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IBWRD
Vol. (II)– No. (04)- S.N. (07)- Autumn 2014
ISSN 2345 - 5012
18th Article– P. XIX-XXVII
International Bulletin of
Water Resources & Development
An Assessment of Groundwater Quality: A Case Study of Qahavand
Plain, Hamadan Province, Iran
Abdollah Taheri Tizro1*, Nasredin Parsafar2, Amin Toranjian3
1
Associate Professor, Department of Water Resources Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamadan, Iran
2
Young Researchers & Elites Club, Hamedan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Hamedan, Iran ([email protected])
3
Ph.D. Student of Water Resources Engineering, Department of Water Resources Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu-Ali Sina
University,Hamadan, Iran ([email protected])
* Corresponding Author ([email protected])
Article History
Revised (1): Jun. 23, 2014
Revised (2):Sep. 23, 2014
Received: May. 15, 2014
Reviewed: Jun. 19, 2014
Accepted: Oct. 10, 2014
Published: Dec. 16, 2014
Abstract
Groundwater is a renewable resource and has a remarkable distinction of being highly dependable, safe and widespread. In this
study, chemical parameters including Ca+2, Mg+2, Na+, K+, HCO-3, CO3-2, SO4-2, Cl- were analyzed as well as TDS, pH and electrical
conductivity to establish quality characteristics of groundwater in Qahavand plain which is located in Hamadan Province. The
results showed that the Groundwater in the plain can be dominantly arranged as Na+>Ca2+>Mg2+>K+ and for anions and likewise
it can be sorted as SO4-2>Cl->HCO3->CO32 for anions. Average pH for all wells is classified as moderate. Electrical conductivity
indicated that the groundwater is relatively to highly saline in the central part. Most samples possess a sodium ratio of less than
60%. The Cl- concentration for irrigation purposes was suitable for five wells, moderate for ten wells and highly restricted for
another five wells. Most samples had negative Schoeller index value, indicating the possibility of ion exchange of Ca2+ or Mg2+ in
groundwater with Na+ and K+ in aquifer media. Based on Pearson correlation coefficients, all major cations and anions were
positively correlated with TDS. These correlation coefficients are remarkable with higher range of 0.95 for Mg2+. The correlation
of cations and anions with TDS is significant at 0.01 leve of significance.
Keywords: Chemical parameters, Qahavand plain, Irrigation, Groundwater quality
1. Introduction
Population growth and improvement of living
standards in most countries require more water for
agricultural, industrial and municipal consumptions.
Groundwater, as one of the most important resources
in supplying water needs encounters different
challenges such as water table downfall, rainfall
decrease and pollutants entrance (Shamaanian et al.,
2006). Groundwater is a critical resource for
agriculture and industry sectors where surface water is
scarce (Delgado et al., 2010). Groundwater is an
important resource in arid and semi-arid regions of
Iran. The Quality of groundwater can always be
superior to that of other resources. It is also easily
available and needs no hydraulic structures for its use
and it is possible to operate it individually. Natural
water contains some solutes which are dissolved
during rainfall from the air or during infiltration from
the soil. As existence of solutes in water can be
considered as nutrition and sometimes is essential for
creatures, however, increase of soluble materials in
water causes salinity that means poor water quality
(Emamgholi Zade, 2006). These solutes which include
lime, gypsum and other minerals are produced by
soil, rocks degradation and wind erosion
(Hajrasouliha, 2003). Measurement of cations and
anions is of great importance in determining water
quality in agriculture and domestic sectors. Its
importance is outlined by many researchers.
The main source of Na+ in natural water is wind
erosion and break up of different rocks materials. Most
industrial and domestic wastewater has considerable
amount of Na+. Moreover, disposal of wastewater in
natural resources increases the concentration of these
elements (Alizade, 2004). Sodium concentration in
soil causes soil salinity followed by some restrictions.
