The Detection of Toxic Boron in Groundwater and Sludge in Bethlehem Area

Bethlehem is located in the Eastern Basin of the Mountain Aquifer. This part of the Aquifer is hydrologically important as one of the main sources of water supply in the southern part of the West Bank. This analytical study is carried out to determine the permissible amounts of boron in water samples from the Bethlehem area during the wet and dry seasons of 2014-2015. Boron (B) is a dark brown/black element which occurs naturally in fresh and saline waters. It can also result from pollution occurring from sewage or industrial discharges. The excessive use of boron in the industrial production of detergents and glass products increase boron concentration in wastewater. Boron is an essential nutrient for plants at low concentrations, but it is toxic to plants above 0.5 – 2.0mg/L. The Curcumin method is used for the detection of boron in drinking water by spectrophotometer at wavelength of 540 nm. The results show that the average concentration of boron in wells was the same (0.00333 mg/L) during the summer and winter seasons. The average concentration of boron in springs during the winter season was 0.00422 mg/L and it was 0.00556 mg/L during the dry season. The detection of boron in the sludge samples of Wadi Nar was conducted by the spectrophotometric method of Azomethine – H at a wavelength for 420 nm. The average concentration of boron in the sludge samples during the dry season was 1.523 mg/L and 1.135 mg/L for the wet season. Finally, the results of the analysis of the samples taken from wells and springs show that boron concentration was within the acceptable limits according to WHO standards of 2011.