INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOMATICS AND GEOSCIENCES
Volume 2, No 3, 2012
© Copyright 2010 All rights reserved Integrated Publishing services
Research article ISSN 0976 – 4380
Submitted on December 2011 published on February 2012 853
Geochemistry of the River Damodar - the influence of the geology and
weathering Environment on the dissolved load Srimanta Gupta, Uday Sankar Banerjee
Department of Environmental Science, The University of Burdwan,
Golapbag 713104, West Bengal, India
ABSTRACT
Study of geochemical assessment of river water quality and its possible contamination was
carried out with the objective of identifying the occurrence of various geochemical processes
and suitability of these water resources for irrigation, potability and other ancillary uses by
local inhabitants. Analytical findings were plotted in geochemical facies diagrams to find out
the variability in Damodar river water quality. The study revealed that calcium and
bicarbonates are the dominant ions in all the samples analyzed. The Piper trilinear diagrams
reveal that Ca-HCO3 is the dominant hydro-chemical facies in the Damodar river water in the
study area. The Wilcox diagram, which shows the plot of percent sodium with the total ionic
abundance, indicates that river water in the study area chiefly falls within excellent-to-good
quality class. The source of the ions in the water was examined and classified accordingly
using Gibb’s diagram and the diagram shows that rock weathering plays the key role in
controlling the hydro-geochemistry of the Damodar river. Water quality parameters was
compared with the prevalent environmental standards indicates that, with few exceptions, the
Damodar river water in the study area is fit for drinking and irrigation use and is free from
alkali and salinity hazards.
Key words: Damodar river, major ion chemistry, weathering, geochemical characteristics,
hydrochemical facies
1. Introduction
Natural waters, having a contact with different chemical variations of rocks, inevitably gain a
specific composition. Anthropogenic activities can alter the relative contributions of the
natural causes of variations and also introduce the effects of pollution. The interaction of all
factors leads to various river water types. Geochemical study of river water gives significant
information on chemical weathering of rock as well as soil, chemical and isotopic
compositions of drainage and even of the upper continental crust (UCC), and on the elements
cycled in the continent–river–ocean system (Reeder et al., 1972; Hu et al., 1982; Stallard and
Edmond, 1983; Goldstein and Jacobsen, 1987; Elderfield et al., 1990; Zhang et al., 1995).
The hydro-chemical characteristics of river water determine its usefulness for agricultural,
municipal, industrial and domestic water supplies. The suitability of water for each of its
various uses depends on the type and concentration of the dissolved minerals.
Increasing industrial activity has continuously introduced pollutants into the riverine
environment and many researchers have attempted to assess chemical behavior of metals and
potentially toxic inorganic pollutants (Li and Thornton 2001; Silveira et al., 2006; Farkas et
al., 2007; Verma and Khan 2007; Morillo et al., 2008; Widmeyer and Bendell-Young 2008).
Industrial wastewater contain appreciable amounts of metals, and their long term, continuous
discharge into the water body results elevated metal concentrations in water and sediments.
Geochemistry of the River Damodar - the influence of the geology and weathering Environment on the
dissolved load
Srimanta Gupta, Uday Sankar Banerjee
International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences
Volume 2 Issue 3, 2012 854
Even though the metals are present in the dilute, undetectable quantities, their recalcitrance
and consequent persistence in water bodies imply that through natural processes,
concentrations may become elevated to such an extent that they begin to exhibit toxic
characteristics. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to identify the major
hydrogeochemical processes that are responsible for river water chemistry in the study region.
2. Materials and Methods
The water samples were collected in 1lit high-density polyethylene bottles prewashed with
nitric acid and rinsed three to four times with the river water sample before filling them to the
required capacity. Damodar river basin map and the location map (study area) of the
Damodar River are presented in figure 1 and 2 respectively. EC and pH of water samples
were measured in the field immediately after the collection of the samples using pH and
conductivity meters. Physicochemical parameters like pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total
dissolved solids (TDS), calcium (Ca2+
), magnesium (Mg2+
), sodium (Na), potassium (K), lead
(Pb), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), chloride (Cl−), nitrate (NO3
−), bicarbonate (HCO3
−), sulphate
(SO42−
) as per Standard methods, APHA (1998). The samples thus preserved, brought to the
laboratory for heavy metal analysis. For trace metals, 500 ml river water samples were
acidified with HNO3 and preserved separately. In the laboratory water samples were filtered
through 0.45 millipore filter to separate the suspended sediments. All the results are
compared with standard limits recommended by World Health Organization (WHO, 2006)
for drinking and IS standards (1986) for irrigation.
