title: Quality modeling of drinking groundwater using GIS in rural communities, northwest of Iran.
abstract: Given the importance of groundwater resources in water supply, this work aimed to study quality of drinking groundwater in rural areas in Tabriz county, northwest of Iran. Thirty two groundwater samples from different areas were collected and analyzed in terms of general parameters along with 20 heavy metals (e.g. As, Hg and …). The data of the analyses were applied as an attribute database for preparing thematic maps and showing water quality parameters. Multivariate statistical techniques, including principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (CA) were used to compare and evaluate water quality. The findings showed that hydrochemical faces of the groundwater were of calcium-bicarbonate type. EC values were from 110 to 1750 μs/cm, in which concentration of salts was high in the east and a zone in north of the studied area. Hardness was from 52 to 476 mg/l and CaCO3 with average value of 185.88 ± 106.56 mg/L indicated hard water. Dominant cations and anions were Ca(2+) > Na(+) > Mg(2+) > K(+) and HCO3 (-) > Cl(-) > SO4 (2-) > NO3 (2), respectively. In the western areas, arsenic contamination was observed as high as 69 μg/L. Moreover, mercury was above the standard level in one of the villages. Eskandar and Olakandi villages had the lowest quality of drinking water. In terms of CA, sampling sites were classified into four clusters of similar water quality and PCA demonstrated that 3 components could cover 84.3% of the parameters. For investigating arsenic anomaly, conducting a comprehensive study in the western part of studied area is strongly recommended.
authors.affiliation: Tabriz Health Services Management Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mosaferi
authors.affiliation: School of Health, Student research committee, Tabriz University of medical sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mojtaba
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pourakbar
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shakerkhatibi
authors.affiliation: Sahand University of Technology, Sahand, Iran.
authors.forename: Esmaeil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fatehifar
authors.affiliation: M.S. Graduated of Geographic Information Systems & Remote Sensing, School of Geography, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belvasi
keywords: GIS; Groundwater; Heavy metals; Mapping; Multivariate statistic
references.citation: Sci Total Environ. 2008 Feb 1;390(1):69-76
references.pmid: 17997470
references.citation: Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2009 Feb;72(2):301-9
references.pmid: 18423587
references.citation: Sci Total Environ. 2006 May 15;361(1-3):144-62
references.pmid: 15996719
references.citation: J Hazard Mater. 2011 Nov 15;195:306-17
references.pmid: 21968116
references.citation: Environ Pollut. 2010 Aug;158(8):2648-58
references.pmid: 20605297
references.citation: J Environ Manage. 2008 Jan;86(1):297-307
references.pmid: 17590259
references.citation: Sci Total Environ. 2005 Jun 1;345(1-3):127-40
references.pmid: 15919534
references.citation: J Environ Sci Eng. 2005 Apr;47(2):141-54
references.pmid: 16649619
references.citation: Sci Total Environ. 2003 Jul 1;310(1-3):25-35
references.pmid: 12812728