IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2022) 13-2

Research article
erd

Chemical Characteristics of Natural Mineral Water from aWellspring in the Ban Haubueng Community Forest,
Nampong District, Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
NUTTIRA KLEAWKLAHAN
Office of Agricultural Research and Development Region 3,
Ministry of Agricultural and Cooperatives, Khon Kaen, Thailand

CHULEEMAS BOONTHAI IWAI*Department of Soil Sciences and Environment, Faculty of Agriculture,
Khon Kean University, Khon Kean, Thailand
Email: chuleemas1@gmail.com
Received 21 February 2022

Accepted 22 April 2022(*Corresponding Author)Abstract This research aimed to analyze the chemical characteristics of natural mineralwater from a wellspring in the Ban Haubueng Community Forest, Nampong District, Khon
Kaen Province, Thailand. Physico-chemical properties and minerals status are important
deciding factors in the assessment of water quality for water resource utilization. Therefore,
the contamination of heavy metal and essential minerals from different locations within theBan Haubueng community forest were evaluated. Water samples were collected in 2021
and then analyzed according to standard methods for heavy metal and the essentialminerals; As, Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Hg, Ni, Mn, Zn, Fe, Se, Na, Si, and Ca through the use ofInductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy. In-house methods were also
employed, based on EPA 3 0 1 5 and microbial contamination; such as Escherichia coli via
AFNOR Certificate Number 3 M 01/ 8-06/ 01 compared with ISO16649-2, and for
Salmonella spp. by ISO 6579:2017. The results found that As, Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Hg and Ni as
well as E. coli and salmonella were not detected in all water samples. Essential mineralsincluding Si and Ca were detected in the mineral water samples at 7.61 ppm -7.64 ppm and
3.0 ppm-8.86 ppm, respectively. Therefore, we concluded that the mineral water has noheavy metal contamination and is safe from pathogenic microorganisms; E. coli andSalmonella spp. Moreover, other mineral elements present, like silicon may warrant further
investigation for other purposes, such as agricultural production.
Keywords natural mineral waters, heavy metals, pathogenic microorganisms,water quality

INTRODUCTION
Water is very important for rural development and contributes significantly to people health. Water
is an essential component of our food and contributes to many mineral nutrients. Its contribution to
health is directly within households through food and nutrition, and indirectly as a means ofmaintaining a healthy, diverse environment. Fresh water is essential for agriculture, domestic use,and drinking purpose for human and animals. Water quality depends upon the chemical andbiological characteristics of water. Therefore, human health as well as sustainable agriculturaldevelopment will not be possible without availability of quality fresh water in adequate quantity(WHO, 1996).
The Ban Huabueng community forest has an area of 80 rai (1 rai= 1,600 square meters), and isrepresented by seven community forest committees. The area is characterized by sandy loam andcharacterized as a dry evergreen forest, most of the trees found are Dipeterocapus alatus Roxb. ex.
G. Don, Shorea obtusa Wall. Ex Blume, Shorea siamensis Miq. Hopea odorata Roxb., Ficus
callose. Community utilization of the forest has been for conducting ritual ceremonies and for theⒸ ISERD

1IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2022) 13-2

benefits provided by the wellspring, at 100 and 91.2 percent, respectively (Phulawan, 2020). A
wellspring in the Ban Huabueng community forest was found and used by villagers since 1899.
Mineral water from wellspring is a natural water source, which farmers use for both consumption
and agriculture. A quality assessment of the natural mineral water is, therefore, needed to ensure
safe water consumption and for water resource management for villagers.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this research was to analyze the chemical and biological water characteristics of thenatural mineral water from the wellspring in the Ban Haubueng community forest, NampongDistrict, Khon Kaen Province, Thailand.
METHODOLOGY.
The study area is Ban Huabueng which located at Moo 9, Sai Mun Sub-district, Nam PhongDistrict, Khon Kaen Province, Thailand and founded in 1899, the village consists of a 62-rai
residential area with a total of 157 households, an agricultural area of 883.24 rai, and a public areaof 124 rai (1 rai= 1,600 square meters). The educational level was primarily at the elementary level,
representing 46.0 percent. Agriculture was the primary occupation followed by various forms ofgeneral employment. The average number of household members was four people, with an average
income of 44,734.51 baht per year, and the average life span in the Ban Huabueng community was
52.55 years.
The water samples were collected from different sites in plastic bottles, which were previously
washed with detergents and HNO3 acid and later rinsed with sampled water several times. Total
1.5mL of 2M HNO3 was added to each 100mL samples (pH<3) for metallic ions determination tomaintain the stability of the oxidation state of the various elements in solution and prevent
precipitation (Singh et al, 2005).
Three samples from different sites consisting of a) mineral water from the community forest’swellspring, b) mineral water from paddy fields, c) irrigation water, were collected and tested. Thewater samples were collected in June 2021 and then analyzed according to standard methods forheavy metal and essential minerals; including As, Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Hg, Ni, Mn, Zn, Fe, Se, Na, Si,and Ca through the use of inductively coupled Plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES).
In-house methods were also employed, based on EPA 3015 and microbial contamination, such as E.
coli via AFNOR Certificate Number 3 M 01/8-06/01 compared with ISO16649-2, and for Salmonella spp.
by ISO 6579:2017.

