Exploring Groundwater Quality Assessment: A Geostatistical and Integrated Water Quality Indices Perspective
Groundwater is an important source of freshwater. At the same time, anthropogenic activities, in particular, industrialization, urbanization, population growth, and excessive application of fertilizers, are some of the major reasons for groundwater quality deterioration. Therefore, the present study...
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Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
2025
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| author | Masood M.U. Rashid M. Haider S. Naz I. Pande C.B. Heddam S. Alshehri F. Elkhrachy I. Ahsan A. Sammen S.S. |
| author2 | 57062195300 |
| author_facet | 57062195300 Masood M.U. Rashid M. Haider S. Naz I. Pande C.B. Heddam S. Alshehri F. Elkhrachy I. Ahsan A. Sammen S.S. |
| author_sort | Masood M.U. |
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| content_provider | Universiti Tenaga Nasional |
| content_source | UNITEN Institutional Repository |
| continent | Asia |
| country | Malaysia |
| description | Groundwater is an important source of freshwater. At the same time, anthropogenic activities, in particular, industrialization, urbanization, population growth, and excessive application of fertilizers, are some of the major reasons for groundwater quality deterioration. Therefore, the present study is conducted to evaluate groundwater quality by using integrated water quality indices and a geospatial approach to identify the different water quality zones and propose management strategies for the improvement of groundwater quality. Groundwater quality was evaluated through the physicochemical parameters (pH, chloride (Cl?), fluoride(F?), iron (Fe?2), nitrate (NO3?1), nitrite (NO2), arsenic (As), total hardness, bicarbonate (HCO3?), calcium (Ca+2), magnesium (Mg+2), color, taste, turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS)) and microbiological parameters including total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and Escherichia coli of samples collected from the water and sanitation agency (WASA) and urban units. Irrigation parameters crucial to the assessment, including (electrical conductivity (EC), residual sodium carbonates (RSC), and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR)), were also collected at more than 1100 sites within the study area of upper and central Punjab. After collecting the data of physicochemical parameters, the analysis of data was initiated to compute the water quality index for groundwater quality, a four-step protocol in which the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to determine the weights of selected parameters by generating a pairwise matrix, on the relative importance of parameters using the Satty scale. The index was then classified into five classes for quality assessment of drinking water (excellent, good, medium, bad, and very bad) and four classes for irrigation water quality assessment (excellent, good, permissible, and unsuitable). After computing the index values for drinking as well as irrigation purposes, the values were interpolated, and various maps were developed to identify the status of groundwater quality in different zones of the study area. Mitigation strategies for water pollution involve source control, such as monitoring industrial discharge points and managing waste properly. Additionally, treating wastewater through primary, secondary, or tertiary stages significantly improves water quality, reducing contaminants like heavy metals, microbiological agents, and chemical ions, safeguarding water resources. The findings highlight significant regional variations in water quality issues, with heavy metal concerns concentrated notably in Lahore and widespread emerging microbiological contamination across all studied divisions. This suggests a systemic problem linked to untreated industrial effluents and poorly managed sewerage systems. The computed indices for the Lahore, Sargodha, and Rawalpindi divisions indicate water quality ranging from marginal to unfit, underscoring the urgency for remediation. Conversely, other divisions fall within a medium class, potentially suitable for drinking purposes. Notably, microbiological contamination at 27% poses a major challenge for water supply agencies, emphasizing the critical need for pre-disposal primary, secondary, and tertiary treatments. These treatments could potentially rehabilitate 9%, 35%, and 41% of the study area, respectively, pointing toward tangible, scalable solutions critical for safeguarding broader water resources and public health. With the current pace of water quality deterioration, access to drinking water is a major problem for the public. The government should prioritize implementing strict monitoring mechanisms for industrial effluent