Nitrate contamination in groundwater of Sopore town and its environs, Kashmir, India | Arabian Journal of Geosciences
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Nitrate contamination in groundwater of Sopore town and its environs, Kashmir, India

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Abstract

An attempt has been made in this research work to evaluate the concentration of nitrate in groundwater and its management in Apple town and its environs. Groundwater pollution has been reported in many aquifers because of high concentration of nitrate in ground water, which is the result of excessive use of fertilizers to cropland. Systematic sampling was done, with a view to understand the source of nitrate concentration in the study area. Fifteen sample sites were selected and the samples were taken for a baseline study to understand the geochemistry of the study area and to assess its physicochemical characteristics. The water quality parameters were investigated for summer (May, 2007) and winter (December, 2007) seasons and were compared with the standard values given by ICMR / WHO. The hydrochemical data of 15 samples indicates that the concentration of almost all parameters fall within the permissible limits except nitrate. Linear Trend Analysis on seasonal and annual basis clearly depicted that nitrate pollution in the study area is increasing significantly. About 85% of samples during summer season and 67% of the samples during winter season were showing a high concentration of nitrate, exceeding permissible limit of WHO (50 mg/l), which is due to the use of nitrogenous fertilizers in the study area. Appropriate methods for improving the water quality and its management in the affected areas have been suggested.

تلوث المياه الجوفية بالنترات في مدينة سوبور ومحيطها بمقاطعة بارامولا كشمير – الهند

يهدف هذا البحث إلى تقييم تركيز النترات في المياه الأرضية وإدارتها في مدينة سوبور ومحيطها. قد لوحظ تلوث المياه الجوفية في كثير من الخزانات الجوفية نتيجة للتركيز العالي للنترات في المياه الأرضية وذلك للاستخدام الجائر للأسمدة في زراعة المحاصيل الزراعية.

في هذا الخصوص تم تصميم منهجية أخذ العينات بغرض تحديد مصدر النترات بمنطقة الدراسة. و تم أخذ 15 عينة لدراسة وللتعرف على الكيمياء الأرضية بمنطقة الدراسة وتحليل الخواص الكيميائية الطبيعية. تم فحص عناصر جودة المياه لصيف 2007 (شهر مايو) وشتاء 2007 (شهر ديسمبر) وتم مقارنتهم بالمعايير الخاصة ب ICMR/WHO ودلت البيانات الهيدروكيميائية للـ 15 عينة أن جميع المعاملات تقع في الحدود المسموح بها ماعدا النترات. ودلت نتائج التحليل الخطى على المستوى الفصلي والسنوي أن تلوث النترات يزداد بدرجة ملحوظة. كما دلت 85% من عينات الصيف و 65% من عينات الشتاء على تركيزات عالية للنترات تفوق الحدود المسموح بها من ICMR/WHO (50 مليجرام/لتر)، وقد يُعزى ذلك إلى استخدام المسمدات النيتروجينية. وقد تم اقتراح طرق مناسبة لتحسين نوعية المياه وإدارتها بمنطقة الدراسة.

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Correspondence to Imran A. Dar.

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Dar, I.A., Dar, M.A. & Sankar, K. Nitrate contamination in groundwater of Sopore town and its environs, Kashmir, India. Arab J Geosci 3, 267–272 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-009-0067-8

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