Investigating the level of water pollution in areas of alteration and mineralization (Case study: Northwest of Meshginshahr)

Alavi, Syed Ghafoor; Saffari, Alireza

Investigating the level of water pollution in areas of alteration and mineralization (Case study: Northwest of Meshginshahr)

Document Type : Article extracted from thesis

Authors

Syed Ghafoor Alavi ¹ ^¶

Alireza Saffari ²

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Economic Geology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

² PhD student in Economic Geology, University of Tabriz , Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

Background and Aim: Water is one of the most important and fundamental factors for the life of living organisms, in this regard, one of the most important categories that affects it is alteration and mineralization. In this regard, the soils of the northwest of Meshginshahr, which have been exposed to mineralization and alteration processes, contain large amounts of toxic and heavy elements that affect the water quality of this region. On this basis, the aim of the present study is to study the level of contamination of water in wells, springs and rivers by heavy metals in alteration and mineralization areas in the northwest of Meshginshahr.
Methods and Material: In the present study, library and field studies have been used as needed. Based on these data, a hydrographic map of the region was prepared using topographic maps (1:250,000, 1:50,000) and aerial photographs (1:20,000). In the following work process, water sampling was carried out from 3 sources: wells, springs and rivers, and existing standards (WHO) were used for chemical analysis of these samples. In this regard, sampling was carried out from 20 points of wells, springs, waterways and the Qara Su River in altered and non-altered areas.
Results and Findings: Studies conducted based on the Piper, Wilcox, Schuler diagrams and also the Stiff diagram showed that most of the waters in the study area are undesirable, non-potable and harmful for agriculture. The Langier coefficient also indicates very high sedimentation to corrosion. Another part of the research findings was based on the geochemical behavior of the elements (iron, arsenic, copper, molybdenum, lead, antimony and zinc). Studies conducted in this regard also showed that in most cases the waters under study contain more elements than the permitted limit and the declared standard. However, regarding the lead element, all the water samples in the area have a desirable quality compared to the recommended standard for irrigation.The results obtained from the chemical analysis of the waters in the studied area show that the groundwater of the alteration areas is mainly sulfated, magnesium and calcium, and with the intensification of alteration, the amount of earth elements and strong acids also increases. Most of the waters of the mineralization and alteration areas are among the undesirable and poorly known waters and are also harmful for drinking and agriculture. The high content of sulfate ions, low pH and high corrosiveness of these types of waters are among the factors that make them undesirable. Considering the pollution that has occurred in the surface and groundwater of the area, the purification of drinking water for the residents of the area can play an effective role in reducing the transfer of toxic metals to the biological cycle.

Keywords

Water

alteration

mineralization

environment

soil

Meshginshahr

Subjects

Sustainable Urban Development

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