Abstract
This rain water samples harvested for drinking and agriculture from Gaza collected in November 2012 were analyzed for different rare metals (Rb, Zr, Ti, Tl, Sb, Sc, Y), and rare earth metals (La, and Ce). These metals usually have no maximum acceptable limits as there is no sufficient data about their toxicity to human health. Their control should be therefore controlled in water to monitor their concentration in water (ground, harvested, etc.). This study was conducted to determine the water quality of harvested water which is used for drinking in the study area. 43 water samples were collected in November 2012 during the first rain from house wells and rain water pools. The concentrations of the metals detected in the collected harvested rainwater vary significantly between the 43 samples, and all of them were detected in all water samples analyzed in this study. The results obtained from this study suggest a possible risk to the population of the study area given the high concentration of some metals that have no maximum allowed concentration, and the fact that for many people in the study area, harvested rain water is a main source of their water supply.
Highlights
The importance of water for man makes management of this natural resource a priority in order to preserve its sustainability
This study was conducted to determine the water quality of harvested water which is used for drinking in the study area. 43 water samples were collected in November 2012 during the first rain from house wells and rain water pools
The results obtained from this study suggest a possible risk to the population of the study area given the high concentration of some metals that have no maximum allowed concentration, and the fact that for many people in the study area, harvested rain water is a main source of their water supply
Summary
The importance of water for man makes management of this natural resource a priority in order to preserve its sustainability. Heavy metals are well known to be toxic to human beings as they are not metabolized by the body and so accumulate in the soft tissues. These metals may enter the human body via different routes and including water [15] [16]. This work is a continuation of a previous work where metal contamination of the harvested rain water of Gaza strip in Palestine was assessed by analysis of different heavy metals (Ba, Cu, Zn, Co, Mn, V, Al, Pb, Cr, Ni, As, U, and Cd) and results showed that 8 trace metals is higher than the allowed WHO limits in drinking water. The present paper reports analytical results for some rare metals (Rb, Zr, Ti, Tl, Sb, Sc, Y), and rare earth metals (La, and Ce) which have no maximum allowed concentrations by WHO or any other regulation agencies
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