Water in Algerian Sahara: Environmental and Health impact

Abstract

The supply of drinking water has become difficult in many countries, thus, access to safe drinking water, is expected to become in the the world as fundamental economic and social rights and unfortunately this is not currently the case.Whether his origin, superfecial or groundwater, water used for human consumption are rarely consumables unchanged. It is often necessary to treat them more or less sophisticaly, or simply by disinfection in the case of groundwater. The reserves of groundwater in Algeria are estimated to 6.8 billion m3. However, these groundwater are at significant depths and are characterized more by a strong mineralization, on the other hand, due to the particularity and specific climate of Algeria, the rivers dry frequently. As a rule, waters are subdivided into categories depending on a level of their mineralization or their rigidity. There are also other approaches to classification of water of various sources, for example, taking into account simultaneously its mineralization, rigidity and the contents of organic impurity. The boundary values for division of water into categories are sufficiently conventional and they differ in various sources of information. In another hand, in Algerian sahara, the drinking water supply is provided exclusively by groundwater from the aquifers of the Terminal Complex and Continental Intercalary (Albian water), characterized by high level of fluor, which its excessive consumption becomes toxic and constituting a public health problem especially in dental health. The aim of the chapter focuses on the determination of water quality and assessing the possibility of wells in the Algerian sahara as an alternative source of drinking water and for domestic purposes. Physicochemical and bacteriological analysis of water (pH, TDS, TH, electrical conductivity, chloride, calcium, nitrate, heavy metal and fecal coli form …..) are presented from different Saharan region. Analysis of the data shows that the general mineralization of water from the studied boring greatly exceeds the acceptable standards. Such water can be used only after demineralization. The fluoride content of drinking water of some Saharan region was measured, and health impact is discussed.