Hydrogeochemical Assessment of Selected Springs Water in Aqra Area, Duhok Governorate, Northern Iraq

Abstract

Fifteen spring water samples were collected from the study area, to identify its quality, as well as the prevailing water type in it. samples were analyzed to determine the concentrations of main cations Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and K+, and anions HCO3-, SO42-, Cl- and NO3-, as well as investigating the physio-chemical properties represented by Hydrogen Number, Electrical Conductivity, and Total Dissolved Solids. Piper classification demonstrated that all samples are of type normal earth alkaline water with prevailing bicarbonate with a percentage of 79.9% of all the samples, except for SP4, SP9, and SP11, which characterized with normal alkaline water with prevailing bicarbonate and sulfate or chloride with a percentage of 19.9%. The results of the analysis showed a prevalence of calcium ions over the rest of the cations followed by Mg2+, Na+, and K+, and a prevalence of HCO3- ion over the rest of the anions followed by NO3-, Cl-, and SO42-. The water quality index showed that all samples are categorized within the excellent type for drinking, with a range of 3.14-29.94. In addition, several classifications used (Eaton, 1950, Turgeon, 2000 and Don, 1995) demonstrated that the water is of excellent type to use for irrigation with Na%=2.51, Sodium Adsorption Ratio=0.08, and RSC=-1.65. Using Wilcox Diagram for irrigation water; show that all samples are within the domain of the excellent water for irrigation.