STUDY OF POLLUTION LOAD OF AGRICULTURAL DRAINAGES IN THE SOIL AND WATER RESOURCES CASE STUDY: RIVER DRAINAGE BASIN, SOUTHWEST OF

1EBRAHIM PANAHPOUR, 2ALI GHOLAMI, 3NADER HOSSEINIZARE, 4ALIREZA JAFARNEJADI

1,2Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran. 3Ph.D Student in Soil Science, Khouzestan Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran. 4Soil and Water Research Department Khuzestan Agricultural and NaturalResources Research Center, Ahvaz, Iran E-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Abstract—The aim of this paper is to determine and assess the contamination status and pollution loads to the studied rivers. The main issues addressed in this paper are pollution loads of: a) Agricultural drainage, b) urban wastewaters, and c) industrial wastewaters. A total of 284 samples consist of 24 sources of agricultural drainages outlet, 9 sources of industrial wastewaters discharges, 38 sources of urban wastewaters discharges were collected during four times in 2013-14 in an attempt to make each season one sample. 15 physical and chemical parameters including flow rate, COD, PO4, BOD, DO, NO3, NH3, TSS, pH, EC, TDS, Total Coliform, Fecal Coliform, Cl-1 and SO4-2 were determined for each sample. Results showed that agricultural activities had the higher risk of degrading the quality of soil and water resources in Khuzestan Plain and Karun basin in salinity and increased load of soluble salts (TDS).The Agricultural drainages, with the capacity of 2,375×106 m3.yr-1, and a salt pollution load of 11,862×103 kg.d-1 had the greatest contribution among pollutants. Dez River in Haft-Tapeh region with the 285×103 kg.d-1 of organic pollution based on chemical oxygen demand (COD) being discharged by the sugarcane industries subsidiaries, such as KaghazPars and Harir, is considered sensitive and vulnerable regarding natural self-purification. Results show that Ahvaz, by discharging 400×103 m3.d-1 of urban wastewater to Karun River, from the gateway to the southern end of the city, is one of the major centers of organic pollution based on biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and ammonia and microbial pollution loads.

Keywords— Contamination Sources, Karun and Dez Rivers, Khouzestan Plain, Pollution Load, Water and Soil Resources.

I. INTRODUCTION were estimated. Their results showed pollution load resulting from inorganic nitrogen and phosphate was The quality and quantity of these resources is higher than the refinement potential of the system[2]. associated with their exploitation and operation management (agricultural, urban, and industrial) [5]. Therefore, the increase of water needed in various Water consumers in agriculture sector are mainly the sectors including agriculture activities and irrigation rural population, and due their economic and social and drainage networks, shrimp and fish farms, characteristics which are based on traditional industries, urban development, and water transfer can exploitation of resources, optimal water exploitation have huge impact on the water quality in Karun River management has not progressed much in this section. in the future [6]. Karoon and Dez drainage basin, Unfortunately, in non-agricultural purposes, the water with an area of 21,500 square kilometers, accounts resources exploitation system in industries and urban for 33.8% of the area. Suitable wastewater discharge is the same as it used to be in soil and water resources in the basin and the wide and industrialized countries in the past centuries. The potential range of natural resources, favorable pollution of soil and water resources has become a climatic conditions, and rich oil and gas resources has serious threat to human societies, environment, and led to growing development of agriculture, industry, natural ecosystems [4]. Investigated the pollution in aquaculture, population growth, and urbanization in the Keiskamma River in South Africa. Their results the Karun and Dez riverbanks. This has caused showed that the discharge of wastewater of various problems in most environmental aspects such Keiskammahoek treatment plant was the most as the impact on water and soil receiver resources, important point source of pollution load. The most increased pollution, and reduced natural capacity of important pollution loads of that river were related to the environment in the studied region [7]. Great salinity, nutrients, and oxygen-demanding Karun river system consists of two major rivers of compounds.The pollution load of Ikpa River in Dez and Karun and is the greatest surface water Nigeria and reported that urban development of Uyo system in Iran with the average, maximum, and metropolitan was the major contributor to pollution of minimum annual discharges of 19,174, 38,323, and the river. It was concluded that pollution was mainly 7,915 MCM/year, respectively [7]. This study aimed due to the discharge of leachate, urban runoff, and at identifying and determining the pollution load of sewage into the river [3]. total pollution load on pollution sources in Karun and Dez basin which Yangtze River in China and examined the share of affect the quality of water and soil resources in pollution load. The total pollution load of COD and Khuzestan region. ammonia nitrogen, inorganic nitrogen, and phosphate

