Comprehensive evaluation of groundwater quality in population-dense and extensive agricultural regions and study on its relationship with agricultural production and human activities.

Abstract

Extensive agricultural regions commonly face issues of poor groundwater management, non-standard agricultural production practices, and unordered discharge of domestic pollution, leading to a continuous decline in groundwater quality and a sharp increase in risks. A comprehensive understanding of groundwater conditions and pollution is a crucial step in effectively addressing the water quality crisis. This study employs the Comprehensive Water Quality Index, Irrigation parameter, and Pollution Index to comprehensively investigate the groundwater quality in a typical agricultural area in Shandong, China, and assesses the suitability of groundwater for irrigation and the risks to human health. Furthermore, multivariate statistical analysis methods are utilized to analyze the relationship between groundwater quality and agricultural production and human activities. The results of the comprehensive quality evaluation indicate that the groundwater in the study area is primarily characterized as weakly alkaline hard freshwater and slightly brackish water, with a hydrochemical type of HCO₃-Ca. 42% of the groundwater is unsuitable for drinking, with the main pollutants being TDS, TH, F^-, and NO₃^-. The shallow groundwater level and high soil permeability provide favorable conditions for pollutant migration. Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC) and Potential Salinity (PS) indicate that 37% of the water samples have excessive bicarbonate levels and 5% have excessive salinity, making them unsuitable for irrigation. Nitrate poses non-carcinogenic risks to all three age groups. Multivariate analysis results show that agricultural pollution dominates in the groundwater, with major pollutants including SO₄^2-, NO₃^-, COD, NH₄-N, F^-, etc. Domestic pollution mainly increases the concentrations of ions such as Ca²⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, and also contributes to Cl^- and NO₃^-. The findings of this study contribute to enhancing the rational utilization of groundwater quality in agricultural areas, standardizing agricultural production activities, and promoting the sustainable development of green agriculture.