Since sodic soils have a poor structure and low
stability, they are considerably dispersed. Water
infiltration decreases greatly and hydraulic
conductivity becomes low in such type of soil (Afyuni
et al., 1997). Calcium and Magnesium exist in all
natural waters and soils abundantly. They increase
water infiltration in soil. Sodium, Magnesium and
Potassium sulfates are soluble in water but Calcium
sulfate has low solubility. Sulfate has no effect on soil,
but its presence in soil structure increases total soil
XIX
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International Bulletin of Water Resources & Development (IBWRD), Vol. (II)– No. (04)- S.N. (07)- Autumn 2014
salinity. The existence of soluble calcium reduces
sulfate solubility (Alizade, 2004). A study was carried
out by Shaabani (2009) to classify Arsanjan
groundwater for agricultural use, based on EC, TDS
and NO3 concentration. Thus, it was found that about
75% of Arsanjan groundwater is not suitable for
irrigation Parsafar et al. (2009a) investigated the
chemical quality of Kabudar-Ahang water resources in
Hamadan. The results showed that groundwater is
good and acceptable in terms of Na+ and pH,
respectively. Moreover, it situates in C3 and C2 classes
in terms of salinity. Therefore, Kabudar-Ahang water
resources were acceptable for surface irrigation.Gaus
et al. (2003) investigated the concentration of Arsenic
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in groundwater of 3534 wells in Bangladesh. The
results showed a high ranges in Arsenic data.
2. The Study Area
Qahavand plain is located in Qarachay basin in
western Hamadan (Fig. 1). The average elevation of
the region is about 1650 m. The area possess saline and
sodic lands and is about 26900 ha. The mean annual
precipitation is about 260 mm, the average
temperature
about 11.79 oC and the annual
evaporation about 2020 mm. Based on physiographic
properties, the climate of the region is semi-arid .
Therefore, it is classified as flood plain and low level
lands.
Fig. 1. Location of monitoring wells in Qahavand Plain.
3. Materials and Methods
In present study, water quality parameters were
obtained from 20 wells in Qahavand plain for 5 years
(2005-2009). The average, maximum and minimum
for each parameter were calculated and compared with
the standards fixed by international agencies in the
study period for each well. The plain location and
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wells sites in Hamadan are shown in Fig. 1 and their
details are presented in Table 1.
Table 1. Details of monitored wells and their locations in Qahavand plain.
Region Name
X
Y
Region Name
X
Y
Kord-Khor
316412
3825713
Yekle
317400
3861216
Ahmadabad-Ojtappe
316532
3832353
Jonub Jeyhunabad
318763
3863763
Abdolrahim
318700
3832500
Qarb-Jeyhunabad
313371
3869386
Qeshlaq-Olya
323609
3838379
Jade Emamzade
316817
3873084
Qarb-Kuze
316095
3844205
Hamekasi
314007
3878475
Buyakhchi
325200
3858500
Vast Emamzade
317250
3875008
Qlebab- nazar
325367
3859685
Emamzadepirnahan
319530
3876263
Shirinabad
327557
3852379
Ahmadabad
324630
3867681
Dashteh
318376
3854914
Amirabad
325730
3873100
Qarb-dashteh
315806
3852698
Qezel- hesar
328450
3876750
3.1. Chemical
the hazards of NaCl and sodium sulfate on plants and
soil (Liu et al., 1998).
Parameters
The chemical parameters studied in this research
include Electrical Conductivity (EC), Power of
Hydrogen (PH), Cations (Ca, Mg, Na+ and K), Anions
(SO4+, Cl-, HCO3-, CO3+), Total Dissolved Solids
(TDS) and Total Hardness (TH). Moeover, Na+ ratio
(Na %), irrigation coefficient (Ka), Sodium
Absorption Ratio (SAR), Total Alkalinity (TA) and
Total Salinity (TS) are calculated as described below.
