Results: 212,149

Groundwater, water found below the surface of the land. Such water exists in pores between sedimentary particles and in the fissures of more solid rocks.

Fluoride is the 13th most abundant element in the earth's crust. Ground water with high Fluoride concentrations can affect most population in East Africa, China, Thailand and India. Water Fluoride levels above the World Health Organization's guidelines(1.5 mg/litre) common in overexploited aquifers, represent a health hazard. Objective of the project is to assess the community people in Pombhurna, Dist. Chandrapur, Maharashtra for the health risks with respect to dental fluorosis. Survey was undertaken using questionnaire for the age group of 16-18 and 40-50 yrs. Reviewed data suggested that mostly people using groundwater sources for drinking purpose have dental problems. Groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for Fluoride concentrations. The studies conclude that most water samples contain more Fluorides than normal level. Further studies will focus to provide awareness about the water sources used for drinking, Dental Fluorosis and water safety among the community people.

The sustainable groundwater supply has a prime importance for the development of an area. Unfortunately, the groundwater-related issues are heading towards terrible situation regionally and locally as well. As far as the different parts of Punjab Province of Pakistan are concerned, Cholistan is almost a desert region where the groundwater scarcity is being observed in its different parts since decades. The present research is an attempt to assess the latest groundwater potential and demarcation of different groundwater quality zones exist at subsurface in the study area of Cholistan. For this purpose, hydrogeophysical studies allied with hydrogeological approach were utilized. Hydrogeophysical investigations were carried out in the study area at evenly distributed 50 sites by deploying geo-electrical survey. Lithology represented by the boreholes and geo-electrical survey results altogether deduced that the eolian deposits overlie with intermixed fine and coarse alluvium. These sediments are mainly intermixed layers of sand, clay, silt, gravel and some kankars. Overall three to six subsurface geo-electric layers were identified through the geo-electrical survey and the resistivity values were categorized as high, medium and low across the study area. 2D and 3D maps were developed deciphering different groundwater quality zones in terms of electrical resistivity behaviour with depth. Spatial maps of hydrogeological values in terms of Dar-Zourrak parameters were also developed for further precise demarcation of different qualities of groundwater pockets. Furthermore, hydraulic parameters were estimated and represented in 2D maps to evaluate aquifer potential zones across the study area. Hydrogeophysical and hydrogeological approaches integrally depict that most of the part of study area holds better groundwater conditions with high potential but the salinity prevails in some parts that goes to persist with depth.

Oil wastewater often contains high levels of radium, a carcinogenic and radioactive element. This article closely engages with two investigations of radium in groundwater downstream from oil wastewater storage pits. While one investigation found that radium did not travel beyond the storage pits, the other found evidence of elevated radium some two kilometers downstream. With an agential realist analysis, we resolve these differences, showing that these two experimental apparatuses defined and mobilized two different phenomena of radium, and of radium-as-contaminant. What geologists call 'rock-water interactions' are materially meaningful intra -actions. Far from being a mere philosophical gloss on otherwise conventional science, the 'intra-' signifies that, in these processes, the sediment and the groundwater are bringing each other into being. Groundwater sampling entails a specific set of intra-actions with the subsurface that enact different agential cuts. In addition, a geochemical focus on objects, rather than relations, also constrains understandings of chemical harm and accountability. These concepts do not only affect experimental apparatuses; rather, they come into being through and with each other. Therefore, rigorous approaches to groundwater and remediation do not lie in the pull to reify individual groundwater constituents, or to arbitrate between 'contaminant' and 'contaminated'. Rather, rigorous approaches lie in the role of chemical relations in constituting specific groundwater phenomena. We elaborate three aspects of these relations: the constitution of radium-as-isolated-element through the ontological work of sampling schema, the formation of scale and attendant spacetimematterings within experimental apparatuses, and the work of contamination logics within conceptualizations of chemical harm. This analysis has major implications for understanding the potential harm of oil wastewater to groundwater.

In a country like India, where agriculture is the primary occupation, the demand for the development of sustainable approaches in the sector is very important. Though the practice of pumping underground for use in farming dates back centuries, the past half‐century has seen major technical and technological developments for the maximum utilization of groundwater for irrigational purposes. This review attempts to discuss the need for groundwater management and ways of the same. The overuse of groundwater in agricultural practices leads to the resource's depletion at a rate that is greater than the rate at which it can be naturally replenished. The surveys and available literature clearly state that some of the provinces in India, such as Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan, have higher groundwater utilization rates in comparison with other states. The increasing strain on groundwater due to uncontrolled abstraction degrades its quantity, while the use of chemical fertilizers degrades its quality. The Indian government has taken numerous legislative and precautionary steps in response to this reality, but a lack of education and political and administrative will has meant that these efforts have been mostly ineffective in improving groundwater management. For the global community to move toward more sustainable groundwater usage, the quality and quantity of groundwater in the current scenario call for enhanced resource governance and management. Here, we discuss the account of challenges, opportunities, and several governmental policies regarding the management and protection of the quality as well as quantity of groundwater, especially in the context of India. This research emphasizes the significant challenges and analyzes the diverse strategies for groundwater development and management.

