Assessment of groundwater vulnerability to pollution using two different vulnerability models in Halabja-Saidsadiq Basin, Iraq

• Published in: Groundwater for sustainable development Vol. 10; p. 100276
• Main Authors: Abdullah, Twana O., Ali, Salahalddin S., Al-Ansari, Nadhir A., Knutsson, Sven
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.04.2020
• Subjects: aquifers; basins; COP; drinking water; Geoteknik; groundwater; Halabja-Saidsadiq basin (HSB); Iraq; irrigation; isotopes; pollution; psychological stress; Soil Mechanics; sustainable development; tritium; VLDA; Vulnerability; Iraq; Vulnerability; VLDA; Iraq; Halabja-Saidsadiq basin (HSB); COP
• ISSN: 2352-801X; 2352-801X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gsd.2019.100276

Groundwater aquifer in Halabja-Saidsadiq Basin considered as one of the most important aquifers in terms of water supplying in Kurdistan Region, NE of Iraq. The growing of economics, irrigation and agricultural activities inside the basin makes it of the main essentials to the region. Therefore, pollution of groundwater is of specific worry as groundwater resources are the principal source of water for drinking, agriculture, irrigation and industrial activities. Thus, the best and practical arrangement is to keep the pollution of groundwater through. The current study aims to evaluate of the vulnerability of groundwater aquifers of the study area. Two models were applied, to be specific VLDA and COP to develop maps of groundwater vulnerability for contamination. The VLDA model classified the area into four classes of vulnerability: low, moderate, high and very high with coverage area of (2%,44%,53% and 1%), respectively. While four vulnerability classes were accomplished dependent on COP model including very low, low, moderate and high vulnerability classes with coverage areas of (1%, 37%, 2% and 60%) respectively. To confirm the suitability of each map for assessment of groundwater vulnerability in the area, it required to be validated of the theoretical sympathetic of current hydrogeological conditions. In this study, groundwater age evaluated utilizing tritium isotopes investigation and applied it to validate the vulnerability results. Based on this validation, the outcome exhibits that the vulnerability classes acquired utilizing VLDA model are more predictable contrasted with the COP model. [Display omitted] Groundwater aquifers in Halabja-Saidsadiq Basin provide the most water requirement in the region. So it is important to prevent this water resource from contamination. Groundwater vulnerability mapping is one of the most useful models to prevent groundwater from contamination. In this study to different models applied, the COP and the VLDA to assess the possible groundwater vulnerability to pollution for the HSB. The most important achieved points are as follow:•The studied area classified into four classes in terms of vulnerability intensity. The value of the VLDA indexes ranged from (2.133-9.16), and the value of the COP indexes ranged between (0.79-6.2). The elevated index value of the VLDA models refers to the higher class of vulnerability, whilst the value of the lesser index value of the COP model refers to the higher rate of vulnerability.•COP model comprises (very low to high), while VLDA model embraces (low to very high) groundwater vulnerability classes. The remarkable disparity has been achieved from both applied models, therefore the outcome desirable to be validated.•A ground-water age was applied to assess the vulnerability of groundwater to contamination. This approach examines the relationship between the spatial distribution of variability index value and groundwater age. The results show a better match between the patterns of the tritium value of groundwater and the vulnerability index values achieved from VLADA model rather than COP model.•This validation confirmed that the VLDA vulnerability model reflecting the real vulnerability situation in the HSB compared to the COP model.