Importance of Rocks and Their Weathering Products on Groundwater Quality in Central-East Cameroon
The present work highlights the influence of lithology on water quality in Méiganga and its surroundings. The main geological formations in this region include gneiss, granite and amphibolite. The soils developed on these rocks are of ABC type, which are acidic to slightly acidic. Electrical conduct...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2017-04-01
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| Series: | Hydrology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/4/2/23 |
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| author | Merlin Gountié Dedzo Désiré Tsozué Mumbfu Ernestine Mimba Fulbert Teddy Romio Mofor Nembungwe Sylvie Linida |
| author_facet | Merlin Gountié Dedzo Désiré Tsozué Mumbfu Ernestine Mimba Fulbert Teddy Romio Mofor Nembungwe Sylvie Linida |
| author_sort | Merlin Gountié Dedzo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The present work highlights the influence of lithology on water quality in Méiganga and its surroundings. The main geological formations in this region include gneiss, granite and amphibolite. The soils developed on these rocks are of ABC type, which are acidic to slightly acidic. Electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter, total nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen, sulfate, chloride, phosphorus and exchangeable base values were low to very low in the soil samples. Groundwater samples were investigated for their physicochemical characteristics. The wide ranges of EC values (15.1–436 µS/cm) and total dissolved solids (9–249 mg/L) revealed the heterogeneous distribution of hydrochemical processes within the groundwater of the area. The relative abundance of major dissolved species (mg/L) was Ca2+ > Na+ > Mg2+ > K+ for cations and HCO3− >> NO3− > Cl− > SO42− for anions. All the groundwater samples were soft, with total hardness values (2.54–136.65 mg/L) below the maximum permissible limits of the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline. The majority of water samples (67%) were classified as mixed CaMg-HCO3 type. Alkaline earth metal contents dominated those of alkali metals in 66.66% of samples. Thus, for the studied groundwater, Mg2+ and Ca2+ ion adsorption by clay minerals was almost nonexistent; this implies their release into the solution, which accounts for their high concentrations compared to alkali metals. Ion geochemistry revealed that water-rock interactions (silicate weathering) and ion exchange processes regulated the groundwater chemistry. One water sample points towards the evaporation domain of this diagram, indicating that groundwater probably does not originate from a deeper system. Kaolinite is the most stable secondary phase in the waters in the study area, in accordance with the geochemical process of monosiallitization, which predominated in the humid tropical zone. |
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| issn | 2306-5338 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T17:10:51Z |
| publishDate | 2017-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Hydrology |
| spelling | doaj.art-7cc179ecbaeb4c91bb5c5561949b7d462022-12-22T00:57:32ZengMDPI AGHydrology2306-53382017-04-01422310.3390/hydrology4020023hydrology4020023Importance of Rocks and Their Weathering Products on Groundwater Quality in Central-East CameroonMerlin Gountié Dedzo0Désiré Tsozué1Mumbfu Ernestine Mimba2Fulbert Teddy3Romio Mofor Nembungwe4Sylvie Linida5Department of Life and Earth Sciences, Higher Teachers’ Training College, University of Maroua, P.O. Box. 55, Maroua, CameroonDepartment of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Maroua, P.O. Box. 814, Maroua, CameroonInstitute of Mining and Geological Research, P.O. Box 4110, Yaoundé, CameroonDepartment of Life and Earth Sciences, Higher Teachers’ Training College, University of Maroua, P.O. Box. 55, Maroua, CameroonDepartment of Life and Earth Sciences, Higher Teachers’ Training College, University of Maroua, P.O. Box. 55, Maroua, CameroonDepartment of Life and Earth Sciences, Higher Teachers’ Training College, University of Maroua, P.O. Box. 55, Maroua, CameroonThe present work highlights the influence of lithology on water quality in Méiganga and its surroundings. The main geological formations in this region include gneiss, granite and amphibolite. The soils developed on these rocks are of ABC type, which are acidic to slightly acidic. Electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter, total nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen, sulfate, chloride, phosphorus and exchangeable base values were low to very low in the soil samples. Groundwater samples were investigated for their physicochemical characteristics. The wide ranges of EC values (15.1–436 µS/cm) and total dissolved solids (9–249 mg/L) revealed the heterogeneous distribution of hydrochemical processes within the groundwater of the area. The relative abundance of major dissolved species (mg/L) was Ca2+ > Na+ > Mg2+ > K+ for cations and HCO3− >> NO3− > Cl− > SO42− for anions. All the groundwater samples were soft, with total hardness values (2.54–136.65 mg/L) below the maximum permissible limits of the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline. The majority of water samples (67%) were classified as mixed CaMg-HCO3 type. Alkaline earth metal contents dominated those of alkali metals in 66.66% of samples. Thus, for the studied groundwater, Mg2+ and Ca2+ ion adsorption by clay minerals was almost nonexistent; this implies their release into the solution, which accounts for their high concentrations compared to alkali metals. Ion geochemistry revealed that water-rock interactions (silicate weathering) and ion exchange processes regulated the groundwater chemistry. One water sample points towards the evaporation domain of this diagram, indicating that groundwater probably does not originate from a deeper system. Kaolinite is the most stable secondary phase in the waters in the study area, in accordance with the geochemical process of monosiallitization, which predominated in the humid tropical zone.http://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/4/2/23hydrogeochemistrygroundwaterwater-rock interactionMeigangaEast Cameroon |
| spellingShingle | Merlin Gountié Dedzo Désiré Tsozué Mumbfu Ernestine Mimba Fulbert Teddy Romio Mofor Nembungwe Sylvie Linida Importance of Rocks and Their Weathering Products on Groundwater Quality in Central-East Cameroon Hydrology hydrogeochemistry groundwater water-rock interaction Meiganga East Cameroon |
| title | Importance of Rocks and Their Weathering Products on Groundwater Quality in Central-East Cameroon |
| title_full | Importance of Rocks and Their Weathering Products on Groundwater Quality in Central-East Cameroon |
| title_fullStr | Importance of Rocks and Their Weathering Products on Groundwater Quality in Central-East Cameroon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Importance of Rocks and Their Weathering Products on Groundwater Quality in Central-East Cameroon |
| title_short | Importance of Rocks and Their Weathering Products on Groundwater Quality in Central-East Cameroon |
| title_sort | importance of rocks and their weathering products on groundwater quality in central east cameroon |
| topic | hydrogeochemistry groundwater water-rock interaction Meiganga East Cameroon |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/4/2/23 |
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