Determination and Classification of Qanat Water Quality Based on Groundwater Quality Indices in East of Tehran, Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Environment, Agriculture Faculty, Roudehen Branch, Islamic Azad university, Roudehen, Iran

10.34172/jaehr.2023.16

Abstract

Background: Qanat is a valuable source of groundwater, the maintenance of which requires quantitative and qualitative monitoring. Since the qanat water is currently used in some parts of Iran for drinking and agricultural purposes, its quality management is of great importance. This study aimed to evaluate the water quality of the qanat in the eastern areas of Tehran.
Methods: Water sampling was performed in eight qanats in the east of Tehran in triplicate (mother well and one of the access shafts and outlet) during the summer of 2020. The measured parameters were pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), CO32-, HCO3-, Na2+, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Cl-, NO3, SO42-, total hardness (TH) and total alkalinity (TA). The quality was assessed according to the standards introduced by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization. Groundwater quality index (GWQI) was used to classify the samples.
Results: The lowest (56.05) and the highest (2058.58) GWQI scores corresponded to qanats 5 (Elimon) and 8 (Aminabad) with good and very poor quality, respectively. There was a decrease in the water quality of qanats 8 (Aminabad), 7 (Sulaymaniyah), 6 (Mehdiabad) and 2 (Majidieh), respectively.
Conclusion: The quality of the qanats were in the range of good to very poor. The reasons for difference in water quality could be due to the direction of anthropological pollutants and geological structures. To control the water quality of the qanats in the east of Tehran, the quality monitoring network is recommended to be designed for various pollutants and optimized for long term.

