Assessment of the chemical components of Famenin groundwater, western Iran.

The Faminin area in the semi-arid Hamadan state, western Iran is facing a serious deficiency in groundwater resources due to an increasing demand associated with rapid population growth and agricultural development. The chemical composition of 78 well samples throughout the Faminin area was determined with the aim of evaluating the concentration of the background ions and identifying the major hydrogeochemical processes that control the groundwater chemistry. The similarity between rock and groundwater chemistries in the recharge area indicates a significant rock-water interaction. The hydrochemical types Na-HCO(3) and Na-SO(4) are the predominate forms in the groundwater, followed by water types Ca-HCO(3) and Na-Cl. The high values of electrical conductivity and high concentrations of Na(+), Cl(-), SO (4) (2-) and NO (3) (-) in the groundwater appeared to be caused by the dissolution of mineral phases and would appeared to be caused by anthropogenic activities, such as intense agricultural practices (application of fertilizers, irrigation practice), urban and industrial waste discharge, among others.