CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Aquifers are typically made up of gravel, sand, sandstone, or fractured rock, like

limestone. Water can move through these materials because they have large connected spaces

that make them permeable. Groundwater can be found almost everywhere. The water table may

be deep or shallow; and may rise or fall depending on many factors. Heavy rains or melting snow

may cause the water table to rise, or heavy pumping of groundwater supplies may cause the

water table to fall.

Fresh groundwater was used for many important purposes, with the largest amount going

toward irrigating crops, such as the delicious eggplants, squash, and rutabagas that children love

to have for dinner. Local city and country water departments withdraw a lot of groundwater for

public uses, such as for delivery to homes, businesses, and industries, as well as for community

uses such as fire fighting, water services at public buildings, and for keeping local residents

happy by keeping community swimming pools full of water. The majority of water used for self-

supplied domestic and livestock purposes came from groundwater sources.

Groundwater supplies are replenished, or recharged, by rain and snow melt that seeps

down into the cracks and crevices beneath the land's surface. In some areas of the world, people

face serious water shortages because groundwater is used faster than it is naturally replenished.

In other areas groundwater is polluted by human activities. Water in aquifers is brought to the

surface naturally through a spring or can be discharged into lakes and streams. Groundwater can

also be extracted through a well drilled into the aquifer. A well is a pipe in the ground that fills

with groundwater. This water can be brought to the surface by a pump. Groundwater can be
polluted in such a way when areas where material above the aquifer is permeable, pollutants such

as landfills, septic tanks, leaky underground gas tanks and from overuse of fertilizers and

pesticides, can readily sink into groundwater supplies.

Nitrogen is the nutrient applied in the largest quantities for lawn and garden care, and

crop production. In addition to fertilizer, nitrogen occurs naturally in the soil in organic forms

from decaying plant and animal residues. In the soil, bacteria convert various forms of nitrogen

to nitrate, a nitrogen/oxygen ion (NO3-). This is desirable as the majority of the nitrogen used by

plants is absorbed in the nitrate form. However, nitrate is highly leachable and readily moves

with water through the soil profile. If there is excessive rainfall or over-irrigation, nitrate will be

leached below the plant's root zone and may eventually reach groundwater.

Nitrogen is a plant nutrient and stimulates crop growth. Natural soil nitrogen or added

fertilizers are the usual sources, but nitrogen in the irrigation water has much the same effect as

soil-applied fertilizer nitrogen and an excess will cause problems, just as too much fertilizer

would. If excessive quantities are present or applied, production of several commonly grown

crops may be upset because of over-stimulation of growth, delayed maturity or poor quality. The

increasing use of artificial fertilizers, the disposal of wastes (particularly from animal farming)

and changes in land use are the main factors responsible for the progressive increase in nitrate

levels in groundwater supplies over the last 20 years. Nitrogen is essential for all living things as

it is a component of protein. Nitrogen exists in the environment in many forms and changes

forms as it moves through the nitrogen cycle. However, excessive concentrations of nitrogen in

drinking water can be hazardous to health, especially for infants and pregnant women. Another

bad effect of too much nitrogen in the groundwater is eutrophication. It is when the environment

becomes enriched with nutrients. This can be a problem in marine habitats such as lakes as it can
cause algal blooms. Fertilisers are often used in farming, sometimes these fertilisers run-off into

nearby water causing an increase in nutrient levels. This causes phytoplankton to grow and

reproduce more rapidly, resulting in algal blooms. This bloom of algae disrupts normal

ecosystem functioning and causes many problems. The algae may use up all the oxygen in the

water, leaving none for other marine life. These results in the death of many aquatic organisms

such as fish, which need the oxygen in the water to live. The bloom of algae may also block

sunlight from photosynthetic marine plants under the water surface. Some algae even produce

toxins that are harmful to higher forms of life. This can cause problems along the food chain and

affect any animal that feeds on them.

Water with a pH lesser than 7 is considered acidic and with a pH greater than 7 is

considered basic. The normal range for pH in surface water systems is 6.5 to 8.5 and for

groundwater systems 6 to 8.5. Alkalinity is a measure of the capacity of the water to resists a

change in pH that would tend to make the water more acidic. The measurement of alkalinity and

pH is needed to determine the corrosivity of the water. A low pH (< 6.5) could be acidic, soft,

and corrosive. Therefore, the water could leach metal ions such as iron, manganese, copper, lead,

and zinc from the aquifer, plumbing fixtures, and piping. Therefore, a water with a low pH could

contain elevated levels of toxic metals, cause premature damage to metal piping, and have

associated aesthetic problems such as a metallic or sour taste, staining of laundry, and the

characteristic "blue-green" staining of sinks and drains . Water with a pH > 8.5 could indicate

that the water is hard. Hard water does not pose a health risk, but can cause aesthetic problems.

These problems include, formation of a "scale" or precipitate on piping and fixtures causing

water pressures and interior diameter of piping to decrease, causes an alkali taste to the water and

can make coffee taste bitter, formation of a scale or deposit on dishes, utensils, and laundry
basins, difficulty in getting soaps and detergents to foam and formation of insoluble precipitates

on clothing, etc., and decreases efficiency of electric water heaters.

The shortage and too much nitrogen, acid and alkaline of the groundwater, which is

mostly used by people, can affect all living things so, the researchers have thought of testing the

nitrogen content, acidity and alkalinity of underground reservoir because of its negative effects

that could disrupt the normal function of living things and their environment.