Damodar River
Bokaro River
Konar River
Tilaiya Dam
Barakar River
Jamunia River
Panchet Dam
Tenughat Dam
Maithon DamDhanbad
Ramgarh Damodar River
86 87
10 0 10Scale
Damodar River Basin
Burdwan
Howrah
Km
23
85
24
Figure 1: The Damodar river basin map
Geochemistry of the River Damodar - the influence of the geology and weathering Environment on the
dissolved load
Srimanta Gupta, Uday Sankar Banerjee
International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences
Volume 2 Issue 3, 2012 855
Durgapur
Asansol
Raniganj
Panagarh
Damodar Bridge
Dishergarh
Palla Road
Damodar River
Purulia
Bankura Burdwan
km 10 0 10 20 km
PANCHETDAM
MAITHON DAM
DURGAPUR
BARRAGE
RANDIHA
JharkhandREFERENCES
River (Study area) Railway
87 E 24N
88 E
Figure 2: Location map of the Damodar River showing study area
3. Results and Discussion
The results of the geochemical analysis of river water samples collected from different areas
are given in (Table 1).
3.1 Major ion chemistry
In Table 1, the major ion chemistry of river water from river Damodar is summarized
showing range, mean, and standard deviation. Calcium (Ca2+
), Mg2+
, Na+ and K
+
concentrations (on the basis of meq l–1
) represent on an average to 43.11, 33.44, 18.72 and
4.72% of the total cations (TZ+), respectively, and the order of abundance is Ca
2+>Mg
2+>
Na+>K
+. The order of anion abundance is HCO3
–> SO4
2−>Cl
–> NO3
– contributing on an
average (meq l_1
), respectively, 60.04, 24.61, 14.88 and 0.45% to the total anions (TZ–). In
situ measured pH of the analysed samples varied from 7.5 to 8.7 and the average pH was
found to be 7.87, indicating mildly neutral to alkaline nature of the river water. The electrical
conductivity indicates the amount of material dissolved in water and the values determined in
the laboratory ranges from 200 to 560 µS/cm and 190 to 640 µS/cm during premonsoon and
postmonsoon respectively. The TDS in the river water ranges from 130.83 to 359 mg l–1
, with
a mean value of 185.37 mg l–1
in premonsoon and 117.33 to 422 mg l–1
, with a mean value of
160.39 mg l–1
in postmonsoon season. The large variation in TDS values may be attributed to
the variation in geological formations, hydrological processes and prevailing mining
conditions in the region.
The concentration of other measured parameters in Damodar river water ranges between 1.52
mg l–1
to 40.62 mg l–1
(Na+), 1.32 mg l
–1 to 8.9 mg l
–1 (K
+), 52 to 188 (HCO3
–), 19.65 mg l
–1
to 83.45 mg l–1
(SO42−
), 8.32 mg l–1
to 28.21 mg l–1
(Cl–), 0.423 mg l
–1 to 1.68 mg l
–1 (NO3
−).
Geochemistry of the River Damodar - the influence of the geology and weathering Environment on the
dissolved load
Srimanta Gupta, Uday Sankar Banerjee
International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences
Volume 2 Issue 3, 2012 856
The study reveals that among the alkalis, Na+ is dominant and the concentration of potassium
(K+) is apparently low. According to Howari and Banat (2002) the natural source of
potassium (K+) in water usually originates from the chemical weathering and subsequent
dissolution of minerals of igneous rocks such as feldspars (orthoclase and microcline), mica
and sedimentary rocks as well as silicate and clay minerals. Nitrate leaching from
agricultural soils thus can increase river water NO3− concentrations in the downstream area.
Regular application of N fertilizers in irrigated cropped land is likely to create a source of
NO3−. Downstream migration of this NO3
− may be facilitated by flood irrigation, and large
rain events, leading to NO3−
contamination of river water. The high concentration of HCO3–
indicates that intense chemical weathering takes place in the river channel. Elevated level of
SO42−
in the upstream of the study area indicates input from the oxidative weathering of
pyrites associated with the mining activities in Raniganj coal field region.
