Abstract
Gaza Governorates are suffering from shortage problems and poor quality of groundwater that is being pumped from 281 municipal wells. According to the latest data available at the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA), the water consumption can be distributed on municipal consumption 96.428 MCM and agricultural sector consumption 95.3 MCM. The annual recharge is less than the pumping rate with more than 90 MCM; resulting in declining water level, sea water intrusion and hence high chloride concentrations. Nitrate levels are increasing due to the improper systems of wastewater disposal, excess use of fertilizers and landfill leachate. The nitrate level exceeds the WHO limit in more than 90.6 % of Gaza Governorates municipal wells for the year 2018 (223 wells from a total of 245 wells. Due to the health impacts of nitrate, health risk assessment was conducted based upon the available quality data of 245 municipal wells. The risk assessment method adopted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency was utilized in this study. Three categories of receptors were assessed; infants, children and adults. The study revealed that the health risk values for adults is acceptable in 22 wells only while it is unacceptable in the other 223 wells. For children and small infants, the situation was riskier and the study outlined that none of the municipal wells in Gaza Governorates was suitable for drinking purposes for these two categories of people. The study recommended that actions should be taken to minimize the risk associated with drinking groundwater, looking for alternative water resources is to be seriously considered, community participation should be encouraged, people should know that their source of water is unsuitable and further studies that consider the impact of nitrate in groundwater on the public health in Gaza Strip should be performed.
Highlights
Gaza Strip is a narrow area located along the coastal southwestern zone of the occupied Palestine just near the Mediterranean Sea
According to the latest data available at the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) database, the water consumption can be distributed on the different sectors as follows: municipal consumption 96.428 MCM (52%); of which 13 MCM is suitable for drinking purposes and agricultural sector consumption 95.3 MCM (48%) (WRD-PWA, 2014, WRD-PWA, 2018)
The nitrate concentration in groundwater has increased in the last years; this phenomenon has primarily taken place in the coastal area, where the water sources are close to population clusters and to industrial and agricultural regions
Summary
He has the MSc In Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from the Jordan University of Science and Technology (2006), and the BSc in Civil Engineering from the Islamic University of Gaza (2002) He is a lecturer at the University College of Applied Sciences. He occupied the position of wastewater reuse expert at the Palestinian Water Authority He was the project coordinator at the Islamic University of Gaza on a project concerning the improvement of drinking water quality in elementary schools using reverse osmosis technique. He effectively worked on many local and regional projects concerning solid waste management, solid waste reuse, recycling and recovery, as well as assessing the impacts and risks associated with landfilling practices. Developing an Automated System for Irrigation, University College of Applied Sciences, 2014
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
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 call
