Assessment of Pb and Cd Pollution in Groundwater Resources of Qaleeh Shahin Plain, Iran, using the Heavy Metal Pollution Index in 2014

Today, due to the discharging of different types of pollutants into groundwater resources, the quality of these resources has reduced. Therefore, this study was conducted for qualitative assessment of groundwater resources of Qaleeh Shahin Plain, Iran, in terms of Pb and Cd pollution using the heavy metal pollution index (HPI) during the winter and summer of 2014.
In this descriptive study, groundwater samples were collected from 20 stations selected according to the 3010-B guideline. After preparation of samples in the laboratory, metal concentrations were determined using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Qualitative assessment of groundwater resources and all statistical analyses were performed using the HPI and SPSS statistical package, respectively.
Findings: The results showed that the mean concentrations of Pb and Cd in groundwater samples in winter were 4.52 ± 1.47 and 0.48 ± 0.62 ppb, respectively, and in spring were 6.46 ± 2.22 and 1.21 ± 2.36 ppb, respectively. Moreover, the computed mean values of HPI were 4.73 and 11.74 in winter and summer seasons, respectively, and were much lower than the critical value for drinking water.
Although currently the groundwater resources of Qaleeh Shahin Plain are not polluted with Pb and Cd, according to the twice a year cultivation potential in the study area, the periodic monitoring of the groundwater resources of this region for heavy metal concentration is recommended.