Geo-Temporal Signatures of Physicochemical and Heavy Metals Pollution in Groundwater of Khulais Region—Makkah Province, Saudi Arabia

Seawater has intruded into many of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastal aquifers, with varying degrees of extension depending on location, hydrogeology, and population density. This study aimed to evaluate and comprehend the processes that influence the hydrogeochemical characteristics of the coastal aquifer in Saudi Arabia’s Khulais region. Groundwater samples were taken from nineteen locations during the winter and summer of 2021, and data from major ions and trace elements were examined and interpreted using ArcGIS software. The total dissolved solids (TDS) concentrations ranged between 480 and 15,236 mg/L and 887–18,620 mg/L in winter and summer, respectively. Groundwater TDS concentration was observed to be influenced by groundwater flow, lithogenic, anthropogenic, and seawater intrusion in this study (2021) when compared to 2016. The concentration of nitrate (NO3−) and strontium (Sr) in most samples exceeds the drinking guidelines. The occurrence of high concentrations of bromide (Br), Fluoride (F), Iron (Fe) (winter and summer) and Aluminum (Al), Boron (B), Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn) (winter) was also exhibited and observed up to more than drinking and irrigation limits. The central part of the study area was affected by seawater intrusion. The hydraulic conductivity of the topsoil was measured, and it ranged from 0.24 to 29.3 m/day. Based on electrical conductivity (EC) and sodium absorption ratio, most aquifer samples were unsuitable for irrigation (SAR).

Groundwater quality mapping for drinking and irrigation purposes using statistical, hydrochemical facies, and water quality indices in Tercha District, Dawuro Zone, Southern Ethiopia

When groundwater quality is good, it may be a substantial water supply for various applications. However, no systematic research on hydrogeochemistry and water quality features for drinking and irrigation has been undertaken in the present study area. As a result, the current study looked at hydrogeochemical variables and groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation in Tercha district, Dawuro Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Forty-seven groundwater samples were collected and tested to satisfy the required target for various physicochemical properties. The hydrogeochemical features of the groundwater in the study region were assessed using in-situ testing and laboratory analysis of physicochemical parameters. Groundwater samples from the research region were slightly acidic to slightly basic, with the principal cations and anions decreasing in sequence: Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+ and HCO3-> Cl-> SO42-. The hadrochemical facies of the studied region evolved from mildly mineralized dominant highland Ca-HCO3 water types to moderately mineralized mixed Ca-Na-HCO3 water types to highly mineralized deep rift floor Na-HCO3 water types. Additionally, the World Health Organization and the Ethiopian Standard Agency were utilized to compare the drinking water quality. Except for NO3- (4.25 %), Fe (8.51 %), and F- (2.12%), all groundwater samples from the research region were determined to be within permitted limits and appropriate for drinking. According to the Water Quality Index, about 80.86% of groundwater samples are excellent, and 19.14% are good drinking water. Sodium absorption ratio (SAR), sodium (Na) percentage, residual sodium carbonate RSC, permeability index (PI), and magnesium hazard were among the irrigation water quality indicators calculated (MH). The great majority of groundwater samples are suitable for agricultural use.

Hydrochemical characteristics, hydraulic connectivity and water quality assessment of multilayer aquifers in Western Suzhou City, Northern Anhui Province, China

The present study focuses on the shallow phreatic aquifer (SA) and the upper confined aquifer (CA) developed in Cenozoic loose strata, which are the major regional groundwater resources for drinking, irrigation, industry and other water-related activities. Seven samples from SA and seventeen samples from CA were analyzed to depict the hydrochemical characteristics, categorize the hydrochemical facies, evaluate the hydraulic connectivity, and appraise the drinking water and irrigation water quality. The abundance of cations is Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+ and the anions is HCO3− > SO42− > Cl− in both aquifers, respectively. Groundwater chemistry is controlled by water-rock interactions such as halite dissolution, ion exchange, reverse ion exchange, silicate weathering, and followed by the dissolution of Glauber's salt. The low connectivity and moderate connectivity between these two aquifers has engendered. The majority of the ion concentrations are within the limit for drinking, only one sample from the shallow aquifer are greater than the limit of 250 mg/L, a total of 29% from the shallow unconfined aquifer and 14% from the confined aquifer were not within the limit of 250 mg/L. The sodium absorption ratio (SAR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC) and soluble sodium percentage (%Na) values reveal that all the samples are appropriate for irrigation uses. The the US salinity laboratory (USSL) diagram shows that sixteen CA samples and all the SA samples fall in the C3S1 zone, implying high salinity hazard and low alkalinity hazard.