3.2 Trace element in river water
The industrial effluents and wastes dumped into nearby water bodies can alter water and
sediment characteristics and elevate the heavy metal concentration according to the nature of
effluent being discharged. Contamination of water with heavy metal appear when an element
or a substance is present in greater than natural (background) concentrations as a results of
some anthropogenic activity and has an ultimate detrimental effect on the environment and its
components. The variation in the concentration of trace metals (Cd, Fe and Pb) in both pre-
monsoon and postmonsoon in the river water of the study area was evaluated. Lead ranges
from 0.00 to 23.674 µg l–1
with a mean of 4.988±6.27 µg l–1
during premonsoon and post-
monsoon demonstrates 0.00 to 825.35 µg l–1
with a mean of 95.91±261.35 µg l–1
. Lead
concentration in natural water is mainly attributed to anthropogenic activities as it is
extensively used in some pesticides such as lead arsenate. Water for irrigation should satisfy
the needs of soil and the crop as the liquid phase in soil water plant growth and crop
production. Iron concentration ranges from 106.67 to 1608.6 µg l–1
with a mean of
488.17±386.73 µg l–1
during premonsoon and post-monsoon demonstrates 235.3 to 1177.3 µg
l–1
with a mean of 516.74±280.64 µg l–1
. Cadmium ranges from 0.00 to 0.495 µg l–1
with a
mean of 0.178±0.181 µg l–1
during premonsoon and post-monsoon demonstrates 0.00 to
1.954 µg l–1
with a mean of 0.281±0.618 µg l–1
. Both in pre and post-monsoon, the
concentration of highly toxic metals, such as Cd and Pb was also found to be well within the
specified limit of WHO (2006). According to Banerjee and Gupta (2010), the water quality
assessment of river Damodar and its tributary the river Barakar showed a negative impact of
the discharged municipal effluent on the river water.
3.3 Hydrogeochemical facies and water types
The changes in hydrogeochemical phases of river water in the study area can be interpreted
by various standard methods. The Hydrochemical evolution of river water can be understood
by plotting the major cations and anions in the Piper trilinear diagram. The geochemical
evolution can be described from the Piper plot, which has been divided into six sub categories
viz. I (Ca-HCO3 type); II (Na-Cl type); III (Mixed Ca-Na-HCO3 type); IV (Mixed Ca-Mg-Cl
type); V (Ca-Cl type) and VI (Na-HCO3 type). Major ion compositions plotted on a Piper
(1994) trilinear diagram shows that maximum samples are clustered at group-1 (CaHCO3
type) of the central diamond except three samples which are remain in group-3 (Mixed
CaNaHCO3), 4 (mixed CaMgCl type) and 5 (CaCl type) (Figure 1). From the plot, it is
observed that in Damodar river water samples alkaline earth exceeds the alkali and Ca2+
plays
a dominant role controlling the cation chemistry.
Geochemistry of the River Damodar - the influence of the geology and weathering Environment on the
dissolved load
Srimanta Gupta, Uday Sankar Banerjee
International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences
Volume 2 Issue 3, 2012 857
Table 1: The statistical summary of hydro-geochemical parameters of river water
Premonsoon Postmonsoon
Mean±SD Range Mean±SD Range
pH 7.89±0.351 7.5-8.7 7.85±0.224 7.5-8.2
EC µS/cm 282.35±85.91 200-560 245.88±103.56 190-640
TDS mg l–1
185.37±54.31 130.83-359 160.394±69.27 117.33-422
Ca2+
mg l–1
17.253±7.139 10.728-40.16 17.952±4.132 11.56-26.708
Mg2+
mg l–1
8.210±6.452 2.779-28.513 8.356±2.911 3.733-13.113
Na+
mg l–1
6.741±4.894 1.52-17.55 10.798±8.865 4.5-40.62
K+
mg l–1
3.235±1.471 1.32-7.22 4.291±2.128 1.35-8.9
HCO3– mg l
–1 103.29±28.04 72-188 99.294±37.235 52-188
SO42−
mg l–1
37.972±14.54 24.35-83.45 27.401±7.064 19.65-46.35
Cl– mg l
–1 14.496±4.530 8.32-25.24 14.681±4.968 9.52-28.21
NO3– mg l
–1 0.809±0.346 0.423-1.498 0.761±0.315 0.438-1.68
Pb mg l–1
4.988±6.275 0-23.674 95.91±261.350 0-825.35
Cd mg l–1
0.178±0.181 0-0.4956 0.281±0.618 0-1.954
Fe mg l–1
488.2±386.73 106.67-1608.6 516.75±280.64 235.3-1177.3
Na% 20.687±9.807 10.221-46.398 26.098±12.073 11.44-53.03
RSC 0.157±1.014 -2.223-1.713 0.044±0.761 -1.155-1.729
SAR 0.358±0.300 0.069-1.019 0.571±0.470 0.232-2.159
PI 99.99±32.594 40.701-143.07 86.769±21.593 51.14-120.22
MH 40.51±10.20 20.788-67.624 42.60±3.72 34.72-49.94
Figure 1: Piper (1994) trilinear diagram showing hydrochemical facies
