Determination of the Quality and the Pollution Level of the Surface Sediments of the Karun River in part of the Ahvaz Urban Area

Document Type : Research

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Department, Khuzestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Ahvaz, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Research Department of River and Shore Engineering, Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

3 Research Expert, Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Department, Khuzestan Agricultural and Natural Resources (AREEO), Ahvaz, Iran

Abstract

The Karun River provides an important sedimentary environment for the Great Karun Watershed, which receives large amounts of oil, industrial and municipal sewage, and agricultural wastes. The dominant physico-chemical conditions, which are controlled by water discharge rate and the river morphology, determine the conditions for the absorption of toxic metal and levels of pollution for aquatic creatures and utilizers; in other words, the food chain. Therefore, the study range limited the urban area of Ahvaz between the Fifth Bridge and the Sayyed Khalaf Alley.  The research objectives were to determine the concentration of seven toxic metals, namely: Cu, Cr, Cd, Zn, Pb, Ni, and As, and their consequences on the levels of pollution. A deterministic strategy of sampling was chosen based on the identified and surveyed contamination points. In total, twenty-one superficial sediments (0-10 cm) samples were collected using an undisturbed core sampler. The analytical procedure was carried out using the ICP-MS equipment following the Geological Survey procedures. The research method was designed to compare the concentration of toxic metals to their standard levels (ISQGs, PEL, SEL) of sediment quality guidelines of freshwater sediments to find out the level of pollution risk, and the high-risk ranges along the river reach. In addition, the enrichment factor was calculated to determine the rate at which the concentration of toxic metal bias from their background levels. The coefficient of variation of the predominant concentration of elements indicates the contribution of human pollutants in increasing their concentration in sediments and the order of enrichment of elements is Zn> Cu> Ni> As> Cr = Pb> Cd respectively in the surface sediments. The Karun River superficial sediments, especially from the Kianpars Bridge to the Fifth Bridge, were in a harmful condition for Cr, while the concentration was higher than the PEL level (90 mg kg -1). The study concluded that the Ni concentration of the sediments along the studied range was higher than the ISQG, PEL, and SEL (50 mg kg-1) standard level. Thus, aquatic bodies and the users of the Karun River water in such a range are exposed to severe poisoning due to nickel pollution. This situation has occurred while the drained sewage along the districts of the Kianpars Bridge to the Black Bridge and the Naderi Bridge to the Eighth Bridge has played a critical role in releasing pollutants. Thus, preventive measures to control pollutants from the source and methods of neutralizing and removing pollutants from the Karun River sediments are firmly recommended.

