Assessment of groundwater quality in China: II.Groundwater quality and pollution analysis

The quality of shallow groundwater of plains in China was assessed.The results show that groundwater is seriously polluted as poor quality water covers nearly 60% of the plain regions.Groundwater of high salinity is widely distributed,and hardness and salinity are two major contributors for the poor quality.Besides,iron,manganese and fluorine are also the major chemical components influencing the groundwater quality.The results also indicate that human-induced pollution is also evident.Area with polluted shallow groundwater is about 26% of the plain areas in China.Groundwater pollution in the densely populated plains is becoming worse in the last decades.We must distinguish between the natural and manmade factors of groundwater pollution and protect the groundwater with different measures suitable for local areas as soon as possible.