No abstract

The quality of groundwater is a global concern that is usually assessed using quality indices. The Canadian Water Quality Index (CWQI) alongside with Geographical Information system (GIS) were adopted to evaluate the quality of Kirkuk’s groundwater in terms of its suitability for drinking, irrigation, aquatic, recreational purposes, and livestock uses, in 60 wells within the time period of 2017 to 2019. The groundwater quality was assessed depending on Iraq’s and world health organization (WHO) guidelines. The Iraqi standards were used for drinking purposes. The WHO standards were used for irrigation, aquatic, recreational, and livestock purposes. Both standards were incorporated in CWQI Excel Spreadsheet to evaluate the groundwater quality for studied wells. Samples were collected and analyzed for 15 major parameters. According to the CWQI, groundwater samples obtained were classified as marginal in 2017 and 2018; while poor water for drinking was observed in 2019.

No abstract

No abstract

Microplastics (MPs) are tiny pieces of plastic smaller than 5mm that have raised concerns to aquatic organisms and human health due to their ubiquitous presence. Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) are a significant point source for aquatic MPs pollution, as millions of MPs with different characteristics reach WWTPs through the Sewage. Even though, WWTPs are not specifically designed to remove MPs, researchers report that more than 90% of MPs can be removed in WWTPs. However, given the huge volumes of effluent discharge into natural aquatic bodies, even small concentrations of MPs in the effluent would be significant. A typical WWTP consists of three key stages: primary, secondary and tertiary. Removal of MPs in these stages is reviewed. In addition, plastics can adsorb toxic chemical and biological pollutants on its surface and can lead to spread of toxic pollutants in the environment. Therefore, in this review we aim to provide comprehensive knowledge about the sources of MPs in wastewater, their fate and removal in WWTPs, their interactions with different chemical and biological pollutants, and their effects on environment. In addition, it also highlights the different methodologies used for sampling, sample preparation and physical and chemical identification of MPs found in the WWTPs.