Abstract
Estuarine systems account for a high proportion of wetlands in Morocco due to the development of the river system. These estuarine and coastal Moroccan environments are as rich in fauna and flora as their European equivalents and present much originality. However, these coastal areas are generally highly urbanized and industrialized, and therefore subject to domestic and industrial discharges. The Bouregreg Estuary represents a good example of this situation, in view of this pollution (organic, chemical and biological) and the absence of fresh water supply upstream of the estuary after the dam was built, is increasingly unable of restoring the equilibrium of this ecosystem. This tide can instead ensure the polluting discharge downstream or upstream. Metallic contamination affects the different compartments of the estuarine ecosystem (sediment, water) and benthic species (fauna and flora). The objective of this study is to assess the accumulation and bioaccumulation of five heavy metals (Cu, Fe, Zn, Cr and Pb) at the sediment level of two dominant plant species (Artiplex portulacoides and Sarcocornia fructicosa) and three species of benthic macrofauna (Scrobicularia plana, Venerupis decussata and Hediste diversicolor) from the wetland of this estuary. This work will enable us to clearly understand the nutritional relationships between plant, animal, water and sediment species. The results of the analysis revealed that bioaccumulation varies from one species to another and from one metal to another. Thus, the levels of Lead and Chromium at Sarcocornia fructicosa are higher than those found at Artiplex portulacoides. Nevertheless, the latter accumulates better the other metals: Cu, Zn and Fe. While, the macrofauna shows a fairly large variation depending on the life style and sensitivity of species. Thus, Hediste diversicolor showed high levels of the various metals analyzed compared to Scrobicularia plana and Venerupis decussata.
Highlights
The estuaries are environments of great ecological and economic importance
The objective of this study is to assess the accumulation and bioaccumulation of these five heavy metals (Cu, Fe, Zn, Cr and Pb) in the sediment and two dominant plant species (Artiplex portulacoides and Sarcocornia fructicosa) And three animal species belong to the zoobenthic groups (Scrobicularia plana, Venerupis decussata and Hediste diversicolor) of the wetland of the downstream part of this Bouregreg estuary
The study of the impact of discharges of wastewater and waste at the estuary level is approached by the accumulation of five heavy metals: Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Fe in two plant species (Artiplex portulacoides and Sarcocornia fructicosa ) And three animal species belong to the zoobenthic groups (Scrobicularia plana, Venerupis decussata and Hediste diversicolor) of the Bouregreg estuary
Summary
The estuaries are environments of great ecological and economic importance. Urban and industrial pressure, as well as the development of estuaries, leads to an increase in their pollution [9]. On the Atlantic coast of Morocco, the estuary of Bouregreg is an edifying case of this situation. This estuary drains in its passage the polluted rejections of many industrial units and the untreated domestic rejections of some districts of the two agglomerations Rabat and Salé which do not cease developing in its surroundings. Anthropogenic activities are the source of many pollutants disseminated in the environment, in particular heavy metals. The latter result either from discharges directly into ecosystems or from indirect flows such as industrial discharges, landfill leachate, agricultural runoff. Several studies have revealed the contamination of this estuary in these different compartments ([15, 20])
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