Evaluating the Potential of Groundwater Pollution in Kherran and Zoweircherry Plains through GIS-based DRASTIC Model

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Faculty Member Department of Geology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahwaz

2 M.Sc Student of Hydro-geology, Department of Geology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahwaz

Abstract

Zoweircherry and Kherran plains are located in the northeast ofAhwazin Khuzestan province. The water supply of these plains is a crucial issue and the quality of groundwater is also under the threat as a result of an increase in the use of agrochemicals. For this reason, assessing the vulnerability is an important factor in any policy-making decision for these plains. Focusing on this issue, this paper attempts to produce a groundwater vulnerability map for Zoweircherry and Kherran plains. The map is designed to show areas of highest potential for groundwater pollution on the basis of hydro-geological conditions and human impacts. Seven major hydro-geological factors (depth to water table, net recharge, aquifer media, soil media, topography, impact of vadose zone and hydraulic conductivity) were incorporated into DRASTIC model and Geographical Information System (GIS) was used to create a groundwater vulnerability map by overlaying the available hydro-geological data. The results of model exhibit that the west and southwest of the aquifer are dominated by medium vulnerability while small areas on northwest and east of the study area have no risk of pollution. Other parts of aquifer have low vulnerability. The nitrate analysis of groundwater samples shows that the existing nitrate on the west and southwest parts of aquifer is more than the existing nitrate on its other parts which, therefore, confirms the results of the vulnerability assessment.

Keywords

References

1- USEPA. (1985). DRASTIC: A standard system for evaluating groundwater potential using hydrogeological settings, Ada, Oklahoma, WA/EPA Series.
2- Melloul, A., and Collin, M. (1994). “Water quality factor identification by the principal component’s statistical method.” J. Water Sci. Technol., 34, 41–50.
3- Vrba, J., and Zoporozec, A. (1994). Guidebook on mapping groundwater vulnerability, International Contribution for Hydrogeology, vol. 16, Hannover7 Heise.
4- Tesoriero, A.J., Inkpen, E.L., and Voss, F.D. (1998). “Assessing ground-water vulnerability using logistic regression.” Proc., Source Water Assessment and Protection 98 Conference,Dallas,TX, 157– 165.
5- Secunda, S., Collin, M.L., and Melloul, A.J. (1998). “Groundwater vulnerability assessment using a composite model combining DRASTIC with extensive agricultural land use in Israel’s Sharonregion.” J. Environ. Manage., 54,39 – 57.
6- Shamsuddin, S. (2000). “A study of groundwater pollution vulnerability using DRASTIC-GIS, West Bengal, India.” J. Environmental Hydrology, 8, 1–9.
7- Al-Adamat, R.A.N., Foster, I.D.L., and Baban, S.M.J. (2003). “Groundwater vulnerability and riskmapping for the Basaltic aquifer of the Azraq basinof Jordanusing GIS, remote sensing and DRASTIC.” J. Applied Geography, 23, 303–324.
8- Babiker, I.S., Mohamed, A.A.A., Hiyama, T., and Kato, K. (2005). “A GIS-based DRASTIC model for assessing aquifer vulnerability in Kakamigahara heights, Gifuprefecture, central Japan.” J. Science of the Total Environment, 345, 127–140.
9- Stigter, T.Y., Ribeiro, L., and Carvalho, Dill, A. M. M. (2006). “Evaluation of an intrinsic and a specific vulnerability assessment method in comparison with groundwater Stalinization and nitrate contamination level in two agriculture regions in the south of Portugal.” J. Hydrogeology, 14(1-2), 79 –99.
10- Cameron, E., and Peloso, G.F. (2001). “An application of fuzzy logic to the assessment of aquifers pollution potential.” J. Environmental Geology, 40, 1305-1315.
11- Dixon, B. (2004). “Applicability of neuro-fuzzy techniques in predicting ground-water vulnerability: A GIS-based sensitivity analysis.” J. Hydrology, 309, 17-38.
12- Dixon, B. (2005). “Groundwater vulnerability mapping: A GIS and fuzzy rule based integrated tool.” J. Applied Geography, 25, 327-347.
13- نیکنام، ر. (1383). ”تهیه نقشه آسیب‌پذیری سفره‌های آب زیرزمینی با استفاده از منطق فازی و کاربرد آن در دشت تهران.“ پایان‌نامه کارشناسی ارشد، دانشگاه تربیت مدرس تهران.
14- رحیمی، م.ح. (1383). ”بررسی هیدروژئولوژیکی دشتهای زویرچری و خرّان (ملاثانی ـ اهواز). “ پایان‌نامه کارشناسی ارشد، دانشگاه شهید چمران اهواز.
15- Aller, L., Bennet, T., Leher, J.H., Petty, R.J., and Hackett, G. (1987). DRASTIC: A standardized system for evaluating groundwater pollution potential using hydro-geological settings, EPA 600/2-87-035, 622.
16- آرونوف، ا. (1375). سیستم‌های اطلاعات جغرافیایی، ترجمه سازمان نقشه‌برداری کشور.
17- Piscopo, G. (2001). “Groundwater vulnerability map, explanatory notes, Castlereagh Catchment, NSW.”Department of Land and Water Conservation, Australia,
,
(November, 2005).
18- Mace, R.E.(1997). “Determination of transmissivity from specific capacity tests in a karst aquifer.” J. Ground Water, 35 (5), 733-742.
Journal of Water and Wastewater; Ab va Fazilab ( in persian )
Volume 17, Issue 3 - Serial Number 3
Serial number:59
September and October 2006
Pages 39-51

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics