Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Evaluation of groundwater quality and assessment of pollution indices for heavy metals in North of Isfahan Province, Iran

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Sustainable Water Resources Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Groundwater resources can be potentially a target for various sources of contaminations. One major step towards characterization of contamination sources and the associated parameters, is to conduct groundwater quality assessment through different methods. When dealing with heavy metals, calculation of pollution indices is among well-known techniques of contamination characterization. The objectives of this study include primary assessment of physicochemical parameters of the groundwater and heavy metal concentrations and finding distributions using multivariate statistical methods in the study area (i.e. north Isfahan province, Iran). Heavy metal pollution index (HPI) and metal index (MI) were the two indices evaluated for contamination assessment of heavy metals in 35 samples drawn within the study area. Generally, results indicated that the HPI of the groundwater in the study area was less than the critical value (< 100). Based on HPI values, 51% of samples were classified as having low pollution levels, 46% medium pollution levels and 3% high pollution levels. The MI results revealed that two samples in the study area were significantly polluted with heavy metals. Water-type classification according to dominant cations and anions was also conducted and the result identified four types of water: Na–Cl, Na–SO4, Na–HCO3 and Ca–HCO3. Multivariate statistical techniques [namely, correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA)] were applied for the evaluation of variations and interpretation of a large complex groundwater quality data set from the study area. The principal component analysis (PCA) extracted four components that control the groundwater chemistry. Findings of our study can be used in devising preventive measures to control pollution in the study area and similar regions where the groundwater resource would be relied upon for drinking purposes in the future.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
Fig. 20

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adaikpoh EO, Nwajei GE, Ogala GE (2005) Heavy metal concentrations in coal and sediments from River Ekulu in Enugu Coal City of Nigeria. J Appl Sci Environ Manag 9(3):5–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Adekunle I, Adetunji M, Gbadebo A, Banjoko O (2007) Assessment of groundwater quality in a typical rural settlement in southwest Nigeria. Int J Environ Res Public Health 4(4):307–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Adepoju-Bello A, Ojomolade OO, Ayoola GA, Coker HAB (2009) Quantitative analysis of some toxic metals in domestic water obtained from Lagos metropolis. Niger J Pharm 42(1):57–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Ako AA, Shimada J, Hosono T, Kagabu M, Ayuk AR, Nkeng GE, Takem GEE, Takounjou ALF (2012) Spring water quality and usability in the Mount Cameroon area revealed by hydrogeochemistry. Environ Geochem Health. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-012-9453-3

    Google Scholar 

  • Akoto O, Bruce TN, Darko G (2008) Heavy metal pollution profiles in streams serving the Owabi reservoir. Afr J Environ Sci Tech 2(11):354–359

    Google Scholar 

  • Amidi SM, Zahedi M (1988) Geology map of Kashan 1:250,000 sheets. Geology Survey of Iran, Tehran

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson RA, Bryden NA, Polansky MM, Gautschi K (1996) Dietary chromium effects on tissue chromium concentrations and chromium absorption in rats. J Trace Elem Exp Med 9:11–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armienta MA, Segovia N (2008) Arsenic and fluoride in the groundwater of Mexico. Environ Geochem Health 30(4):345–353

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arora J, Mehra NK (2009) Seasonal dynamics of zooplankton in a shallow eutrophic, man-made hyposaline lake in Delhi (India): role of environmental factors. Hydrobiologia 626:27–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Babaahmadi A, Safaei H, Yassaghi A, Vafa H, Naeimi A, Madanipour S, Ahmadi M (2010) A study of quaternary structures in the Qom region, West Central Iran. J Geodyn 50:355–367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bakan G, Boke Ozkoc H, Tulek S, Cuce H (2010) Integrated environmental quality assessment of Kızılırmak river and its coastal environment. Turk J Fish Aquat Sci 10:453–462

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhuiyan MAH, Parvez L, Islam MA, Dampare SB, Suzuki S (2010) Heavy metal pollution of coal mine-affected agricultural soils in the northern part of Bangladesh. J Hazard Mater 173:384–392

