Studying the Effects of Heavy Metals Concentrations on selected Water Treatment Plants in Babylon Governorate
Keywords:
Drinking water contamination; Heavy metals; Pollution; Rivers; basins; Purification process.Abstract
With its high population density, Iraq faces numerous health problems due to pollution resulting from population activities affecting various components of the environment, particularly heavy metals in rivers. Unfortunately, most water treatment plants in Iraq lack a chemical treatment stage to remove heavy elements. To address this issue, the current study was conducted to measure the concentrations of toxic trace metals in drinking water, which can pose serious health risks, including cancer. The study focused on the Abi-Gharaq water project, the Al-Tayyara water plant project, and the unified Al-Hillah water project in Al-Hilla City. Experimental and analytical methods were applied to assess Samples taken from raw water before entering the projects, from sedimentation and filtration basins within the projects, and after adding chlorine for sterilization. The heavy elements studied were Aluminum, Copper, and Zinc. The study found a high concentration of copper in raw water before entering the Abi-Gharaq water project. In contrast, Aluminium in the water purification stages in the Al-Tayyara water plant project and the Abi-Gharaq water project exceeded the permissible limit of 0.20 mg/L according to the Iraqi Standard No. 417, 2001. Copper concentration also exceeded the permissible limit of 1.0 mg/L. The elevated levels of Aluminum may be related to the use of alum during the mixing basin stage of the purification process. Meanwhile, Zinc concentrations remained within the permissible limits of 3 mg/L for all stages.
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