Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Sahel Pakzad Toochaei ¹
• Roghaye Karami ¹
• Hashem Khandan Barani ²

¹ Department of Natural Ecosystems, Hamoon International Wetland Research Institute, Research Institute of Zabol, Zabol, Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran.

² Department of Aquatic Science, Hamoon International Wetland Research Institute, Research Institute of Zabol, Zabol, Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran

Abstract

In this study, we evaluated the water quality of sources used in the experimental fields of Zabol Research Institute, with a focus on potential environmental and health risks. The concentrations of heavy metals—including mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), and copper (Cu)—were measured, alongside key physicochemical parameters of groundwater from wells and drainage systems within the institute. Water samples were collected from eight stations during two seasons, February 2024 (winter) and August 2024 (summer), with three replicates per sampling event. To assess water quality, indices such as the Metal Index (MI) and Poseidon Index (PoS) were calculated, and the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) method was used to produce spatial distribution maps, highlighting the variation of heavy metal concentrations across the study area. Mercury and lead were below detection limits and therefore not recorded. The concentrations (µg/L) of arsenic, chromium, nickel, cadmium, iron, and copper were 6.44–13.11, 18.36–83.76, 1.44–9.8, 1.31–6.3, 194–976.66, and 12.53–39.9, in summer respectively. In winter, concentrations increased to 8.21–21.73 for arsenic, 44.43–96.06 for chromium, 3.34–11.86 for nickel, 2.33–8.83 for cadmium, 1253.33–4893.33 for iron, and 55.01–91.67 for copper. Results indicated significant spatial and seasonal variations, with most metals showing higher levels in winter. The spatial maps of water quality parameters provided an effective overview of their distribution across the study area in different seasons. Although no immediate environmental risk was detected, as these water sources are used temporarily and mainly for tree irrigation, the findings highlight the importance of regular monitoring and the implementation of proper management strategies to ensure the safe and sustainable use of water resources under conditions of scarcity.

Keywords

• Heavy metals
• Groundwater
• Water quality indices
• Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW)
• Irrigation