Keywords

Main Subjects


  1. Hassanpur Kourandeh H, Fataei E. Investigation and qualitative classification of heroriver water by Canadian Water Quality Index (CWQI). Adv Environ Biol. 2014;8(5):1442-8.
  2. Sabetjo M. Aqueduct Important Role in Protecting the Environment. Qanat National Conference; 2010; Gonabad. p. 12-24.
  3. Hajjabbari S, Fataei E. Determination cadmium and lead pollution resources of Ardabil plain underground waters. Open J Ecol. 2016;6(9):554-61. doi: 4236/oje.2016.69053.
  4. Zeini M, Ghaneian MT, Talebi P, Sharifi S, Sheikalishahi S, Goodarzi B, et al. Investigation of physical, chemical and microbial characteristics of Ahrestan subterranean canal (SC) water in Yazd district for water resources conservation and sustainable development. Tolooe Behdasht. 2008;7(1-2):36-42. [Persian].
  5. Nakhaei M, Vadiati M. Application of fuzzy inference model to evaluation of qanat water quality for drinking and agricultural purposes (case study: Tehran province). Adv Appl Geol. 2012;2(4):44-52. [Persian].
  6. Mirani Moghadam H, Karami GH, Bagheri R. Investigating the flow mechanism and groundwater origin of Gonabad plain qanats using hydrochemical and isotopic methods. Scientific Quarterly Journal of Geosciences. 2020;29(116):183-92. doi: 22071/gsj.2019.167977.1603. [Persian].
  7. Zare Aghbolagh J, Fataei E. The study of changes in Ardabil plain groundwater level using GIS. Adv Sci Technol Res J. 2016;10(29):109-15. doi: 12913/22998624/61938.
  8. Abbasi A, Taghavi L, Sarai Tabrizi M. Qualitative zoning of groundwater to assessment suitable drinking water using GIS software in Mohammad Shahr, Meshkinshahr, and Mahdasht in Alborz province. Anthropogenic Pollution. 2021;5(1):138-49.
  9. Fataei E, Ajami F. The changes of heavy metals values in groundwater drinking water networks. MAGNT Res Rep. 2015;3(2):840-6. doi: 9831/1444-8939.2015/3-2/MAGNT.83.
  10. Ghomi Avili F, Makaremi M. Predicting model of arsenic transport and transformation in soil columns and ground water contamination (case study: Gorgan plain, Iran). Anthropogenic Pollution. 2020;4(1):57-64. doi: 22034/ap.2020.1884347.1058.
  11. Farhadi H, Fataei E, Kharrat Sadeghi M. The relationship between nitrate distribution in groundwater and agricultural landuse (case study: Ardabil plain, Iran). Anthropogenic Pollution. 2020;4(1):50-6. doi: 22034/ap.2020.1885788.1059.
  12. Fataei E, Seyyedsharifi SA, Seiiedsafaviyan ST, Nasrollahzadeh S. Water quality assessment based on WQI and CWQI indexes in Balikhlou river, Iran. J Basic Appl Sci Res. 2013;3(3):263-9.
  13. Hosseini H, Shakeri A, Rezaei M, Dashti Barmaki M, Shahraki M. Application of water quality index (WQI) and hydro-geochemistry for surface water quality assessment, Chahnimeh reservoirs in the Sistan and Baluchestan province. Iran J Health Environ. 2019;11(4):575-86. [Persian].
  14. Magesh NS, Chandrasekar N. Evaluation of spatial variations in groundwater quality by WQI and GIS technique: a case study of Virudunagar district, Tamil Nadu, India. Arab J Geosci. 2013;6(6):1883-98. doi: 1007/s12517-011-0496-z.
  15. Hoseinzadeh E, Khorsandi H, Wei C, Alipour M. Evaluation of Aydughmush river water quality using the national sanitation foundation water quality index (NSFWQI), river pollution index (RPI), and forestry water quality index (FWQI). Desalin Water Treat. 2015;54(11):2994-3002. doi: 1080/19443994.2014.913206.
  16. Tokatli C. Drinking water quality assessment of Ergene River Basin (Turkey) by water quality index: essential and toxic elements. Sains Malays. 2019;48(10):2071-81. doi: 17576/jsm-2019-4810-02.
  17. Aazami J, Kianimehr N, Zamani A, Abdollahi Z, Zarein M, Jafari N. Water quality assessment of Ghezelozan river in Zanjan province using NSFWQI, IRWQI and Liou. J Environ Health Eng. 2019;6(4):385-400. [Persian].
  18. Bahrami F, Dastourani M. Quality assessment of groundwater in the plain of Sarayan using water quality index (WQI). Iranian Journal of Irrigation & Drainage. 2019 Oct 23;13(4):1064-74. [Persian].
  19. Eslami F, Shokoohi R, Mazloomi S, Darvish Motevalli M, Salari M. Evaluation of water quality index (WQI) of groundwater supplies in Kerman province in 2015. J Occup Environ Health. 2017;3(1):48-58. [Persian].
