Assessment of the Chemical Quality of Water in the Halabja-Sulaimani,Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Abstract

A study of water pollution was conducted at Halabja-Sulaimani. Water samples were collected from five different locations in a radial manner around and within Halabja town. Water sources included artesian wells, drilled wells and Kahreezes. Before the chlorination and disinfection process, water samples were collected and then chemical and bacteriological analyses were conducted. The field works commenced according to a regular schedule twice per month, starting in June and ending in November 2007. The chemical evaluation of the well waters in the present study based on standards given for drinking water by the World Health Organization guidelines, can be assessed as good-quality; ranging from moderately hard to hard. Saturated by oxygen and healthy with regard to biological oxygen demand. The maximum and minimum of reactive phosphorus, nitrate, nitrite and chloride were 0.05–4.29 mg at P-PO $_4$ l $^{-1}$ , 0.83–8.40 N-NO $_3$ l $^{-1}$ and 1.42–25.16 mgl $^{-1}$ , respectively. All water samples during the investigation period revealed pollution by nickel, lead, molybedinum and chromium. In all investigated sites, cations were dominated by calcium followed by magnesium, sodium and potassium in order of decreasing concentrations.