Groundwater Geochemistry and Cemetery Leachate Impacts at Langberg Cemetery, South Africa
摘要
The chapter examines the influence of cemetery leachate on groundwater quality at Langberg Cemetery, Brits, South Africa, within the framework of Sustainable Development Goals for clean water, health, and ecosystem protection. Bivariate and multivariate statistical techniques were applied to physicochemical, bacteriological, trace, and heavy metal parameters to identify contamination patterns associated with cemetery leachate sources. A total of fifteen groundwater samples collected between September 2023 and January 2024 captured both late dry and wet season conditions, enabling the assessment of temporal variations. Groundwater quality was assessed using published class thresholds for the Water Quality Index (WQI), Comprehensive Pollution Index (CPI), and Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI). Among these, CPI proved most diagnostic by effectively integrating nutrient responses, particularly nitrate, which displayed seasonal variability, whereas WQI tended to de-emphasise metal contributions and HPI isolated potential heavy-metal risk. Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) results indicated that most parameters were unpolluted (Igeo ≤0), with slight enrichment in TDS, NO3−, Ca2+, and Mg2+ and minor fluctuations in cadmium. Hydrochemical analyses classified the groundwater as a calcium–magnesium type, with chemical composition largely governed by rock water interactions and mineral dissolution, as illustrated by the Piper and Gibbs diagrams. Ionic ratio plots further supported these findings by differentiating natural geochemical processes from anthropogenic inputs. Overall, the results highlight emerging nutrient enrichment linked to cemetery processes and provide essential baseline data for long-term groundwater monitoring and management strategies.