Quality Evaluation and its Controlling Factors of Groundwater from Wolonghu Mining Area, Northern Anhui Province, China

Major ion concentrations were analysed for 29 groundwater samples collected from diverse aquifers in Wolonghu mining, northern Anhui province, China. The evaluation of groundwater quality and controlling factors analysis were obtained by the methods such as multivariate statistical approach and conventional graphical and calculation of a series of index. The results showed that the groundwater samples are alkaline in nature, with the high value of TDS ranging from 686 to 3927 mg/L, the concentrations of Cl- are low for all groundwater samples, whereas the contents of SO₄ ^2- and HCO₃^- are high. The groundwater samples of QA and CA could be used for drinking and irrigation, whereas the groundwater of LA could not be used for irrigation for the high TDS concentration. The groundwater in the area is mainly controlled by silicate weathering, the evaporative dissolution and carbonate dissolution. Sulphate dissolution also played an important role in the groundwater quality.