Proceedings of Academics World 8th International Conference, Dubai, UAE, 13th November 2015, ISBN: 978-93-85832-47-5 34 Study of Pollution Load of Agricultural Drainages in the Soil and Water Resources Case Study: Karun River Drainage Basin, Southwest of Iran II. MATERIAL AND METHOD III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The study area included the Karun River basin from Results of descriptive statistics of parameters for using calculations of the pollution load for various its entry point to Khuzestan plain () to pollution sources were determined (Table 1). The Abadan and and Dez River from its results of the pollution load and the degree of entry point to the Khuzestan plain () to Bande- importance of soil and water pollution sources of Ghir, where it joints Karun River and forms the great Karun and Dez rivers basin in terms of pollution load Karun River. Karun and Dez Rivers basin is the by indicator parameters is shown in Table 2. largest basin in the Khuzestan province in Iran located at geographical coordinates of 48° 10' to 52° Assessment of Pollution Load of Agricultural Drainages 30' east longitude and 30° 20' to 34° 05' north latitude Results showed that from 86.23 m3/sec pollutants in the central Zagros Mountains. Karun basin has an discharge entering Great Karun system (Karun and area of 62,417km2. Awareness of the present Dez Rivers) before Ahvaz region, 75.3 m3/sec (87.3 condition, determination of the main pollution %) was related to agricultural drainages. Also, the sources, and specification of the hierarchical structure results revealed that the most important problem of of qualitative variables were among the methods used agricultural drainages was their salinity. The total pollution load entering Karun and Dez rivers due to in this study to determine the pollution load. different agricultural, industrial, and urban pollution

sources is presented in Table 2. Accordingly, from a Then, the locations of the entry points of all total of 14,070 tons/day minerals and inorganic pollutants including agricultural drainage, industrial compounds (TDS) pollution load discharged into wastewater, and urban wastewater to rivers were water sources of Karun and Dez Rivers, 11862.5 determined using Global Positioning System (GPS) tons/day (84.3 %) was due to agricultural drainages. and recorded in Excel software along with some other According to calculations of the pollution load, data. agricultural pollutants accounted for 211.16 tons/day

