Combining stable isotope and WQI methods to study the groundwater quality: a case study in Essaouira city, Morocco

Bahir, Mohammed; Mountassir, Otman El; Dhiba, Driss; Chehbouni, Abdelghani; Carreira, Paulà M.; elbiar, Hakam

doi:10.1007/s42452-022-05165-y

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…In general, a higher index implies potentially higher levels of pollution or contamination, however, a lower index suggests improved water quality. Several studies related to the assessment of groundwater quality within the adoption of the WQI have been carried out in Morocco (Bahir et al, 2020;El Mountassir et al, 2020;Jamaa et al, 2020;Bahir et al, 2021a;Bahir et al, 2021b;Sarti et al, 2021;Bahir et al, 2022;Ouhamdouch et al, 2022;Rafik et al, 2022;Benaissa et al, 2023;Boudellah et al, 2023;El Moustaine et al, 2023;El Yousfi et al, 2023).…”

Section: Assessment Of Water Quality 421 Adequacy Of Water For Human ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrochemical evolution and groundwater quality assessment of the Tinejdad-Touroug quaternary aquifer, South-East Morocco

Ait Said,

Mili,

El Faleh

et al. 2023

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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The Palm Grove ecosystems situated in the southeastern region of Morocco are highly vulnerable to compromise, encountering significant challenges due to insufficient precipitation and limited availability of groundwater. The objective of this study is to evaluate the groundwater quality of the Tinejdad-Touroug aquifer for domestic and irrigation purposes. Groundwater flows from southwest to northeast mostly in Quaternary conglomerate-lacustrine facies in the Rheris basin. The results show that the domination of the major ions is in the following order: Cl−>HCO3−>SO42−>Na+>Ca2+>Mg2+>NO3−>K+>NO2−>NH4+. Piper diagram showed the predominance of a single mixed chemical facies Cl-SO4-Ca-Mg, as well as the presence of exceptions of some samples that showed other facies variations. The water quality index (WQI) assessments of the campaigns that were examined demonstrate that the recorded percentages of poor quality water ranged from 40% to 90% while the percentages of good quality water varied from 7.7% to 54.5%. The remaining samples reveal different classes with varying percentages. Most of the sites in all campaigns had drinking water parameters that exceeded the values established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Moroccan standards. Nevertheless, the parameters of Temperature, pH, TH, DO, Ca2+, SO42−, K+, NH4+, and bacteriological parameters were within the required limits. The results of the assessment based on electrical conductivity suggest a significant increase in salinity levels, with an average of 2744.75 µS/cm in 2000, 3248.58 µS/cm in 2007, and 2957.84 µS/cm in 2021. The findings of the study reveal a positive assessment regarding the quality of the water samples examined during the eight sampling campaigns, as indicated by the PI and KR indices. However, additional investigation of the SAR, Na%, and MH indices revealed that three water samples acquired from separate surveys are not appropriate for irrigation purposes, showing that groundwater must be controlled until it can be properly used. The outcomes accentuate the necessity of consistent monitoring and evaluation of water quality parameters to establish the safe and sustainable exploitation of water resources for domestic and agricultural purposes. Elevated salinity levels in Quaternary aquifers resulting from natural mechanisms such as increased rates of evaporation and geological factors may have contributed to the degradation of groundwater quality.

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Section: Assessment Of Water Quality 421 Adequacy Of Water For Human ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrochemical evolution and groundwater quality assessment of the Tinejdad-Touroug quaternary aquifer, South-East Morocco

Ait Said,

Mili,

El Faleh

et al. 2023

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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“…Due to the rapidly expanding population, surface water has become insufficient to meet requirements; hence, groundwater is essential for addressing the deficiencies in surface water availability and satisfying the increasing demand for water [3,4]. The quality and quantity of groundwater are determined mainly by natural processes, anthropogenic activities, and atmospheric inputs [5,6]. Anthropogenic factors mainly include industrialization; the overexploitation of aquifers; rapid population common crops grown to feed more than 10 million inhabitants in this region.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Groundwater Age and Origin and Its Relation with Anthropogenic and Climatic Factors

