Rasmita Prusty¹, Duryadhan Behera^*1, Sudhir Kumar Dash², Krishna Manjari Jena¹ and Subhasmita Das¹

¹Department of Earth Sciences, Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla-768019, Odisha, India

²Department of Geology, Government College, Sundargarh-770002, Odisha, India (Corresponding Author, E-mail: dbehera@suniv.ac.in; ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7964-812X)

Abstract

A comprehensive geochemical assessment of groundwater and its suitability for drinking and agricultural applications was conducted in and around the Hemgir block of Sundargarh district, Odisha. A total of 85 groundwater samples were systematically collected during the pre-monsoon season (May 2024) and analyzed for key physico-chemical parameters, including pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, sulphate, and chloride. The analytical results revealed that the predominant ionic concentrations generally follow the order: Ca2+ > Mg2+ > Na+ > K+ among cations, and HCO – > Cl–> NO – > SO 2– among anions. The suitability of groundwater for both drinking and irrigation was evaluated using various water quality standards and established classification systems. Hydrochemical facies identified through Piper’s Trilinear diagram and Stiff’s plot indicated that most groundwater samples belong to the Ca2+–Mg2+–HCO – facies, followed by Ca2+–Mg2+–Cl––HCO – facies. Calcium and magnesium emerged as the dominant cations, while bicarbonate and chloride were the major anions in the study area. The elevated presence of Ca2+, Mg2+, and HCO – suggests that the groundwater chemistry is primarily influenced by alkaline earth elements and weak acids. Gibbs plot confirmed that sediment/rock-water interaction is the major process governing groundwater composition. Overall, the groundwater quality was found to be suitable for both drinking and agricultural purposes, with calcite dissolution being the primary geochemical process, followed by silicate mineral weathering.

Keywords: Groundwater Quality, Geochemical Characterization, Hadrochemical Facies, Rock-Water Interaction, Calcite Dissolution, Silicate Weathering