Spatial distribution patterns of molybdenum (Mo)

Environ Monit Assess _#####################_ DOI 10.1007/s10661-015-4264-5

Spatial distribution patterns of molybdenum (Mo) concentrations in potable groundwater in Northern Jordan Mustafa Al Kuisi & Mohammad Al-Hwaiti & Kholoud Mashal & Abdulkader M. Abed

Received: 13 April 2014 / Accepted: 2 January 2015 # Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015

Abstract Two hundred and three groundwater samples were collected during March 2011 to June 2012 from the B2/A7 aquifer water supply wells of northern part of Jordan. The physicochemical properties were analyzed in situ for the major cations, anions, while certain heavy metals were analyzed in the laboratory. Some oilshale rock samples were geochemically analyzed. The Upper Cretaceous aquifer (B2/A7) is used as water supply for most of the communities in the study area. It consists of limestone, marly limestone, bedded chert, and minor phosphorite. Hydrochemical results from the B2/A7 aquifer indicate two main water types: alkaline-earth water (CaHCO3) and alkaline-earth M. Al Kuisi (*) Department of Applied Geology and Environment, The University of Jordan, Environmental Hydrogeochemistry, P.O. Box: 13437, 11942 Amman, Jordan e-mail: [email protected] M. Al-Hwaiti Environmental Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, P.O. Box (20), Ma’an, Jordan e-mail: [email protected] K. Mashal Department of Land Management and Environment, The Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, The Hashemite University, P.O. Box 150459, Zarqa 13115, Jordan e-mail: [email protected] A. M. Abed Department of Applied Geology and Environment, The University of Jordan, 11942 Amman, Jordan e-mail: [email protected]

water with high alkaline component (NaHCO3–Na2SO4). Standard column leaching experiments on oilshale rock samples and the R-mode factor analysis suggest that the sources for elevated Mo concentrations in the groundwater of certain parts of northern Jordan are attributed to water-oilshale interaction, mobility of Mo down to the groundwater and the extensive use of fertilizers within these areas. Molybdenum (Mo) concentrations in the groundwater water range from 0.07 to 1.44 mg/L with an average value of 98 μg/L. They are found to exceed the JISM and WHO guidelines in two areas in northern part of Jordan. Spatial distribution of Mo, using ordinary kriging techniques and the resulting map, shows high Mo concentration in the northwestern part near Wadi Al Arab area reaching concentrations of 650 μg/L and in the southeastern corner of the investigated area, south of Al Ukaydir village, with an average concentration of 468 μg/L. Both areas are characterized by extensive oilshale exposures with average concentration of 11.7 mg/kg Mo and intensive agricultural activities. These two areas represent approximately 33 % of the groundwater in the northern part of Jordan. Mobility of Mo to the groundwater in northern part of Jordan is attributed to two mechanisms. First, there is reductive dissolution of Fe-oxide, which releases substantial adsorbed Mo concentrations. Secondly, there is oxidation of Mo into dissolved forms in sulfide organic-rich system. Keywords Molybdenum . Oilshale . North Jordan . Water quality . Toxicity . Hydrochemistry

