Simulation of Distribution and Source Determination for Groundwater Quality Pollutants (Case Study: Nobandegan Plain)

Subject Areas : Water Resources

syed amir bijan elhamian ¹ , gholamreza rakhshanderoo ² , Amirhoseini Javid ³

1 - Student of Tehran University of Science and Research, majoring in water and sewage
2 - Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
3 - Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad university, Tehran, Iran.

Received: 2022-01-13 Accepted : 2022-03-15 Published : 2022-05-22

Keywords: Quality Management, GMS, Groundwater simulation, Source of pollution, Fars Nobandegan,

Abstract :

Due to the population growth and their agricultural needs, access to water is considered a serious crisis. The objective of this paper is to simulate groundwater resources in Nobandegan plain, Fars, as a case study, to obtain the path and intensity of groundwater flow, and to determine the distribution and origin of groundwater quality pollutants using GMS software. First, groundwater flow hydraulics in the plain has been simulated, calibrated and validated. Then, having the intensity and direction of groundwater flow in the plain and its interaction with adjacent aquifers, the distribution of qualitative pollutants has been investigated and simulated. Finally, combining groundwater quality and quantity information, possible origin of pollutants in the plain has been investigated and determined. Maximum values for groundwater hardness and salinity in the plain were 1272 (mg / l.CaCO3) and 3178 (µ mho / cm), respectively, which are relatively high and indicate low groundwater quality in the plain. However, pollutant levels decreased in the central areas of the plain where the aquifer thickness increases and some dilution takes place. Groundwater quality is saline in terms of salinity and very hard in terms of hardness. Investigating land use over the plain shows that the possible origins of groundwater pollution are dense agricultural activities in the northern areas, and location of Nobandegan city and villages there. Pollutants concentration in central plain decreased, apparently due to the lack of any city, village, or agricultural activity, in addition to aquifer thickness increase there.