Assessing the groundwater resources pollution potential by Beheshte Zahra Cemetery

This study aims to assess the groundwater pollution potential by Beheshte Zahra Cemetery, Tehran, Iran. Surly there is the penetration of decomposition products into seepage, during the fate of human corpses. This seepage contains bacteria, viruses and organic and inorganic chemical decomposition products. In this investigation, analyzing the data gathered about Beheshte Zahraha has been done; the sampling wells have been selected in the direction of the site groundwater gush. Sampling and bacterial and physicochemical tests have been done for each well. Then the results of these tests have been compared to some factors. These factors are: The distance from the base of the burial pit to the aquifer level (the thickness of the unsaturated zone), the distance from cemeteries to water abstraction points, the distance from cemeteries to surface waters and usable water sources, the type and structure of the soil around and at the base of burial pits, the amount of raining on the site, the topography and hydrogeology of the site. All the sampled parameters about the groundwater of the site are ok with standard limits now, but there is a noticeable increasing amount for BOD5, COD, pH, SO4, HCO3 and NO2-N from the upstream up to the downstream of the site, this shows the probable seepage passing through the soil into groundwater. This matter can be the reason to produce an exact monitoring program in the future. Also soil structure, the thickness of the unsaturated zone and hydrogeology have been known as the most effective factors in not polluting of the groundwater in the present time.