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Introduction Molybdenum (Mo) is a transition, naturally occurring element; where the average abundance of Mo indifferent rock types ranges from zero to 40 mg/L (Das et al. 2007). It is primarily found in different mineral forms as molybdenite (MoS2) and jordisite (amorphous MoS2), often in association with vanadium, arsenic, or copper (Barceloux 1999). The most common oxidation states of Mo are +6, +5 and +4 (Das et al. 2007; Barceloux 1999) and the predominant states are Mo (IV) and Mo (VI). Its behavior is closely linked to sulfur, and has properties similar to tungsten and vanadium. Molybdenum is important for plant growth and is added to some fertilizers in trace amounts to enhance crop production. However, the main anthropogenic sources of Mo into the environment are coal and porphyry copper mining, oil refining operations, oil sands development, and combustion of fossil fuels (Eisler 2000). Groundwater in the northern part of Jordan has become an important water resource in recent years, which makes it important to investigate Mo occurrence and distribution in this area. During the past 10 years, water quality problems have increased as more new wells are being drilled and demands on groundwater continue to increase. The population density in the study area is growing and many farms have been developed there which is expected to increase the demand for water resources for irrigation. Studies have shown that increased water demands have lowered the water table in the study area (Al Basha 2012). This will allow oxygen to get into the bedrock aquifers, creating chemical reactions that release molybdenum into the water, thus making the northern Jordan area one case where this issue is a potential problem. On the other hand, natural and chemical fertilizers use may be an additional source of pollutants to the groundwater. Fertilizers used in northern part of Jordan are mainly manufactured from the famous Jordanian phosphate deposits. Moreover, oilshale in many places contains potential concentrations of heavy metals such as As, Se, Cr, Zn, Mo, V, Cd, and Ni, besides U. This is the case of the oilshale in Jordan (Abed and Amireh 1983; Abed et al. 2009). Consequently, Mo, tied up in bituminous limestone and phosphate deposits common in the rock units of the study area, can be released from soil and rock into the groundwater and drawn into wells. As far as the authors are aware, the only published data on the mobility of metals from Jordanian’s oilshale are

Environ Monit Assess _#####################_

those of Awawdeh and Jaradat (2010), which evaluated aquifers vulnerability to contamination in the Yarmouk River basin, northern Jordan, based on DRASTIC method. Batayneh (2010) studied the heavy metals in water springs of the Yarmouk basin and their potentiality in health risk assessment. Al Qudah and Abu-Jaber (2009) used a GIS database for sustainable management of shallow water resources in the Tulul al Ashaqif Region, NE Jordan. Alomary (2012) did a study for the determination of trace metals in drinking water in Irbid City in north Jordan within the Yarmouk University area only. The samples were collected from three different water types: tap water (TW), home-purified water (HPW), and plantpurified water (PPW). The results showed that HPW samples have the lowest level of trace metals and the concentrations of some essential trace metals in these samples are less than the recommended amounts. Al Basha (2012) had investigated the groundwater vulnerability to pollution with molybdenum in Yarmouk Basin. It has been found that around 6 % of the studied samples have higher values above the permissible limit of WHO and Jordanian standards. However, none of these studies investigated the spatial distribution of Mo in the groundwater resources of north Jordan and the geochemical processes that lead to high Mo concentrations. Molybdenum is considered an essential trace element and is routinely found in human metabolism. However, high concentrations of Mo in drinking water will lead to toxicity for humans depending on its chemical form (Vyskočil and Viau 1999). Effects of acute Mo toxicity in humans include diarrhea, anemia, and gout; in addition, chronic occupational exposure has been linked to weakness, fatigue, lack of appetite, anorexia, joint pain, and tremor (Smedley et al. 2014). Moreover, the monitoring program from the authorized agencies must continue and the water blending method for reducing the high Mo concentrations in the groundwater to ensure that the drinking water is safe for all people. The aims of this paper are to investigate (a) the molybdenum quantities in the groundwater resources and its spatial distribution, and (b) the hydrogeochemical processes responsible for the release of molybdenum in the groundwater.

Topographical and geological setting The study area extends from the highlands east of the Jordan Valley almost to the city of Mafraq in the east,


and from the Yarmouk River in the north to the area north of Ajlun and Jarash in the south (Fig. 1). The topographical elevations drops from >1100 m in the Ajlun mountains (Ibillin) to 30 % are common. In the area east of Ar Ramtha and north of Nuaymeh, the topography is less steep and the inclination of slopes usually does not exceed 5 %. Average annual rainfall (year) in the area varies from 500 mm/year in a narrow strip stretching from Rihaba in the south to Malka in the north. The lithostratigraphical sequence and the hydrogeological classification of the different units are summarized in Table 1. The geological map (Fig. 2) shows the distribution of the outcrop areas of the

