Investigation of Drinking Water Quality Obtained from Groundwater on Human Diseases in Recent Decade in Mashhad Plain

Nowadays, with progressive growing rate of population in the most parts of the world, groundwater resources play a very significant role for supplying drinking water. whereas this has been associated with the occurrence of some diseases and difficulties. This study has been done to determine the quality of groundwater resources in Mashhad plain in terms of drinking capability as well as its effect on health factors. To determine how the distribution of groundwater quality is, the data gathered from 60 wells in this plain over the last decade has been assessed from the point of view of such parameters as total dissolve solid, total hardness, chlorine, sodium and sulfate. The mentioned parameters have been compared and zoned based on international standards and Schuler classification in geographic information systems through the inverse distance weighting and weighting linear combination. Then the relationship between deaths of cardiovascular and kidney diseases with these parameters was determined by the Pearson correlation coefficient and at the end were analyzed. The evaluation results of the groundwater quality changes in last decade indicate a descending trend and unfavorable situation, especially in the southern parts. In addition, there is a significant relationship between death rate due to cardiovascular diseases and chlorine parameter (p <0.05). With continuation of the negative changes trend in groundwater quality, probability of these of these diseases would be increased in future. Therefore, in order to prevent advancing of brine and reducing the quality of ground waters as well as to prevent endangering the health of the plains residents, serious efforts should be done in addition to preventing the leakage of domestic and industrial wastewater and reducing ground waters indiscriminate extraction.