Fig. 1 The study area and water sampling sitesⒸ ISERD

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IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2022) 13-2

RESULTS
Heavy metal and other essential minerals from each sample location within the Ban Haubueng
community forest were shown in Tables 1 and 2. The results found that As, Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Hg, Ni;
as well Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. were not detected in all water samples. Essentialminerals, such as Si and Ca were detected in the mineral water at 7.61ppm-7.64 ppm and 3.0 ppm8.86 ppm, respectively. Therefore, it can conclude that the natural mineral water from a wellspringin the Ban Haubueng Community Forest has no heavy metal contamination and safe from
pathogenic microorganisms, like Escherichia coli and salmonella spp. (Tables 1, 2).
Table 1 Chemical characteristics (metal contents) of natural mineral water from thewellspring in Ban Haubueng Community Forest, Nampong District, Khon Kaen
Province (unit:ppm)
Metal contents
Zn (ppm)
Fe (ppm)
Se (ppm)
Na (ppm)
Si (ppm)
Ca (ppm)
As (ppm)
Pb (ppm)
Cd (ppm)
Cu (ppm)
Ni (ppm)
Mn (ppm)

Mineral water from wellspringin community forest
ND
ND
ND
1.71
7.61
3.0
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
0.01

Mineral water in paddy
field
ND
0.84
ND
2.75
7.64
8.86
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
0.02

Irrigation
water
ND
0.03
ND
15.67
6.36
28.31
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
0.02

Standarda
1.00
1.00
200b
0.10
0.05
0.01
1.000.100.05

a Water quality standard for surface water sources, Pollution Control Department, Ministry of Natural Resources

and Environment, Thailand
b The World Health Organization, a drinking water guideline of 200 mg of sodium/L

Table 2 Analysis of pathogenic microorganisms (Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp.)
in the water samples
Pathogenic microorganisms
E. coli (cfu/g)
Salmonella spp. (in 25 grams)
Mineral Water from the wellspring< 10

Not detected

Tap water in the village< 10Not detected

Irrigation water< 10Not detected

DISCUSSION
Heavy metals are known to be toxic, persistent within environmental settings, possibly
bioaccumulated and concentrated in the biota and food chain, as well as containing carcinogenic
metalloids (Hee et al., 2019). There are various sources, including natural and anthropogenic, ofheavy metals in aquatic environments. Metals from anthropogenic sources such as industrial wastes,
agricultural runoff, urban runoff, atmospheric deposition, and automobile emissions could bedispersed to the surface water via surface runoff or rain water. From this research, no toxic heavy
metal contents were found in the natural mineral water from the wellspring in the Ban Haubueng
community forest, Nampong District, Khon Kaen Province. But silicon and calcium, the mineralelements were found in the mineral water from community forest wellspring. This finding may be
useful information for using this water resource in others purposes, such as agricultural production.
The composition of the mineral water was analyzed and found several nutrients; for example,
silicon, which is known for its role in alleviating the negative stress effects on numerous plantⒸ ISERD

3IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2022) 13-2species (Frew et al., 2018) and calcium that is good for plants. Silicon, as previously reported,applied with fertilizer increased grain and straw yield, plant height, number of tillers, number ofpanicles, and 1000-grain weight of rice (Pati et al., 2016; Cuong et al. 2017). The increased growthand yield of rice were influenced by its ability to reduce biological and physical stresses (Pati et al.,2016). The nutritional values of rice vary with different varieties, soil fertility, fertilizer
application, and other environmental conditions (Verma, and Srivastav, 2017). Rice production has
been done in this area. Therefore, rice grown with mineral water from wellspring in community
forest could be a beneficial source of mineral supplements for people in the village.
CONCLUSION
We concluded that the natural mineral water from the wellspring in the Ban Haubueng community
forest, Nampong District, Khon Kaen Province has no heavy metal contamination and is safe from
pathogenic microorganisms (Escherichia coli and salmonella spp.). The water quality status of thenatural mineral water from the wellspring in the Ban Haubueng community forest, NampongDistrict, Khon Kaen Province during the wet seasons is under Thailand Water Quality Standard interm of heavy metals and pathogen. This finding provides a scientific reference for protecting local
aquatic ecosystem and managing water resources development in this community for the future.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors wish to express their gratitude to the Office of Agricultural Research and Development
Region 3, Ministry of Agricultural and Cooperatives, Khon Kaen, Thailand, and the Integrated Landand Water Resource Management Research and Development Center in Northeastern Thailand, Khon
Kean University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.

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