Fig. 1 Location of the study area

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different hydrogeological units and the general geological setting. The Upper Cretaceous, lower Ajlun Group Hummar Formation (A4) forms the oldest exposed geological unit in the study area. Shu’ayb (A5/6) Formation consists of a sequence of marl and marly limestone with intercalations of limestone, dolomite, and shale. The uppermost part of the Ajlun Group and the lower part of the overlying Belqa Group are considered as one hydrogeological unit, the B2/A7 aquifer. It comprises the predominantly limestone Wadi Es Sir Formation (A7), the chalky Wadi Umm Ghudran Formation (B1) the interbedded chert limestone Amman Formation (B2a), and the Al-Hisa Phosphorite Formation (B2b). The B2/A7 unit (aquifer) consists of thin to massive limestone, dolomitic limestone, and dolomite at its base, overlain by a chalk horizon then bedded chert alternating with limestone with phosphorites towards its top. Outcrops of the B2/A7 unit occur in the south and

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Table 1 Nomenclature of the stratigraphic formations (Masri 1963; El Hiyari 1985) Age

Group

Tertiary

Eocene

Late Cretaceous

Formation Belqa

Member

Wadi Shallaleh (B5)

Paleocene

Um Rijam Chert Limestone (B4)

Masstrichtian

Muwaqqar Chalk Marl (B3)

Campanian

Amman (B2)

Santonian Wadi Umm Ghudran (B1) Coniacian

B2b

Phosphorite Facies

B2a

Chert Facies

Dhiban Chalk Tafila Mujib Chalk

Turonian

Ajlun

Wadi Es Sir (A7) Shueib (A5-6)

Cenomanian

Hummar (A4) Fuheis (A3) Na’ur (A1-2)

Early Cretaceous

Aptian–Albian

Fig. 2 Geological map for the study area

Kurnub (Hathira) Sandstone Group


southwestern parts of the study area. It also crops out in many localities in the northwestern part of the study area as a consequence of folding and erosion. It should be emphasized that around 10 m of high-grade phosphorites (up to 35 % P2O5), making the topmost part of the B2/A7 aquifer immediately below the oilshale deposits, are present throughout the northwestern part of the study area. The B2/A7 is overlain by the predominantly marly chalky Muwaqqar Formation (B3) which crops out in a strip reaching from the area south of Ar Ramtha via the city of Irbid to the slopes of the Jordan Rift Valley in the west. It also crops out along the Yarmouk valley. The total thickness of the B3 ranges from ∼125 m in the eastern part of the study area to >500 m towards the Jordan Valley in the west and along the Yarmouk River. The B3 can be divided into two parts: lower or oilshalebearing with a thickness exceeding 100 m in the Yarmouk river basin. This oilshale horizon is black due to the presence of abundant organic matter averaging 14 % (Abed and Amireh 1983). The upper part of the B3 consists of normal yellowish chalk marl with virtually no organic matter. The contact between the two parts is gradational. The northern Jordan oilshale deposits are kerogenrich bituminous argillaceous limestone. They were deposited in a shallow marine, open-shelf environment with upwelling currents from the Neo-Tethys Ocean during the Maastrichtain-Paleocene times (Abed and Amireh 1983; Powell 1989; Abed 2013). The origin of the kerogen is dominantly from the organic matter of the marine phyto- and zooplanktons remains that were accumulated in Tethys Ocean that covered most of Jordan during the Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary (Abed and Amireh 1983). The Eocene Umm Rijam Chert Limestone Formation (B4) overlies the B3 Formation close to the entire northern boundary of the Wadi Al Arab basin. It consists of chalk alternating with bedded chert. Wadi Shallala Formations (B5) overlies the B4 and consists of limestone, chalk, and chert with a maximum thickness of >200 m (Fig. 2). In the plateau area, adjacent to the Yarmouk River, local outcrops of Neogene alkali basalt are present with varying thickness. Alluvial wadi deposits consisting of poorly sorted gravel, sand, and silt are common in the wadis. Abed (2000) considered the study area as part of the fault block mountain east of the rift. North Jordan area is characterized by the presence of faults, which are

