JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

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Although soil organic matter (SOM) constitutes a small portion of soil bulk weight, it has a tremendous effect on physico-chemical and biological properties of soils. It is also one of the most important indicators of soil quality and its production. Soil organic matter determination is required for soil fertility management and soil pollution purposes. Wet oxidation procedure of Walkley-Black is a routine, relatively accurate and popular method for the determination of soil organic matter, but it involves the use of chromate and high cost of analysis. Therefore, loss-on-ignition (LOI) procedure as a simple and cheap method of SOM estimation which also avoids chromic acid waste has got more attention. The aims of this study were (i) to establish the relationships between LOI method and SOM as determined by Walkley-Black method for four major plains of Chaharmahal-va-Bakhtiari province and (ii) to determine the optimal temperature of the LOI. To do this, 205 soil surface samples were randomly collected from 0-25 cm depth of Shahrekord, Farsan, Kohrang and Lordegan plains to determine soil organic matter by Walkley-Black method and LOI procedure at 300, 360, 400, 500 and 550 oC for two hours. To determine the optimum temperature for ignition, 40 soil samples were selected to compare the SOM and CCE before and after ignition for each temperature. Results showed a positive, linear significant relationship existed between LOI and wet oxidation in each plain. Coefficient of determination (R2) of the equations was higher for individual plain than the overall equation. Coefficient of determination and line slope decreased and error (RMSE) increased with increasing ignition temperature. At higher contents of calcium carbonate, the rate of line slope decrease with increasing ignition temperature was more noticeable. This may be due to the destruction of carbonates at higher temperature. A temperature of around 360 oC was identified as optimum as it burned most organic carbon, destroyed less inorganic carbon, caused less clay structural water loss and used less electrical energy.

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Selecting an appropriate particle size distribution (PSD) model for a particular soil may be important for a precise estimation of soil hydraulic properties. Various models have been proposed for describing soil PSDs. The objective of this study was to compare the quality of fitting of eight PSD models (Fredlund, Gompertz, van Genuchten, Jaki, Logarithmic, Exponential, Logarithmic-Exponential and Fractal) in 71 soil samples collected from Lordegan and Saman in Charmahal-va-Bakhtiari province, Iran. Coefficient of determination ( ) and Akaike’s information criterion ( ) were used to compare the goodness-of-fit of the models to the experimental data. Results showed that Fredlund model is best for describing PSD of silt loam, silty clay loam, silty clay and sandy loam soil textures. While Fractal, Exponential and Logarithmic-Exponential models produced the poorest-fit in silt loam, silty clay loam and silty clay, they had the best performance in sandy loam texture. The performance of Fredlund and Gompertz models improved with an increase in clay and silt content from 25 and 40 percentage, respectively. The performance of Fractal, Exponential and Logarithmic-Exponential models improved by increasing the sand content. Reverse correlation was observed between silt content and the performance of the Fractal model.

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Trends in groundwater pollution with nitrate and phosphate may be an indication of water resources management. The aims of this research were to determine changes in nitrate and phosphate concentration and changes in spatial variability patterns of nitrate and phosphate and distribution over a 5-year period. To do this, 100 agricultural wells were sampled in the years 2006, 2010 and 2011, and analyzed for nitrate and phosphate concentrations. From 2006 to 2011, the mean nitrate concentration increased from 18 to 27 mg/L and the mean phosphate concentration from 0.05 to 0.15 mg/L. Spatial patterns did not change, and spherical model described the patterns throughout this period. Maps showed that the nitrate and phosphate concentrations are higher in the south, and lower in the north of the aquifer. It seems that the presence of the municipality treatment plant, intensive cattle farming, shallower water-table and inward flow gradient may be the reasons for the higher concentration in the southern part of the aquifer. From the comparison of the maps, it was clear that the areas of less polluted classes had shrunk while the areas of more polluted classes had grown from 2006 to 2011.

