Abstract
The El-Salam canal in Egypt is considered an important stream of fresh water for the agricultural sector that extends from the Nile River to Sinai, while it is subjected to several anthropogenic stresses. In this study, five-georeferenced stations (named from S1 to S5) were monitored along the El-Salam Canal before El-Sahara of the Suez Canal, via the estimation of the WQ index based on major cations and anions analysis including salinity hazard, permeability index, residual sodium carbonate, magnesium hazard, sodium percentage, sodium adsorption ratio, Kelley index, potential salinity, total hardness, and irrigation water quality index (IWQI). The sequence of average concentration of cations in water were Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+. The major cations constitute around 60% of the total dissolved salts. While the sequence of major anions in water were SO42− > HCO3− > Cl− > CO32−. These cations and anions showed an increasing trend from S1 (intake of the canal) to S5 (before El-Sahara) of the El-Salam Canal. Moreover, the order of heavy metals was Zn < Cd < Cr < Ni < Fe < Mn < Co < Cu < Pb. According to the US EPA (1999) guidelines, the levels of Fe and Zn in the El-Salam Canal are within the permissible limits for drinking and irrigation purposes, while Mn, Pb, Cu, Co, Ni, Cr, and Cd were detected at higher concentrations than those recommended. The value of IWQI in water samples varied from 40.26 to 114.82. The samples of S1 showed good water, the samples of region S2 (after mixing with Faraskour drainage) showed poor water quality, samples of regions S3 (after mixing with the El-Serw drain waters) and S5 (before El-Sahara) fell under the very poor water category and samples of region S4 (after mixing with the Hadous drainage) showed unsuitable water. Croplands irrigated with such water will not be exposed to any alkaline risks but will be exposed to the risk of salinity, which is more severe after mixing at the S3 and S4 sites. It is recommended to treat the drainage water before mixing with the irrigation water of El-Salam Canal to raise the suitability of irrigation water for crops, particularly for the Hadous drain.
Highlights
Water quality is one of the most essential aspects, since it directly affects human health and other life forms [1]
The results revealed that all ions had coefficient of variation (CV) more than 10%, with CO32− having a CV of almost 100%; in particular, CO32− has a CV of above 100%, which indicated strong spatial variability, showing that these ions are sensitive variables that change with the ecosystem [44]
Our findings revealed that S1 appeared to be the cleanest part of the lake, with the lowest amounts of the metals tested
Summary
Water quality is one of the most essential aspects, since it directly affects human health and other life forms [1]. Economic, social, and political standpoint, managing water resources in the twenty-first century has become an increasingly difficult task [4]. This is especially true in Egypt, where a limited water supply is contending with various and expanding needs. Egypt makes use of a variety of low-quality water sources, such as agricultural drainage water and treated residential wastewater. In addition to the non-conventional water resources, desalination is increasingly being utilised to provide household water supply for some places along the Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts [3,5]. The most pressing issue in Egypt’s water resource management is the disparity between increasing water demand and insufficient water availability [7]
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