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grouped into two sets. The first set consists of normal fault strikes NW–SE to WNW–ESE, while the second are strike-slip faults striking E–W. Faults are of Late Tertiary in age (Atallah and Mikbel 1992). The fold belts occur as gentle parallel anticlines and synclines. Another prominent structure in northern Jordan is the Ajlun structure. Folds are obvious in the central and northwestern parts of the area. The fold axes are of two trends; the first is NNE–SSW, and the other is ENE–WSW. Generally, they are plunging to the north. The first trend is formed due to WNW–ESE compression related to the Syrian Arc system, while the second trend is younger than the first; and is caused by NNW– SSE compression; and is related to Dead Sea system (Al-Taj 2008). Fracturing and folding result in a high degree of inhomogeneity in the hydrogeological characteristics of different aquifers. This inhomogeneous character causes aquifer yields and ground water flow direction to vary over the whole area (Mulwa et al. 2005). A characteristic feature of aquifers tapped through boreholes located along or close to faults is that all of them have water yield in excess of 46 m3/h (cubic meters per hour), and boreholes sited on such fault zones are quite deep with an average total depth of 300 m (AlTaj 2008). The soils of the area are young and the moisture regime of this area is classified as xeric (rainfall> 200 mm/year) (millimeter yearly). According to the USDA soil taxonomy, the soils in the area are classified as 29 % aridisols, 12 % entisols, 51 % inceptisols, 3 % mollisols, and 5 % vertisols (HTS and SSLRC, 1993). The land use types (Fig. 3) of the study area contain 29 % bare rock with thin soils and urbanization, 23 % natural vegetation, 4 % forest, 17 % irrigated agriculture (cereals, vegetables, fruit trees, olives, bananas and citrus), and 37 % rainfed agriculture (cereals, vegetables, fruit trees, olives, and citrus) (Al Basha 2012).

Hydrogeological setting The different hydrogeological units, aquifers, and water table contour lines and depth to the aquifers for the study area are present in Fig. 4. The B4 aquifer is the uppermost aquifer in the northern part of the study area. The aquifer materials consist of chalk, chert, and limestone, which are jointed and fractured with solution channels and cavities in the carbonates portions. The aquifer is highly anisotropic and heterogeneous.

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Fig. 3 Land use of the study area

Groundwater levels are relatively shallow in the plateau area east of ArRamtha and are sometimes only about 10 m below ground level. The hydraulic conductivities range between 1E−04 and 1E−06 m/s, with an average of 5E−05 m/s. Groundwater recharge to the B4 aquifer is believed to be around 8–10 % of the rainfall (BGR and WAJ 1997). Salameh et al. (2014) concluded, BThe groundwater in the different parts of the country is found in a variety of aquifers, overlying each other and separated from each other by aquicludes but nonetheless these different aquifers are hydraulically interconnected. Therefore, extracting water from the deep aquifers overlain by shallower ones is practically quasi an extraction from the shallower aquifers because the water in the shallow aquifer due to its hydraulic interconnection with the lower aquifer will increasingly leak downwards into the lower aquifer via joints, faults, fractures and other weakness zone within the aquicludes separating both

aquifers^. Therefore, due to the highly faulting, fracturing and jointing the hydraulic head of the B2/A7 is lower than in the overlying B4 aquifer in areas where the aquifer becomes confined. In addition, due to the fractured solution channels and cavities in the B3 and B4 formations downwards leakage from the B4 aquifer through the B3 oilshale formation has therefore to be expected in the area. This phenomenon was described and discussed in detail by Mulwa et al. 2005; it was reflected by the high degree of inhomogeneity in the hydrogeological characteristics of the aquifers. This inhomogeneous character causes aquifer yields and ground water flow direction to vary over the whole area. In the middle and southern part of the study area, the B2/ A7 aquifer forms the uppermost aquifer. The strongly karstified carbonates of the Wadi Es Sir Formation (A7) are partially overlain by the heavily fractured bedded chert/carbonates of the Amman Formation (B2), and all


