Abstract
The estuary of the Loukkos River is a complex ecosystem where various factors affect the quality of water. Our study is assessing the degree of water pollution in the complex of the lower Loukkos wetland’s surface water, which is situated at the river mouth of the Loukkos river in the eastern periphery of Larache city. To realize this objective, we collected water samplings from five area sites during summer period from May to August 2016 to analyse eight parameters physicochemical including dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, turbidity, salinity, suspended matter and nitrates. This study was accompanied by a bacteriological analysis relating to the enumeration of total coliforms and faecal coliforms, intestinal enterococci and reducing anaerobic sulphites. The analysis’s results shed lights on factors of contamination and collaborate to the physicochemical evaluation and bacteriologic quality of surface water. The quality indicators spatialization reveals interactions between the various phenomena acting on the functions of this Ramsar site.
Highlights
Wetlands are ecosystems recognized for their beneficial hydrological biogeochemical and ecological functions
Two sampling stations A and B have been chosen so that they could be accurately representative surface water characteristics in this wetland. These are located at the discharge point of the main sources of water pollution: rice drain discharges installed on the swamp The Adir and releases the largest agro-industrial unit on the mouth Loukkos (Fig. 2) Sampling campaigns were undertaken during once every month in the period ranging from May and through July 2016, both July 2016 upstream and downstream of these effluents
Physicochemical analyses show that the water of the lower Loukkos complex is generally meets the standards of the surface water quality grid [24] for all the parameters studied, wich is favourable for the development of aquatic life, except that nitrate levels fluctuate downstream of the rice fields in this wetland
Summary
Wetlands are ecosystems recognized for their beneficial hydrological biogeochemical and ecological functions. Their values have witnessed a major decline in the last four decades [1,2]. Our study focused on the lower Loukkos complex located in northern Morocco, classified in the Ramsar Convention since 2004 as a wetland complex of international importance. This complex is located at the mouth of the Loukkos River (Fig.). The vulnerability of surface water to these potential sources of pollution calls into question the quality of these waters as well as the future of this aquatic ecosystem. Does the waters of this ecosystem meet the requirements of surface water quality standards?
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