Finally, Schoeller index (CAI-I) is calculated. Sodium
Adsorption Ratio can be obtained by ratio of Na+ to
Ca2+ and Mg2+ (Fipps, G. (2003)) and can be
represented as Eq. (1):
SAR =
TS = Cl− + SO24 −
Na + > Cl− + SO 24−
+
−
Na < Cl + SO
TA = (HCO3− + CO23 − ) − (Ca 2 + + Mg 2+ )
(Mg
+ Ca )
2
(1)
Sodium ratio is the ratio of Na+ to total cations.
Moreover, irrigation coefficient is calculated by Eq.
(2) (Liu et al., 1998).
(2)
(4)
Schoeller index is calculated by Eq. 5:
CAI − I =
2+
(3)
2−
4
Total Alkalinity shows the hazards of sodium
carbonate and sodium bicarbonate on plants and soil
and it is calculated by Eq. (4):
Na +
2+
TS = Na +
Cl− − (Na + + K+ )
Cl−
(5)
It is notable that in all equations the units of ions are
meq/l.
4. Findings and Discussion
Chemical parameters of Qahavand groundwater for 20
wells are presented in Table (2).
288
Na + < Cl−
5Cl−
288
Ka =
Cl− < Na + < Cl− + SO24 −
Na + + 4Cl−
288
Ka =
Na + > Cl− + SO24 −
+
10Na − 5Cl− − 9SO24 −
Total salinity is calculated through Eq. (3). It shows
Ka =
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Parameters
Ca
K
Mg
Na
Cl
SO4
CO32HCO3
Na%
TDS
TH
EC
pH
Table 2. Chemical parameters of Qahavand groundwater for 20 wells.
Unit
Minimum
Average
meq/l
3.7
8.9
meq/l
0.02
0.08
meq/l
2.00
6.37
meq/l
2.39
13.87
meq/l
1.10
9.55
meq/l
0.95
11.86
meq/l
0.00
0.00
meq/l
3.10
7.46
Percent
22.44
45.11
mg/l
549.25
1821.92
mg/l
305.00
765.43
mohs/cm µ
845.00
2728.78
6.20
7.39
-
4.1. Electrical Conductivity
American classification method was used for
evaluating water EC (Table 3). According to these
standards, the average salinity of 16 wells are in C3 and
C4 classes which show high salinity. Three wells are
located in class C5 (Qeshlaq Olia, Yekle and
AhmadAbad) and Qezel-Hesar is classified in class C6
which has a very high salinity. (Parsafar et al., 2009b)
showed that Fumenat aquifer is classified in moderate
to high salinity level. Damavandi et al. (2005)
investigated the variations of surface and groundwater
quality of Zanjan. The results of their study showed
that surface water has considerable salinity problems
and most of these resources are not suitable for
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Maximum
24.10
0.60
15.40
43.00
39.80
48.60
0.05
24.00
62.54
4270.90
1870.00
6326.50
8.20
agriculture and domestic use, but they are suitable in
terms of boron and nitrate. Moreover, 44 % of
groundwater is suitable for irrigation and drinking and
48% of it is of moderate quality and only 8% is not
suitable. Ahmadian et al. (2010) compared salinity
maps of Qahavand region and showed that 61.5% of
the region is not saline and a considerable portion of
the region has become more saline during the last 11
years. The main reasons for the increase of salinity in
this region are unsuitable management of irrigated
lands, land use changes and low-yield rain fed lands.
Variations of EC in 20 wells are represented in Fig. 3.
As it is observed, maximum EC occurred in the year
(2009) and the minimum amount of EC occured the
first year (2005) of this period.
Fig. 3. EC variations in all sampled wells of Qhavand plain for 5 years
4.2. Power of Hydrogen
In classifications of water quality in terms of pH,
pH=6.5-7 is considered good, pH=7-8 moderate and
pH>8 bad. The average pH of the studied wells is
moderate , though the maximum value of pH in
Ahmadabad, Ojtappeh,Shirinabad, Qarb-Jeyhonabad,
Emamzade-pirnahan,Amirabad and Qezel-hesar is
more than 8 which is classified as bad.
