Abstract
The study area is located in the southwestern part of Bangladesh. Twenty-six groundwater samples were collected from both shallow and deep tube wells ranging in depth from 20 to 60 m. Multivariate statistical analyses including factor analysis, cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling were applied to the hydrogeochemical data. The results show that a few factors adequately represent the traits that define water chemistry. The first factor of Fe and HCO3 is strongly influenced by bacterial Fe (III) reduction which would raise both Fe and HCO3 concentrations in water. Na, Cl, Ca, Mg and PO4 are grouped under the second factor representing the salinity sources of waters. The third factor, represented by As, Mn, SO4 and K is related to As mobilization processes. Cluster analysis has been applied for the interpretation of the groundwater quality data. Initially Piper methods have been employed to obtain a first idea on the water types in the study area. Hierarchical cluster analysis was carried out for further classification of water types in the study area. Twelve components, namely, pH, Fe, Mn, As, Ca, Mg, Na, K, HCO3, Cl, SO4 and NO3 have been used for this purpose. With hierarchical clustering analysis the water samples have been classified into 3 clusters. They are very high, high and moderately As-enriched groundwater as well as groundwater with elevated SO4.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Ahmed, K.M., Bhattacharya, P., Hasan, M.A., Akhter, S.H., Alam, S.M.M., Bhuyian, M.A.H., Imam, M.B., Khan, A.A. and Sracek, O. (2004) Arsenic enrichment in groundwater of the alluvial aquifers in Bangladesh: an overview. Appld. Geochemistry, v.19, pp.181–200.
Anawar, H.M., Akai, J., Komaki, K., Terao, H., Yoshioka, T., Ishizuka, T., Safiullah, S. and Kato, K. (2003) Geochemical occurrence of arsenic in groundwater of Bangladesh: sources and mobilization processes. Jour. Geochem Explor., v.77, pp.109–131.
Anawar, H.M., Komaki, K., Akai, J., Takada, J., Ishizuka, T., Takahashi, T., Yoshioka, T. and Kato, K. (2002) Diagenetic control on arsenic partitioning in sediments of the Meghna River delta Bangladesh. Environ. Geol., v.41, pp.816–825.
BGS and DPHE (2001) Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater in Bangladesh, Final Report, BGS Technical Report 2: WC/00/19.
Bhattacharya, P., Chatterjee, D. and Jacks, G. (1997) Occurrence of arsenic contaminated groundwater in alluvial aquifers from Delta Plains, eastern India: options for safe drinking water supply. Internat. Jour. Water Resour. Div., v.13, pp.79–92.
Bhattacharya, P., Welch, A.H., Ahmed, K.M., Jacks, G. and Naidu, R. (2004) Arsenic in groundwater of sedimentary aquifers. Appld. Geochem., v.19, pp.163–167.
Chatterjee, A.D., Das, D., Mandal, B.K., Chowdhury, T.R., Samanta, G. and Chakraborty, D., (1995) Arsenic in groundwater in 6 districts of West Bengal, India-the biggest arsenic calamity in the world. Part-I. Arsenic species in drinking water and urine of the affected people. Analyst, v.120, pp.643–650.
Dowling, C.B., Poreda, R.J., Basu, A.R. and Peters, S.L. (2002) Geochemical study of arsenic release mechanisms in the Bengal Basin groundwater. Water Resour. Res., v.38, pp.1–18.
Glynn, P.D. and Plummer, L.N. (2005) Geochemistry and the understanding of groundwater systems. Hydrogeology Jour., v.13, pp.263–287.
Harvey, C.F., Swartz, C.H., Badruzzaman, A.B.M., Keon-blute, N., Yu, W., Ali, M.A., Jay, J., Beckie, R., Niedan, V., Brabander, D., Oates, P.M., Ashfaque, K.N., Islam, S., Hemond, H.F. and Ahmed, M.F. (2002) Arsenic mobility and groundwater extraction in Bangladesh. Science, v.22, pp.1602–1606.
Hasan, M.A., Ahmed, K.M., Sracek, O., Bhattacharya, P., von Bromssen, M., Broms, S., Fogelstrom, J., Mazumder, M.L. and Jacks, G. (2007) Arsenic in shallow groundwater of Bangladesh: investigations from three different physiographic settings. Hydrogeology Jour., v.15, pp.1507–1522.
Karim, S., M., Ahmed, S. S., Ahmed M. and Islam, S. (2001) Arsenic contamination of Ground water of Satma Village, Sharsha Thana, Jessore, Rajshahi University Studies, v.29, pp.177–189..
Lee, J.U., Lee, S.W., Kim, K.W. and Yoon, C.H. (2005) The effects of different carbon sources on microbial mediation of arsenic in arsenic-contaminated sediment. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, v.27, pp.159–168.
