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Journal of Arid Land
Journal of Arid Land  2023, Vol. 15 Issue (12): 1490-1509    DOI: 10.1007/s40333-023-0112-6
Research article     
Integrating stable isotopes and factor analysis to delineate the groundwater provenance and pollution sources in the northwestern part of the Amman-Al Zarqa Basin, Jordan
Mutawakil OBEIDAT1,*(), Ahmad AL-AJLOUNI2, Eman BANI-KHALED2, Muheeb AWAWDEH3, Muna ABU-DALO2
1Basic Sciences and Humanities Department, Faculty of Science and Arts, Water Diplomacy Centre, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan
2Chemistry Department, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan
3Laboratory of Applied Geoinformatics, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Yarmouk University, Irbid 21163, Jordan
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Abstract  

Globally, groundwater contamination by nitrate is one of the most widespread environmental problems, particularly in arid and semiarid areas, which are characterized by low amounts of rainfall and groundwater recharge. The stable isotope composition of groundwater (δ2H-H2O and δ18O-H2O) and dissolved nitrate (δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3-) and factor analysis (FA) were applied to explore groundwater provenance, pollution, and chemistry evolution in the northwestern part of the Amman-Al Zarqa Basin, Jordan. In this study, we collected 23 samples from the Lower Ajloun aquifer in 2021, including 1 sample from a groundwater well and 22 samples from springs. These samples were tested for electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, the concentration of major ions (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, HCO3-, Cl-, SO42-, and NO3-), and the stable isotope composition of groundwater and dissolved nitrate. The results revealed that groundwater in the study area is mainly Ca-Mg-HCO3 type and can be classified as fresh water, hard water, and very hard water. The range and average concentration of NO3- were 3.5-230.8 and 50.9 mg/L, respectively. Approximately 33% of the sampling points showed NO3- levels above the maximum allowable concentration of 50.0 mg/L set by the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for drinking water quality. The values of δ18O-H2O and δ2H-H2O showed that groundwater in the study area is part of the current water cycle, originating in the Mediterranean Sea, with significant evaporation, orographic, and amount effects. The values of the stable isotope composition of NO3- corresponded to δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3- values produced by the nitrification process of manure or septic waste and soil NH4+. The FA performed on the hydrochemical parameters and isotope data resulted in three main factors, with Factor 1, Factor 2, and Factor 3, accounting for 50%, 21%, and 11% of the total variance, respectively. Factor 1 was considered human-induced factor, named "pollution factor", whereas Factor 2, named "conservative fingerprint factor", and Factor 3, named "hardness factor", were considered natural factors. This study will help local researchers manage groundwater sustainably in the study area and other similar arid and semiarid areas in the world.

Key words： stable isotope composition      δ15N-NO3-      δ18O-NO3-      groundwater quality      pollution sources      Jordan     
Received: 18 February 2023      Published: 31 December 2023
Corresponding Authors: *Mutawakil OBEIDAT (E-mail: mobeidat@just.edu.jo)
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Mutawakil OBEIDAT
Ahmad AL-AJLOUNI
Eman BANI-KHALED
Muheeb AWAWDEH
Muna ABU-DALO
Cite this article:

Mutawakil OBEIDAT, Ahmad AL-AJLOUNI, Eman BANI-KHALED, Muheeb AWAWDEH, Muna ABU-DALO. Integrating stable isotopes and factor analysis to delineate the groundwater provenance and pollution sources in the northwestern part of the Amman-Al Zarqa Basin, Jordan. Journal of Arid Land, 2023, 15(12): 1490-1509.

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http://jal.xjegi.com/10.1007/s40333-023-0112-6     OR     http://jal.xjegi.com/Y2023/V15/I12/1490

