Groundwater of North West Bank in Palestine was assessed for pollution with trace metals by ICP/MS. The
samples were analysed for their pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, and different trace metals content.
The pH, electrical conductivity, and total dissolved solids of all water samples were found to be within the
US Environmental protection Agency limits. Results showed that the concentration of nine trace metals (Cr, Mn,
Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Pb, Cd, and Al) is within the WHO limits in drinking water (50, 500, 20, 2000, 3000, 70, 10, 3,
and 200 ug/L, respectively), however six metals of them (Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Mo, and Al) were detected in 100% of
the samples, while Pb, Cd, and Zn were detected in 80%, 60%, and 20% of the samples, respectively. On the
other hand, Tl which is a very toxic heavy metal with allowed WHO limits of 0.01 - 1 ug/L is detected in 100% of
the water samples analysed with a range of 0.02 - 0.12 ug/L. It indicates that such concentration levels of Tl
would be harmful to the human being drinking the water. In general, 82% of all samples analysed contained one
or more of the 12 metals studied each in varying concentration. Results of this study suggest a possible risk to the
people of the study area given the toxicity of heavy metals, and the fact that for many people in the study area,
groundwater is a main source of their water supply.
Rainwater samples harvested for drinking
from the west part of Hebron (south of West Bank in
Palestine), the largest city in the West Bank, were analyzed
for the content of different trace heavy metals (Cr,
Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Ag, Cd, Bi, and Pb) by
inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS).
This study was conducted to determine the water
quality of harvested rainwater used for drinking of south
West Bank (case study, Hebron area).A total of 44water
samples were collected in November 2012 from 44
house cisterns used to collect rainwater from the roofs
of houses. The samples were analyzed for their pH,
temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved
solids, and different heavy metal contents. The pH of
all water samples was within the US Environmental
Protection Agency limits (6.5–8.5), while some water
samples were found to exceed the allowed WHO limit
for total dissolved solids (TDSs) in drinking water.
Results showed that concentrations of the heavy metals
vary significantly between the 44 samples. Results also showed that the concentration of five heavy metals (Cr,
Mn, Ni, Ag, and Pb) is higher than the WHO limits for
these heavy metals in drinking water. Overall, our findings
revealed that harvested rainwater used for drinking
of this part of south West Bank is contaminated with
heavy metals that might affect human health.