International Journal of Marine Science, 2016, Vol.6, No.17, 1-7
2
calibrated according to manufacturer's recommendations. Some physicochemical parameters including pH,
turbidity and electrical conductivity were instantly determined on site by using pH meter, turbidity meter and
electrical conductivity meter, while others parameters total suspended solid TSS, total dissolved solid TDS,
chloride ion, calcium ion, magnesium ion,
sulphate ion
, total hardness TH, nitrate and phosphate were
immediately analyzed upon laboratory arrival according to the procedures by APHA (1999).
3 Results and Discussion
Monthly variations of the main physical and chemical properties including pH ,TUR, EC, Ca
+2
, Mg
+2
, TH, TSS,
TDS, Cl
-1
, SO
4 -2
, NO
3
and PO
4
of water samples from Missan province were given in tables from 1 to 12. Results
of the present study revealed that the pH values ranged from 6.9 to 7.8 for drinking water samples, the lowest
value recorded during October in station 7, whereas the highest during December in station 6. These values were
within the permissible limits (6.5-8.5) of local and international standards (Table, 13). Generally pH of water is
influenced by buffering capacity of water (Muhamad
et al.,
2011; Al-Sulaiman, 2015). The turbidity in water is
mainly caused by solid matter present in the suspended state and it is a measure of light emitting properties of
water (Gupta
et al.,
2013). Results of this study showed that all the samples have turbidity values more than the
local and international standards of the permissible limits (5NTU, Table, 13). This may be attributed to the
presence of sand silt finely organic matter and microorganisms, the greater turbidity values may be have human
health risks such as gastrointestinal disease and turbidity can also have a negative impact on consumer
acceptability of water as a result of visible cloudiness (Ezeribe
et al
., 2012). The electrical conductivity is the
measure of capacity of solution to conduct electrical current through of the water and it is used in the water
samples as an indicator of their salinity (Gupta
et al.,
2013; Al-Sulaiman, 2015). The EC values ranged from 1978
to 2502 µS/cm, these values were above permissible limits of international and local standards at all stations
except in station 7 during December and October (Table, 13). The high EC values may be attributed to the
presence of high amount of dissolved inorganic materials in ionized form (Kerketta
et al
., 2013). Concentrations
of calcium ion and magnesium ion in the water samples were in the range of 47 to 93 mg.l
-1
and 125 to 185 mg.l
-1
respectively. All samples studied of drinking water have Ca
+2
and Mg
+2
levels falling within international and
local standard limits (Table, 13). Values total hardness ranged from 560 to 695 mg.l
-1
were more than the
permissible limits of WHO and Iraqi standard for drinking water, therefore total hardness of all samples
considered unsafe for drinking purposes. There is evidence that hard water plays a role in heart diseases, in
addition to that higher concentration of magnesium ions makes the water unpalatable and act as laxative to human
beings (Jazza, 2009; Ezeribe
et al
., 2012). The chloride results of drinking water samples in the present study
showed high variation, which ranged from 269 to 424 mg.l
-1
. These concentrations were above the permissible
limits (250 mg.l
-1
) of WHO and Iraqi standards (Table, 13). Chloride in small levels are not harmful to humans in
drinking water, and with some adaptation, the human body can tolerate water with as much as 200 mg.l
-1
chloride
ion. However, concentration of chloride above 250 mg.l
-1
, the water may taste salty (Hauser, 2001). The
concentrations of SO
4
ranged between 260 and 390 mg.l
-1
, the
sulphate
levels for all investigated samples were
found to be greater than the values prescribed by international and local standards (Table, 13). This ion is
generally harmless, except its effect on taste. The major physiological effects resulting from high concentrations
of SO
4 -2
ions are gastrointestinal irritation, catharsis and dehydration (Gupta
et al
., 2009; Ghrefat, 2013). The
estimate of TDS of water samples ranged between 1095 and 1351 mg.l
-1
. It was observed that all stations showed
above the permissible limits of WHO and Iraqi standards (Table, 13). The presence of high concentrations of TDS
in water may be objectionable of consumers (Roa
et al.,
2012). Levels of TDS are a measure of all chemical
substances dissolved in water and high of these values may be due to the presence of large concentrations of some
ions such as Sulphate, Calcium, Magnesium, Chloride and Carbonate and Bicarbonate (Shareef
et al
., 2009). All
samples studied of drinking water have TSS levels falling within international and local standard limits, which
ranged between 15 and 60 mg.l
-1
. Nitrates values ranged between 3.15 and 6.7 mg.l
-1
were lower that of WHO and
Iraqi standard limits for drinking water (Table, 13). Excess levels of nitrates can cause
Methemoglobinemia
as
blue baby disease. Although nitrates levels that affect infants do not pose a direct threat to older children and
adults (Ezeribe
et al
., 2012). Phosphorous is a vital nutrient for all living things. Cellular phosphates compounds
