Groundwater Quality Assessment in Central Argentine Provinces

Abstract

In order to assess groundwater quality in the Northeast of Córdoba and Northwest of Santa Fe, both of them Argentine provinces, representative samples of groundwater used for animal consumption, irrigation and, to a lesser extent, human consumption were taken at various locations and depths, and identified with their GPS coordinates. The knowledge of the groundwater quality is of vital importance for the people who use it. In all, 50 samples were analyzed in duplicate for color, turbidity, hydrogen potential, conductivity, hardness, total alkalinity, chloride, sulfate and total dissolved solids. Nitrates, nitrites, ammonium, arsenic, iron and fluoride concentrations were also determined according standard references. The chemical oxygen demand assay was performed on 50% of the samples. The results were subjected to a statistical analysis in order to establish the concentration of certain components in water and the influence of the geographic location. A strong positive relationship was found between hardness, chloride and sulfate, and no dependence was found between the total alkalinity and the remaining parameters. Different kind of positive relationship has been found between the research parameters: strong, between nitrites, fluoride and ammonium; moderately between arsenic and COD; and finally soft for nitrates with nitrites. In addition, no relationship nitrates and iron has been found. It was determined that none of the samples, taken between May and November 2013, complied with the Argentine Food Code requirements for drinking water and therefore, to animal and human feed consumption, their acceptability is excluded.