discharge, emphasizing proper waste management to curb groundwater contamination. Establishing comprehensive pre-disposal treatments, especially primary, secondary, and tertiary stages, is imperative to address the prevalent heavy metal and microbiological issues, potentially rehabilitating up to 41% of affected areas. Additionally, creating proactive policies and allocating resources for sustainable groundwater management are crucial steps for ensuring broader water resource security and public health in the face of deteriorating water quality. Therefore, urgent regional action is needed to address escalating anthropogenic threats to groundwater, emphasizing the crucial need for proactive measures to safeguard public health and ensure sustainable water resources. ? 2023 by the authors. |
| format | Retracted |
| id | my.uniten.dspace-37222 |
| institution | Universiti Tenaga Nasional |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publisher | Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | my.uniten.dspace-372222025-03-03T15:48:51Z Exploring Groundwater Quality Assessment: A Geostatistical and Integrated Water Quality Indices Perspective Masood M.U. Rashid M. Haider S. Naz I. Pande C.B. Heddam S. Alshehri F. Elkhrachy I. Ahsan A. Sammen S.S. 57062195300 59502467800 58188293400 58803441600 59416065400 25226555100 58728239400 55481426800 36008141300 57192093108 Lahore Pakistan Punjab [Pakistan] Rawalpindi Sargodha Chemicals removal (water treatment) Chlorine compounds Deterioration Dissolved oxygen Fluorine compounds Geographic information systems Groundwater Groundwater pollution Groundwater resources Heavy metals Hydrochemistry Irrigation Magnesium compounds Population statistics Potable water Quality control Remote sensing Wastewater treatment Water supply Analytical Hierarchy Process Geostatistical Groundwater quality Groundwater quality assessment Microbiological contaminations Physico - chemical parameters Remote-sensing Study areas Water quality indexes Waters resources analytical hierarchy process drinking water geostatistics GIS groundwater resource heavy metal public health remote sensing water quality Water quality Groundwater is an important source of freshwater. At the same time, anthropogenic activities, in particular, industrialization, urbanization, population growth, and excessive application of fertilizers, are some of the major reasons for groundwater quality deterioration. Therefore, the present study is conducted to evaluate groundwater quality by using integrated water quality indices and a geospatial approach to identify the different water quality zones and propose management strategies for the improvement of groundwater quality. Groundwater quality was evaluated through the physicochemical parameters (pH, chloride (Cl?), fluoride(F?), iron (Fe?2), nitrate (NO3?1), nitrite (NO2), arsenic (As), total hardness, bicarbonate (HCO3?), calcium (Ca+2), magnesium (Mg+2), color, taste, turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS)) and microbiological parameters including total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and Escherichia coli of samples collected from the water and sanitation agency (WASA) and urban units. Irrigation parameters crucial to the assessment, including (electrical conductivity (EC), residual sodium carbonates (RSC), and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR)), were also collected at more than 1100 sites within the study area of upper and central Punjab. After collecting the data of physicochemical parameters, the analysis of data was initiated to compute the water quality index for groundwater quality, a four-step protocol in which the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to determine the weights of selected parameters by generating a pairwise matrix, on the relative importance of parameters using the Satty scale. The index was then classified into five classes for quality assessment of drinking water (excellent, good, medium, bad, and very bad) and four classes for irrigation water quality assessment (excellent, good, permissible, and unsuitable). After computing the index values for drinking as well as irrigation purposes, the values were interpolated, and various maps were developed to identify the status of groundwater quality in different zones of the study area. Mitigation strategies for water pollution involve source control, such as monitoring industrial discharge points and managing waste properly. Additionally, treating wastewater through primary, secondary, or tertiary stages significantly improves water quality, reducing contaminants like heavy metals, microbiological agents, and chemical ions, safeguarding water resources. The findings highlight significant regional variations in water quality issues, with heavy metal concerns concentrated notably in Lahore and widespread emerging