Assessment of Groundwater Physicochemical Quality in Gbêkê Region of Côte d’Ivoire Using Water Quality Indices and Multivariate Analysis
Aristide Gountôh Douagui *
Unité de Formation et de Recherche Sciences et Gestion de l’Environnement, Laboratoire Géosciences et Environnement, Université Nangui Abrogoua, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Jules Mangoua Oi Mangoua
Unité de Formation et de Recherche Environnement, Université Jean Lorougnon Guedé, Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire.
Auguste Kouamé Kouassi
Unité de Formation et de Recherche Sciences et Gestion de l’Environnement, Laboratoire Géosciences et Environnement, Université Nangui Abrogoua, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Bintou Coulibaly
Unité de Formation et de Recherche Sciences et Gestion de l’Environnement, Laboratoire Géosciences et Environnement, Université Nangui Abrogoua, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Issiaka Savané
Unité de Formation et de Recherche Sciences et Gestion de l’Environnement, Laboratoire Géosciences et Environnement, Université Nangui Abrogoua, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The large demand for drinking water in Gbêkê region of Côte d’Ivoire is supplied from groundwater sources. This study investigated the groundwater physicochemical quality in Gbêkê region of Côte d’Ivoire based on preselected 24 boreholes. Groundwater evaluation index and focused principal components analysis were used to assess water physicochemical quality, which is a major factor for controlling the groundwater quality in term of drinking purposes. Most of the groundwater were acidic and presented low mineralization. Hydrochemical facies was Mg-Ca-Cl type. Groundwater quality index values ranged from 11.69 to 119.37. The analysis shows that about 96% of the samples were belonging to excellent quality water for drinking purposes. Focused principal components analysis suggests that groundwater quality was mainly related to geogenic (rock–water interaction) and anthropogenic source (agrogenic and domestic sewage) in the study area. It is expected that outcomes of the study will provide insights for decision makers taking proper measures for groundwater quality management in central Côte d'Ivoire.
Keywords: Hydrochemistry, groundwater quality, chemical pollution, Gbêkê Region.