  20. Nasrabadi T, Abasi Maedeh P. Evaluation of Tehran city groundwater quality by WHO water quality index. Human & Environment. 2013;11(26):1-12. [Persian].
  21. Ranjbar A, Soltani J. Groundwater Quality Assessment of Eshtehard Plain Using Water Quality Index (WQI). The First Specialized Conference and Exhibition of Environment, Energy and Clean Industry; 2013; Tehran, Iran. [Persian].
  22. Coletti C, Testezlaf R, Ribeiro TA, de Souza RT, Pereira DD. Water quality index using multivariate factorial analysis. Rev Bras Eng Agric Ambient. 2010;14(5):517-22. doi: 1590/s1415-43662010000500009.
  23. Reza R, Singh G. Assessment of ground water quality status by using water quality index method in Orissa, India. World Appl Sci J. 2010;9(12):1392-7.
  24. Zarei A, Khoshnamvand M. Investigation of Drinking Water Quality Indicators of Deep Wells (Case Study: Shiraz). First National Conference on Environmental Protection and Planning; 2012; Hamedan, Iran. [Persian].
  25. Ghandali M, Shayesteh K, Sadi Mesgari M. Groundwater quality zoning for agricultural and drinking usage using water quality index and geostatistics techniques in Semnan watershed. J Water Soil Sci. 2019;23(1):187-98. doi: 29252/jstnar.23.1.14. [Persian].
  26. Thu Minh HV, Avtar R, Kumar P, Tran DQ, Ty TV, Behera HC, et al. Groundwater quality assessment using fuzzy-AHP in An Giang province of Vietnam. Geosciences. 2019;9(8):330. doi: 3390/geosciences9080330.
  27. Adimalla N, Taloor AK. Hydrogeochemical investigation of groundwater quality in the hard rock terrain of South India using geographic information system (GIS) and groundwater quality index (GWQI) techniques. Groundw Sustain Dev. 2020;10:100288. doi: 1016/j.gsd.2019.100288.
  28. Jafari Aval Y, Ebadati N, Yousefi H, Kalantari B, Mirzaei M. Distribution and monitoring of aqueducts water quality for water resources management. Iranian Journal of Ecohydrology. 2017;4(1):39-52. [Persian]
  29. Towfiqul Islam AR, Siddiqua MT, Zahid A, Tasnim SS, Rahman MM. Drinking appraisal of coastal groundwater in Bangladesh: an approach of multi-hazards towards water security and health safety. Chemosphere. 2020;255:126933. doi: 1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126933.
  30. Vadiati M, Asghari-Moghaddam A, Nakhaei M, Adamowski J, Akbarzadeh AH. A fuzzy-logic based decision-making approach for identification of groundwater quality based on groundwater quality indices. J Environ Manage. 2016;184(Pt 2):255-70. doi: 1016/j.jenvman.2016.09.082.
  31. Singh CK, Shashtri S, Mukherjee S, Kumari R, Avatar R, Singh A, et al. Application of GWQI to assess effect of land use change on groundwater quality in lower Shiwaliks of Punjab: remote sensing and GIS based approach. Water Resour Manage. 2011;25(7):1881-98. doi: 1007/s11269-011-9779-0.
  32. Ramakrishnaiah CR, Sadashivaiah C, Ranganna G. Assessment of water quality index for the groundwater in Tumkur Taluk, Karnataka State, India. E J Chem. 2009;6(2):523-30. doi: 1155/2009/757424.
  33. Bouwer H, Bouwer H. Groundwater Hydrology. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1978.
  34. Abrol IP, Yadav JS, Massoud FI. Salt-Affected Soils and Their Management. Food and Agriculture Organization; 1988.
  35. Watkins CB, Brown JM, Dromgoole FI. Salt-tolerance of the coastal plant, Tetragonia trigyna Banks et Sol. ex Hook. (climbing New Zealand spinach). N Z J Bot. 1988;26(1):153-62. doi: 1080/0028825x.1988.10410107.
  36. Kargar MH, Ehrampoush MH, Ghaneian MT, Shiranian M. Study of Chemical and Microbial Quality of Shorbolein Qanat Water. 8th Environmental Health National Conference; 2005; Tehran. [Persian].
  37. Zia H, Qatani H. Hydrogeological and Hydrochemical Study of Qanat Baladeh Ferdows. Qanat Baladeh Ferdows National Symposium; 2019; South Khorasan, Iran. [Persian].
  38. Aali T, Rezaei MR, Siamardi SJ. Qualitative Zoning of Water Reservoir Chahnimeh in Year 2013 Based on Water Quality Indices. The 1st National Conference on Environment, Energy and Biodefense; 2013; Tehran. [Persian].
  39. Bhuiyan MAH, Bodrud-Doza M, Towfiqul Islam AR, Rakib MA, Rahman MS, Ramanathan AL. Assessment of groundwater quality of Lakshimpur district of Bangladesh using water quality indices, geostatistical methods, and multivariate analysis. Environ Earth Sci. 2016;75(12):1020. doi: 1007/s12665-016-5823-y.