Hydrogeochemical characteristics of arsenic rich groundwater in Greater Giyani Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa

This study evaluated the hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater in the Greater Giyani Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa. A total of ten (10) groundwater samples were collected from the existing boreholes and analysed for their hydrogeochemical properties using standard laboratory techniques. The data were interpreted using Piper diagram, Gibbs diagram and the scatter plots. The results showed that pH of the samples ranges from neutral to weakly alkaline. The abundance of major anions and cations are in the following order: HCO3- > Cl- > SO42- > NO3- and Na+ > Mg2+ > Ca2+ > K+, respectively. The Piper diagram revealed that the hydrogeochemical facies identified in the study area are Ca-HCO3 and mixed Ca-Na-HCO3 type indicating the predominance of water-rock interaction. The water-rock interaction was further confirmed by the Gibbs diagram. The ionic ratio showed that the major ions originate from weathering of carbonate and silicate minerals. The concentration of arsenic was found to be ranging between 0.1 and 172.53 mu g/L with the average of 32.21 mu g/L. A total 6 out of 10 samples had arsenic concentration above the WHO recommended limit of 10 mu g/L. The study calls for action from public health officials towards evaluating the correlation between arsenic concentration and arsenic related diseases and further development of arsenic remediation techniques.