Assessment of groundwater quality in the coastal area of mallipattinam and its environs

Abstract

This study addresses the critical need for regular monitoring and newlineassessment of groundwater quality in coastal regions, particularly in the newlineMallipattinam coastal area of Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu, where water newlineconsumption for aquaculture significantly impacts local water resources. newlineDespite ongoing efforts, there exists a knowledge gap in understanding the newlinespecific hydrogeochemical interactions and the effectiveness of current newlineevaluation methods in predicting water quality issues, especially those related newlineto salinity and contamination levels. Furthermore, conventional methods may newlinenot adequately capture the dynamic and complex nature of groundwater newlinequality variations over time and space. To bridge this gap, this research newlineemploys a novel approach combining Geographic Information System (GIS) newlineand ion geochemistry analysis, alongside the implementation of machine newlinelearning techniques, specifically Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), to assess newlineand predict groundwater quality parameters effectively. By analyzing newlineempirical data from 15 locations, this study not only explores the relationship newlinebetween electrical conductivity, chloride, sodium, magnesium, sulphate, and newlinetotal dissolved solids concentrations but also evaluates the predictive accuracy newlineof ANN models in forecasting key water quality indicators such as sulphate, newlinetotal dissolved solids, potassium, sodium, and chloride. The findings reveal newlinethat approximately 60% of the sampled water does not meet potable water newlinestandards, highlighting the urgency of this issue. This research contributes to newlinethe existing body of knowledge by providing a comprehensive understanding newlineof groundwater-saltwater interactions and by demonstrating the potential of newlineANN models in enhancing water quality monitoring and prediction efforts in newlinecoastal areas newline