GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION AND ITS REMEDIATION

GEY 444 SEMINAR

Presented To The
DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY

FACULTY OF SCIENCE
UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI
BY
FAISAL ABDULLAHI ISA
18/08/04/106
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE AWARD OF B.Sc. (HONS.)
DEGREE IN GEOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI, BORNO STATE.
SUPERVISED BY: Prof. I.B. GONI
MARCH 2023
 TABLE OF CONTENT
1. Introduction
2. Sources of Groundwater Contamination
3. Prevention of Groundwater Contamination
4. Groundwater Remediation
5. Conclusion
 INTRODUCTION
 Groundwater is the water beneath the Earth’s surface
found in the fractures of rock formations.
 Groundwater is a major source of fresh water for the
global population and is used for domestic, agricultural,
and industrial uses.
 Groundwater is just a part of the larger water system.
 Groundwater plays a key role in the hydrologic cycle.
 The hydrologic cycle is a sequence of water
transformations that occur in the circulation from the
atmosphere onto the surface and into the subsurface
regions of the earth, and then back from the surface to
the atmosphere again
 HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE

Fig 1. The Hydrologic cycle

 GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION
 Contamination occurs when substances are
added to the environment causing a detrimental
alteration to its physical, chemical, or
biological characteristics.

 Groundwater contamination therefore is when

substances are found in the underground water
at levels that causes threat to human health.
 SOURCES OF GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION

 Groundwater is said to be contaminated by two major

sources
 Geogenic sources and anthropogenic sources
 The geogenic sources are naturally occurring
contaminants such as arsenic, fluoride, iron, manganese
etc
 The anthropogenic sources are caused due to human
activities such as industrialization, agriculturalization,
urbanization.
 GEOGENIC SOURCES
ARSENIC
 It is introduced into the groundwater and soil during
weathering of rocks followed by leaching and run off
causing groundwater contamination.

Fig:1 Infected person due to high consumption of arsenic

Source: Basu et al (2014)
 FLUORIDE

 Fluoride enrichment in groundwater takes place mainly

through leaching and weathering of the fluoride bearing
minerals present in the rocks and sediments.

Fig: Affected person of skeletal and dental fluorisis

Source: International Assoiation of Hydrogeologist (2020)
 IRON

 The extent to which iron dissolve in

groundwater depends on the amount of oxygen
in the water and to a lesser extent upon its
degree of acidity, i.e. its pH.
 Permissible limit of iron in drinking water is
0.3mg/l according to WHO
 Excess consumption of iron leads to Heart
disease, lever disease and diabetes
 MANGANESE

 The levels of manganese in groundwater from natural

leaching processes can vary widely depending upon the types
of minerals present at the aquifer.
 Permissible limit of manganese in drinking
water is 0.05mg/l according to WHO
 Excess consumption of manganese leads to
loss of hair, blood clotting, fertility in
mammals.
 ANTHROPOGENIC SOURCES
MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER
 From residences, institutions or other services such as
confectioneries, restaurants, laundries etc.
 It mainly consists of water containing organic and inorganic
compounds, as well as bacteria and viruses.

Fig: Municipal Waste

Source: Singhal et al (2014)
 INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER
 Refers to the contaminant as a result of the water used in the
industrial processes, which contains various compounds in low
or high concentrations
 It is either or both biological and non-biological

Fig: Industrial Wastewater

Source: USGS (2020)
 HOSPITAL WASTEWATER
 Represents a major environmental threat and
creates serious issues for the natural
environment and human health.

Fig: Hospital effluents

Source: Kummerer (2001)
 AGRICULTURAL WASTEWATER
 The use of fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and animal waste
in agriculture is a major source of groundwater contamination
 Elements existing in the fertilizers reach the groundwater as
agricultural runoff, especially in cases of permeable soil
formations.

Fig: Agricultural Runoff

Source: Savci (2012)
PREVENTION OF GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION

An effective prevention plan should take the

following points into deliberation:
 Waste should be properly disposed
 Proper use and maintenance of septic systems
 Cover waste dumpsters must be provided
 Underground chemical tanks should be monitored
 Preference should be given to surface tanks which
can be monitored easily.
 Awareness measures and penalty should be spelt out
 GROUNDWATER REMEDIATION
 Groundwater remediation is the process of treating
contaminated groundwater by removing the contaminants.
 There are two types of groundwater remediation: insitu
and exsitu
 The three most common groundwater remediation
methods are categorized into;
 Biological: Biosparging, Bioventing &
Bioaugmentation).
 Chemical: Chemical precipitation, Oxidation, Ion
exchange, Carbon absorption.
 Physical: pump and treat.
 CONCLUSION
• Groundwater resources are vital for human life and
health, societal development and the preservation of
natural ecosystem. Quality degradation of
groundwater bodies as a result of pollution represents
a major worldwide issue. Various and multiple
sources of groundwater pollution have been
identified which include a series of both natural and
anthropogenic sources. In addition, most
contamination of groundwater is anthropocentric and
can be prevented through intensive health education.
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