Impact of sewage water on the water quality of Tigris river in Maysan province and their possible health risks and removal by using granular activated carbon and sand

Abstract EN

The objective of this research was to know range effect Sewage water on physico-chemical quality of Tigris river water in Maysan province of Iraq and to estimate the environmental status of the river.

Water samples were collected seasonally during 2009-2010 from eight sites on the river in Maysan province.

Samples were collected before and after entering the river to Al-Ammarh city, in addition to two samples from sewage water through the two pipes of discharge, as well as, four samples, before and after the two pipes.

The physical and chemical parameters of water were included the temperature (T), hydrogen activity (pH), electric conductivity (EC), salinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand(BOD), total hardiness(TH), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), calcium (Ca) concentration, Magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium (K), Chloride (Cl), Sulfate (SO4), nitrate (NO3), total nitrogen (TN), ammonia (NH3), phosphate (PO4),total phosphor (TP), silicate (SiO3), manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu),Vanadium (V), Nickel (Ni), Cobalt (Co) and Lead (Pb). Results of present study were showed that the pH of the studied area varies from neutral to weak basic, and showed high conductivity (Total salinity) in addition to increase the concentration of TDS, TH, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Cl, SO4, and NO3 in the sewage water according to the drinking water criteria of (WHO), and Iraqi limits.

Whereas, SAR in the water samples was less than (10), while the mean of TH was above the international limits therefore it’s classified as hard water.

Also, present study was compared between activated carbon, activated carbon-sand filters, sand - activated carbon filters and sand filter respectively to obtain the difference for removal according to average flow rate is 10 m / sec.

the study proves that activated granulated carbon was more efficient than carbon –sand, sand-carbon and sand respectively.

The removal efficiency for major content ion and trace metals were observed in the order of Mg+2 < Cl- < K+ < Ca2+2 < PO4-3