Study of the impact of the wild dump leachates of the region of El Hajeb (Morocco) on the physicochemical quality of the adjacent water table

Abstract

The main objective of this work is to establish a first state of the situation of the groundwater quality in the region of El Hajeb (Morocco) which houses the wild municipal landfill. Within the framework of a first sampling campaign, groundwater samples were then collected from 43 groundwater points during the May 2015 until January 2017. Analyses using standardized methods were based on physicochemical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, iodide, dissolved oxygen, oxidizability to permanganate….The results highlighted the existence of organic pollution, due to the presence of the wild discharge, septic tanks and pit latrines revealed by the concentration in oxidizability to KMnO4, which exceeded the Moroccan standards set at 5 mg/L.Pollution by Chlorides in some areas of the aquifer was also revealed, with high chloride levels exceeding 380 mg/L and was confirmed by high conductivity values (3700 μS/cm). If a pollution of agricultural origin is evoked, one cannot neglect the effect of the practice of the time modification technique on the concentration of some major ions. These first observations, have allowed us to confirm the extent of leachate plume of the wild landfill to groundwater, so the decision-makers and the persons in charge are being solicited to intervene to protect the water table.