Impact of Anthropic Activities on the Quality of Groundwater in the Central Rif (North Morocco)

Said Benyoussef,Maryam Azirar,Mourad Arabi,Hossain El Ouarghi,Ali Ait Boughrous,Mohammad Ghalit,Adil El Midaoui

doi:10.12912/27197050/141525

Said Benyoussef, Maryam Azirar + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.12912/27197050/141525

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Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of human anthropic activities on the physicochemical and biological properties as well as the quantity of the groundwater in the central Rif of Morocco. Series of analyses were carried out on the water resources of this area. The interpretation of analytical data and the distribution of groundwater into groups were treated using multivariate statistical methods including Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and the Ascending Hierarchical Classification (CHA). The results of the present study showed strong mineralization of the investigated area waters. This study also indicated the impact of anthropogenic activities and their influences on the quality of groundwater in the central Rif, with the presence of total coliforms, fecal Escherichia coli type, and fecal streptococci intestinal enterococcal type, suggesting that the contamination of this groundwater was induced by human pollution. In addition, the infiltration of groundwater by wastewater from septic tanks, the use of wastewater for irrigation purposes, the increased use of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture, and irregular rainfall in the region constitute the main factors of anthropogenic contamination of groundwater in the study area.

Highlights

Groundwater represents about 97% of the world’s liquid freshwater (Bosca, 2002; Schmoll et al, 2006)
The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of human anthropic activities on the physicochemical and biological properties as well as the quantity of the groundwater in the central Rif of Morocco
This study indicated the impact of anthropogenic activities and their influences on the quality of groundwater in the central Rif, with the presence of total coliforms, fecal Escherichia coli type, and fecal streptococci intestinal enterococcal type, suggesting that the contamination of this groundwater was induced by human pollution

Summary

Introduction

Groundwater represents about 97% of the world’s liquid freshwater (Bosca, 2002; Schmoll et al, 2006) It offers regularity, quality and protection properties that are often much superior to those of surface water, which is more vulnerable (Dole-Olivier et al, 2005). The high population growth, the improvement of the living standard, the industrial development and the extension of irrigated agriculture observed recently in the Mediterranean basin, qualified as a poor region in terms of water, have led to a overexploitation of this natural resource which ranks this geographic area as the most affected by the risk of scarcity (Margat, 2008) These pressures induced by humans on the water resources lead to both their overexploitation and the increasing degradation of their quality. In the context of the availability of water, Morocco became one of the countries that are the most exposed to the negative effects of climate change and suffering from water scarcity (Dahan, 2017)

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