Assessment of heavy metals concentrations with emphasis on arsenic in the Tabriz plain aquifers, Iran

The Tabriz area is one of the most industrialized areas in northwest of Iran. The heavy industrialization and the increasing urbanization are responsible for the rapidly increasing stress on the groundwater of the area. The objective of this study was to evaluate heavy metals such as Fe, Mn, Al, Zn, As and Cr in groundwater and their spatial distribution in Tabriz plain aquifer. The concentrations of Fe, Cr, Mn, As, and Al in some of the groundwater samples exceed the maximum admissible concentration (MAC). Correlation matrix (CM) and principal components analysis (PCA) methods were employed to identify source apportionment of contamination parameters in groundwater. There are two types of aquifers, with different quality of water, in the plain; an unconfined aquifer with saline water and a confined aquifer with fresh water quality. Arsenic concentrations in the unconfined aquifer and in the recharge areas of the plain boundary are low, with an average of 25.8 µg/L, while in the confined aquifer and deep wells the concentrations are high, with an average of 122.5 µg/L. The arsenic occurring in groundwater resources of the area originates from geological formations such as alluvial tuffs of Sahand mountain and its concentration is highly dependent on hydrogeological and environmental reducing conditions, residence time of water and depth of the sampling wells.

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