See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51850529 Zamzam water: Concentration of trace elements and other characteristics Article in Chemosphere · December 2011 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.10.025 · Source: PubMed CITATIONS READS 35 5,835 1 author: Basem Shomar Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute 58 PUBLICATIONS 913 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE All content following this page was uploaded by Basem Shomar on 05 July 2019. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. Chemosphere 86 (2012) 600–605 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Chemosphere journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/chemosphere Zamzam water: Concentration of trace elements and other characteristics ⇑ Basem Shomar Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 236, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany article info abstract Article history: Many Muslims drink Zamzam water for use either medicinally or religiously. Millions of pilgrims drink it Received 5 August 2011 and take bottles of it to their home countries. Heated scientific and political debates appeared after BBC Received in revised form 14 October 2011 reported in May 2011 that Zamzam water is poisonous, because of the high levels of arsenic. The World Accepted 14 October 2011 Health Organizations classifies arsenic as a human carcinogen, but some types of arsenic are also used as Available online 3 December 2011 medicines. Adequate scientific studies on the Zamzam water are absent. This paper will provide, for the first time, basic and comprehensive information regarding the geochemical properties of Zamzam water Keywords: for more than 30 indicators and using the state-of-the-art laboratory facilities. The data will help us to Zamzam water understand the sources of pollution under discussion, reactions at both local and international levels; Contamination by nitrates and arsenic Alkaline water and will highlight the potential healing capacity of Zamzam water. Thirty Zamzam water samples were Healing collected by three distinct methods; from 10 pilgrims living in different locations in Germany in 2007, 10 samples from shops in Frankfurt and Berlin in 2011, and 10 samples directly from Makkah in 2011. The samples were analyzed 2 weeks after collection for more than 30 indicators: pH, EC, Eh, Cl, F, Br, NO3,PO4, SO4, HCO3, Ag, Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn beside others. Four major instruments were used; the IC, the ICPOES, the ICPMS and the HGAAS. The quality of the water did not change for 2 years and there was an excellent agreement among the results of the 30 water samples as well as between the results of the 2 years for the same samples analyzed in 2007 and 2008. The water is alkaline (average pH is 8) with an average Li concentration of 15 lgLÀ1. The average concentrations of À1 À1 As and NO3 showed values three times higher than the WHO standards (27 lgL and 150 mg L , respectively). The averages of Ca and K were 95 and 50 mg LÀ1, respectively. Very urgent steps are required to scientifically screen for the elevated parameters As, NO3, Ca, and K in all Zamzam water sources and locations with full transparency. The resultant information should be made available to the public, and the relationship between pollution and human health should be addressed. The alkalinity of Zamzam water and the presence of trace amounts of As and Li may cause the healing power. However, a scientific strategy should be developed and adopted to enable further research and studies on toxicol- ogy and treatment technologies could be applied if needed. Ó 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Muslims believe that the well of Zamzam was revealed to Hagar, the mother of Ibrahim-Abraham in English-son Ismail. As Since ancient times, many religions and beliefs have used ‘‘holy she desperately sought water for her infant son, Muslim tradition water’’ for healing and other spiritual practices. The first use of says that Hagar ran seven times back and forth in the scorching holy water for baptism and spiritual cleansing is still common heat between the two hills of Safa and Marwah. God then sent among a variety of religions, from Christianity to Sikhism and the angel Gabriel, who scraped the ground, causing the spring to Hinduism (Altman, 2002; Heinrich, 2009; Clarke, 2010). It is used appear. On finding the spring, Hagar confined the pool of water by the followers of many religions (Shafique, 2007; Foley, 2011). with sand and stones. Other versions of the story say Ismail Many Muslims believe that the water of the Zamzam well is di- scraped the ground with his heel and the Zamzam appeared. The vinely blessed, able to satisfy both hunger