4.3. Ions Concentration in Groundwate r of Qahavand Plain
Variations of ions concentration in the wells under
study for Na, Ca, Mg2+ and K+ are 2.39-42,3.7-24.1, 2-
15.4 and 0.02-0.6 meq/l, respectively. According to
the results, average concentations of Cations can be
sorted as Na+>Ca2+>Mg2+>K+.. Accordingly, the
average concentations of Anions can be sorted as
SO4+>Cl->HCO3->CO32-.
4.4. Total Hardness (TH)
The maximum concentration of total hardness in the
wells was observed in Yekle (1870.7 mg/l) and the
minimum concentration in Kord-khor (305 mg/l). The
average concentration of total hardness for all the
wells is 765.43 mg/l.Table 3 shows a general salinity
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classification of water quality in an area. Moreover,
total hardness has no restrictions for irrigating most
plants.
4.5. Sodium Ratio
For investigating the water quality based on Na+ ratio
and Cl, Wilcox classification can be used that is
presented in Table (4). According to Wilcox
classification most wells have an Na+ ratio lower than
60% (except Emamzade-Pirnahan well). Therefore,
groundwater of Qahavand plain is good, accordingly.
Emamzade-Pirnahan well is located in good to
unacceptable in terms of Na+ ratio.
4.6. Cl- Concentration
High concentration of Cl- ion in water is toxic to
human health and also to plants. The average
concentration of Cl- for 8 wells of Qahavand plain is
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classified in class 1 and 7 wells are in class 2.
Moreover, Qeshlaq Olya, Boyakchi, Kelye,
Ahmadabad and Qezel-hesar are located in class 3 that
is not suitable for consumption. Concentration of Clis investigated according to the mentioned
classification and determined for surface and sprinkler
irrigation (Table 4). For surface irrigation, 5 wells
(kord-khor, Ahmadabad, Oj-tappeh, Abdolrahim,
Qarb-Kozeh and Qarb dashte) are classified as
suitable, 10 wells as moderately restricted and 5 wells
(Qeshlaq Olya, Boyakchi, Kelye, Ahmadabad and
Qezel-hesar) as highly restricted (Table 5). Qahavand
plain groundwater is suitable for sprinkler irrigation
except for Kord-khor and Qarb-dashte wells. Parsafar
et al. (2009b) showed that for Fumanat groundwater
well No:10 and well No: 5, as shown in Fig. 1, are
classified as moderately restricted for sprinkler and
surface irrigation types, respectively. Moreover, it was
suitable in terms of Na+ ratio.
Table 3. American Salinity classification of water quality.
Evaluation
Low salinity– Suitable for all the plants
Moderate salinity- it is suitable with little leaching requirement
High salinity– Suitable for resistant plants with leaching requirement
High salinity– Suitable for resistant plants in soils with moderate infiltration leaching
requirement
High salinity– Suitable for resistant plants in soils with high infiltration leaching requirement
Very high salinity– Not suitable
Table 4. Wilcox Classification.
Perfect-Good (Class 1)
Uns uitable-Good (Class 2)
Na%
Cl (meg/l)
Irrigation System
Surface
Sprinkler
<60
<5
Salinity
µ mohs/cm
<250
250-750
750-2250
1500-2500
2250-4000
C4
2500–3500
>3500
4000-6000
>6000
C5
C6
C1
C2
C3
>75
>10
High
>10
negative except for Yekle well. These negative values
show capability of transformation of Ca2+ and
replacement of Mg2+ with Na+ and K+ in groundwater.
Table 6. Schoeller index values for studied wells in Qahavand plain.
Schoeller index
Resion Name
0.28
Kord-Khor
-0.36
Ahmadabad-Ojtappe
-0.53
Abdolrahim
-1.09
Qeshlaq-Olya
-1.35
Qarb-Kuze
-0.98
Buyakhchi
-1.11
Qlebab- nazar
-0.60
Shirinabad
-1.25
Dashteh
-0.97
Qarb-dashteh
The average chemical parameters for groundwater
quality of Qahavand plain for 20 wells are shown in
table 7. According to these specific results arrived at
in the present study are as follows:
Class
Unacceptable-Unsuitable (Class 3)
60-75
5-10
Table 5. Classification of water in terms of Cl concentration (meg/l).