Geochemistry of the River Damodar - the influence of the geology and weathering Environment on the
dissolved load
Srimanta Gupta, Uday Sankar Banerjee
International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences
Volume 2 Issue 3, 2012 858
Gibbs’ ratio
The functional sources of dissolved ions in Damodar river water is assessed by plotting the
samples according to the Gibb’s plot. Gibbs (1970) has suggested a diagram in which water
samples plotted against total dissolved solids are widely employed to assess the functional
sources of dissolved chemical constituents, such as precipitation, rock, and evaporation
dominance. The variation of Gibb’s ratio with premonsoon and post-monsoon was plotted in
Figure 2. Based on Gibbs’ ratio, water samples from pre and post-monsoon seasons fall in the
rock dominance area. The diagram suggests that chemical weathering of the rock forming
minerals is the main processes which contribute the ions to the river water.
Figure 2: Mechanisms controlling the chemistry of river water (After Gibbs 1970)
3.4 Water quality assessment
Data obtained by geochemical analyses of Damodar river water were evaluated in the terms
of its suitability for drinking, livestock and irrigation uses.
3.4.1 Suitability for drinking and livestock uses
To assess the suitability for drinking and public health purposes, the hydro-chemical
parameters of the river water of the study area were compared with the prescribed limit of
Geochemistry of the River Damodar - the influence of the geology and weathering Environment on the
dissolved load
Srimanta Gupta, Uday Sankar Banerjee
International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences
Volume 2 Issue 3, 2012 859
WHO (2006). Concentrations of nitrate are within the prescribed limit of 50 mg l–1
in the
analyzed river water samples. Highest value of nitrate in the study area is attributed to
decaying organic matter and sewage water in the urban area. The downstream increase in
concentration indicates the anthropogenic contribution. Some heavy metals are extremely
essential to humans, for example, cobalt, copper, etc., but some metals may cause
physiological disorders. The cadmium, chromium and lead are highly toxic to humans even
in low concentrations. The contamination of river water by heavy metals has received great
significance due to their toxicity and accumulative behaviour. At the site Shyampur, near
Durgapur industrial area, the values of lead exceed the WHO norms (0.01 mg l–1
) for
drinking water (WHO 2006). The high cadmium content (1.954 µg l–1
) was recorded at
Shyampur due an industrially polluted water stream joins into the river and influences this
zone as a result of which the water is not suitable for drinking purpose. The study in general
reveals that the Cd concentration in the entire study area was found to be well below the
WHO norms (0.003 mg l–1
) for drinking water (WHO 2006). Consumption of water with high
nitrate concentration decreases the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood, causing
methemoglobinemia. High metal concentrations in drinking water could pose potential
hazard to human health. The classification of Damodar river water quality is essential for an
assessment of suitability for domestic, agriculture or industrial uses.
Long-term using contaminated water can enrich heavy metal to phytotoxic levels and result
in reduced plant growth and/or enhanced metal concentration in plants which has an ultimate
detrimental effect on the livestock. The study shows that due to the discharge from coal mine
and other industrial effluents some of the sites in the analyzed area are not suitable for direct
use in drinking and domestic purposes and need treatment before utilization. Water to
maintain livestock should be of pure and high quality to prevent livestock diseases, salt
imbalance, or poisoning by toxic constituents. Damodar river water serves as drinking water
source for livestock at many places in its course. According to Ayers and Wascot (1985) and
Shuval et al. (1986) the water having salinity <1500 mg l–1
and Mg <250 mg l–1
is suitable for
drinking by most livestock. Most of the river water in the study area meet these standards and
can be used for livestock, a preliminary treatment and filtration is necessary in some areas.
