Page 57 - AJWEP-v22i2

Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution. Vol. 22, No. 2 (2025), pp. 51-63.
doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025040020

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Groundwater contamination with heavy metals: A case
study in Hebron, Palestine

Waseem Al-Tamimi *, Fadoua Hamzaoui-Azaza , Marwan Ghanem , and
3
1
2
Rachida Bouhlila 1
1 Modeling Hydraulic and Environmental Laboratory, National Engineering School of Tunis (ENIT), University of Tunis El
Manar, Campus Farhat Hached El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
2 Laboratory of Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology (SBPG), Geology Department, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis,
University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
3 Department of Geography, GeoInformatics Programme, Birzeit University, Ramallah, West Bank, Palestine
*Corresponding author: Waseem Al-Tamimi (waseem.altamimi@enit.utm.tn)

Received: January 22, 2025; Revised: March 3, 2025; Accepted: March 6, 2025; Published Online: April 3, 2025

Abstract: The study aims to identify seasonal fluctuations in groundwater quality concerning heavy metal
contamination. Specifically, it assesses heavy metal concentrations in groundwater in Wadi Al-Samen, evaluates
its suitability for drinking purposes, and compares these levels with the World Health Organization standards.
Groundwater samples were collected from 20 wells over two seasons and analyzed for 16 trace elements using
atomic absorption spectrometry. The metals analyzed include barium, molybdenum, iron, cobalt, cadmium,
chromium, boron, lithium, aluminum, arsenic, manganese, nickel, copper, zinc, lead, and selenium. Results showed
that four samples exceeded the permissible limits for barium and lithium in both seasons, three samples exceeded
the recommended zinc limits in both seasons, 17 samples exceeded the permissible selenium limit in the dry season,
and 15 in the wet season, while one sample exceeded the recommended copper limit in both seasons. The heavy
metal pollution index (HPI) and metal index (MI) were used to assess contamination levels. HPI values exhibited
significant spatial variations, with recorded values of 17.2 in the dry season and 11.99 in the wet season, both below
the critical threshold of 100. Groundwater quality was classified as poor in the Al-Hejreh well and very poor in the
Al-Fawwar1 well, rendering it unsuitable for drinking. MI results indicated moderate heavy metal contamination,
with mean MI values of 2.3 in the dry season and 2.2 in the wet season. The heavy metals detected in the study
area were categorized into toxic elements, alkaline earth metals, alkali metals, transition metals, other metallic
elements, and non-metallic elements. This research highlights groundwater contamination in Wadi Al-Samen and
underscores the need for mitigation measures to reduce health risks for local residents.

Keywords: Heavy metals; Heavy metal pollution index; Metal index; Wadi Al-Samen

1. Introduction escalating concern due to its possible risks to human
health. Assessing groundwater quality is crucial for
1
Environmentally friendly wastewater management water management, as both agricultural and industrial
is a major challenge for developing countries, activities can negatively affect groundwater resources.
2
including the West Bank in Palestine. Heavy metal Heavy metals in groundwater, even in small amounts,
contamination from untreated sewage discharges is an are undesirable due to their toxicity to both human health

Volume 22 Issue 2 (2025) 51 doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025040020