Water Quality Assessment of Shatt Al-Arab River, Southern Iraq Using NSF-WQI

Abstract

Three stations were selected on Shatt Al-Arab River, which is distinguished by its fresh water that is used for drinking, agriculture and industry. The first station is located in the north of Basrah Province in Al-Shafy, the second in the province center in Al-Salhiya and the third one to the south in the Sahel Region, during the period from October 2019 until September 2020. The study aimed to assess the quality of Shatt Al-Arab River water by using the NSF-WQI guide and its suitability for various uses as it represents an easy and efficient method of evaluation. Seven factors were used in the study: dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, reactive phosphate, potential of Hydrogen, total dissolved solids, nitrates and water temperature. The results showed that the water quality index values varied between 110-122, as Shatt Al-Arab River water is generally classified as poor water. The second station recorded the highest (122) value for the index, while the first station recorded the lowest value (110).