Evaluation of the Shallow Groundwater Unconfined Aquifer of Some Groundwater Wells of Misurata Region for Drinking and Irrigation

Abstract

Groundwater samples were collected from 31 wells (Eocene aquifer), which were distributed within Misurata precinct in 2014 to assess the hydrogeology chemistry of the groundwater in shallow aquifers and its suitability for domestic and agricultural purposes. The groundwater is generally alkaline in nature. The electrical conductivity (EC) which is an index to represent the total concentration of soluble salts in water was used to measure the salinity hazard to crops as it reflects the TDS in groundwater ranging from 1056 to 8320 µmhos/cm. In general, Na⁺ is the dominant cation, and Cl^- is the dominant anion. Cl-Na.Ca and Ca.Mg-Cl were the dominant hydrogeochemical faces. The result suggests that the dominant source of the major ions is controlled by sea intrusion. The concentrations of all the major ions were determined in the present study over the permissible limits of LNC, WHO, and U.S.P. standards. The results of Total Hardness, SAR, Na%, Pi, USDA classification, Magnesium absorption ratio, and Wilcox classification suggested that the groundwater was unsuitable for drinking and irrigation purposes.