Rapid screening of inorganic arsenic (iAs) in groundwater used for drinking by hundreds of millions of mostly rural residents worldwide is crucial for health protection. Most commercial field test kits are based on the Gutzeit reaction that uses mercury-based reagents for color development, an environmental concern that increasingly limits its utilization. This study further improves the Molybdenum Blue (MB) colorimetric method to allow for faster screening with more stable reagents. More importantly, a portable three-channel colorimeter is developed for screening iAs relative to the WHO drinking water guideline value (10 µg/L). Adding the reducing reagents in sequence not only prolongs the storage time to > 7 days, but also accelerates the color development time to 6 min in conjunction with lowering the H 2 SO 4 concentration in chromogenic reagents. The optimal pH ranges from 1.2 to 1.3 and is achieved by acidifying groundwater to 1% (V/V) HCl. With detection limits of 3.7 µg/L for inorganic arsenate (iAs(V)) and 3.8 µg/L for inorganic arsenite (iAs(III)), testing groundwater with ∼10 µg/L of As has a precision < 20%. The method works well for a range of phosphate concentrations of 48–950 µg/L (0.5–10 µmol/L). Concentrations of total_iAs (6–300 µg/L), iAs(V) (6–230 µg/L) and iAs(III) (0–170 µg/L) for 14 groundwater samples from Yinchuan Plain, Pearl River Delta, and Jianghan Plain, are in excellent agreements (linear regression slope: 0.969–1.029) with the benchmark methods. The improved chemistry here lays the foundation for the MB colorimetric method to become a commercially viable screening tool, with further engineering and design improvement of the colorimeter.

Nalanda district, Bihar, India, a sub-tropical region, and part of middle Ganga River basin. Assessing the impacts of climate change on aquifers' seasonal replenishment is thus crucial for planning for future local food and water security. This study looks at how future groundwater levels will be affected by climate change in relation to important functioning thresholds that are typical for aquifers that replenish periodically. The result shows the projected groundwater levels from 2018 to 2060 using the CMIP6 global climate model, using rainfall data from three GCMs selected based on their different projected scenarios of levels of high intensity rainfall. Given the key role of low intensity rainfall in groundwater recharge, we find that incorporating rainfall intensity in groundwater models can be crucial for more robust projections. Our findings also show that higher total rainfall does not necessarily equate to higher groundwater recharge or lesser groundwater declines. Instead, the least groundwater declines were found in projections, where relatively higher total rainfall was also associated with lower high intensity rainfall periods, highlighting the need for combining and comparing varied SSPs and climate models for accurate future trends. At the sub-regional level, we find that climate change could lead to maximum groundwater loss of ∼ 0.8 km3 in 42 years in Nalanda district. Current trend analysis (2000–2018) already shows a negative annual groundwater balance. Even assuming no changes to current groundwater extraction rates, climate change will result in decreased groundwater levels and storage. The projection trends also reveal distinct short-term, medium-term, and long-term shifts which offer different policy windows for managing and governing the groundwater resources.

In Middle Eastern countries, water security is a major concern due to arid and warm climates. In Iran, water supply challenges have led to the adoption of National Policy Statements targetting sustainable water resources management. While these policies span the energy, food, and land, i energy, food, and land sectors;, their interdependencies have not been comprehensively assessed. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Iran's sectoral policies through the Groundwater-Energy-Food-Land Nexus framework. A conceptual model is developed to compare outcomes under Nexus-based and sectoral priority approaches. Four scenarios were assessed, including programmable groundwater volume limitation, unauthorized groundwater and electric energy consumption prevention, cultivation patterns, and routine groundwater abstraction. Scenario 3 achieves 100 % of the food target but requires 51 % more groundwater and 11 % more energy than sustainable limits. Scenario 2 meets 52 % of the food target while adhering to groundwater limits but exceeds energy consumption by 22 %. Scenario 1 supplies 92 % of the food target but surpasses groundwater and energy limits by 12 % and 7 %, respectively. Scenario 4, the most sustainable option, produces 60 % of the food target while maintaining groundwater and energy sustainability. These findings underscore the necessity of integrated, cross-sectoral policy frameworks to balance resource sustainability with development objectives in arid regions.

Groundwater recharge is a fundamental pillar of water security in arid and semi-arid regions, particularly in the Sahel, where climate change is driving profound hydrological shifts. This review critically synthesizes current knowledge on the interplay between climate variability and groundwater recharge dynamics, addressing the following research question: How do different climate and human-induced factors impact groundwater recharge in the Sahel, and what strategies can enhance resilience? The review emphasizes the impacts of shifting precipitation regimes, rising temperatures, and increasing evapotranspiration rates. Observed trends indicate a contraction of rainy seasons, greater rainfall intermittency, and rising temperatures, key drivers that exacerbate groundwater stress. Comparatively, land use changes and water governance structures also influence recharge patterns, but to a lesser extent. These climate and anthropogenic shifts have made recharge processes more episodic and spatially heterogeneous, complicating sustainable groundwater management. Projections suggest these trends will continue, further straining groundwater resources. The review examines the role of localized factors, such as land use changes, soil characteristics, and governance frameworks, in modulating recharge variability. Through regional case studies, it highlights challenges in data-scarce environments and the need for more refined climate-hydrology models. To address these emerging threats, the review explores adaptive strategies, including Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR), rainwater harvesting, and advanced hydro-technological innovations. The critical role of governance and policy frameworks is also discussed, with an emphasis on transboundary cooperation, integrated water management, and locally informed decision-making. Despite these advancements, significant research gaps remain, particularly in long-term groundwater monitoring, predictive climate modeling, and interdisciplinary approaches. By bridging these gaps, this review provides a scientific foundation for adaptive groundwater management in the Sahel, offering insights essential for ensuring long-term water security and resilience in one of the world's most vulnerable regions.