Investigation of Some Geochemical Characteristics and the Effect of Long-term Pumping on Groundwater Constituent Levels of Aquifers Underlie Communities of Eastern Area of the Blue Nile River of Sudan

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Abdellah, Abdel-Monem M. | Abdel-Magid, Hago M. | Yahia, Nadia A.

Affiliations: Dept. of Soil and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, Sudan | Dept. of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Khartoum, Sudan

Note: [] Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: Previous data of 209 construction routine chemical analyses (CRCA) of boreholes were used to investigate the distribution of aquifer's static water levels (SWLs), productivity (P) and groundwater type (GWT), beside the effect of long-term pumping on groundwater constituent levels. A total of 32 of these boreholes were reanalyzed by the current study (CS) to investigate the effect of long-term pumping on groundwater constituents' levels. Result indicated that the low SWLs (0.0-25 m) were found in the southern part of the study area nearby the Blue Nile River (BNR). High SWLs (50-87 m) were found in central of the northern part of the study area while moderate SWLs (25-50 m) were found to dominate the rest of the study area. High P (50-115 m^3/h) was found in a small area at the southern part close to the BNR while low P (<25 m^3/h) was dominant in the northern part of the study area. Groundwater type has been dramatically shifted to HCO_3^- water-type while the other groundwater constituents levels were found to be fluctuated up-and-down, during pumping time, in a harmony type pattern governed by the so-called "natural physicochemical equilibrium in groundwater".

Keywords: Groundwater, aquifer, productivity, Blue Nile, Sudan

Journal: Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 33-41, 2012