No Constraint
Moderate
<4
4-10
<3
>3
Schoeller index: Scoeller index values for Qahavand
plain are represented in Table 6. All values are
Resion Name
Yekle
Jonub Jeyhunabad
Qarb-Jeyhunabad
Jade Emamzade
Hamekasi
Vast Emamzade
Emamzade-pirnahan
Ahmadabad
Amirabad
Qezel- hesar
mg/l
<200
200-500
500-1500
Schoeller index
-1.09
-0.20
-0.64
-0.56
-0.74
-0.28
-0.73
-0.58
-0.02
-1.09
4.7. Total Dissolved Solids
The maximum concentration of TDS was found in
groundwater samples of Qezel-hesar well (4270.9
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mg/l) and the minimum concentration was found in
Kord-khor well (549.25 mg/l). The average
concentration of TDS for all wells is 1821.92 mg/l.
According to EPA, the standard water with TDS>2000
mg/l and EC>3000 Mmohs/cm is not suitable for
irrigation. Shaabani (2009) showed that based on the
problematic degree of groundwater usage in terms of
EC, TDS and NO3 more than 75% of Arsanjan
groundwater is not suitable.
The fundamental studies about groundwater
resources of Hamadan region carried out by Hamadan
water organization (2003) showed that the water table
had a downfall of 17 m during 12 years (1989-2001).
Moreover, it showed the decline of water quality
through Wilcox diagram from high salinity and low
Na+ to high salinity and moderate Na. Besides, it
clarified the negative balance of aquifer storage in
2001. It was about 2662543 m3 which threatens
groundwater resources of this region. It is due to the
traditional irrigation systems and mismanagement of
water consumption. Moreover, the effective role of
human beings in expanding pollutants to nature is
considerable.
4.8. Irrigation Coefficient
The average value of irrigation coefficient was
between 1.59 and 34.2.
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The distribution of average chemical parameters for
groundwater quality of Qahavand plain for 20 wells
are shown in Table 7.
4.10. Total Salinity
The average values of TS are observed between 2.54
and 36.46.
4.11. Correlation Analysis
Pearson correlation analysis is an efficient tool for
water quality studies. Using correlation matrix, the
relationship between all parameters are analyzed
individually (Wang and Jiao, 2012). In this research,
SPSS 17 software was used to calculate Pearson
correlation coefficient between 14 parameters. As it is
shown in Table (8), all Cations and Anions have
positive correlation with TDS. Maximum correlation
coefficient between TDS and Cations was found for
Mg2+ (0.95) at 0.01 level of significance. Moreover,
maximum correlation coefficient between TDS and
Anions was found for Cl- (0.89) at 0.01 level of
significance. Li et al. (2012) showed that in
groundwater TDS has positive correlation with anions
and cations except for CO32-. Moreover, they showed
that TDS has a higher correlation coefficient with
sulfate (0.95) at 0.01 level of significance. In addition,
a high correlation (0.93) was observed between SAR
and Na+ at 0.01 level of significance.
4.9. Sodium Adsorption Ratio
The average value of SAR was between 1.47 and 9.23.
In most wells (12 wells), SAR is in low-moderate
range and in 2 wells (Qeshlaq-Olya and Qezel-hesar)
SAR is high. According to FAO suggestions, SAR
values which fall between 3 and 9 can be dangerous
for plants.
Total Alkalinity: The average value of TA was
between -25.62 and 4.35. If TA value is more than 2.5,
the water resource is not suitable for irrigation; A TA
value between 1.25 and 2.5 is suitable. In Qahavand
region, except for Hamekasi well all wells are suitable.
Ahmadian (2004) addressed the role of
mismanagement on basin lands in investigating the
effective factors on Qahavand lands disturbance.
