Application of Geographical Information System –Water Quality Index Techniques for Evaluating the Groundwater Quality in Kaniqirzhala Landfill, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Abstract

The aim of the current study through uses the Water Quality Index for drinking and irrigation purposes and Heavy Metal Pollution Index to determine quality groundwater in 25 wells spread throughout Kaniqirzhala landfill within the Erbil governorate during 2022. Groundwater samples from various wells have been gathered for chemical and physical analysis in order to determine the water quality. Turbidity, pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, total alkalinity, total hardness, major anions (SO4-2, Cl-1, Hco3-1, NO3-2, PO4-3) and major cations (Ca+2, Mg+2, Na+1, K+1) are all included in the analysis. In addition to heavy metals investigations were conducted on a variety of metals, including manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), barium (Ba), boron (B), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and lead (Pb). Results indicated that higher values of nitrate were calculated in sites 10 to 17. But, in all wells higher concentrations of alkalinity and total hardness were recorded .The concentrations of heavy metals in wells water ranged from low to high according to WHO guidelines for drinking purposes. Drinking water quality index ranged from 52.20 (good quality) at site 9 to 137.01 (poor quality) at site 14. The value of the irrigation water quality index, which is low at site 15, which indicates low restriction for irrigation uses, while the value of 50.01 recorded at site 4 indicates high restriction for irrigation purposes. In all groundwater sites under study, a heavy metal pollution index of greater than 100 indicates extremely poor water quality unsuitable for human consumption. This study concluded all examined wells were deemed to be of extremely poor to good quality for to use in for drinking water based on the water quality index, while extremely low quality based on the heavy metals pollution index .