Page 7 of 26 _####_

Fig. 4 Hydrogeological map and cross section A-A′ (modified after Margana 2006)

together form the B2/A7 aquifer in Jordan (Table 1). It is covered by a bituminous aquiclude (B3) containing phosphorites, cherts, and chalk, followed by the locally exploited limy B4 aquifer. Thin Plio-Pleistocene basalts

cover small areas in the SE′ part of the study area (Fig. 2). Due to the anticlinal structure of the Ajlun area, the strata dip NW-wards resulting in a groundwater flow following the inclination (Siebert et al. 2014). The B2/

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A7 aquifer is the most important aquifer in the mapped area and is used for the water supply for most of the communities. The complete thickness of the aquifer increases from ∼300 m in the area of the Ajlun Dome in the south to >500 m in the northern and western parts of the study area (BGR and WAJ 1997). The hydraulic conductivities range between 1E−03 m/s and 1E−07 m/s. As a regional mean value, 2E−05 m/s was assumed (BGR and WAJ 1997). The B2/A7 aquifer is mainly recharged in the Ajlun Dome area in the south. Because B2/A7 is covered by the impervious B3, the groundwater is confined towards the Yarmouk as observable in the Mukheibeh area the piezometry of the B2/A7 aquifer and its limit of confinement are shown in Fig. 4. The annual groundwater withdrawal from the aquifer increased to reach 80 Million cubic meters. The depth to the saturated B2/A7 aquifer is shown in Fig. 4. In the investigated area, there are many wells drilled either for drinking or irrigation purposes. The study area was exploited by >500 wells, ranging from 100 to >1000 m in depth. These wells have different diameters ranging from 6 to 12 in.

Methodology The water sampling was conducted during the period of March 2011 to June 2012. Two hundred and three groundwater samples were collected (Fig. 5) in cooperation with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation at each sampling site. All samples were collected from the B2/ A7 aquifer, which is the main water resource for drinking water in north Jordan. The water samples were collected and stored in 1000 mL polyethylene bottles with zero headspace for inorganic chemical analysis. Water was examined for major cations and anions. Analyses of the cations and anions were performed with an ion chromatograph (Shimadzu) and a flame emission photometer at the laboratories of the University of Jordan, using the standard methods recommended for the required analysis (Arnold et al. 1998). Estimated detection limits for each constituent are shown in Table 2. In addition, 30 randomly selected water samples from the sampled wells were analyzed two to three times to estimate the analytical precision. An overall precision, expressed as percent relative standard deviation (RSD), was computed for all samples. Analytical precision for cations and anions is within 5 % and the


