Hydrogeochemical evaluation of high-fluoride groundwaters: a case study from Mehsana District, Gujarat, India

Groundwater quality problems have emerged in many geographical areas due to natural environmental processes and human intervention in the geosystems. Hydrogeochemical appraisal of fluoride contaminated groundwater in Mehsana District, Gujarat State, India is carried out by means of groundwater quality investigations together with X-ray diffraction analysis of soil samples in the delineated high fluoride areas. Results show that fluoride has negative relationships with calcium, whereas relationships with sodium, alkalinity and sulphate are positive. Results obtained from aqueous speciation modelling using PHREEQC reveal that the groundwater is undersaturated with fluorite and oversaturated with calcite. The factor analysis indicates that sodium plus potassium bicarbonate groundwater have high factor loading for fluoride, whereas that for calcium chloride and magnesium chloride groundwater is low. The plausible geochemical reactions in the study area are precipitation of calcite and dissolution of dolomite, carbon dioxide and sulphate minerals with ion exchange.