Health Risk of Maâmora’s Groundwater Pollution in Morocco

Abstract

The problem of pollution affects the whole world groundwater. The purpose of our present study is to evaluate the impact of contamination from residues of industry and agriculture, and dis-charge of untreated domestic wastewaters on the physical, chemical, metal and bacteriological water quality of Maâmora's tablecloth (Sebou bassin, Kenitra, Morocco). The physicochemical pa-rameters followed are: C, pH, EC, + 4 NH , 2 NO − , 3 NO − , Cl − , F − , 3 HCO − , 3 CO 2− , SiO 2 , 4 SO 2− , Na + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , K + , Pb 2− , Cd 2+ , Fe 2+ , Cu 2+ , Zn 2+ , Ni 2+ , B 3+ , Dry Residue, Turbidity, Total Hardness (TH), Dis-solved O 2 , Oxidisability, total and fecal coliforms, faecal streptococci and total and faecal germs of raw water from the boreholes. The physical, chemical, metal and bacteriological quality shows that the groundwater which is used as drinking water in the city of Kenitra and adjacent towns is generally good. However, high concentrations of nitrates (over 210.8 mg/L) and other metals (185 µg/l for lead; 58.98 for nickel; 187.3 µg/L for iron; 2204 µg/L for zinc) in some wells are worri-some because of the serious health consequences.