Water quality parameters were compared with the prevalent water quality standards indicates
that, with few exceptions, the Damodar river water in the study area is fit for drinking and
livestock uses.
3.4.2 Suitability for irrigation use
Water for irrigation, to maintain sustainable agriculture, should satisfy the needs of soil and
the crop as the liquid phase in soil water plant growth and crop production. Irrigation water
quality is depending upon both the type and the quantity of the dissolved salts originates from
natural and anthropological sources. pH of the river water was found within the prescribed
limit set by the Indian standards (5.5 - 9.0) for irrigation (IS 11624: 1986). Electrical
conductivity is the most important measure of salinity hazard to crops and determines the
suitability of water for irrigation use. Status of Damodar river water based on electrical
conductivity (EC), sodium percent (%Na), Total dissolved solid (TDS), Sodium adsorption
ratio (SAR) and residual sodium carbonate (RSC) are presented in table 2. The concentration
of SO42−
, Cl–
and NO3−
was found to be well below the Indian standards (1000 mg l–1
, 600 mg
l–1
and 18 mg l–1
respectively) for irrigation (IS 11624: 1986). Manganese and iron content in
river water was also found to be well below the Indian standards (2.0 mg l–1
and 3.0 mg l–1
respectively) for irrigation (IS 11624: 1986) for all the analysed samples.
Geochemistry of the River Damodar - the influence of the geology and weathering Environment on the
dissolved load
Srimanta Gupta, Uday Sankar Banerjee
International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences
Volume 2 Issue 3, 2012 860
Table 2: Status of Damodar river water based on electrical conductivity (EC), sodium
percent (%Na), Total dissolved solid (TDS), Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and residual
sodium carbonate (RSC)
Classification scheme Categories Ranges Percent of samples
EC (Wilcox 1955) Excellent <250 58.82
Good 250–750 41.18
Permissible 750–2,250 –
Doubtful 2,250–5,000 –
Unsuitable >5,000 –
Na% (Wilcox 1955) Excellent 0–20 52.94
Good 20–40 38.24
Permissible 40–60 8.82
Doubtful 60–80 –
Unsuitable >80 –
Na% (Eaton 1950) Safe <60 100
Unsafe >60 –
TDS classification (USSL 1954) < 200 82.35
200–500 17.65
500–1,500 –
1,500–3,000 –
SAR (Richard 1954) Excellent 0–10 100
Good 10–18 –
Fair 18–26 –
Poor >26 –
RSC (Richard 1954) Good <1.25 91.18
Medium 1.25–2.5 8.82
Bad >2.5 –
Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR)
Sodium concentration is very important parameter for irrigation water quality because high
level of sodium concentration in irrigation water produces an alkaline soil. Todd 1980
describes that SAR is an important parameter for the determination of the suitability of
irrigation water because it is responsible for the sodium hazard. According to Kelly (1951)
high level of sodium in water causes the undesirable effects of changing soil properties and
reducing soil permeability. SAR value of irrigation water quantifies the relative proportions
of sodium (Na+) to calcium (Ca
2+) and magnesium (Mg
2+) and is a measure of alkali/sodium
hazard to crop. The SAR values in the study area can be calculated by the following equation
given by (Hem, 1991) as:
SAR= Na+
/ {[Ca2+
+ Mg2+
] /2}0.5
where the concentrations are expressed as milliequivalents per liter.
High level of sodium in irrigation waters may change the soil properties and reduce its
fertility due to salinization and alkalization processes (Dehayer et al., 1997). According to
Richards (1954), based on SAR values, irrigation water is classified into four groups: low
(SAR<10), medium (SAR, 10–18), high (SAR, 18–26), and very high (SAR>26). With
respect to the USSL (1954) classification (Figure 3), all river waters of the study area are
located in the C1S1 (low salinity and low alkalinity) field. The calculated SAR values vary
Geochemistry of the River Damodar - the influence of the geology and weathering Environment on the
dissolved load
Srimanta Gupta, Uday Sankar Banerjee
International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences
Volume 2 Issue 3, 2012 861
from 0.069 to 2.15 and lie in excellent SAR class. The study reveals that none of the samples
are of the poor category for irrigation in either of the seasons. Therefore, all river water
samples are suitable for irrigation and can be used for all soil types.
