MONITORING THE SPREAD OF SALINITY IN NATURAL WATER SOURCES IN THE ROCK SALT PRODUCTION AREA, NAKHON RATCHASIMA PROVINCE
Keywords:
Measurement, Rock salt, SalinityAbstract
The objective of this research was to monitor the water quality in nearby natural streams that are expected to be impacted by salt production in the salt farm areas of Nakhon Ratchasima province, covering five sub-districts, to track the spread of salinity in natural water sources. This could potentially lead to the leakage of saline water into the streams, affecting the communities and farmers in adjacent areas. Water quality in natural water sources in the salt production areas of Nakhon Ratchasima province has been monitored through fieldwork for three years, from the fiscal year 2022 to 2024. The monitoring included 38 sampling points in the five sub-districts, where salinity levels, temperature, turbidity, pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids; TDS, and salinity of the water were measured and analyzed statistically. It was found that the current salinity distribution shows that surface water salinity levels range from 0.20 to 21.0 ppt (average 2.10 ppt). The highest salinity value recorded was at the Huai Noi monitoring point in May 2023, due to the stream dredging project. However, no significant statistical impact of salt production on the streams and water sources was observed. Despite a decrease in salt production in the Ban Salao area due to a reduction in licensed salt producers, salinity levels at monitoring points in the southern part of the salt farm area, which is a water catchment area, have increased. This is likely due to the presence of saline soil. Therefore, continuous monitoring of activities that could affect the spread of salinity in these areas is recommended.
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