Spatial analysis of soil and shallow groundwater physicochemical parameters in El-Mujib Basin-central Jordan

• Coarse texture of the soil is accelerating contaminants movement.
• Ordinary and indicator kriging maps assess the environmental hazards.
• Nitrate and sulfate in the groundwater derived from non-point sources of pollution.
• The pollutant is increasing along the groundwater flow direction.

In this study statistical and geostatistical methods were applied to a monitoring data set in order to assess contamination risk in soil and shallow groundwater. The study covered an area within El-Mujib Basin in central Jordan, where the barren land is dominating with a small number of irrigated areas in the vicinity of Wadi El-Mujib and in the northern part of the basin. A total of 77 soil and 104 water samples were collected randomly and analyzed physically, chemically, statistically and spatially using ordinary and indicator kriging techniques. Phosphate, nitrate, organic matter and effective field capacity in the soil system were spatially investigated and correlated to current landuse. Maximum soil maximum nitrate (125.6 mg/L), phosphate (9.7 mg/L), and organic matter (3%) contents are encountered in the central area at Wadi El-Mujib, Qattrana and Umm Rasas due to the use of fertilizers and existence of solid landfill. The soil has low water holding capacity as it is dominated by coarse texture and therefore subjecting the groundwater for potential risks through the fast soil system. The major cations and anions in the groundwater were mainly concentrated in the Wadi El-Mujib and in the central part of the Basin increases along the groundwater flow direction. Spatial groundwater indicator maps of salinity; nitrate and sulfate contents proves the high susceptibility of the study area to be contaminated. By determining the impacts, more effective (specific to contamination sources) measures for preventing groundwater quality could be implemented.