Figure 3: US salinity hazard diagram (after Richards 1954)
Percent sodium (% Na)
In all natural waters, sodium percentage Na % is the most important parameter in determining
the suitability of water for irrigation use (Wilcox, 1948). Elevated level of sodium percent
causes deflocculation and impairment of the tilth and permeability of soils (Karanth, 1987)
Geochemistry of the River Damodar - the influence of the geology and weathering Environment on the
dissolved load
Srimanta Gupta, Uday Sankar Banerjee
International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences
Volume 2 Issue 3, 2012 862
and may produce harmful levels of exchangeable sodium in most soils that will require
special soil management like good drainage, high leaching, and organic matter additions. The
Na% can be estimated by the following equation (Todd, 1980):
Na% = Na+K/ (Ca+Mg+Na+K) X 100
where all the ions are expressed in meq l–1
. As per the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS),
(1991) a sodium percentage of 60 is the maximum recommended limit for irrigation water.
The Na% in the river water ranges from 10.221 to 46.398 with a mean value of 20.687±9.8 in
premonsoon and 11.445 to 53.033 with a mean value of 26.098±12.073 in postmonsoon
season. Sodium percentage calculated for Damodar river water in the study area is plotted
against electrical conductance in Wilcox diagram (Figure 4). Figure 4 shows that all of river
water samples are excellent to good for irrigation.
Figure 4: Wilcox diagram for classification of Damodar river water
Geochemistry of the River Damodar - the influence of the geology and weathering Environment on the
dissolved load
Srimanta Gupta, Uday Sankar Banerjee
International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences
Volume 2 Issue 3, 2012 863
Magnesium hazard (MH)
Magnesium ions are essential for the plant growth and its deficiency in plants causes late-
season yellowing between leaf veins, especially in older leaves. According to Szabolcs and
Darab (1964) magnesium hazard (MH) value for irrigation water is calculated by the
following equation:
all ions are in equivalents per million
The magnesium ratio values of the study area in premonsoon season range from 0.76 to 95.14
with an average value of 52.98 and from 0.76 to 95.14 with an average value of 52.98 in
postmonsoon season (Table 1). Magnesium ratio when exceeds more than 50 is considered to
be harmful and unsuitable for irrigation use irrigation (Szabolcs and Darab 1964; Sreedevi
2004) and this would adversely affect the crop yield, as soils become more alkaline. The
analyzed water samples indicate that most of the river water samples are not exceeding the
magnesium ratio of 50. The MH in the river water ranges from 20.788 to 67.624 with a mean
value of 40.51±10.20 in premonsoon and 34.72 to 49.94 with a mean value of 42.60±3.72 in
postmonsoon season.
Permeability index PI
Permeability index (PI) is a significant parameter for the suitability of irrigation water and it
indicates that the soil permeability is affected by long-term use of irrigation water as
influenced by Na+, Ca
2+, Mg
2+, and HCO3
– contents of the soil. Doneen (1964) classified
irrigation water based on the Permeability index:
all ions are in equivalents per million
Water can be classified as Class I, II and III. Class I and II water are categorized as good for
irrigation with 75% or more of maximum permeability. Class III water is unsuitable with
25% of maximum permeability. The PI value of the river water samples ranges 40.701 to
143.07 with a mean of 99.99±32.59 in premonsoon and 51.142 to 120.21 with a mean of
86.76±21.59 in postmonsoon season (Table 1).
Residual sodium carbonate (RSC)
The excess quantity of sodium bicarbonate and carbonate is considered to be detrimental to
the physical properties of soils as it causes dissolution of organic matter in the soil, which in
turn leaves a black stain on the soil surface on drying and this excess is denoted by Residual
Sodium Carbonate (RSC). In irrigation water having high concentration of HCO3–, there is a
tendency for Ca2+
and Mg2+
to precipitate as CO32–
. The effect of CO32–
and HCO3–
ion on
quality of water was expressed in terms of the Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC) Eaton
(1950). Residual sodium carbonate (RSC) is calculated as follows (Ragunath, 1987):
Geochemistry of the River Damodar - the influence of the geology and weathering Environment on the
dissolved load
Srimanta Gupta, Uday Sankar Banerjee
International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences
Volume 2 Issue 3, 2012 864
RSC = (CO3++HCO3
–) – (Ca
2+ + Mg
2+)
where all ionic concentrations are expressed in epm.
