Evaluation of heavy metal pollution in groundwater resources of Konaro area, Iranshahr, SE Iran: implication for ophiolitic rocks impact
Abstract
This study, it has been attempted to investigate the heavy metals pollution in groundwater resources of Konaro area. Accordingly, eight representative groundwater samples from wells and qanat were collected in December 2017 from rural settlements commonly used for irrigation and drinking. Analysis of lead, zinc, iron, chromium, copper and nickel as heavy metals was conducted by the ICP-MS approach. The results of analyzes indicate that the concentration of heavy metals in the groundwater of the study area is lower than the permissible limit. Results of HEI, HPI, and Cd contamination indices show that 62.5% of samples in the Konaro area fall into the medium pollution group, and the rest of the samples fall into the low pollution group due to their heavy metals content. Studies show that all samples of groundwater in the Konaro area have low to moderate contamination and that the overall contamination rate is not dangerous. Correlations between heavy metals indicators demonstrate that HPI is strongly correlated with HEI and Cd also HEI with Cd. Therefore, it is evident that all of the indices are important and reliable to study the risk of heavy metals pollution in the Konaro ophiolitic area. Pollution evaluation indices and statistical analysis confirm that the low to medium level of heavy metals in Konaro groundwater samples is owing to the lack of acidity, poor agriculture and poor urbanization around the river and thus the lack of contamination of the aquifer.
Keyword : heavy metals, pollution indices, geogenic sources, ophiolitic area, Konaro, Iranshahr
How to Cite
Barahouei, B. A., Noura, M. R., Moslempour, M. E., & Dabiri, R. (2025). Evaluation of heavy metal pollution in groundwater resources of Konaro area, Iranshahr, SE Iran: implication for ophiolitic rocks impact. Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management, 33(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3846/jeelm.2025.21832
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
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Akhtar, N., Syakir, M. I., Rai, S. P., Saini, R., Pant, N., Anees, M. T., Qadir, A., & Khan, U. (2019). Multivariate investigation of heavy metals in the groundwater for irrigation and drinking in Garautha Tehsil, Jhansi District, India. Analytical Letters, 53(5), 774–794. https://doi.org/10.1080/00032719.2019.1676766
American Public Health Association. (1998). Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater (20th ed.).
Ayers, R., & Westcot, D. (1994). Water quality for agriculture (FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper 29 Rev. 1). FAO, Rome.
Backman, B., Bodiš, D., Lahermo, P., Rapant, S., & Tarvainen, T. (1998). Application of a groundwater contamination index in Finland and Slovakia. Environmental Geology, 36, 55–64. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002540050320
Barahouei, B. A., Noura, M. R., Moslempour, M. E., & Dabiri, R. (2021). Evaluation of groundwater suitability for the domestic and irrigation purposes in Konaro Ophiolitic Area, Iranshahr, SE Iran. Iranian Journal of Earth Sciences, 13(3), 196–208. https://doi.org/10.30495/ijes.2021.682867
Belkhiri, L., Mouni, L., Narany, T. S., & Tiri, A. (2017). Evaluation of potential health risk of heavy metals in groundwater using the integration of indicator kriging and multivariate statistical methods. Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 4, 12–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2016.10.003
Belkhiri, L., Tiri, A., & Mouni, L. (2018). Assessment of heavy metals contamination in groundwater: A case study of the south of Setif area, East Algeria. In Achievements and challenges of integrated river basin management. InTech. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.75734
Bhuiyan, M. A., Islam, M., Dampare, S. B., Parvez, L., & Suzuki, S. (2010). Evaluation of hazardous metal pollution in irrigation and drinking water systems in the vicinity of a coal mine area of northwestern Bangladesh. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 179, 1065–1077. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.03.114
Brindha, K., Jagadeshan, G., Kalpana, L., & Elango, L. (2016). Fluoride in weathered rock aquifers of southern India: Managed aquifer recharge for mitigation. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 23, 8302–8316. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6069-7
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Dabiri, R., Adli, F., & Javanbakht, M. (2017). Environmental impacts of Aghdarband coal mine: Pollution by heavy metals. Geopersia, 7(2), 311–321. https://doi.org/10.22059/geope.2017.229525.648308
Edet, A., & Offiong, O. (2002). Evaluation of water quality pollution indices for heavy metal contamination monitoring. A study case from Akpabuyo-Odukpani area, Lower Cross River Basin (southeastern Nigeria). GeoJournal, 57, 295–304. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:GEJO.0000007250.92458.de
Ficklin, W., Plumlee, G., Smith, K., & McHugh, J. (1992). Geochemical classification of mine drainages and natural drainages in mineralized areas. Water-Rock Interaction, 1, 381–384.
