Aluminum concentrations in Baghdad water supplies during 2004

Abstract EN

Alum represents the most coagulant used for water treatment .It is used due to its low cost and efficiency.

However, there are many disadvantages, mainly some effects due to aluminum accumulation with time in human mind causing Alzheimer’s disease.

In this work, Samples of water were collected and tested for residual aluminum concentration as a fieldwork investigation in the distribution system of Baghdad City.

Samples of raw water were also taken from the intake of water treatment plants located along Tigris River in Baghdad (Al-Karkh, East Tigris, Al-Karama, Al-Wathba, Al-Dora, Al-Wahda and Al-Rasheed ), then samples of tap water were taken from some regions which the project supply and comparing it with the Iraqi standards.

Samples collection were continued for four months (February, April, May, July) –2004.

The results indicated that aluminum concentrations decreased with increasing distance from water treatment plants due to the precipitation of aluminum hydroxides on pipes wall, results had showed that most samples were within standards except Al-Rasheed water treatment plant which showed that 70% of samples exceeded the health limit (0.1 mg / L) and 30% of samples exceeded the aesthetic limits (0.2 mg / L) at the beginning of the water treatment plant.

While in other water treatment plants percents were as follows: 35% of the samples exceeded health limits and did not exceeded the aesthetic limit in Al-Karkh water treatment plant, 45% of samples exceeded the health limit and 10% of samples exceeded the aesthetic limit in East Tigris water treatment plant, 33% of samples exceeded the health limit and in other points there were no samples exceeded the aesthetic limit in Al-Karama water treatment plant .Percent of samples which exceeded the health limit was 35% and there were no samples exceeded aesthetic limit in Al-Wathba water treatment plant .

While that in Al-Dora and Al-Wahda water treatment plants shows that no samples out of the range for both health and aesthetic limits.