Correlation between C-Reactive Protein Level and Blood Urea Nitrogen-Creatinine Ratio in COVID-19 Patients

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).C-Reactive Protein (CRP) is an inflammation marker that increases significantly in COVID-19 patients. SARS-CoV-2 can affectkidney function and increase the Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)-creatinine ratio. The previous study showed that CRP andBUN-creatinine ratios could be used as predictors of the severity and survival of COVID-19 patients. This study aimed todetermine the correlation between CRP levels and the BUN-creatinine ratio in COVID-19 patients. A retrospectivecross-sectional study was conducted on 34 COVID-19 patients who were diagnosed by PCR test at Dr. Kariadi Hospital,Semarang from March to September 2020. The Spearman correlation test was used for statistical analysis. The median CRPvalue was 4.59 (0.36-27.48) mg/L and BUN-creatinine ratio was 15.06 (5.79-37.04), while the correlation between CRP andBUN-creatinine ratio showed p=0.003 and r=0.502. There was a moderate positive correlation between CRP level andBUN-creatinine ratio. C-reactive protein plays a role in the infiltration process of inflammatory cells and increases adhesionmolecules, which can directly or indirectly damage kidney function. SARS-CoV-2 can enter the kidney directly through theACE-2 receptor and activate the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, which will increase water and sodium absorption inthe renal tubules, passive reabsorption of BUN, and creatinine filtration in the glomerulus resulting in increasedBUN-creatinine ratio.

Mechanisms controlling major ion chemistry and its suitability for irrigation of Narmada River, India

Surface water chemistry of the upper Narmada River was investigated at 13 different locations for 4 consecutive years (2017 to 2020) during pre- and post-monsoon seasons. The main objective of the study was to identify the processes governing the water chemistry of Narmada River and evaluate its suitability for irrigation. The physical parameters estimated were; pH (7.9 ± 0.4 for pre- and 8 ± 0.4 for post-monsoon seasons), EC (322.8±93.3 μS/cm for pre- and 312.1±80.2 μS/cm for post-monsoon) and TDS (203.4±41.5 mg/L for pre-and 213.4±48 mg/L for post-monsoon). The obtained concentration of cations and anions were in the order of Ca++ > Na+ > Mg++> K+ and HCO3−> Cl−>SO4−> NO3−> PO4− respectively. Thus, the water of Narmada was found to be alkaline in nature. Piper diagram inferred that the water was dominated by Ca-Mg-HCO3− type of hydrochemical faces. Gibb's plot clarified that rock-water interaction regulates the ion chemistry of the Narmada. Various indices like sodium percentage (Na%), sodium absorption ration (SAR), Kelly index (Ki), permeability index (PI), magnesium hazard (MH) was calculated which showed that the surface water was suitable for irrigation. Lastly, one-way ANOVA (p < 0.05) confirmed no significant differences in water quality except for temperature, EC and SO4−, for pre- and post-monsoon season.