High value of residual sodium carbonate (RSC) in water value leads to an increase in the
adsorption of sodium on soil (Eaton, 1950) and also causes the soil structure to deteriorate, as
it restricts the water and air movement through soil. The RSC value of the river water
samples ranges -2.23 to 1.72 with a mean of 0.157±1.01 in premonsoon and -1.15 to 1.73
with a mean of 0.04±0.76 in postmonsoon season (Table 1).
4. Conclusion
Major ionic relationships indicate that weathering reactions have significant role in the
hydrochemical processes of the river water system. In order to determine the geochemical
nature of water, the obtained data was interpreted using the piper trilinear diagram wherein
the results show the predominance of Ca–HCO3 type. The Gibb’s diagram suggests that
chemical weathering of the rock forming minerals is the main processes which contribute the
ions to the water. The major sources of heavy metals in river water include weathering of
rock minerals, discharge of sewage and industrial waste effluents and discharge from coal
mines. However, high value of magnesium ratio in industrial area indicates restricted use of
water for irrigation. The high RSC content and Na% were recorded at Shyampur due an
industrially polluted water stream which joins into the river and influence this zone as a result
of which the water is not suitable for irrigation use. The quality assessment of river water
shows that in general, the water is suitable for drinking, livestock and irrigation uses.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Prof. J.K. Datta, Prof A.R. Ghosh and Dr N.K. Mondal, Dept of
Environmental Science, The University of Burdwan, West Bengal for their valuable
suggestions and cooperation throughout this research work. Authors also thankfully
acknowledge Mr. Jagadish Mondal, Asst. teacher, Mohanpur High School, Mohanpur,
Burdwan, West Bengal, India for his suggestions to improve the manuscript.
6. References
1. APHA (1998), Standard methods for the examination of water and waste water, 19th
edition. APHA, Washington DC, USASS.
2. Ayers, R.S. and Wascot, D.W., (1985), Water quality for irrigation. FAO Irrigation
and Drainage Paper No. 20, Rev.1, FAO, Rome.
3. Banerjee, U.S. and Gupta, S., (2010), Assessment of chemical load of river Barakar
and Damodar with respect to contamination of municipal sewage, The Ecoscan, 4(4),
pp 313-316.
4. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). (1991), Indian standard specification for drinking
water (IS 10500),New Delhi
5. Dehayer, R., Diatloff, N. and Gordon, I., (1997), Irrigation water quality salinity and
soil structure stability, Water facts, ISSN 1327–5364
Geochemistry of the River Damodar - the influence of the geology and weathering Environment on the
dissolved load
Srimanta Gupta, Uday Sankar Banerjee
International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences
Volume 2 Issue 3, 2012 865
6. Doneen L. D., (1964), Notes on water quality in agriculture. Davis, CA: Water
Science and Engineering, University of California.
7. Eaton F. M., (1950), Significance of carbonates in irrigated waters, Soil Science, 69,
pp 127–128.
8. Elderfield, H., Upstill-Goddard, R. and Sholkovitz, E.R., (1990), The rare earth
elements in rivers, estuaries and coastal seas and their significance to the composition
of ocean waters, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 54, pp 971–997.
9. Farkas, A., Erratico, C., and Viganó, L., (2007), Assessment of the environmental
significance of heavy metal pollution in surficial sediments of the River Po,
Chemosphere, 68, pp 761–768.
10. GIBBS (1970), Mechanisms controlling worlds water chemistry science, 170, pp
10881090.
11. Goldstein, S.J. and Jacobsen, S.B., (1987), The Nd and Sr isotopic systematics of
river water dissolved material: Implications for the sources of Nd and Sr in seawater.
Chemical geology, 48, pp 245–272.
12. Hem, J.D, (1991), Study and interpretation of the chemical characteristics of natural
waters, 3 rd edition US Geol. Survey, water supply paper 2254, Scientific pub,
Jodhpur.
13. Howari, F. M. and Banat, K. M., (2002), Hydrochemical characteristics of Jordan and
Yarmouk River waters: Effect of natural and human activities, Journal of Hydrology
and Hydromechanics, 50(1), pp 50.
14. Hu, M., Stallard, R.F., and Edmond, J.M., (1982), Major ion chemistry of some large
Chinese rivers, Nature, 298, pp 550– 553.