and thirst, as well as grandfather of the Islamic Prophet Mohammad, Abdul Muttalib, cure illness. Pilgrims make efforts to drink this water during their is said to have rediscovered the well after it had been neglected pilgrimage and those living nearby might drink the water more and had filled with sand. He became the guardian of the well, regularly (Careem, 2005). charged with maintaining it and serving the Arabs who came to Makkah-Mecca in English-on pilgrimage (Hawting, 1980). Today, the water is available to the public through coolers sta- ⇑ Tel.: +49 6221 546 009; fax: +49 6221 545 228. tioned throughout the Masjid Al Haram in Makkah and the Masjid E-mail address: [email protected] Al Nabawi in Madina. Pilgrims can also fill water canisters from 0045-6535/$ - see front matter Ó 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.10.025 B. Shomar / Chemosphere 86 (2012) 600–605 601 special taps to take home for future use and as gifts for relatives and friends. Some pilgrims dip their pilgrimage clothes, ihram, in the water. The ihram are then preserved to serve as burial clothes when the pilgrim dies; thus he or she will go to the grave touched by the Zamzam water. As the Muslim population has grown and air travel has made the Hajj more accessible, there can be up to four million pilgrims visiting Makkah and Madina during the week-long Hajj each year. There is increasing concern that the Zamzam well may not be able to provide enough water to satisfy all demands. The Saudi Geological Survey has set up a Zamzam Studies and Research Cen- tre (ZSRC), which is charged with keeping the Zamzam water both clean and plentiful. There have been some attempts to scientifically validate Muslim beliefs regarding the special nature of Zamzam water. The water is said to contain high levels of some minerals: calcium, magnesium, and fluoride (ZSRC, 2011). Fig. 1. General view of Haram Mosque in the heart of Makkah (REUTERS/ The Saudi government has prohibited the commercial export of Mohammed Salem). Zamzam water. However, there is large commercial demand for the water and it is sold in many countries. There is some evidence dispensing containers were provided for drinking purposes (ZSRC, that most, if not all, of this water is not authentic. The UK environ- 2011). Recently, the Al-Haram Tawaf area has been extended to mental agencies (e.g., Leicester City Council) have tested purported cover the entrance to this area and it is no more accessible to pil- Zamzam water on sale in the UK, and found arsenic levels three grims. Instead, cold Zamzam water fountains and dispensing con- times the permitted level in much of it (LCC, 2005). In addition, ni- tainers are now placed at the periphery of Tawaf area. trate was found at twice the permitted level. The upper 13.5 m of the well is excavated in the sandy alluvium We recognize that the quality of the Zamzam water is a sensi- of the Wadi Ibrahim and the lower 17.0 m in the underlying diorite tive subject for Muslims worldwide, as well as for the Saudi bedrock. Between the alluvium and bedrock lies a 0.5 m thick authorities. We have been assessing the quality of the water since highly permeable weathered rock. Most of the alluvial section of 2007, but have not previously published results due to this sensi- the well is lined with stone masonry except for the uppermost tivity. There has been heated discussion of this topic since May 1 m, which has a reinforced concrete collar. The weathered rock 2011 following a BBC report of their findings. Thus, in the interest section is lined with stone and it is this section that provides the of protecting health if needed, I am publishing our findings to pro- main water entry into the well. vide a scientific basis for a discussion of what actions, if any, might At approximately 13 m below surface, springs contribute to the be considered. well water. A pumping test at 8000 L sÀ1 for more than a 24 h per- The main objectives of this study are: (1) measure concentra- iod showed a drop in water level from 3.23 m below surface to tions of metals, cations and anions, and several other water quality 12.72 m and then to 13.39 m, after which the water level stopped parameters in Zamzam water using state-of-the-art methods and receding. Water level recovered to 3.9 m below surface just 11 min laboratory facilities to ensure accuracy, (2) suggest potential after pumping had stopped. The aquifer feeding the well seems to sources of unusually high levels of substances measured, and (3) recharge from rock fractures in neighboring mountains around suggest future areas of study. Makkah (ZSRC, 2011). Thus, the well taps groundwater primarily from the spring-fed alluvium and to a lesser extent from water per- colating up through the permeable, weathered fresh bedrock.