Investigation of Water Quality of Fish Farming Ab-Bandans and Its Effect on Groundwater in Mazandaran Province

Ab-Bandan is a native or man-made pond in northern Iran that is used to store surface water. Secondary uses of these structures include fish farming and recreation areas. These water bodies can increase pollutants and their penetration into the aquifer, by accumulating water for a long time. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate their qualitative conditions and their impact on the ecosystem of the region.

In this study, to investigate the effect of Ab-Bandans on the aquifer, the water quality of three Ab-Bandans in Mazandaran province and the wells around them have been investigated. Wells were selected at approximately 100, 200, and 300 m distances around the Ab-Bandans. During three-month periods with an interval of 15 days, water from the Ab-Bandans and surrounding wells was sampled. The parameters of nitrate, nitrite, PH, EC, and TDS were measured to determine the water quality of the Ab-Bandan and its effect on the aquifer.

Results have shown that the water quality of Ab-Bandansis in good condition for fish farming. In agricultural use, only the pH parameter is higher than the allowable range, which is normal for Ab-Bandans and swamps. Investigation of wells' water quality also shows that their quality is favorable for drinking use - which is their most important use, and only in some wells, initial treatment is required. Qualitative comparison to evaluate the quality changes at different distances from the Ab-Bandan shows that the amount of contaminants decreases with increasing distance from the Ab-bandan. Between the second well and the third well, the changes in the parameters are about 0.5% and in the distance of 300 meters of the wells, the quality conditions of the aquifer can be considered stable and it can be stated that the Ab-Bandan no longer affects the water quality of the aquifer.

Investigations show that the quality conditions of the Ab-Bandan are in favorable condition for use in fish farming. In agricultural use, pH is higher than the permissible range, which was related to the quality conditions of the Ab-Bandan.