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Groundwater geochemistry evolution and geogenic contaminants in the Sulaimani-Warmawa Sub-basin, Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

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Abstract

Evolution of groundwater geochemistry in the Sulaimani-Warmawa Sub-basin in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has been investigated using hydrogeochemical and isotopic methods. This is a semiarid region with seasonal precipitation in winter. Water chemistry generally evolves from Ca-HCO3 groundwater type close to the basin boundaries towards Ca-Mg-HCO3 groundwater type close to the Tanjero River along the axis of the basin. Some samples have increased concentrations of Na, Cl, and SO4 as a consequence of dissolution of halite and gypsum embedded in carbonates. Values of pH are slightly alkaline or alkaline, and redox parameters indicate a moderately reducing environment. Isotopes δ2H and δ18O indicate recharge from winter precipitation with no evaporation. Values of dissolved 13C(DIC) correspond to equilibrium with carbonates and C4 plants as the source of CO2. Values of 87Sr/86Sr in groundwater are in a good agreement with carbonate dissolution as a principal process. The principal geogenic contaminant is Ba with concentrations up to 0.383 mg/L. Dissolved concentrations of other geogenic contaminants such as As, F, Mn, and Cr are low or below the detection limit as expected based on their low contents in carbonate rocks. Inverse geochemical modeling on selected profiles calibrated using δ13C values provided mass transfer coefficients for possible geochemical reactions. Future work should focus on interactions in the hyporheic zone of the Tanjero River.

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Availability of data and materials

The used and analyzed datasets in this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Martin Mihaljevič for water analyses performed at Charles University in Prague and František Buzek from Czech Geological Survey for comments on isotopes. Thanks to Directorate of Groundwater of Sulaimani for providing archived water well data.

Funding

The first author (MR) received Fisher’s scholarship awarded by Palacky University in Olomouc (Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 17. listopadu 12, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic

    Rebar Mahmmud & Ondra Sracek

  2. College of Education & Natural Sciences, Charmo University, 46023, Chamchamal, Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

    Omed Mustafa

  3. Czech Geological Survey, Geologická 6, 152 00, Prague 5, Czech Republic

    Bohuslava Čejková & Ivana Jačková

  4. Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Natural Resources, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 00, Prague 2, Czech Republic

    Lenka Vondrovicová

  5. Groundwater Protection and Restoration Group, Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield Broad Lane, S3 7HQ, Sheffield, UK

    Omed Mustafa

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  1. Rebar Mahmmud
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  2. Ondra Sracek
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  4. Bohuslava Čejková
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Contributions

Rebar Mahmmud—collecting data and interpretation; Ondra Sracek—interpretation and modeling; Omed Mustafa—collecting data and evaluation of contaminant sources; Bohuslava Čejková—carbon isotope analysis; Ivana Jačková—carbon isotope analysis; Lenka Vondrovicova—strontium isotope analysis.

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Correspondence to Rebar Mahmmud.

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Mahmmud, R., Sracek, O., Mustafa, O. et al. Groundwater geochemistry evolution and geogenic contaminants in the Sulaimani-Warmawa Sub-basin, Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. Environ Monit Assess 194, 352 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-09933-6

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