Assessment and Mapping of Fluoride Contamination of Groundwater of the Hatigaon Area of Assam, India Using Geographic Information System

Priyanka Kotoky, Bibhash Sarma, Enny Dowerah Kotoky

Abstract: For this study, the Hatigaon area of Guwahati City of the state Assam, India has been selected to assess the groundwater quality with special reference to fluoride contamination. Spatial variations in groundwater quality with reference to fluoride contamination in the Hatigaon area have been studied using Geographic Information System (GIS). For this study, a total of 115 groundwater samples were collected from 115 pinpoint locations (wells) in the Hatigaon area. The groundwater samples were analyzed for fluoride using Spectroquant Pharo 100 Spectrophotometer and compared with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and World Health Organization (WHO) standards. Mapping of spatial distributions of fluoride contamination of groundwater of the Hatigaon area was done using ArcGIS and the groundwater fluoride distribution map was obtained. The results revealed that fluoride contents in the groundwater samples ranged between 0.22-11 mg/l. The results obtained in this study and the spatial database established in GIS will be helpful for monitoring and managing groundwater contamination due to fluoride in the study area.

Keywords: ArcGIS, fluoride, groundwater, water quality