Vegetation decrease, soil salinity increase, increase of
unusable rain fed and irrigated lands and lack of water
resources cause extreme floods and increase plain
erosion. Therefore, the main effective factors in soil
salinity increase in Qahavand plain include human
activities such as improper management of irrigated
lands and neglecting principals of efficient irrigation
that will result in increasing the secondary salinity.
Deteriorating the quality of soil can influence the
quality of groundwater.
Table 7. Average chemical parameters for groundwater quality of Qahavand plain for 20 wells.
Region name
TDS
TS
TA
SAR
Ka
Region Name
TDS
TS
TA
SAR
Ka
Yekle
Jonub
Jeyhunabad
QarbJeyhunabad
Jade
Emamzade
Hamekasi
Vast
Emamzade
Emamzadepirnahan
Ahmadabad
3812.63
26.48
-21.03
6.35
1.59
Kord-Khor
571.1
2.54
-0.32
1.47
34.20
1286.28
9.70
-3.48
4.36
7.54
Ahmadabad-Ojtappe
728.8
4.07
-2.70
2.08
16.53
894.23
6.21
-4.61
3.05
12.76
Abdolrahim
1028.1
5.96
-2.52
2.71
13.78
1050.08
9.71
-1.58
5.22
10.12
Qeshlaq-Olya
3208.4
29.71
-9.01
9.13
2.75
2084.48
12.03
4.35
6.11
3.41
Qarb-Kuze
1111.2
6.69
-1.58
2.85
13.03
2061.90
18.73
-7.69
7.14
5.08
Buyakhchi
2268.5
9.23
-22.19
2.49
4.66
1726.42
16.45
-4.40
7.12
6.07
Qlebab- nazar
1226.2
7.74
-7.29
3.31
11.22
2919.91
26.40
-16.33
8.07
3.11
Shirinabad
1766.0
13.88
-9.83
5.30
5.87
Amirabad
1981.02
16.05
-10.15
5.86
6.45
Dashteh
1837.4
9.50
-10.52
3.01
5.97
Qezel- hesar
4070.98
36.46
-25.62
9.23
2.58
Qarb-dashteh
804.6
4.69
-0.52
2.31
21.00
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Table 8. Correlation matrix of all the parameters of Qahavand
TDS
pH
CO3HCO -3
CLSO42Ca2+
Mg2+
TDS
1
pH
-0.17
1
CO30.12
0.015
1
HCO-3
0.33**
-0.70**
-0.06
1
CL-0.89**
0.25*
0.10
0.34**
1
SO420.76**
0.23*
0.13
0.21*
0.48**
1
Ca2+
0.84**
0.43**
0.02
0.35**
0.88**
0.51**
1
Mg2+
0.95**
-0.17
0.13
0.26**
0.82**
0.78**
0.83**
1
Na+
0.93**
-0.02
0.16
0.27**
0.77**
0.80**
0.62**
0.84**
K+
0.67**
0.06
0.10
0.01
0.45**
0.79**
0.53**
0.67**
Na%
0.37**
0.33**
0.14
0.07
0.21*
0.41*
-0.10
0.20*
SAR
0.77**
0.14
0.19
0.21*
0.57**
0.72**
0.35**
0.64**
TH
0.92**
0.33**
0.04
0.33**
0.89**
0.65**
0.97**
0.95**
**
*
significant in 1% level, significant in 5% level
Fig. 4 Shows the relationship between Na+ and Cl- in
groundwater of Qahavand plain. As it is observed in
most wells, these values are located above 45° slope
(except Buyakchi and Yekle wells). Therefore, it can
be concluded that groundwater is less mineralized in
this region (Li et al., 2012). Moreover, the results
showed that the ratio of Na+ to Cl- is greater than 0.85
(that is the average of sea water). In addition, cation
transformation has an effective role in transforming
groundwater Na. Moreover, the figure shows that
Qahavand groundwater is oversaturated in terms of
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groundwater.
