Risk of Groundwater Contamination by Domestic Wastewater in Rural Areas of the Province of Al Hoceima, Northern Morocco

Kamari, Salim; El Ouarghi, Hossain; Ghalit, Mohammad; Makan, Abdelhadi; Bourjila, Abdelhak

doi:10.12912/27197050/172412

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Tytuł artykułu

Risk of Groundwater Contamination by Domestic Wastewater in Rural Areas of the Province of Al Hoceima, Northern Morocco

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Kamari Salim , El Ouarghi Hossain , Ghalit Mohammad , Makan Abdelhadi , Bourjila Abdelhak

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DOI

10.12912/27197050/172412

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Abstrakty

Groundwater is crucial for meeting the water needs of rural communities, serving both domestic and agricultural purposes. However, its quality in our study area remains unclear. Therefore, the primary objective of the current study is to evaluate the groundwater quality and ascertain the level of contamination risk associated with the use of septic tanks in rural communities within the Al Hoceima province. This will be achieved by conducting a comprehensive analysis of physicochemical parameters and employing effective indices, including the Water Quality Index (WQI), Nitrate Pollution Index (NPI), and Chronic Health Risk (CHR). In February 2023, we collected samples from 33 wells, spanning densely and sparsely populated regions, to account for potential variations in water quality. The analyzed parameters included pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), ammonium (NH₄⁺), nitrates (NO₃^-), nitrites (NO₂^-), sodium (Na⁺), potassium (K⁺), calcium (Ca²⁺), magnesium (Mg²⁺), chloride (Cl^-), sulfate (SO₄^2-), bicarbonate (HCO₃^-), phosphate (PO₄^3-), and silica (SiO₂). Our findings revealed slightly alkaline groundwater with TDS levels ranging from 1508.63 mg/l to 8289.8 mg/l, with an average of 3223.19 mg/l. The cation dominance sequence observed was Na⁺ > Ca²⁺ > Mg²⁺ > K⁺ >NH₄⁺, while for anions, it followed as SO₄^2- > Cl^- > HCO₃^- > NO₃^- > PO₄^3- > NO₂^-. The Water Quality Index (WQI) indicated contamination in 54.55% of the wells, with notably higher NPI values in densely populated regions. This suggests anthropogenic nitrate contamination, likely originating from septic tanks. The assessment of Chronic Health Risk (CHR) revealed non-carcinogenic health risks in 27.27% of samples for children and 15.15% for adults. Given these findings, it is imperative for Moroccan authorities, despite the efforts of the Loukkos Hydraulic Basin Agency (LHBA), to implement strategic measures to protect groundwater quality in densely populated rural regions.

Słowa kluczowe

groundwater quality septic tank Nitrate Pollution Index Chronic Health Risk Index rural communities Al Hoceima

Wydawca

Lubelski Oddział Polskiego Towarzystwo Inżynierii Ekologicznej
Lublin University of Technology
WNGB Wydawnictwo Naukowe

Czasopismo

Ecological Engineering & Environmental Technology

Rocznik

2023

Tom

Vol. 24, iss. 9

Strony

104--120

Opis fizyczny

Bibliogr. 61 poz., rys., tab.

Twórcy

autor

Kamari Salim

skamari@uae.ac.ma

Laboratory of Applied Sciences (LSA), Environmental Management and Civil Engineering Research Team (GEGC), ENSAH, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Tetouan, Morocco

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8362-5238

autor

El Ouarghi Hossain

Laboratory of Applied Sciences (LSA), Environmental Management and Civil Engineering Research Team (GEGC), ENSAH, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Tetouan, Morocco

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6866-6579

autor

Ghalit Mohammad

Laboratory of Applied Chemistry and Environment, Solid Mineral Chemistry Research Team, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed First University, Oujda, Morocco

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8306-6560

autor

Makan Abdelhadi

Laboratory of Applied Sciences (LSA), Environmental Management and Civil Engineering Research Team (GEGC), ENSAH, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Tetouan, Morocco

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0385-2498

autor

Bourjila Abdelhak

Laboratory of Engineering Sciences and Applications (LSIA), Research Team: Materials Science, Energy and Environment (SM2E), ENSAH, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Al Hoceima, Morocco

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2592-6179

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Uwagi

Opracowanie rekordu ze środków MNiSW, umowa nr SONP/SP/546092/2022 w ramach programu "Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki" - moduł: Popularyzacja nauki i promocja sportu (2024).

Typ dokumentu

Bibliografia

Identyfikator YADDA

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