focuses on concerns about contamination sources, assessment methodologies, and strategies for improvement in the region, underscoring the significance of this evaluation. A systematic collection of groundwater samples were conducted during the pre-monsoon and post- monsoon phases from 2008 to 2022. Using Gibbs diagrams, the geochemical and temporal assessment were made. The study found that in the pre-monsoon seasons between 2008 and 2022, most groundwater samples in Madurai North Taluk were influenced by rock–water interaction due to weathering of crystalline lithologies like granite, gneiss, and charnockite, while a few samples fell in the evaporation zone, indicating salinity risks caused by high evaporation, reduced recharge, or stagnant conditions affecting water quality for potable and agricultural use. The study found that during the post-monsoon season from 2008 to 2022, most groundwater samples in Madurai North Taluk were influenced predominantly by rock–water interaction as a result of longer residence time and dissolution of carbonate and silicate minerals, while a few samples indicated evaporation influence linked to anthropogenic activities, shallow water tables, or stagnant recharge zones, suggesting surface contamination from sources like irrigation return flow. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Geochemical analysis; Gibbs Diagram; Rock-Water Interaction; Evaporation; Groundwater chemistry | ||||
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