Assessment of groundwater salinity and risk of soil degradation in Quaternary aquifer system. Example: Annaba plain, Algeria N-E

Abstract

Quality of water resources in Annaba plain (North East) of Algeria is facing a serious challenge due to industrialisation and excessive exploitation of water. Therefore, 29 groundwater samples were collected from this area to assess their hydrogeochemistry and suitability for irrigation purposes. The groundwater samples were analysed for distribution of chemical elements Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, HCO3-, Cl-, and SO42-. It also includes pH, electrical conductivity. The hydrochimical study has shown that the facieses are changing between a pole calcium-chloride-sulphate and sodium-chloride types. The results also showed that the salinity is the major problem with water for irrigation use (58% of samples fall into C3S1 class). As a result, the quality of the groundwater is not suitable for sustainable crop production and soil health without appropriate remediation.