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Statistical source identification of major and trace elements in groundwater downward the tailings dam of Miduk Copper Complex, Kerman, Iran

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Abstract

Identifying the possible sources of potential harmful metals in groundwater systems plays a crucial role in evaluating the potential risks to residents and local plant cover. An attempt was made to define the origin of Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mo, Ni, and Pb in groundwater using multivariate statistic approaches [principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis], and tailings sequential extraction by the method of Tessier et al. The concentrations of studied elements were measured in 42 samples collected from 15 stations surrounding and downward the tailings dam of Miduk Copper Complex, central province of Kerman, Iran. According to the PCA results, confirmed by cluster dendrogram and metal content measurement of tailings sequential extracts, two components accounting for nearly73% of the total variance, controlled the heavy metal variability and classified the possible source of groundwater contamination into two categories: (1) upper seepage which controls the variability of Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Pb and (2) toe seepage of tailings dump affecting on Mo and Al concentration in downstream groundwater.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to NICICO (National Iranian Copper Industry Co.) and the Research and Development Center of NICICO for funding this project and Dr. M. Khrorasanipoor and Dr. B. Pirouz for their fruitful collaboration with authors. The authors also wish to thank the respectful reviewers of environmental monitoring and assessment for their comprehensive and helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environment Department, Natural Resources Faculty, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Maryam Kargar, Neamatolah Khorasani & Mahmoud Karami

  2. Fishering Department, Natural Resources Faculty, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Gholamreza Rafiee

  3. Research and Development Center of National Iranian Copper Industry Company (NICICO), Tehran, Iran

    Reza Naseh

Authors
  1. Maryam Kargar
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  2. Neamatolah Khorasani
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  3. Mahmoud Karami
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  4. Gholamreza Rafiee
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  5. Reza Naseh
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Correspondence to Maryam Kargar.

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Kargar, M., Khorasani, N., Karami, M. et al. Statistical source identification of major and trace elements in groundwater downward the tailings dam of Miduk Copper Complex, Kerman, Iran. Environ Monit Assess 184, 6173–6185 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-011-2411-1

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