charge balance error (CBC) were calculated and is found to be within the permissible limit of ±5 %. For heavy metal analysis, the water samples were placed without filtering in 100-mL polyethylene bottles that were previously treated with grade nitric acid diluted to 50 % with double-deionized water, for a period of 3 days. Water samples were acidified using concentrated analytical-grade HNO3 for analysis of trace elements to prevent chemical precipitation (0.5 in 500 mL bottle to achieve pH 2). The analyses, including As, Cr, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sr, Ce, U, and V, was performed using an inductively coupled plasmamass spectrometry (ICP-MS) at Acme Laboratories in Canada. In addition, 12 oilshale rock samples were collected from the different occurrences in the study area and analyzed for major and trace elements by Acme Analytical Laboratories in Vancouver, Canada. To understand the chemical composition of minerals containing Mo in the studied area, six samples of oilshale were studied by an ESEM FEI Quanta 600 FEG scanning electron microscope, operated in low-vacuum mode (0.6 mbar), such that gold- or carbon-sputtering was not necessary. A Genesis 4000 EDAX was used for chemical characterization. To study the mobility of the molybdenum in the oilshale resulting from leaching by infiltrated rainfall in the study area, 500 g of four different 4-mm ground oilshale samples, were loaded in a column 50 mm in diameter and leached by 1 L rainwater collected during the winter months at a slow flow rate (Fig. 6). In addition, an acidic solution (pH=4) was used as a leaching fluid. The column effluent then collected volume with time. The first 100 mL from each column were collected as ten samples, 10 mL each in 24 h; then 20 samples from each column were collected during 30 days, 10 mL each. The heavy metals were measured using the ICPMs. In order to interpret the groundwater chemical characteristics, all analyzed groundwater samples were subjected to statistical analysis. All analyzed parameters were subjected to product linear correlation analysis in order to identify the correlations between the parameters. Correlation matrices and factor analysis were constructed by using the computer program Statistica (8). Finally, a hydrogeochemical modeling for the water samples were elaborated on the analyzed samples. This type of study is aided with specialized software. In this study, the geochemical software Visual Minteq


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Fig. 5 Wells sampling points

(Allison et al. 1991) has been used to detect the species and minerals formation of molybdenum and calculate

the saturation index of the different mineral phases present in the aquifer.

Table 2 Analytical methods used for measuring parameters Parameter

Unit

Analytical method

Detection limits b

Reference and method number

EC, pH-value, DO Temp.

μS/cm mg/L °C

Field EC, pH, DO, T –meter WTW instrument

±0.1 % of measured value

Standard Methods, 20th edition 2510 Ba

HCO3−

mg/L

Titrimetric Method

0.1

In house standard operating procedure

Cl− NO3−, SO42−

mg/L mg/L

Ion Chromatograph Ion Chromatograph

0.01 0.292 and 0.04

Standard Methods, 20th edition 4110 Ba

Ca, Na, K, Mg

mg/L

ICP-MS

0.05, 0.05, 0.05, 0.05b

Standard Methods, 20th edition 3125 Aa

As, Cr, Fe, Li, Mo, Mn, Ni, Se, Sr, U, V and Zn

μg/L

ICP-MS

0.5, 0.5, 10, 0.1, 0.1, 0.05, 0.2, 0.5, 0.01, 0.02, 0.2, 0.5b

Standard Methods, 20th edition 3125 Aa

a

Arnold et al. (1998)

b

Values given by Acme Analytical Laboratories in Vancouver, Canada

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Fig. 6 Leaching column experiments

Results and discussion General hydrochemical results The hydrochemical data of groundwater from the B2/A7 aquifer is presented in Table 3 and a univariate statistical overview of the data is present in Table 4. The chemical composition of the groundwater is rather heterogeneous indicating that the groundwater in the study area is not uniform. The salinity of the groundwater was ranged from 496 to 3460 μS/cm with an average value of 944 μS/cm (Table 4). (TDS∼604 mg/l). The dominant cation is sodium with mean concentration of ∼78 mg/L, followed by calcium, which has a mean concentration of ∼69 mg/L and then by magnesium and potassium, which have mean concentrations of around ∼35 and ∼5 mg/L, respectively. On the other hand, HCO3 is the major anion, having a mean concentration, ∼282 mg/L, followed by Cl (mean concentration, 126.41 mg/L) and then SO42− and NO3− with mean concentrations of 93.16 and 16.27 mg/l, respectively. Moreover, the different ionic ratios for Ca, Mg, Na and Cl where calculated in milliequivalents per liter and their averages are presented in Table 4. By correlating the Na/Cl ratio to the Ca/Cl and Bsum of

