Water Quality Monitoring of Tigris River by Using (GIS)-Based Physicochemical ‎Parameters in Baghdad, Iraq

Abstract

Water quality deterioration has become an essential concern worldwide due to climatic ‎changes and increased pollution. As a result, the available drinking water supply resources‏ ‏will receive its ration of this deterioration. This study was conducted to monitor the water ‎quality of the Tigris River in eight different locations in Baghdad during the period ‎between 2005 and 2013. Water samples were collected and analyzed for fourteen ‎selected physicochemical parameters including alkalinity, total hardness (TH), turbidity, ‎total suspended solids (TSS), temperature, pH, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, electrical ‎conductivity (EC), chloride, calcium, magnesium, and sulfate. To show the spatial and ‎temporal variations of the selected parameters along the study area easily and objectively, ‎Geographical Information System maps (GIS maps) were used. Results showed that the ‎obtained values in winter of alkalinity, turbidity, electrical conductivity, and the ‎concentration of calcium, magnesium, sulfate, nitrite, phosphate, chloride, and total ‎suspended solids were higher as compared with the corresponding values in summer. On ‎the other hand, temperature, total hardness, pH, and nitrate values were higher in summer ‎as compared with the corresponding values in winter. The water quality of Tigris River ‎throughout the study period was within the permissible limits of the Iraqi standards for ‎drinking water.‎