Keywords

References

Adab F, Karami H, Mousavi SF, Farzin S. 2018. Analysis of Karun river flow in three scales: daily, monthly, and seasonal using turbulence theory indicators. Journal of Geographical Research, 50(3): 443–457. (In Persian).
Akhigbe GE, Adebiyi FM, Torimiro N. 2019. Analysis and hazard assessment of potentially toxic metals in petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soils around transformer installation areas. Journal of Health &Pollution, 9(24): 191213[18p]. https://doi.org/10.5696/2156-9614-9.24.191213.
Algül F, Beyhan M. 2020. Concentrations and sources of heavy metals in shallow sediments in Lake Bafa. Turkey. Scientific Reports, 10(1): 1–12.
Alibeigi H, Mirzaei R, Mahmoodi R. 2017. Investigation of heavy metals concentration in surface sediments of Choghakhor wetland. Journal of Environmental Studies. 43(1): 149–161. (In Persian).
Ansari M, Chorom M, Shafaei bajestan M, Mahmoudi kordestani SA. 2007. Investigation of pollution status of Karun river sediments with heavy pollutants, Bande Gheer to the south of Ahvaz. 7th International River Engineering Conference. Shahid Chamran University. Ahvaz. Iran. (In Persian).
Ashraf MA, Sarfaraz M, Rizwana N, Gharibreza M. 2015. Environmental impacts of metallic elements. Springer, Singapore. 434 p.
CCME. (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment). 1995. Protocol for the derivation of Canadian sediment quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life. CCME PN 1176. Prepared by Environment Canada, Guidelines Division, Technical Secretariat of the CCME Task Group on Water Quality Guidelines, Ottawa.
Cheraghi Z, Mortazavi S, Ildoromi A. 2018. Geochemical speciation and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals (Pb, Cu and Zn) in Surface Sediments of Shadegan Wetland. Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. In press. doi:10.22034/JEST.2018.12939.2148. (In Persian).
Einax JW. Zwanziger HW. Geib S. 2007. Chemometrics in environmental analysis. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, Germany.
Ernst TW. 1970. Geochemical facies analysis. Volume 11, 1st Edition, Elsevier. 158 p.
Ghafari F. 2002. Chemical, mineralogical and pollutant elements of Karun river sediments (Ahvaz). MSc. Thesis. Faculty of Agriculture. Shahid Chamran University. (In Persian).
Gharibreza MR. Ashraf MA. 2014. Applied Limnology: Comprehensive View from Watershed to Lake. Springer, Japan.
Gharibreza MR. Ashraf MA.2014. Applied Limnology. Tokyo, Heidelborg, New York, Dordrecht, London. Springer. 199 p.
Gharibreza MR. Masoumi H. Jafari Gorzin B. Rahimzadeh H. Asgharipour N. 2020. Assessing the Quality of Surface Sediments in the Tajan River and Determining the Level of Ecological Pollution. Environment and Water Engineering. 6(4): 485–500. (In Persian).
Gharibreza MR. Yusoff I. Raj JK. Ashraf M.A. 2010. Heavy metal concentration in Bera Lake (Tasek Bera) sediments. The 6th Mathematics and Physical Sciences Graduate Congress; Kuala Lumpur: MPSGC.
Hakanson L. 1994. A Review on effect-dose-sensitivity models for aquatic ecosystems. International Review of Hydrobiology. 79(4): 661–667.
Hakanson L.1980. An ecological risk index for aquatic pollution control. A sedimentological approach. 14(8): 975–1001.
Jiao X, Teng Y, Zhan Y, Wu J, Lin X. 2015. Soil heavy metal pollution and risk assessment in Shenyang industrial district, Northeast China. PLOS ONE, 10(5): e0127736. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0127736.
Karbasi A, Bayati I. 2017. Environmental geochemistry. Kavosh Qalam Publications. 256p. (In Persian).
Karimi Sh. 2016. Determining the index of severity of heavy element pollution in Karun river sediments (Ahvaz to Khorramshahr). MSc. Thesis. Faculty of Agriculture. Islamic Azad University- Ahvaz Branch. (In Persian).
Loring DL, Naes K, Dahle S, Matishov GG, Illind D. 1995. Arsenic, trace metals, and organic micro contaminants in sediments from the Pechora Sea, Russia. Marine Geology. 128(3–4): 153–167.
Mir Mohammad A, Mohammad Lokman A, Md. Saiful Islam, Md Zillur Rahman. 2016. Preliminary assessment of heavy metals in water and sediment of Karnaphuli River, Bangladesh, Environmental Nanotechnology, Monitoring & Management. 5: 27–35.
Mustafa AD, Juahir H, Yunus K, Amran MA, Hasnam CN, Azaman F, Zainal-Abidin I, Azmee SH, Sulaiman NH. 2015. Oil spill related heavy metal: A Review. Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences. 19(6): 1348–1360.
Saeidi P, Aslani N, Nouri R, Nazariha M. 2012. Evaluation of ecological discharge flow of Karun river by three methods of the Tenant, flow continuity curve and Smachin. 5th Conference and Exhibition On Environmental Engineering. University of Tehran, Tehran. (In Persian).
Radtke DB. 2005. Bottom-Material Samples. U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior. 65 p.
Rastmanesh F, Zarasvandi A, Moslem F. 2015. Contamination assesment of heavy metals in Karoon river surface sediments, Ahvaz City. Journal of Advanced Applied Geology. 5(3): 11–22. (In Persian).
Rezaei M, Mehdinia A, Saleh A, Modabberi S. 2017. Comparison of the ecological risk index of heavy metals in the North of Persian Gulf: Hormozgan and Bushehr Provinces. Journal of Oceanography. 8(30): 37–45. (In Persian).
Rezvani M, Ghorbanian A, Nojavan M, Sahba M. 2014. Evaluation of heavy metal pollution (Cd, Co, Pb, Zn and Mn) in Eshtehard aquifer. Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering. 1(1): 13–21. (In Persian).
Ryahi A, Esmaeeli A, Savari A. 1999. Determination of heavy metals (Cd, Co, Pb, Ni, Zn & Cu) in water, sediments and fish from the Karun river. Iranian Journal of Natural Resources. 52(2): 37–46. (In Persian).
Saeki K, Okazaki M, Matsumoto S. 1993. The Chemical Phase changes in heavy metals with drying and oxidation of the lake sediments. Water Research. 27(7): 1243–1251.
Shahnavaz M, Chorom M, Hasonizadeh H. 2009. Study of the physicochemical characteristics and heavy metal of concentrations sediments of the Karoon river for their application in agriculture. Journal of Water & Wastewater. 20(3): 94–98. (In Persian).
Sutherland RA, Tolosa CA. 2000. Multi-element analysis of road-deposited sediment in an urban drainage basin, Honolulu, Hawaii. Environmental Pollution. 110(3): 483–495.
Tchounwou PB, Yedjou CG, Patlolla AK, Sutton DJ. 2012. Heavy metals toxicity and the environment. Exp Suppl. 101: 133–164.
Varol M. 2012. Assessment of heavy metal contamination in sediments of the Tigris river (Turkey) using pollution indices and multivariate statistical techniques. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 195:355–364.
Walkley A, Black IA. 1934. An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining organic carbon in soils: effect of variations in digestion conditions and of inorganic soil constituents. Soil Sci. 37(1): 29–38.
Wang Y, Chen P, Cui R, Si W, Zhang Y, Ji W. 2010. Heavy metal concentrations in water, sediment, and tissues of two fish species (Triplohysa pappenheimi, Gobio hwanghensis) from the Lanzhou section of the Yellow River, China. Environ Monit Assess. 165(1–4): 97–102.
Wegscheider W. 1994. Standardization, quality control and education in analytical chemistry. Fresenius' Journal of Analytical Chemistry. 349: 784–793.
Wuana RA, Okieimen FE. 2011. Heavy metals in contaminated soils: A review of sources, chemistry, risks and best available strategies for remediation. International Scholarly Research Notices. 20 p. doi:10.5402/2011/402647.
Watershed Management Research
Volume 34, Issue 4 - Serial Number 133
December 2022
Pages 118-134

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 09 May 2021
  • Revise Date: 30 June 2021
  • Accept Date: 20 September 2021

Share

How to cite

Statistics