equivalents^ (Fig. 7a, b) yield vertical trends of calculated Na/Cl ratios indicating dilution by fresh water mainly rainfall (Siebert et al. 2014). The pH of the groundwater ranges between 6.41 and 8.09, with a mean of 6.94, indicating that the dissolved carbonates are predominantly in the form of HCO3−. To understand the similarities between groundwater in the study area and identification of hydrochemical processes, they have been classified hydrochemically using major cations and anions with conventional Piper trilinear diagram (Piper 1944) and Chadha’s diagram (Chadha 1999). According to Chadha (1999), hydrochemical diagram for classification of natural waters, the water can be classified into two groups: firstly, where alkaline-earth water and weak acidic anions exceed both alkali metals and strong acidic anions, respectively. Such water has temporary hardness and can be classified as Ca, Mg-HCO3 type and Ca, NaHCO3 type as present in Fig. 8. This type is mostly present in the areas of Wadi Al Arab and Irbid. Secondly, where alkali metals exceed alkaline earths and strong acidic anions exceed weak acidic anions. Such water is characterized by high salinity and generally creates salinity problems both in irrigation and in drinking uses. This water can be classified as Na2SO4 water. This water type is mainly found in the areas of Al

0.29

74.8

36.4

MDL*

N-1

N-2

730 523 250 223 216 213 350 260 209 262 245 285 428 390 262 550 210 223 256 602 703 407 257 750 375 303 341 243 260 308 298 360 367 405

SO4 mg/L

B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7 B2/A7

MDL* N-1 N-2 N-3 N-4 N-5 N-6 N-7 N-8 N-9 N-10 N-11 N-12 N-13 N-14 N-15 N-16 N-17 N-18 N-19 N-20 N-190 N-191 N-192 N-193 N-194 N-195 N-196 N-197 N-198 N-199 N-200 N-201 N-202 N-203

2.59

1.88

0.04

NO3 mg/L

Well Depth (m)

Sample No.

Aquifer

Sample No.

4.4

2.2

0.5

As μg/L

0.1 % 967 985 926 829 912 970 882 814 883 881 856 914 851 889 881 930 883 820 626 842 870 787 865 820 984 760 820 784 810 790 810 780 785 984

EC (μS/cm)

1.8

1.8

0.5

Cr μg/L

618.9 630.4 592.6 530.6 583.7 620.8 564.5 521 565.1 563.8 547.8 585 544.6 569 563.8 595.2 565.1 524.8 400.6 538.9 556.8 503.7 553.6 524.8 629.8 486.4 524.8 501.8 518.4 505.6 518.4 499.2 502.4 629.8

TDS (mg/L)

2.8

4

0.1

Li mg/L

0.1 % 0.34 0.29 6.37 3.73 3.38 2.66 2.25 2.34 0.0 3.46 3.7 4.92 5.46 8.49 6.83 5.46 8.17 7.21 3.56 2.35 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

0.1 % 33.4 34.4 31.4 31.4 30.1 32 32.3 32.8 38.4 34.8 33.1 32.6 31.3 32 35.8 25.1 28.2 29.8 24 27.7 27 28 28 26 28 27 28 27 27 28 28 27 27 28

11

38

10

0.1 % 6.91 6.95 7.35 7.37 7.68 7.34 7.34 7.3 6.68 7.11 7.25 7.37 7.04 7.56 7.23 7.52 7.22 7.19 7.4 7.38 6.89 6.61 6.91 6.88 6.75 6.99 6.87 6.88 6.78 6.91 6.77 6.98 6.86 7.01

pH

14

13

0.1

Mo μg/L

Temp. (C°)

Fe μg/L

DO (mg/L)

Table 3 Water chemistry for samples from the B2/A7 aquifer in North Jordan

4.15

3.25

0.05

Mn μg/L

0.1 % 51 45 150 149 74 25.8 85 51.5 −174 42.2 96.7 127 70.3 111 114 3.66 4.27 4.47 4.24 5.25 −35 −31 −16.6 −20 −7 −14 −20 −19 −14 −10 −27 −9 −15 −7

Eh (mV)