Investigation of anions and heavy metals in surface and ground water quality in villages around Darallu copper mine

The study area consists of two basins; the first basin consists of copper ore deposit, which mining operations are in the early stages. The second basin is located in the north of the mine, and two basins are separated by Sartashtak mountain. Sampling was carried out at 30 points and was analyzed using the ICP-MS method. The concentration of anions, cations and some of the heavy metals (As, Ba, Cd, Cu, Fe, Sn, U, Zn, V, B) in ground water in both basins are measured. These values were compared to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). The concentration of all of heavy metals was very low except for cadmium and uranium, which showed little enrichment. The average concentration of cadmium and uranium in basin 1 was 6.99 and 9.1 μg / l, and in basin 2 was 10.38 and 22.91 μg / l, respectively. Cadmium and uranium were classified in minimal to moderate enrichment. Therefore, it is concluded that there are no water pollution sources in two basins, and now, mineral deposits and mining operations do not affect the quality of groundwater in the region, and drinking water in neighboring villages has a good quality.