AccScience Publishing / AJWEP / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/AJWEP026140096
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Groundwater quality assessment for irrigation purposes: Case study Badra Region, North East Wasit Governorate, southeast of Iraq

Hind Fadhil Al Gburi1* ,  Iman Ahmed Al Ali1 ,  Ahmed Hussein Majeed2 ,  Raghad Mouhamad3
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1 Department of Geology, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
2 Kirkuk Directorate of Education, Al-Mutafawiqat Secondary School, Kirkuk, Iraq
3 Scientific Research Commission, Baghdad, Iraq
AJWEP, 026140096 https://doi.org/10.36922/AJWEP026140096
Received: 2 April 2026 | Revised: 9 May 2026 | Accepted: 14 May 2026 | Published online: 15 June 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

The present study assessed the groundwater for irrigation purposes in the Badra region, northeast of Wasit Governorate, southeast of Iraq. Seventeen groundwater samples were collected from the study area and were analyzed to determine hydrochemical ions. The results of hydrochemical analyses revealed high mineralization, with a mean electrical conductivity (EC) of 6,151 μS·cm−1 and total dissolved solids (TDS) of 4,118 mg·L−1, indicating elevated salinity. Cation and anion dominance followed this order: Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+ and SO42− > Cl− > HCO3−, respectively. Validity indices for irrigation showed sodium adsorption ratio values and permeability index within the low hazard category, while magnesium hazard and total hardness exceeded the acceptable limits in wells 1, 2, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17; and in wells 1, 12, 13, 15, 16, and 17, respectively. All groundwater samples detected with high EC and TDS levels of more than 2,250 μS·cm−1 and 2,000 mg·L−1, respectively. This indicates that the groundwater of the study area is unsuitable for irrigation due to high salinity. The findings highlight the influence of evaporitic formations and carbonate dissolution from interbedded limestone in the Fatha Formation on groundwater chemistry and emphasize the need for sustainable water management strategies to mitigate salinity risks in the Badra agricultural zone.

Keywords
Sodium adsorption ratio
Magnesium hazard
Permeability index
Salinity
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution, Electronic ISSN: 1875-8568 Print ISSN: 0972-9860, Published by AccScience Publishing
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