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Shahrekord groundwater is the main source of water for drinking, and the agricultural and industrial activities of its inhabitants. Water quality measures of scaling and corrosion can deteriorate steel-based systems used for storage or supplying water for drinking and to industry and irrigation. The main aim of this study was to assess the spatial variability and mapping of scaling and corrosion using Langelier index (LI) and Ryznar index (RI) and that of the related parameters of pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), and total alkalinity (TA) in Shahrekord groundwater. For this purpose, water samples from 97 wells were analyzed for pH, TDS, TH, and TA and LI and RI indices were calculated. The Gaussian model best described the spatial variability of TDS while the Spherical model was best for all other parameters. Based on LI and RI averages of, -0.13 and 7.9 respectively, Shahrekord groundwater has a slight potential for corrosion. The values of all parameters, except RI, were lowest in the northwest and highest in the southeast of the aquifer. In most parts and in the center of the aquifer, the values of LI ranged from -0.5 to zero indicating negligible scaling potential. Spatial distribution of the RI index was almost inversely symmetrical to that of LI index. LI showed strong positive correlations with its components (varying from 0.61 to 0.90) while RI had strong negative correlations with its components (ranging from -0.66 to -0.98). LI and RI had the strongest correlations, respectively, with pH (r=0.90) and total alkalinity (r=-0.90).

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The aim of this study was to assess the drinking quality of Shahrekord aquifer based on a GWQI (groundwater quality index) within a GIS framework. To do this, samples from 97 wells were analyzed for pH, Electrical Conductance (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Turbidity, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Cl-, HCO3- and SO42-, and total hardness was also calculated. These water quality parameters were geostatistically mapped. Maps showed that maximum quality of water occurs in the northwest while the lowest quality occurs in the south of aquifer. To calculate GWQI index, each map was difference-normalized and converted to a rank map. Assuming the mean value of each rank map to be the weight of corresponding parameter, a GWQI map was created with values varying from 0 (lowest) to 99 (highest quality). Mean GWQI of 84 indicates a relatively good drinking quality of water in the aquifer. However, based on the GWQI map the quality of water declines from very good (GWQI=87) in northwest to a lower quality (GWQI= 80) in southern part of the aquifer. The lower quality of water in the southern part may have been caused by industrial activities, intensive animal husbandry, presence of wastewater plant, irrigation with treated municipal effluent and also by the inward hydraulic gradient. Map removal sensitivity analysis indicated that TSS and to some extent Na+ were important water parameters in this aquifer, which must be monitored with greater accuracy and frequency.

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The aim of this paper is to adapt a water quality index for individual samples and to compare the results with that of the original GIS-based approach. Thirteen water quality parameters observed in 97 wells from the Shahrekord aquifer were used. In GIS-based method, quality parameters maps are difference-normalized, ranked and GWQI map is drawn. In derived method, observations from individual wells were separately and similarly treated to obtain WQI for each well. Both GWQI maps displayed similar trends and were highly correlated (R=0.91). While the minimum and mean GWQI for both methods were identical (respectively 81 and 84) the derived method estimated the maximum GWQI slightly lower (7%) and showed up to 6% difference in water quality class coverage. Overall, the derived method GWQI is more correlated with observations and performs better than the GIS-based method, and therefore, can be used for determining the overall quality of individual water samples and without the requirement of samples being spatially distributed.

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Treated wastewater may influence soil structure, porosity and as a consequence, soil saturated hydraulic conductivity. This study aims to assess the effect of wastewater on saturated hydraulic conductivity; and to determine the suitable soil solids fractal dimension to incorporate into the pedotransfer function by Rawls et al (1993) for estimation of saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks). Soil saturated hydraulic conductivity was measured by disc permeameter. Soil particle fractal dimension was calculated from linearized forms of mass- time, mass- diameter and mass- diameter as modified by Kravchenko- Zhang (1998) relations. Wastewater irrigation for 13 years increased the saturated hydraulic conductivity three times, from 7 mm/hour to 21 mm/hour, but longer application of wastewater did not further increase it. Rawls et al (1993) pedotransfer produced acceptable and relatively close saturated hydraulic conductivity values to that of disc permeameter when fractal dimension obtained from the linearized forms of mass- diameter and Kravchenko- Zhang relations were used. Therefore, Rawls et al (1993) pedotransfer was capable of reflecting the effect of wastewater application on soil saturated hydraulic conductivity.