microbiological contamination across all studied divisions. This suggests a systemic problem linked to untreated industrial effluents and poorly managed sewerage systems. The computed indices for the Lahore, Sargodha, and Rawalpindi divisions indicate water quality ranging from marginal to unfit, underscoring the urgency for remediation. Conversely, other divisions fall within a medium class, potentially suitable for drinking purposes. Notably, microbiological contamination at 27% poses a major challenge for water supply agencies, emphasizing the critical need for pre-disposal primary, secondary, and tertiary treatments. These treatments could potentially rehabilitate 9%, 35%, and 41% of the study area, respectively, pointing toward tangible, scalable solutions critical for safeguarding broader water resources and public health. With the current pace of water quality deterioration, access to drinking water is a major problem for the public. The government should prioritize implementing strict monitoring mechanisms for industrial effluent discharge, emphasizing proper waste management to curb groundwater contamination. Establishing comprehensive pre-disposal treatments, especially primary, secondary, and tertiary stages, is imperative to address the prevalent heavy metal and microbiological issues, potentially rehabilitating up to 41% of affected areas. Additionally, creating proactive policies and allocating resources for sustainable groundwater management are crucial steps for ensuring broader water resource security and public health in the face of deteriorating water quality. Therefore, urgent regional action is needed to address escalating anthropogenic threats to groundwater, emphasizing the crucial need for proactive measures to safeguard public health and ensure sustainable water resources. ? 2023 by the authors. Final 2025-03-03T07:48:51Z 2025-03-03T07:48:51Z 2024 Retracted 10.3390/w16010138 2-s2.0-85181922248 https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85181922248&doi=10.3390%2fw16010138&partnerID=40&md5=15de3a8b47c3c3ddb35da3c1043d7e47 https://irepository.uniten.edu.my/handle/123456789/37222 16 1 138 All Open Access; Gold Open Access Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) Scopus |
| spellingShingle | Lahore Pakistan Punjab [Pakistan] Rawalpindi Sargodha Chemicals removal (water treatment) Chlorine compounds Deterioration Dissolved oxygen Fluorine compounds Geographic information systems Groundwater Groundwater pollution Groundwater resources Heavy metals Hydrochemistry Irrigation Magnesium compounds Population statistics Potable water Quality control Remote sensing Wastewater treatment Water supply Analytical Hierarchy Process Geostatistical Groundwater quality Groundwater quality assessment Microbiological contaminations Physico - chemical parameters Remote-sensing Study areas Water quality indexes Waters resources analytical hierarchy process drinking water geostatistics GIS groundwater resource heavy metal public health remote sensing water quality Water quality Masood M.U. Rashid M. Haider S. Naz I. Pande C.B. Heddam S. Alshehri F. Elkhrachy I. Ahsan A. Sammen S.S. Exploring Groundwater Quality Assessment: A Geostatistical and Integrated Water Quality Indices Perspective |
| title | Exploring Groundwater Quality Assessment: A Geostatistical and Integrated Water Quality Indices Perspective |
| title_full | Exploring Groundwater Quality Assessment: A Geostatistical and Integrated Water Quality Indices Perspective |
| title_fullStr | Exploring Groundwater Quality Assessment: A Geostatistical and Integrated Water Quality Indices Perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring Groundwater Quality Assessment: A Geostatistical and Integrated Water Quality Indices Perspective |
| title_short | Exploring Groundwater Quality Assessment: A Geostatistical and Integrated Water Quality Indices Perspective |
| title_sort | exploring groundwater quality assessment: a geostatistical and integrated water quality indices perspective |
| topic | Lahore Pakistan Punjab [Pakistan] Rawalpindi Sargodha Chemicals removal (water treatment) Chlorine compounds Deterioration Dissolved oxygen Fluorine compounds Geographic information systems Groundwater Groundwater pollution Groundwater resources Heavy metals Hydrochemistry Irrigation Magnesium compounds Population statistics Potable water Quality control Remote sensing Wastewater treatment Water supply Analytical Hierarchy Process Geostatistical Groundwater quality Groundwater quality assessment Microbiological contaminations Physico - chemical parameters Remote-sensing Study areas Water quality indexes Waters resources analytical hierarchy process drinking water geostatistics GIS groundwater resource heavy metal public health remote sensing water quality Water quality |
| url_provider | http://dspace.uniten.edu.my/ |