Assessment of chemical quality of drinking water in rural areas of Babol, Northern Iran

Background: This study evaluated the quality of drinking water in rural areas of the city of Babol in terms of chemical parameters (iron, manganese, nitrite, and nitrate) and compared it with the Iranian and the World Health Organization (WHO) standards to determine the trend. Methods: This cross-sectional study monitored chemical test results for the years 2011-2014 of samples collected from rural water and wastewater from Babol Company. A total of 375 samples from 71 drinking water wells were investigated. Results: Results for the maximum, mean, and minimum levels of each parameter across rural sectors over 4 years were compared and analyzed against Iranian and the WHO standards. The results showed that during the four years of monitoring, the average iron concentration in Laleh Abad (0.5 ± 0.06 mg/L), Gatab (0.398 ± 0.42 mg/L), and Central (0.307 ± 0.23 mg/L) exceeded the standard concentration. Overall, the average concentrations of iron, manganese, nitrite, and nitrate in all areas during the years 2011-2014 were 0.239 ± 0.15 mg/L, 0.132 ± 0.95 mg/L, 0.008 ± 0.012 mg/L, and 2.201 ± 0.73 mg/L, respectively. Conclusion: In general, statistical analyses showed that the average concentrations of nitrite and nitrate were below the allowable limit, which is desirable. The mean concentrations of iron and manganese (Mn+2) in the water of some areas of the county during this period were higher than the allowed limit. This is an adverse finding that may be attributable to the improper locations of the water wells. Keywords: Drinking water, Chemical quality, Babol, Northern Iran