(32.6 %) of organic matter on the basis of COD GIS software used for the output map.Twenty-four (chemical oxygen demand) of the total of 647.92 agricultural drainage systems, nine sources of tons/day entering Karun and Dez rivers. In this industrial wastewater, and thirty-eight sources of regard, agricultural pollutants ranked second after urban wastewater located on routes of Karun and Dez industries. Agricultural drainages accounted for 29.7 rivers, including the cities of Dezful, Gotvand, tons/day (26.75 %) of organic matter on the basis of Shooshtar, Ahvaz, Khorramshahr, Abadan, Veis, and BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) of the total of Mollasani, were identified. Sampling was conducted 111 tons/day entering Karun and Dez rivers. in the 2013-2014 water year. Seventy-one samples Agricultural drainages ranked second in this regard. were collected at each sampling amounting to 284 With regards to of chlorides (2,654 tons/day), sulfates samples of pollution sources in four seasons. Samples (4,722 tons/day) and nitrate (65.51 tons/day), were transported to the laboratory and were prepared. agricultural drainages were the largest contributor of Qualitative variables, such as biochemical oxygen the pollution load entering the river, and since they demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) have a significant discharge rate, pollution load due were determined as an indicator parameters for to agricultural drainages is very important. the pollution load of organic materials. Qualitative pollution sources and their pollution load in Karun variables such as total dissolved solids (TDS), Cl-, and Dez rivers basin and estimated that the SO -2, and TSS were determined as characteristics 4 contribution of agricultural drainages in pollution indicators of soluble and insoluble solids. The load of dissolved solids (TDS) and organic load based qualitative variables of nitrate (NO -) and phosphate 3 on BOD and COD as 70, 19 and 23.5 percent, (PO -3) were also determined as characteristics 4 respectively[6]. Due to the significant development of indicator of the pollution load of nutrients. Then, the agricultural and aquaculture activities and particularly indicator parameters of pollution load were measured. the implementation and operation of the seven All steps including sampling, stabilization and sugarcane industries development plans in northern transport of samples to the laboratory and the testing and southern Ahvaz in the vicinity of Karun and Dez methods were all according to Standard Methods for Rivers basin, the increased contribution and role of the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 22nd agricultural pollution sources in mineral and organic Edition [1]. Contribution of pollution sources and pollution load discharging into the river during this prioritization of the various agricultural, urban, and study compared to other is quite predictable. industrial pollution sources in pollution load entering the river, was calculated by using SPSS20 and

EXCELL based on the qualitative and quantitative obtained results of indicator parameters

Proceedings of Academics World 8th International Conference, Dubai, UAE, 13th November 2015, ISBN: 978-93-85832-47-5 35 Study of Pollution Load of Agricultural Drainages in the Soil and Water Resources Case Study: Karun River Drainage Basin, Southwest of Iran Table 1. Statistical characterstics of pollution load indicators of pollution sources entering Karun and Dez rivers in four seasons of 2013-2014

Table 2. Pollution load of pollution sources and their priority in polluting (discharge is in m3/sec, and the indicators are in Tons/day)

Proceedings of Academics World 8th International Conference, Dubai, UAE, 13th November 2015, ISBN: 978-93-85832-47-5 36 Study of Pollution Load of Agricultural Drainages in the Soil and Water Resources Case Study: Karun River Drainage Basin, Southwest of Iran REFERENCES [4] Fatoki, O.S.,Gogwana, P., Ogunfowokan, A.O. Pollution assessment in the Keiskamma River and in the [1] APHA, AWWA, WEF., 2012" Standard Methods for impoundment downstream, 2003,http://www.wrc.org.za primitive the Examination of water and wastewater" 22 Key to understanding our global envirooment. Soil Sci. ND Edition. Soc. Am Spec. pub. 41: 1-9. [2] Deng,Y., Binghui, Z., Goo, f., Kun, L., and Zicheng, I., [5] Jafarnejadi, A.R., M. Homaee, G. Sayyad, M. Bybordi. Study on the total water pollutant Load allocation in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary and adjacent 2011.Large scale Spetial Variability of Accumulated seawater area , Estuarine, Coastal and shelf Science, Cadmium in the Wheat farm Grains. Soil and Sediments 2010, 86,331-336 Contamination. 2o: 98-113. [3] Essien ,O.E., Effect of Anthropogenic Pollution Loads [6] Karamouz, M., Krachian, R., Zahraei, b., Jafarzadeh, Along Ikpa River Tributary Under Urbanization N.A. (2005). "Planning to Develop Comprehensive Expansion, Journal of Applied Sciences in Plans to Reduce Pollution of Karun River System". Environmental Sanitation,2010,5(3):273-282 [7] Karun River Water Pollution Reduction Plan, 2002, Khuzestan Department of Environment.

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Proceedings of Academics World 8th International Conference, Dubai, UAE, 13th November 2015, ISBN: 978-93-85832-47-5 37