Assessment of groundwater resources through hydrogeochemical investigation and multivariate chemometric statistics in Bagerhat district, Bangladesh

Abstract

Groundwater, a primary freshwater source for potable and agricultural uses, is increasingly threatened in southern coastal areas of Bangladesh because of rapid urbanization, industrialization, and climate change. Bagerhat, one of the coastal districts, faces not only frequent tropical cyclones, inundation of low-lying areas, and saline water intrusion but also rapid urbanization, population growth, and pollution from prawn culture and seafood processing industries. The study aims to assess the hydrogeochemistry and the suitability of groundwater based on its significance for potable and irrigation purposes in Bagerhat District. This research includes an integrated approach of hydrogeochemical, geospatial, and multivariate statistical methods to investigate the hydrogeochemical processes and groundwater quality using ninety groundwater samples from existing deep tube wells (around 350 m depth). The hydrogeochemical analysis determined the concentrations of major cations and anions were Na⁺>Mg²⁺> Ca²⁺> K⁺ and Cl⁻ > HCO₃^- > SO₄²⁻ > NO₃^-, correspondingly. Electrical Conductivity (EC) values ranged from 16,260 μS/cm in the southern Mongla Upazila to a minimum of 560 μS/cm in Chitalmari Upazila. The evaporation–crystallization processes were found to be the primary mechanism influencing groundwater chemistry in the study area. Multivariate statistics, including Pearson correlation matrix, principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis, indicated that geogenic processes govern groundwater chemistry. The spatial distribution of the water quality index (WQI) map demonstrated that only 15% of groundwater samples are suitable for drinking in the central and eastern parts, while 85% are unsuitable in the study area. Furthermore, evaluation of irrigation water quality parameters, such as sodium percentage (Na%), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), Kelly ratio (KR), permeability index (PI), magnesium hazard (MH), and salinity hazard, indicated that most wells are unsuitable for irrigation. The results provide insights into aquifer hydrogeochemistry, groundwater quality status, vulnerable areas of pollution, and sustainable, safe water options for groundwater management in the Bagerhat district.