Fig. 1 Maps of the study area (a), rainfall distribution (b), land use type with sampling sites (c), the geological and hydrogeological classification of lithology (d), and aquifer systems (e)
Epoch Stage Group Formation Symbol Thickness (m) Rock type Aquifer potentiality Permeability (m/s)
Upper Cretaceous Maastrichtian Balqa Muwaqqar Chalk Marl B3 60-70 Chalk, marl, and chalky limestone Poor -
Campanian Amman silicified limestone B2 80-120 Chert and limestone with phosphate Excellent 1.0×10-5-3.0×10-4
Santonian Wadi Umm Ghudran B1 15-20 Chalk, marl, and marly limestone Poor -
Turonian Ajloun Wadi As Sir A7 90-110 Hard crystalline limestone and dolomitic and some chert Excellent 1.0×10-7-1.0×10-4
Shueib A5 and A6 75-100 Light grey limestone interbedded with marls and marly limestone Fair to poor 6.3×10-5-7.2×10-4
Hummar A4 40-60 Hard dense limestone and dolomitic limestone Good 8.1×10-7-7.3×10-4
Fuhays A3 60-80 Grey and olive-green soft marl, marly limestone, and limestone Poor 5.3×10-7-1.7×10-5
Cenomanian
Na'ur A1 and A2 150-220 Limestone interbedded with a thick sequence of marl and marly limestone Poor 2.0×10-8-3.1×10-5
Lower Cretaceous Albian Kurnub K 300 Massive white and varicoloured sandstone with layers of reddish silt and shale Good 6.9×10-3-5.2×10-2
Aptian
Table 1 Geological and hydrogeological classification of rock type in the Amman-Al Zarqa Basin
Parameter Minimum Maximum Mean Standard
deviation		 CV (%) WHO (2011) Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization (2015)
pH 7.3 8.6 7.7 0.4 5.2 6.5-8.5 6.5-9.0
Temperature (°C) 13.6 21.6 17.9 1.5 8.4 12.0-25.0 12.0-25.0
TDS (mg/L) 324.0 1030.0 539.3 163.8 30.4 500.0-1000.0 500.0-1500.0
EC (µS/cm) 457.0 1423.0 758.9 228.2 30.1 1500.0 1500.0
TH (mg/L) 152.4 426.4 57.4 13.0 22.6 300.0-500.0 300.0-500.0
DO (mg/L) 4.6 11.6 7.5 1.3 16.9 - -
Na+ (mg/L) 10.3 80.5 26.8 18.6 69.4 150.0-200.0 200.0-400.0
K+ (mg/L) 0.1 26.0 2.6 5.4 200.1 10.0-20.0 10.0-50.0
Mg2+ (mg/L) 5.9 32.3 14.0 7.7 55.0 50.0-100.0 50.0-150.0
Ca2+ (mg/L) 44.3 156.0 81.9 23.7 28.9 75.0-100.0 75.0-200.0
SO42- (mg/L) 13.0 117.7 33.4 22.4 67.1 200.0-250.0 200.0-500.0
Cl- (mg/L) 14.2 139.1 47.2 36.0 76.3 200.0-250.0 200.0-500.0
HCO3- (mg/L) 64.0 128.0 96.9 19.0 19.6 125.0-350.0 100.0-500.0
NO3- (mg/L) 3.5 230.8 50.9 56.4 100.1 45.0-50.0 50.0-70.0
Table 2 Descriptive statistics of the hydrochemical parameters of groundwater in the study area
Fig. 2 Spatial distribution of electrical conductivity (EC; a) and NO3- concentration (b)
Parameter Ca2+ Mg2+ Na+ K+ HCO3- SO42- NO3- Cl- EC TH TDS
Ca2+ 1.00 0.77** 0.58** 0.20 0.34** 0.57** 0.60** 0.76** 0.85** 0.94** 0.90**
Mg2+ 0.77** 1.00 0.53** 0.43** 0.10 0.50** 0.40** 0.80** 0.85** 0.94** 0.84**
Na+ 0.58** 0.53** 1.00 0.36** -0.10 0.87** 0.60** 0.84** 0.85** 0.59** 0.78**
K+ 0.20 0.43** 0.36** 1.00 -0.40 0.27* -0.10 0.50** 0.42** 0.31** 0.34**
HCO3- 0.34** 0.10 -0.10 -0.40 1.00 -0.10 0.20 -0.20 0.10 0.22* 0.29**
SO42- 0.57** 0.50** 0.87** 0.27* -0.10 1.00 0.67** 0.78** 0.78** 0.58** 0.69**
NO3- 0.60** 0.38** 0.60** -0.10 0.20 0.67** 1.00 0.54** 0.62** 0.52** 0.62**
Cl- 0.76** 0.80** 0.84** 0.50** -0.20 0.78** 0.54** 1.00 0.95** 0.83** 0.86**
EC 0.85** 0.85** 0.85** 0.42** 0.10 0.78** 0.62** 0.95** 1.00 0.90** 0.95**
TH 0.94** 0.94** 0.59** 0.31** 0.22* 0.58** 0.52** 0.83** 0.90** 1.00 0.92**
TDS 0.90** 0.84** 0.78** 0.34** 0.29** 0.69** 0.62** 0.86** 0.95** 0.92** 1.00
Table 3 Pearson correlation coefficients for the major hydrochemical parameters of groundwater in the study area
Fig. 3 Piper diagram showing different hydrochemical facies of groundwater in the study area
