Evaluation of nitrate source and its distribution in the groundwater of Essaouira basin

Mountassir, Otman El; Bahir, Mohammed; Ouazar, Driss; Chehbouni, Abdelghani; Carreira, Paulà M.

doi:10.1007/s40899-022-00609-0

Cited by 9 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Groundwater is the principal drinking and agricultural water source in water-scarce areas, particularly in dry and semi-arid climates [4,5,8,10,72]. Climate change has recently strained this resource, causing its quality to deteriorate [1,18,78].…”

Section: Groundwater Salinitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, human activity significantly affected surface and groundwater in the previous century, introducing various toxins [4,5]. Furthermore, an assessment of groundwater chemistry and quality will identify possible variables that influence the chemical composition of groundwater and recognize the causes of groundwater contamination [6][7][8][9][10]. These variables will contribute to significant steps towards conserving and sustainable use of groundwater resources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These variables will contribute to significant steps towards conserving and sustainable use of groundwater resources. However, to ensure access to safe drinking water for the growing population, it is necessary to protect and use the water supply carefully and responsibly [10][11][12]. To achieve this goal, the origins and hydrochemistry of water must be established.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…All the critical factors contributing to the salinity of the aquifer are the proximity of the coastal aquifer to the sea, the prevalence of sand and gravel soils in the area, agricultural activity, and the hydraulic properties of the aquifer [16,17]. The chemical composition of groundwater is influenced by several factors, including precipitation composition, geological structure and mineralogy of sandy aquifers in watersheds, and geochemical processes in aquifers [10,11,[18][19][20][21][22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The reversal of groundwater flow in recent years has resulted in seawater intrusion into the interior along the coastal belt due to heavy pumping of groundwater, especially in summer, making the borehole and the open well unsuitable for agricultural production and consumption [23,24]. Researchers have assessed groundwater quality in several arid and semi-arid countries, notably: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and India [10,23,[25][26][27][28]. Various techniques are used to assess water quality; we cited the following for drinking uses [7,25,[29][30][31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessment of Groundwater Quality and the Main Controls on Its Hydrochemistry in a Changing Climate in Morocco (Essaouira Basin)

et al. 2022

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Groundwater is essential for both water supply and environmental conservation, especially in semi-arid and desert areas. Managing groundwater resources requires a thorough understanding of groundwater characteristics and dynamics. The hydrogeochemical properties and evolution of groundwater in the Essaouira synclinal basin in northwest Morocco were studied in this research, with 105 water samples collected in 2009, 2017, 2018, and 2019. The Water Quality Index (WQI) and Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI) were developed to determine groundwater quality for consumption and irrigation purposes. The chemical evolution of groundwater is mainly dominated by evaporite, mineral carbonate dissolutions, and cation exchange. Contamination by nitrates is particularly severe in agricultural and tourist areas. The WQI of the 2019 campaign showed that 6.7% of groundwater samples are unsuitable for drinking; 76.7% are poor quality water; and 13.3% are very poor-quality water; while only 3.3% are drinkable. According to IWQI, the total study area has been split into 50% (good), 43.3% (bad), and 6.6% (unfit), respectively, and no excellent groundwater areas have been identified. Therefore, the water is suitable for agriculture but must be treated for drinking. The presence of evaporation and maritime intrusion and the contribution of recent precipitations to aquifer recharging were demonstrated by stable isotope content.

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