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caboi R, Cidu R, Fanfani L, Lattanzi P, Zuddas P (1999) Environmental mineralogy and geochemistry of the abandoned Pb–Zn Montevecchio-Ingurtosu mining district, Sardinia, Italy. Chron Rech Min 534:21–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Caerio S, Costa MH, Ramos TB, Fernandes F, Silveira N, Coimbra A, Painho M (2005) Assessing heavy metal contamination in Sado estuary sediment: an index analysis approach. Ecol Indic 5:155–169

    Google Scholar 

  • Colak M (2012) Heavy metal concentrations in sultana-cultivation soils and sultana raisins from Manisa(Turkey). Environ Earth Sci 67:695–712. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665011-1511-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edet AE, Offiong OE (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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edmunds WM, Carrillo-Rivera JJ, Cardona A (2002) Geochemical evolution of groundwater beneath Mexico city. J Hydrol 258:1–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Enaam Abdullah J (2013) Quality assessment for Shatt Al-Arab River using heavy metal pollution index and metal index. J Environ Earth Sci 3(5):114<background-color:#008B8B;>–</background-color:#008B8B;>120

    Google Scholar 

  • Ficklin DJWH, Plumee GS, Smith KS, McHugh JB (1992) Geochemical classification of mine drainages and natural drainages in mineralized areas. In: Kharaka YK, Maest AS (eds) Water–rock interaction, vol 7. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp 381–384

    Google Scholar 

  • Guey-Shin S, Bai-You C, Chi-Ting C, Pei-Hsuan Y, TsunKuo (2011) Applying factor analysis combined with Kriging and information entropy theory for mapping and evaluating the stability of groundwater quality variation in Taiwan. Int J Environ Res Public Health 8C:1084–1109

    Google Scholar 

  • Jabbari N, Aminzadeh F, Barros PJ (2016) Hydraulic fracturing and the environment: risk assessment for groundwater contamination from well casing failure. J Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-016-1280-0

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaishankar M, Mathew BB, Shah MS, Gowda KRS (2014) Biosorption of few heavy metal ions using agricultural wastes. J Environ Pollut Hum Health 2(1):1–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaiser HF (1958) The varimax criterion for analytic rotation in factor analysis. Psychometrika 23:187–200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar Tiwari A, Singh AK, Kumar M (2017) Assessment of groundwater quality of Pratapgarh district in India for suitability of drinking purpose using water quality index (WQI) and GIS technique. J Sustain Water Resour Manag. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-017-0144-1

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyulko T, Ambalova T, Vasiljeva T (2001) To integrated water quality assessment in Latvia, MTM (monitoring tailor-made) III. Proceedings of international workshop on information for sustainable water management, Netherlands, pp 449–452

    Google Scholar 

  • Marcovecchio JE, Botte SE, Freije RH (2007) Heavy metals, major metals, trace elements. In: Nollet LM (ed) Handbook of water analysis, 2nd edn. CRC Press, London, pp 275–311

    Google Scholar 

  • Merkel B, Planer-Friedrich B (2008) Groundwater geochemis try—a practical guide to modeling of natural and contaminated aquatic systems. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Mishra S, Jumar A, Yada S, Singhal MK (2017) Assessment of heavy metal contamination in water of Kali river using principle component and cluster analysis, India. J Sustain Water Resour Manag. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-017-0141-4

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohan SV, Nithila P, Reddy SJ (1996) Estimation of heavy metal in drinking water and development of heavy metal pollution index. J Environ Sci Health A31:283–289

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagajyoti PC, Lee KD, Sreekanth TVM (2010) Heavy metals, occurrence and toxicity for plants: a review. Environ Chem Lett 8(3):199–216

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naidu R, Bhattacharya P (2009) Arsenic in the environment—risks and management strategies. Environ Geochem Health 1:1–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Navas-Acien A, Silbergeld EK, Streeter RA, Clark JM, Burke TA, Guallar E (2006) Arsenic exposure and type 2 diabetes: a systematic review of the experimental and epidemiological evidence. Environ Health Perspect 114:641–646 48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Noori R, Sabahi MS, Karbassi AR, Baghvand A, Taati Zadeh H (2010) Multivariate statistical analysis of surface water quality based on correlations and variations in the data set. Desalination 260:129–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piper AM (1944) A graphic procedure in the geochemical interpretation of water-analyses. Eos Trans Am Geophys Union 25(6):914–928

