Deciphering water quality using WQI and GIS in Tummalapalle Uranium Mining area, Cuddapah Basin, India

ABSTRACT This paper gives an insight into the assessment of water quality in and around the Tummalapalle Uranium deposit. A total of 19 groundwater samples were collected in the study area and the chemical parameters were analyzed by using ICP-MS. Data generated from ICP-MS were compared with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and noticed that some chemical elements viz., Na, Mg, Al, Ca, Mn, Fe, and U were present beyond the permissible limits. To know the inter-element relationship, the Correlation coefficient and T-Test were conducted to know the overall water quality at the respective stations. The Water Quality Index was computed. It is, thus observed that about 42% of the water samples fall under “very poor water quality category” and require proper treatment to use the groundwater for domestic needs. The results of Factor analysis demonstrate three factors are responsible for the poor quality of water in the study area. The spatial variation maps were generated in GIS environ deciphers the uneven distribution of elemental concentrations in the study area.