Heavy Metal Contamination in Drinking Water Supplies in the Villages of Divandarreh: The Use of Geographic Information System

Abstract

One of the important aspects of drinking water pollution is the presence of heavy metals that can create hazards for consumer’s health. This study was performed to find the concentration of heavy metals (arsenic, lead, iron, and zinc) in drinking water sources of Divandarreh in Kurdistan province and prepare its zoning map. A total of 99 wells, springs, and reservoirs were selected for sampling in 78 rural areas of Divandarreh County. Samples were collected from each source using grab sampling methods in two phases (rainy and dry seasons). To find the concentration of lead, the atomic absorption device (VARIAN 240 AA) was used, and Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP: VARIAN 710) was used for determining the concentration of arsenic, iron, and zinc. Analysis of data was done using SPSS version 22.0 and the analysis of spatial variability and estimation of the concentration of heavy metals (preparation of zoning map) in the study area were carried out by ArcGIS software. The average concentrations of arsenic, lead, iron, and zinc in dry and rainy seasons were 1, 0.6, 62.9, 31.4, and 0.13, 2.16, 11.5, 19.8, respectively. Zinc, iron, and lead concentrations in sample No. 36 were higher than the standard level; therefore, it can be inferred that these three elements can create health problems in the future.