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prasad B, Kumari S (2008) Heavy metal pollution index of groundwater of an abandoned open cast mine filled with fly ash: a case study. Mine Water Environ 27(4):265–267

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rajkumar H, Madhuri S, Naval K (2015) Integrated approach of heavy metal pollution indices and complexity quantification using chemometric models in the Sirsa basin, Nalagarh valley, Himachal Pradesh, India. Chin J Geochem 34(4):620–633

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Razo I, Carrizales L, Castro J, D´ıaz-Barringa F, Monroy M (2004) Arsenic and heavy metal pollution of soil, water and sediments in a semi-arid climate mining area in Mexico. Water Air Soil Pollut 152:129–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rezaei A, Hassani H (2017) Hydrogeochemistry study and groundwater quality assessment in the north of Isfahan,Iran. J Environ Geochem Health. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-017-0003-x

    Google Scholar 

  • Rizwan R, Gurdeep S, Manish Kumar J (2011) Application of heavy metal pollution index for ground water quality assessment in Angul district of Orissa, India. Int J Res Chem Environ 1(2):118–122

    Google Scholar 

  • Siegel FR (2002) Environmental geochemistry of potentially toxic metals. Springer, Berlin

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Sirajudeen J, Arul Manikandan S, Manivel V (2014) Heavy metal pollution index of ground water of Fathima Nagar area near Uyyakondan Channel, Tiruchirapalli District, Tamilnadu, India. World J Pharm Pharmaceut Sci 4(1):967–975

    Google Scholar 

  • Srinivasamoorthy K, Gopinath M, Chidambaram S, Vasanthavigar M, Sarma VS (2014) Hydrochemical characterization and quality appraisal of groundwater from Pungar sub-basin,Tamilnadu, India. JKing Saud Univ Sci 26:37–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Inc (2017) SPSS 18. http://www.spss.en.softonic.com

  • Tamasi G, Cini R (2004) Heavy metals in drinking waters from Mount Amiata (Tuscany, Italy). Possible risks from arsenic for public health in the province of Siena. Sci Total Environ 327:41–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tang WZ, Ao L, Zhang H, Shan BQ (2013) Accumulation and risk of heavy metals in relation to agricultural intensification in the river sediments of agricultural regions. Environ Earth Sci. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-2779-z

    Google Scholar 

  • Todd DK, Mays LW (2005) Ground-water hydrology. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Tseng CH, Tseng CP, Chiou HY, Hsueh YM, Chong CK, Chen CJ (2002) Epidemiologic evidence of diabetogenic effect of arsenic. Toxicol Lett 133:69–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vieira JS, Pires JCM, Martins FG, Vilar VJP, Boaventura RAR, Botelho CMS (2012) Surface water quality assessment of Lis river using multivariate statistical methods. Water Air Soil Pollut 223:5549–5561. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-012-1267-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang S, Mulligan CN (2006a) Occurrence of arsenic contamination in Canada: sources, behavior and distribution. Sci Total Environ 366(2–3):701–721

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang S, Mulligan CN (2006b) Effect of natural organic matter on arsenic release from soils and sediments into groundwater. Environ Geochem Health 28:197–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organisation (WHO) (2004) Guidelines for drinking-water quality, recommendations, 3rd edn. Word Health Organization, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Amirkabir University of Technology (Polytechnic Tehran) and Water Resources Management of Isfahan Province for supporting this research. The contribution of Adonis Fard Mousavi, Samira Rezaei and Bashir Shokouh Saljughi are highly appreciated.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mining and Metallurgy Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

    Ali Rezaei & Hossein Hassani

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA

    Nima Jabbari

Authors
  1. Ali Rezaei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hossein Hassani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nima Jabbari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hossein Hassani.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Rezaei, A., Hassani, H. & Jabbari, N. Evaluation of groundwater quality and assessment of pollution indices for heavy metals in North of Isfahan Province, Iran. Sustain. Water Resour. Manag. 5, 491–512 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-017-0209-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-017-0209-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation