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Study of the environmental impacts of nitrate pollution and its removal by nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) at the south of Shahre-Kord aquifer (Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Iran)

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Abstract

Shahre-Kord aquifer is located at the east part of Karoon basin. The water of Shahre-Kord aquifer has acceptable to unsuitable quality for drinking and also suitable and useful for the agricultural utilities. In this research, sampling from the studied aquifer was performed at spring and autumn. The obtained results of analysis performed on autumn samples revealed that the concentration of nitrate in the two wells was higher than its allowable limit in the drinking water. In the measurements of the samples at the end of spring, the highest concentration of nitrate from 16 samples belongs to the drinking water of Taghanak municipality which also has more than the allowable limit within the drinking water range, whereas the concentration of phosphate in all samples lies in the allowable limit. The samples were prepared through treatment by plant materials and different values of nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) during 7 days. The measuring of nitrate concentration of samples illustrated that the south of aquifer have higher concentration in autumn than spring because N-fertilizers usually are used in autumn and the spring precipitation of nitrates. The results derived by several treatment methods in this study indicate that the combination of NZVI with fine pieces of corn for a period of 7 days is the best treatment, which has the highest efficiency for nitrate removal from an aquifer.

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Acknowledgements

This research was performed at Payam-Noor University, so we are grateful of the research adjutantship of the University. Also, journal editors are thanked for handling the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, Payame Noor University (PNU), P.O. BOX 19395-3697, Tehran, Iran

    Javad Ghanei Ardekani

  2. Environmental Geology, Payame Noor University, Taft Center, Tehran, Iran

    Zahra Hassani

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  1. Javad Ghanei Ardekani
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Correspondence to Javad Ghanei Ardekani.

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Ghanei Ardekani, J., Hassani, Z. Study of the environmental impacts of nitrate pollution and its removal by nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) at the south of Shahre-Kord aquifer (Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Iran). Arab J Geosci 11, 708 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-018-4050-0

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