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Physicochemical Characterization and Metallic Contamination of the Waters of Oued Nfifikh (Morocco)
 
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1
Laboratory of Ecology and Environment, Faculty of Sciences Ben M’Sick, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Cdt Driss El Harti Av., P.B.7955 Sidi Othmane, Casablanca-Morocco
 
2
National Laboratory for Studies and Pollution Monitoring (LNESP), Ministry of Energy, Mines and Environment- Department of Environment. Mohamed Ben Abdellah Erregragui Av. Madinat Al-Irfane. Rabat-Morocco
 
3
Department of Life and Earth Sciences, Regional Center for Education and Training (CRMEF) of Casablanca-Settat, P.B. 20340 Stendhal Av. Casablanca-Morocco.
 
 
Corresponding author
Chaimaa Merbouh   

Laboratory of Ecology and Environment, Faculty of Sciences Ben M’Sick, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Cdt Driss El Harti Av., P.B. 7955 Sidi Othmane, Casablanca-Morocco
 
 
Ecol. Eng. Environ. Technol. 2023; 1:1-11
 
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ABSTRACT
Oued Nfifikh is a coastal stream of the Bouregreg and Chaouia watershed (Morocco). It passes through many rural and urban areas and receives different types of liquid and solid discharges from anthropogenic activities adopted along the watercourse. This study aims to evaluate the physicochemical quality of the water from the most accessible sites upstream and downstream of Oued Nfifikh, along with highlighting the impact of human activities on these waters’ quality. For this purpose, water samples were collected and analyzed within normalized methods. Statistical analysis of the collected data shows significant spatial variations (p value < 0.05) for pH, electrical conductivity, nitrate and chloride, and for metallic trace elements (Zn, Fe, Ba, Mn, Cr and Al). Unlike (temperature, Pb, Ni, Cu and Cd), whose values do not present statistically significant variations (p value > 0.05). The study of the physicochemical quality reveals that the waters at the upstream are classed as good quality, except for site (S2), located at the upstream part of the river, it is affected by human activities. Consequently, its physicochemical composition is quite similar to that of waters of poor quality at the downstream sites. The Principal Component Analysis of the results followed by the Ascending Hierarchical Classification on the same data matrix allowed to regroup the sampling sites with similar characteristics into three distinct groups. A group of highly mineralized waters, a second group dominated by elements indicating urban pollution, and a group of waters with low mineral content and low metallic contamination indicating agricultural pollution.
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