Dielectric and chemical composition characterization of ground water collected from different water sources

Dielectric characterization of water samples, of different water sources such as borewell and step well located at three different places of the Gujarat State were carried out. Complex permittivity (ε′, εʺ) of the distilled water (DW) and water samples were measured over a frequency range from 20 Hz to 2 MHz using a precision LCR meter at room temperature (T = 298.15 K). Although the spectral response of ε′ and εʺ for all samples and DW was identical, it exhibited significant shift with respect to that of distilled water. Therefore, we adopted a novel approach, in which frequency dependent ε′ and ε′′ values of all the samples were normalized with respect to those of the distilled water. When normalized ε′ and εʺ values were plotted against frequency it exhibited well defined characteristic frequencies. These frequencies were found to vary with sample types. Chemical compositional analysis of the samples was also carried out. Correlation between various parameters derived from complex permittivity data and dissolved salts in the sample (measured by chemical compositional analysis) was established.