Na+
K+
1
0.68**
0.62**
0.93**
0.47**
1
0.21*
0.52**
0.62**
Na%
SAR
TH
1
0.85**
0.02
1
0.49**
1
Na. The relationship between SO4 and Cl- in Qahavand
groundwater is shown in Fig. 5. As it can be observed
in most wells, these values are above 45° slope.
Moreover, the figure shows that Qahavand
groundwater is oversaturated in terms of SO42.
The relationship between HCO3 and Cl- in
Qahavand groundwater is shown in Fig. 6. As it can be
observed for most wells, the values are below 45°
slope. Moreover, the figure shows that Qahavand plain
groundwater is under-saturated in terms of HCO3-.
Fig. 4. The relationship between Cl- and Na.
Fig. 5. The relationship between Cl- and SO4.
XXV
International Bulletin of Water Resources & Development (IBWRD), Vol. (II)– No. (04)- S.N. (07)- Autumn 2014
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International Bulletin of Water Resources & Development (IBWRD), Vol. (II)– No. (04)- S.N. (07)- Autumn 2014
All rights reserved for IBWRD
Fig. 6. The relationship between Cl- and HCO3.
Fig. 7 shows the relationship between Ca2+ and CO3 in
Qahavand groundwater. As it can be seen, these values
are distributed around 45° slope and no significant
results can be obtained.
Fig. 7. The relationship between HCO3 and Ca.
Fig. 8 shows the relationship between sulfate and Ca+
in Qahavand groundwater. As it is manifest, all points
are located on 45° slope . Moreover, the distance from
this line increases with an increase in sulfate values
and points are shifted under the slope. This pattern can
be explained based on ions transformation because
dissolving Gypsum shows equal values of Ca+ and
sulfate ions in groundwater. When Ca+ ion increases
sufficiently, it is transformed with absorbed Na+ ions
and concentrations of sulfate ions remains at a high
level (Li et al., 2012).
Fig. 8. Relationship between SO42- and Ca2+.
XXVI
International Bulletin of Water Resources & Development (IBWRD), Vol. (II)– No. (04)- S.N. (07)- Autumn 2014
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International Bulletin of Water Resources & Development (IBWRD), Vol. (II)– No. (04)- S.N. (07)- Autumn 2014
5. Conclusion
In this study, some chemical water quality parameters
such as Cations, Anions, EC, pH, Na%, TH and some
classic methods such as irrigation coefficient, TDS,
SAR, TA and TS were analyzed for Qahavand plain
during a period of 5 years. The results showed that ions
concentration for Cations can be sorted as
Na+>Ca2+>Mg2+>K+ and for anions, ions can be sorted
as SO42->Cl->HCO3->CO32-. According to the
American water
salinity classification,
the
groundwater of the regions can be classified as saline.
The average pH for all wells is moderate. In most
wells, Na+ ratio is less than 60% (except for
Emamzade-pirnahan well) which is classified between
good and excellent. According to Cl- concentration for
surface irrigation, 5 wells (kord-khor, Ahmadabad,
Oj-tappeh, Abdolrahim, Qarb-Kozeh and Qarb dashte)
are classified as suitable, 10 wells are classified as
moderate and 5 wells (Qeshlaq Olya, Boyakchi,
Kelye, Ahmadabad and Qezel-hesar) are classified as
highly restricted. Scoeller index for all wells (except
for Yekle) were negative, these negative values
showed the posibility of transforming Ca+ and Mg2+
ions with Na+ and K+ ions in groundwater. Moreover,
the results showed that all cations and anions have
positive correlation with TDS. The maximum
correlation coefficient (0.95) was observed between
TDS and Mg2+ at 0.01 level of significance. The
majority of groundwater samples indicated a long
residence time resulting in poor flushing as salinity
increases in the area.
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International Bulletin of Water Resources & Development (IBWRD), Vol. (II)– No. (04)- S.N. (07)- Autumn 2014
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