Lee, K.-Y., Kim, K.-W. and Kim, S.-O. (2010) Geochemical and microbial effects on the mobilization of arsenic in mine tailing soils. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, v.32, pp.31–44.
Liu, C.W., Lin, K.H. and Kuo, Y.M. (2003) Application of factor analysis in the assessment of groundwater quality in a blackfoot disease area in Taiwan. Science of the Total Environment, v.313, pp.77–89.
Lovley, D.R. (1993) Dissimilatory metal reduction. Annual Review Microbiology, v.47, pp.263–290.
Matalas, C.N. and Reiher, J.B. (1967) Some comments on the use of factor analysis. Water Resour. Res., v.3, pp.213–223.
Mcarthur, J.M., Ravenscroft, P., Safiullah, S. and Thirlwall, M.F. (2001) Arsenic in groundwater: testing pollution mechanisms for sedimentary aquifers in Bangladesh. Water Resour. Res., v.37, pp.109–117.
Nealson, K.H. and Saffarini, D. (1994) Iron and manganese in anaerobic respiration: environmental significance, physiology, and regulation. Annual Review Microbiology, v.48, pp.311–343.
Nickson, R.T., Mcarthur, J.M., Burgess, W.G., Ahmed, K.M., Ravenscroft, P. and Rahman, M., (1998) Arsenic poisoning of Bangladesh groundwater. Nature, v.395, p.338.
Ohno, K., Furukawa, A., Hayashi, K., Kamei, T. and Magara, Y. (2005) Arsenic contamination of groundwater in Nawabganj, Bangladesh, focusing on the relationship with other metals and ions. Water Science and Technology, v.52, pp.87–94.
Polizzotto, M.L., Kocar, B.D., Benner, S.G., Sampson, M. and Fendorf, S. (2008) Near surface wetland sediments as a source of arsenic release to ground water in Asia. Nature, v.454, pp.505–508.
Reimann, K.U. (1993) Geology of Bangladesh. Gerbruder Bornt Ramerg, Berlin, Stuttgart, Germany, 159p.
Reza, A.H.M.S., Jean, J.-S., Yang, H.-J., Lee, M.-K., Woodall, B., Liu, C.-C., Lee, J.-F. and Luo, S.-D. (2010) Occurrence of Arsenic in core sediments and groundwater in the Chapai-Nawabganj District, Northwestern Bangladesh. Water Res., v.44, pp.2021–2037.
Saunders, J.A., Lee, M.-K., Uddin, A., Mohammad, S., Wilkin, R.T., Fayek, M. and Korte, N.E. (2005) Natural arsenic contamination of Holocene alluvial aquifers by linked tectonic, weathering, and microbial processes. Geochem. Geophys. Geosys., 6 doi:10.1029/2004GC000803.
Shamsudduha, M., Uddin, A., Saunders, J.A. and Lee, M.-K. (2008) Quaternary stratigraphy, sediment characteristics and geochemistry of arsenic contaminated alluvial aquifers in the Ganges-Brahmaputra floodplain in central Bangladesh. Jour. Contaminant Hydrology, v.99, pp.112–136.
SPSS Inc. (1998) SPSS BASE 8.0 — Application Guide. SPSS Inc., Chicago, USA.
Sracek, A., Bhattacharya, P., Jacks, G., Chaterjee, D., Larsson, M. and Liess, A. (2000) Groundwater arsenic in the Bengal Delta Plains: a sedimentary geochemical overview. In: A.L. Ramanathan, V. Subramanian and R. Ramesh (Eds.), Proc. Internat. Sem. Appld. Hydrogeochem. Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India, pp.47–56.
Stuben, D., Berner, Z., Candrasekharam, D. and Karmakar, J. (2003) Arsenic enrichment in groundwater of West Bengal, India: geochemical evidence for mobilization of As under reducing conditions. Applied Geochemistry, v.18, pp.1417–1434.
Villalobos, M., Trotz, M.A. and Leckie, J.O. (2001) Surface complexation modeling of carbonate effects on the adsorption of Cr(VI), Pb-(II), and U(VI) on goethite. Environmental Science and Technology, v.35, pp.3849–3856.
Wang, S.-W., Liu, C.-W. and Jang, C.-S. (2007) Factors responsible for high arsenic concentrations in two groundwater catchments in Taiwan. Applied Geochemistry, v.22, pp.460–476.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hossain, M.G., Selim Reza, A.H.M., Lutfun-Nessa, M. et al. Factor and cluster analysis of water quality data of the groundwater wells of Kushtia, Bangladesh: Implication for arsenic enrichment and mobilization. J Geol Soc India 81, 377–384 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-013-0048-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-013-0048-0