Contamination of Water Resources Due to the Gulf

Groundwater reserves are recharged for the most part by rain that infiltrates through the soil into the underlying layers. These reserves are occasionally augmented by streams and rivers that loose water to the underground strata. Once underground, the water flows at rates ranging from more than 10 meters a day, to as little as 1 meter a year, until it reaches an outlet. This may take the form of a spring, or of a system of slow seepage at the ground surface. It is this seepage that kept rivers flowing during dry periods. Some 2500 years ago, the use of "Qantas " was developed in Iran. These are long, horizontal galleries, connecting aquifers at the foot of mountains to fields and villages several kilometers away. The use of Qantas spread, as far afield as Egypt, China and Afghanistan, and many such streams are still used today. Once pollutants reach the water, it, may take a very long time to flush out the aquifer completely. Furthermore, pollution can take a very long time to show itself since the water within aquifers moves so slowly. Northern coastal regions of the Persian Gulf include major riverine systems. These are Karkheh