Seasonal variation alters groundwater quality: a case study from Rai industrial block of Sonipat, Haryana, India

Background and Aim The groundwater quality assessment was carried out around the industrial area of the Rai block of Sonipat district, India, consecutively for three seasons during 2021 and 2022.Experimental Approach Cadmium, chromium, nickel, copper, iron, zinc, pH, temperature, TDS, EC and turbidity, were analyzed. SPSS 22 Trial version software was used for the descriptive statistics, correlation, and ANOVA.Key Findings Seasonal trend indicated that TDS, EC and turbidity peaked during the monsoon season in both 2011 and 2022, reflecting enhanced runoff and infiltration process. pH exhibited maximum values in the pre-monsoon season of 2021 and the monsoon season of 2022, suggesting variable buffering and dilution effects. The concentrations of heavy metal ions were observed in the pre-monsoon season of 2021 and the POM season of 2022 due to seasonal differences in recharge and metal mobilization.Conclusions Highlevels of TDS, EC, turbidity and heavy metals contamination rendered the groundwater non-potable, posing a potential risk to human health. Therefore, the application of appropriate treatment technologies like ion-exchange, adsorption and filtration is recommended to improve the groundwater quality and make it suitable for drinking purpose.