Groundwater quality in an irrigated, agricultural area of northern Malayer, western Iran
2008
Jalali, Mohsen | Kolahchi, Zahra
The monitoring of water quality is an important tool for sustainable development and provides important information for water management. Forty-eight groundwater samples were collected from northern Malayer, western Iran, to assess their nutrient status. Seventy-five percent of the water samples showed nitrate ( [graphic removed] ) concentrations above the human-affected value (13 mg l-¹ [graphic removed] ), while more than 12.5% exceeded the maximum acceptable level (50 mg l-¹ [graphic removed] ) according to World Health Organization (WHO) regulations. The samples were classified into four groups based on chloride (Cl-) and [graphic removed] concentrations. Several factors indicated that the [graphic removed] and some Cl- were derived from agricultural sources. The correlation between [graphic removed] and Cl- was consistent with a manure source, due to the practice of adding salt to animal feed, and suggests that denitrification is not appreciable at most locations. The aquifer plays a role in the decrease of contamination risk from phosphorous (P) through the high calcium (Ca²⁺) ion concentrations that cause P to precipitate. The relatively low levels of potassium (K⁺) in groundwaters may be a consequence of its tendency to be fixed by clay minerals. Pollution of groundwaters appeared to be affected by the application of fertilizers, irrigation practice, the solubility of mineral phases, and the discharge of domestic sewage. Application of high [graphic removed] groundwater irrigation can minimize the requirement for inorganic fertilizers and reduce the cost of cultivation.
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