Fig. 4 Gibbs diagram of the main processes controlling groundwater chemistry in the study area. (a), N+/(Na++Ca2+) vs. total dissolved solids (TDS); (b), Cl-/(Cl-+HCO3-) vs. TDS.
Fig. 5 Plot of TDS vs. Na+/Cl- (a), Chadha diagram of groundwater samples (b), plot of Cl- vs. Chloro-alkaline index (CAI; c), and plot of (Na++K+)-Cl- vs. (Ca2++Mg2+)-(SO42-+HCO3-) (d). In Figure 5c, the black solid line separates the two types of ion exchange (reverse ion exchange and base ion exchange).
Fig. 6 Relationships between Ca2++Mg2+ and HCO3-+SO42- (a), Cl? and Ca2+/HCO3? (b), and (NO3?+Cl?)/ HCO3? and TDS (c)
Parameter Factor 1 Factor 2 Factor 3
Cl- 0.93 0.25 0.10
NO3- 0.95 0.15 0.01
SO42- 0.95 -0.06 0.08
HCO3- 0.10 -0.03 0.88
Na+ 0.94 0.25 0.10
K+ 0.80 -0.08 0.08
Mg2+ 0.05 0.34 0.85
Ca2+ 0.80 -0.23 -0.17
EC 0.95 0.06 0.21
δ18O-H2O 0.14 0.87 0.28
δ2H-H2O -0.01 0.86 -0.16
δ15N-NO3- 0.75 -0.04 0.02
δ18O-NO3- -0.03 0.79 0.21
Eigenvalue 6.46 2.70 1.37
Percentage of variance (%) 49.65 20.78 10.51
Cumulative percentage of variance (%) 49.65 70.43 80.94
Table 4 Principal component analysis (PCA) of the hydrochemical parameters, δ2H-H2O, δ18O-H2O, δ15N-NO3-, and δ18O-NO3-
Sampling site NO3-
(mg/L)		 δ18O-H2O-
VSMOW (‰)		 δ2H-H2O-
VSMOW (‰)		 d-excess
(‰)		 δ15N-NO3- -atmospheric air (‰) δ18O-NO3- -VSMOW (‰) Theoretical δ18O-NO3- (‰)
1 54.3 -6.64 -30.40 22.76 7.37 1.49 2.60
2 24.1 -6.91 -31.19 24.09 6.20 3.05 2.42
3 13.8 -6.72 -31.71 22.05 3.72 2.64 2.55
4 230.8 -6.61 -30.10 22.75 11.26 2.33 2.62
5 10.3 -6.95 -30.43 25.20 2.56 1.35 2.39
6 73.4 -6.97 -30.92 24.82 10.97 1.47 2.38
7 63.2 -7.01 -30.96 25.11 11.34 2.15 2.35
8 120.3 -6.86 -29.92 24.95 13.67 2.85 2.46
9 12.1 -6.79 -29.63 24.65 3.29 2.70 2.50
10 31.1 -6.55 -28.63 23.81 4.98 1.94 2.66
11 20.2 -6.55 -28.27 24.14 6.63 2.71 2.66
12 164.4 -6.38 -27.73 23.31 8.35 2.58 2.78
13 16.2 -6.88 -30.73 24.27 4.30 2.52 2.44
14 14.7 -6.85 -30.61 24.19 2.88 1.82 2.46
15 18.1 -6.90 -30.88 24.33 7.42 1.13 2.43
16 43.5 -6.48 -30.22 21.63 8.95 3.13 2.71
17 72.5 -6.50 -30.09 21.88 10.16 4.32 2.70
18 97.4 -5.87 -27.92 19.07 8.15 7.40 3.12
19 3.5 -6.78 -32.52 21.74 7.25 3.47 2.51
20 46.7 -5.96 -26.62 21.09 3.88 4.29 3.05
21 14.8 -6.72 -28.34 25.40 4.82 5.48 2.55
22 14.1 -6.69 -28.60 24.91 5.53 5.31 2.57
23 12.4 -6.64 -27.52 25.64 8.39 3.63 2.60
Maximum 230.8 -5.90 -26.60 25.60 13.70 7.40 3.10
Minimum 3.5 -7.00 -32.50 19.10 2.60 1.10 2.40
Average 50.9 -6.70 -29.70 23.60 7.00 3.00 2.60
Table 5 Stable isotopic composition of groundwater samples
Fig. 7 Relationship between δ18O and δ2H of groundwater samples in the study area. MMWL is the Mediterranean meteoric water line (Gat and Carmi, 1970), GMWL is the global meteoric water line (Craig, 1961), and LMWL is the local meteoric water line (Bajjali, 2012).
Fig. 8 Relationships of TDS with d-excess (a), δ18O (b), and NO3- (c)
Fig. 9 Plot of δ15N-atmospheric air vs. δ18O-VSMOW of the groundwater samples in the study area. VSMOW is Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water. The rectangles represent the stable isotopic composition of dissolved nitrate from different sources. The boxes represent the fields of ranges of stable isotopic values of different sources.
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[1] Mutawakil OBEIDAT, Muheeb AWAWDEH, Noor AL-KHARABSHEH, Ahmad AL-AJLOUNI. Source identification of nitrate in the upper aquifer system of the Wadi Shueib catchment area in Jordan based on stable isotope composition[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2021, 13(4): 350-374.