Gyamfi, E., Appiah-Adjei, E. K., & Adjei, K. A. (2019). Potential heavy metal pollution of soil and water resources from artisanal mining in Kokoteasua, Ghana. Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 8, 450–456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2019.01.007
Hizir, F., Krika, A., Kessasra, F., & Krika, F. (2023). Evaluation and assessment of water and surficial sediments quality in Kebir-Rhumel Wadi, NE Algeria. Iranian Journal of Earth Sciences, 15(1), 10–20. https://doi.org/10.30495/ijes.2022.1951927.1720
Horton, R. K. (1965). An index number system for rating water quality. Journal of Water Pollution Control Federation, 37, 300–306.
Islam, S., Sarker, M. E., Mozammal Hoque, M. M., Kabir, M. H., Ahmed, F. T., & Hossain, M. N. (2024). Quantification of heavy metals concentration and assessment of Ecological health risk in roadside agricultural land of Dhaka-Aricha highway, Bangladesh. Iranian Journal of Earth Sciences, 16(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.57647/j.ijes.2024.1601.01
Jahanshahi, R., & Zare, M. (2015). Assessment of heavy metals pollution in groundwater of Golgohar iron ore mine area, Iran. Environmental Earth Sciences, 74, 505–520. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4057-8
Kabata-Pendias, A., & Mukherjee, A. B. (2007). Trace elements from soil to human. Springer Science & Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-32714-1
Kale, S. S., Kadam, A. K., Kumar, S., & Pawar, N. J. (2010). Evaluating pollution potential of leachate from landfill site, from the Pune metropolitan city and its impact on shallow basaltic aquifers. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 162, 327–346. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-009-0799-7
Kumar, P. S., Delson, P. D., & Babu, P. T. (2012). Appraisal of heavy metals in groundwater in Chennai city using a HPI model. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 89, 793–798. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-012-0794-5
Liu, Z.-Y., Chiu, K.-C., & Xu, L. (2003). Strip line detection and thinning by RPCL-based local PCA. Pattern Recognition Letters, 24(14), 2335–2344. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-8655(03)00059-X
Moslempour, M. E., & Shahdadi, S. (2013). Assessment of heavy metal contamination in soils around of Khash Cement plant, SE Iran. Iranian Journal of Earth Sciences, 5, 111–118.
Musa, O., Shaibu, M., & Kudamnya, E. (2013). Heavy metal concentration in groundwater around Obajana and its environs, Kogi State, North Central Nigeria. American International Journal of Contemporary Research, 3(8),170–177.
Omran, E.-S. E. (2016). Environmental modelling of heavy metals using pollution indices and multivariate techniques in the soils of Bahr El Baqar, Egypt. Modeling Earth Systems and Environment, 2, Article 119. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-016-0178-7
Pawar, N., & Pawar, J. (2016). Intra-annual variability in the heavy metal geochemistry of ground waters from the Deccan basaltic aquifers of India. Environmental Earth Sciences, 75, Article 654. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5450-7
Prasanna, M., Praveena, S., Chidambaram, S., Nagarajan, R., & Elayaraja, A. (2012). Evaluation of water quality pollution indices for heavy metal contamination monitoring: A case study from Curtin Lake, Miri City. East Malaysia Environmental Earth Sciences, 67, 1987–2001. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-012-1639-6
Reddy, S. (1995). Encyclopedia of environmental pollution and control (Vol. 1). Environmental Media, Apple Academic Press, Inc.
Saadat, S., Zafarimoghadam, M., & Ariaee, A. (2023). Accumulation of lead, antimony and arsenic in soil and water in Khunik gold prospecting area, Eastern Iran. Iranian Journal of Earth Sciences, 15(1), 44–53. https://doi.org/10.30495/ijes.2022.1950343.1711
Saidi, S., Bouri, S., & Dhia, H. B. (2010). Groundwater vulnerability and risk mapping of the Hajeb-jelma aquifer (Central Tunisia) using a GIS-based DRASTIC model. Environmental Earth Sciences, 59, 1579–1588. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-009-0143-0
Singh, R., Venkatesh, A. S., Syed, T. H., Reddy, A. G. S., Kumar, M., & Kurakalva, R. M. (2017). Assessment of potentially toxic trace elements contamination in groundwater resources of the coal mining area of the Korba Coalfield, Central India. Environmental Earth Sciences, 76, Article 566. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-6899-8
Subramani, T., Elango, L., & Damodarasamy, S. (2005). Groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking and agricultural use in Chithar River Basin, Tamil Nadu. India Environmental Geology, 47, 1099–1110. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-005-1243-0
Vardhan, K. H., Kumar, P. S., & Panda, R. C. (2019). A review on heavy metal pollution, toxicity and remedial measures: Current trends and future perspectives. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 290, Article 111197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2019.111197
World Health Organization. (1993). Guidelines for drinking-water quality. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/924154460O
World Health Organization. (2011). Guidelines for drinking-water quality. https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/ehp.1104693