15. IS 11624, (1986), Guidelines for quality of irrigation water, Bureau of Indian
Standards.
16. Karanth, K.R., (1987), Groundwater assessment, development and management, Tata
McGraw Hill, New Delhi, pp 217–275.
17. Kelly, W. P., (1951), Alkali soils – their formation, properties and reclamation, New
York: Reinhold.
18. Li, X., and Thornton, I., (2001), Chemical partitioning of trace and major elements in
soils contaminated by mining and smelting activities, Applied Geochemistry, 16, pp
1693–1706.
19. Morillo, J., Usero, J. and Rojas, R., (2008), Fractionation of metals and As in
sediments from a biosphere reserve (Odiel salt marshes) affected by acidic mine
drainage, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 139, pp 329–337.
Geochemistry of the River Damodar - the influence of the geology and weathering Environment on the
dissolved load
Srimanta Gupta, Uday Sankar Banerjee
International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences
Volume 2 Issue 3, 2012 866
20. Piper, A. M., (1994), A graphical procedure in the geochemical interpretation of water
analysis, American Geophysical Union Transactions, 25, pp 914–928.
21. Ragunath, H.M., (1987), Groundwater, 2nd edn edn. Wiley Eastern Ltd., New Delhi,
p 563.
22. Reeder, S.W., Hitchon, B. and Levinson, A.A., (1972), Hydrogeochemistry of the
surface waters of the Mackenzie River drainage basin, Canada: 1, Factors controlling
inorganic composition, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 36, pp 181-192.
23. Richards, L.A., (1954), Diagnosis and improvement of saline and alkali soils.
Agriculture handbook, Volume 60, US Department of Agriculture, Washington DC.
24. US Salinity Laboratory Staff., (1954), Diagnosis and improvement of saline and
alkalis soils. US Dept Agric Handbook, 60, p 160.
25. Shuval, H.I., Adin, A., Fiatal, B., Raawitz, E. and Yekuterl, P., (1986), Wastewater
irrigation in developing countries. Health Effects and Technological Solutions. World
Bank Technical Paper, 52, Washington DC.
26. Silveira, M. L., Alleoni, L. R. F., O’Connor, G. A. and Chang, A. C., (2006), Heavy
metal sequential extraction methods — A modification for tropical soils.
Chemosphere, 64, pp 1929–1938.
27. Sreedevi, P.D., (2004), Groundwater quality of Pageru river basin, Cudapah district,
Andhra Pradesh. J Geol Soc India, 64, pp 619–636.
28. Stallard, R.F. and Edmond, J.M., (1983), Geochemistry of the Amazon: 2. Influence
of geology and weathering environment on the dissolved load, Journal of Geophysical
Research, 88, pp 9671-9688.
29. Szabolcs, I. and Darab, C., (1964), The influence of irrigation water of high sodium
carbonate content of soils. In: Proceedings of 8th
international congress of ISSS,
Transaction II, pp 803–81.
30. Todd, D. K., (1980), Groundwater hydrology, 2nd ed., p. 535, New York: Wiley.
31. USSL (1954). Diagnesis and improvement of saline and alkali soils, USDA Hand
book 60:147pp.
32. Verma, S. and Khan, S. A., (2007), Water quality criteria and Arpna river water of
Bilaspur city (C.G.), Current World Environment, 2(2), pp 199-204.
33. WHO (2006), Guidelines for drinking water quality. First addendum to third
edition ,Vol. 1, Recommendations. ISBN 924-15-4696-4.
34. Widmeyer, J. R. and Bendell-Young, L. I., (2008), Heavy metal levels in suspended
sediments, Crassostrea gigas, and the risk to humans, Archives of Environmental
Contamination and Toxicology, 55, pp 442–450.
Geochemistry of the River Damodar - the influence of the geology and weathering Environment on the
dissolved load
Srimanta Gupta, Uday Sankar Banerjee
International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences
Volume 2 Issue 3, 2012 867
35. Wilcox, L. V., (1948), The quality of water for irrigation use. Washington, DC: US
Department of Agriculture, Technical Bulletin, pp19.
36. Zhang, J., Takahashi, K., Wushiki, H., Yabuki, S., Xiong, J.M. and Masuda, A.,
(1995), Water geochemistry of the rivers around the Taklimakan Desert (NW China):
crustal weathering and evaporation processes in arid land, Chemical Geology, 119, pp
225-237.