AN APPRAISAL OF GROUND WATER QUALITY AND SOIL PROPERTIES OF DINAJPUR DISTRICT

Abstract

A study was conducted to assess the pollution from the soil and groundwater collected from eight upazilla of Dinajpur district in Bangladesh. From different locations, 50 water samples and 50 soil samples were collected for chemical analyses. The standard parameters were pH, EC, TDS, HT, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Cl, As, HCO, CO3,SO4 and NO3. The pH indicated that the water was all most neutral to slightly alkaline. Grading based on B and SSP reflected that all waters were good to excellent classes. TDS and SAR categorized the water as excellent. Water samples were moderately hard to hard class. All waters were free from RSC and belongs to the suitable category. EC and SAR revealed that water samples were medium salinity and low alkalinity nature and was expressed as C2S1. Other micronutrients like Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu were within the safe limit for irrigating all types of agricultural crops. According to drinking standard, some of the waters were detected due to higher concentration of Fe and Mn ions. Other pollutant likes As, Cl, Cu, Zn and SO, were within the safe limit. Most of the water samples are unsuitable for livestock due to higher concentration of Cl, Mn and hardness than recommended limit but the concentration of B, Cu and Zn ions were within the safe limit. The soil of the Dinajpur district was slightly acidic. The increasing tendency of EC in soil of the study area might lead to soil salinity problem in future.