Study of corrosion potential in drinking water distribution system of Ahvaz, using Lead and Copper Rule

Subject Areas : environmental management

Nematollah  Jaafarzadeh ¹ (Faculty of Public Health, Jundishapoor University of Medical Sciences)
Jasem  Savari ² (Faculty of Environment and Energy, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University)
Amir Hesam  Hassani ³ (Faculty of Environment and Energy, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University)
Ghodratollah  Shams Khoram Abadi ⁴ (Faculty of Public Health, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences)

Received: 2007-01-21 Accepted : 2007-06-03 Published : 2009-12-22

Keywords: Lead &amp, Copper Rule (LCR), Corrosion Potential, water distribution system, Ahvaz,

Abstract :

Lead and Copper Rule is one of the indirect methods which is applied to determine the corrosion potential in drinking water distribution networks.  The objective of this study is to determine the corrosion potential ofAhvazdrinking water distribution network. In this study, 76 sample sites were selected. The sites were the inlets and outlets ofAhvazwater treatment plants as well as the consumers’ houses cold water taps. The samples were taken after a minimum detention time of 6 hours. The concentration of lead, zinc and copper was determined through atomic absorption technique. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS software version 11.5 for statistical tests. The averages of six rounds of corrosion measurement are as follows: lead (8.48 μg/l), copper (168 μg/l), and zinc (3180 μg/l). Also, 16.67 and 27.27 percent of the samples have concentrations higher than USEPA standards for lead (15 μg/l) and zinc (5,000 μg/l), respectively, and lower than the standard (1300 μg/l) for copper in drinking water ofAhvaz. According to Lead and Copper Rule, since 10 percent of the samples have lead and zinc concentrations higher than USEPA standards, the drinking water of Ahvaz is considered corrosive, and the possibility of leakage of heavy metals such as lead and zinc into the city’s drinking water exists. The results of the study revealed that Lead and Copper Rule could be used easily for the determination of corrosion potential in drinking water distribution networks; therefore, with the application of this method, there is no need for the imprecise and complicated calculations of the existing routine methods.