Iqbal,

Nabi,

Iqbal

et al. 2024

Water

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Groundwater plays a major role in addressing the worldwide problem of water scarcity and food security. With a growing population and increasing urbanization, there is a rising demand for groundwater to meet agricultural and domestic water needs. A variety of advanced approaches are necessary to sustain groundwater management. This study investigated the age and origin of groundwater, as well as its relationship with anthropogenic and climatic factors. Stable isotopes were used, namely oxygen-18 (18O) and deuterium (2H) for the estimation of groundwater origin and radioactive isotopes of Tritium (3H) for the estimation of its age. The investigation of stable isotopes revealed that the aquifer is predominantly influenced by river water, with a minor contribution from rainwater. Furthermore, the analysis of radioactive isotopes revealed that the groundwater age ranges from 5 to 50 years old in most areas. Older groundwater is predominantly found in urban areas, while younger groundwater is present in agricultural and woodland regions. However, the presence of “old” water in the upper groundwater layers in urban areas is attributed to over-abstraction and limited natural recharge. The primary climatic factor that governs the age and origin of groundwater is rainfall upstream of the study area, which directly contributes to the river flows. The rainfall is high in the east but, due to urbanization, recharge is decreased. Consequently, old and river recharge groundwater is found in this area. These observations underscore the unsustainable and alarming use of groundwater in urban areas.

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“…Environmental isotope tracers and age indicators have been used in arid regions, such as North Africa, for assessing groundwater systems, particularly in terms of residence time and characterization of groundwater movement [36][37][38][39]. In fact, the use of stable and radioactive isotopes is considered an essential approach for identifying the cause of salinization in coastal aquifers in Morocco [40][41][42].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Assessment of the Groundwater Quality in the Coastal Aquifers of the Essaouira Basin, Southwestern Morocco, Using Hydrogeochemistry and Isotopic Signatures

Mountassir

Bahir

2023

Water

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Because of anthropogenic activity and seawater intrusion, coastal aquifers worldwide frequently face a threat to their water supply due to salinization. This paper investigates the assessment of the groundwater quality in coastal aquifers of the Hauturivien aquifer in the Essaouira basin. In this study, 56 groundwater samples collected from the Hauturivian aquifer across four campaigns in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 were subjected to multivariate analyses involving principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) using SPSS software. Among the three main water types, the mixed Ca-Mg-Cl classification was predominant in the investigated aquifer. In addition to the natural processes (such as the water–rock interaction, ion exchange, dissolution/precipitation dynamics, and evaporation) that govern groundwater quality, current land use practices have increased salinization in this poorly drained semi-arid area. Based on assessments using Water Quality Index (WQI) and Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI), the water quality is suitable for human consumption, but its use for irrigation is limited to crops that can tolerate high salt levels. The stable isotopes (δ2H and δ18O) of groundwater demonstrated that local precipitation is the primary recharge source. Nonetheless, the evaporation process, influenced by various geological conditions, affects groundwater recharge, regardless of the topographical differences in the study area.

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Combining stable isotope and WQI methods to study the groundwater quality: a case study in Essaouira city, Morocco

Cited by 7 publications

References 33 publications

Hydrochemical evolution and groundwater quality assessment of the Tinejdad-Touroug quaternary aquifer, South-East Morocco

Hydrochemical evolution and groundwater quality assessment of the Tinejdad-Touroug quaternary aquifer, South-East Morocco

Groundwater Age and Origin and Its Relation with Anthropogenic and Climatic Factors

The Assessment of the Groundwater Quality in the Coastal Aquifers of the Essaouira Basin, Southwestern Morocco, Using Hydrogeochemistry and Isotopic Signatures

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