Impact of Agriculture Upon the Chemical Quality of Groundwaters within the Saharian Atlas Steppe El-Meita (Khenchela-Algeria)

Abstract

The El-Meita plateau is situated in the south of the city of Khenchela and it is delimited by the Saharan Atlas to the north and Chott Melghir to the south. The agricultural importance and the high productivity of this region are provided by the aggressive use of chemical fertilizers. For this reason, we have decided to conduct this study, considering that all water bodies � superficial waters and groundwaters � record significant amounts of NO3-, NO2-, NH4-, heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn and Hg) and other major chemical elements. The campaign of collecting the 30 water samples took place in the month of May 2016. The chemical analyses were conducted in the Lacip ain-Mlila laboratory in Algeria. Findings show a contamination of groundwater by nitrates and lead; values exceed the maximum limits approved by World Health Organization (WHO). TDS were also found in high concentrations, which limit the use of water for some agricultural cultures, but which can be admissible for certain salinity-resistant species.

Physicochemical Quality Evolution of Groundwater from the Area of an Chemical Platform

“…The inherent qualities of groundwater [3,4] such as consistent temperature, widespread and continuous availability, excellent natural quality, limited vulnerability, low development cost, and drought reliability have made it an immensely important and dependable source of water supply for both developed and developing countries [5]. The demand for groundwater has increased manifold over the years due to population growth, rapid urbanization and industrialization, agricultural expansion [6,7], and economic development. The groundwater quality is [8], however, being deteriorated mostly due to overexploitation, increased application of fertilizers, unsanitary conditions prevailing in rural and urban areas, improper sewage management, inadequate water planning, lack of awareness and, non-implementation of desired measures.…”

Risks Associated of the Waters from Hydric Systems Urban`s. The case of the rio Barigui, south of Brazil

“…In urban water systems, the concentrations of metallic species, nutrients and organic matter are, in general, several times higher than levels found in other stretches of a nonurbanized river, and may express significant damages to the ecosystem [14][15][16][17][18][19]. Metallic species differ from organic pollutants because they are not degradable and may accumulate in organisms and environmental compartments influencing their toxicity [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28].…”