Spatial variations of water quality in Al-Hilla River, Babil Province, Iraq

Abstract

The study was conducted to explain the variations of ten variables of WQI in four stations at Al-Hilla River which is the major branch of the Euphrates River, and located in the middle of Babylon Province. It extends for 101 km long. Water samples were collected from the river from June 2016 to May 2017. Ten of the physicochemical parameters were analyzed; dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, the potential of hydrogen, calcium, magnesium, nitrates, phosphates, turbidity and total alkalinity. The range of water quality index values of Al-Hilla River is 48.63 was recorded at station 1, the values indicate good water quality to very poor (85.67) at station 4, according to weighted arithmetic. The results indicated that there were significant differences between the first and fourth stations. The results values of WQI were 56.61 and 82.81 at stations 2 and 3 which indicate poor at station 2 and very poor status at station 3, respectively. The values of water quality index within turbidity ranged from 133.7 at station 1 to 192.04 at station 4 and the results values of WQI were 206.39 and 156.30 at stations 2 and 3. Significant (P<0.05) relationships were noted in the water quality index among the stations.