Assessing the change of groundwater quality compared with land-use change and precipitation rate (Zrebar Lake's Basin)

Population, salinity, and increasing water consumption have caused high pressure on groundwater resources in Iran. The study reported here investigates the change of groundwater quality in Zrebar lake basin and the relationship between it with land-use change and precipitation rate from 1992 to 2018. To achieve the intended goal, chemical parameters of water from wells around the lake, bicarbonate (HCO3−), sulfate (SO4), sodium absorption ratio (SAR), and electrical conductivity (EC) were analyzed. Then, four methods including interpolation in the ArcGIS environment, Wilcox and Schoeller Diagram in Aq.QA software and Ground Water Quality Index (GWQI) were used to indicate the trend of water quality from 1992 to 2018. To detect land-use changes from 1992 to 2018, three Landsat satellite images covering the study area were used to identify land uses and their changes during the period that shows a significant area of forests that has been replaced by agricultural use, the dominant cover in 2018, while the area of forest has declined sharply. In this study, the precipitation patterns over the past years were showed to assess the relationship between rainy and low rainfall years with water quality. The results showed that forest area in 1992, 2003 and 2018 was 70.6, 62.5 and 50.2 hectares, respectively, which shows a significant reduction, 22%, during this study period. On the other hand, the area of farmlands and human-made constructions has increased by 20% and 200%, respectively. This study additionally revealed that although there was a decreasing trend in the rate of rainfall and the agricultural lands have increased, the quality of water was still suitable for drinking and agriculture consumptions. Changes in groundwater quality were not justifiable by rainfall rate and land-use change because there was no significant relationship between them with all the groundwater quality parameters.

Cold plasma enamel surface treatment to increase fluoride varnish uptake

Enamel strengthening to prevent the first stage of caries has been an essential issue in oral health recently. Among the available methods to increase enamel strength, fluoride varnish treatment has relatively better results in preventing tooth decay. Cold plasma capabilities in sterilizing the environment, surface modification, and improving adhesion are well known. Accordingly, this study aims to increase the enamel layer's adhesion hoping that the intensity and time of enamel interaction with FV and the absorption of fluoride ions will increase. Accordingly, we randomly divided twenty bovine teeth into two groups A (consisting of four teeth) and B (composed of four subgroups, each containing four teeth). Samples of group A and one specimen of each subset B investigate the effect of using Helium-DBD (He-DBDJ), Argon (ArJ), and Air-DBD jet on the enamel surface. Other B specimens are devoted to the study of the release of FV fluoride ions from processed enamel. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show that although ArJ and Air-DBD have significantly damaged the enamel's hexagonal structures, they are only changed from convex to concave in the He-DBDJ case. For this reason, enamel effectively enhances the capacity to accept more FV. The energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) indicates an increase in calcium ratio to phosphorus and the amount of fluoride and sodium absorption in the enamel layer in processing with He-DBDJ plasma. The latter helps restore the damaged parts of the enamel. Analysis of fluoride released from the FV did not show a significant change owing to plasma processing. The combination of Cold plasma and varnish fluoride on treatment enamel could be unique ability to improve reinforcement of tooth enamel against of tooth decay.

Using a Mamdani Fuzzy Inference System Model (MFISM) for Ranking Groundwater Quality in an Agri-Environmental Context: Case of the Hammamet-Nabeul Shallow Aquifer (Tunisia)

Using an adaptive Mamdani fuzzy inference system model (MFSIM), the purpose of this paper is mainly to assess and rank the assessment and ranking of water quality for irrigation occurring in the Hammamet-Nabeul (Tunisia) shallow aquifer. This aquifer is under Mediterranean climate conditions and affected by intensive and irrational agricultural activities. In the current study, the Mamdani fuzzy logic-based decision-making approach was adapted to classify groundwater quality (GW) for irrigation. The operation of the fuzzy model is based on the input membership functions of electrical conductivity (EC) and sodium absorption ratio (SAR) and on the output membership function of the irrigation water quality index (IWQI). Validation of the applied MFISM showed a rate of about 80%. Therefore, MFISM was shown to be reliable and flexible in quality ranking for irrigation in an uncertain and complex hydrogeological system. The results demonstrated that water quality contamination in the aquifer is affected by the overlaying of three types of negative anthropogenic practices: the excess use of water for irrigation and chemical fertilizers, and the rejection of partially treated wastewater in some areas. The implemented approach led to identifying the spatial distribution of water quality for irrigation in the studied area. It is considered a helpful tool for water agri-environmental sustainability and management.