Lake Qaroun Research Articles

Durability and steel corrosion resistance of Fly ash-based geopolymer concrete exposed to water of Lake Qaroun

Durability and steel corrosion resistance of Fly ash-based geopolymer concrete exposed to water of Lake Qaroun

Impact of Bioaccumulation of Some Heavy Metals on Histopathological Biomarkers of Mugil cephalus Fish Samples in Relation to Water Quality and Sediment of Lake Qaroun, Egypt

Impact of Bioaccumulation of Some Heavy Metals on Histopathological Biomarkers of Mugil cephalus Fish Samples in Relation to Water Quality and Sediment of Lake Qaroun, Egypt

Bioaccumulation Influences of some heavy metals on growth performance of Solea solea fish in Lake Qaroun, Egypt

Bioaccumulation Influences of some heavy metals on growth performance of Solea solea fish in Lake Qaroun, Egypt

Temporal and Spatial Variation in Avian Diversity at Lake Qaroun, Egypt

Temporal and Spatial Variation in Avian Diversity at Lake Qaroun, Egypt

Status of abundant bird species in Lake Qaroun, Egypt.

Status of abundant bird species in Lake Qaroun, Egypt.

Trophic state and potential productivity assessment for Qaroun Lake using spatial techniques

Qaroun Lake is one of the most important Egyptian lakes which, recently, have been exposed to severe degradation in water quality and fish productivity. In this manuscript, Carlson’s trophic state index (CTSI) was used to evaluate the trophic state, while the trophometric index (TMI) was used to assess the potential productivity of Qaroun Lake. The present study is one of the initial attempts to investigate these indices in Qaroun Lake. To achieve this work, an integrated multidisciplinary approach was adopted integrating field investigation, geographic information system, and data analysis. CTSI combines three variables of water quality: chlorophyll-a (CHL-a), total phosphorus (TP), and transparency measured by Secchi disk depth (SDD). The result of overall CTSI showed the hypereutrophic state is represented by 62% and eutrophic state is represented by 38% of the total lake’s area. Moreover, the calculated TMI indicated the average potential productivity value (PP) is 619 t. It can be concluded that the hypereutrophic is the dominant state in Qaroun Lake. The present study recommends the application of TMI model to evaluate and monitor the changes in Qaroun Lake’s potential productivity in response to the changing environmental conditions and other biological pressures (e.g., Isopoda paraside).

Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) blood levels and potential hematological health risk among inhabitants of the claimed hazardous region around Qaroun Lake in Egypt

BackgroundLead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) heavy metals are considered potentially hazardous toxins which cause serious health problems. Many studies reported that the water of Qaroun Lake in Fayoum, Egypt with its fish farms was contaminated with Pb and Cd above permissible levels. However, there is a lack of studies addressing levels of these toxic metals among inhabitants.ObjectivesWe aimed to evaluate blood levels of Pb and Cd and their potential health risk among inhabitants around Qaroun Lake.Materials and methodsThis case-control study estimated Pb and Cd blood levels among 190 individuals from two destinations (near and far away) of Qaroun Lack using an atomic absorption spectrometer after full history taking and routine checkup investigations; Full blood count, serum ferritin, liver enzyme (ALT), and creatinine levels.ResultsThere was a significant difference between blood levels of Pb and Cd heavy metals of inhabitants from near and far away Qaroun Lake destinations (p-value < 0.001). The majority of inhabitants around Qaroun Lake had Pb and Cd blood levels above permissible levels (100% and 60% respectively). Critical levels out of them were 12.1% and 30.3% respectively. In comparison to inhabitants faraway Qaroun Lake, three individuals (2.4%) had Cd above the permissible level, while all of them (100%) had Pb level within the permissible level. There were no statistically significant differences between the two sampled populations as regards hemoglobin level, ALT, creatinine, and ferritin serum levels (p-value > 0.05). The difference between studied populations regarding types of anemia was not statistically significant. Subclinical leucopenia was higher in the population near Qaroun Lake when compare to inhabitants far from the lake (13.6% vs. 4.8%, p-value 0.032).ConclusionBio-monitoring of populations exposed to Pb and Cd hazardous substances could help in generating an early warning system to reduce the disease burden associated with their toxicity.

A strategy for Lakes ecological restoration by integrated constructed wetlands, Case study: lake Qaroun, Egypt

Wetlands have a significant impact on healing degraded ecosystems and restoring environmental balance for their broad range of benefits. Lakes are considered a type of wetlands combining terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, it is important to restore lakes wetlands to regain the ecological services provided by these systems, which might have been severely altered from human pressure, pollution and urban development. This paper investigates the concept of ecological restoration of Lake Qaroun wetlands proposing an ecological restoration strategy to enhance the current situation of site by using integrated constructed wetlands. The research conducts a literature review of wetlands restoration concept and the values of integrated constructed wetland as a restoration approach, besides showcasing several case studies of lake restoration plans than choosing two similar case studies with same the environmental challenges to determine the efficiency range of their restoration plans and their physical impact on site. Lake Qaroun previous development plans and the current situation were reviewed to determine the factors of success or failure. The proposed strategy of ecological restoration using integrated constructed wetlands combines an extensive management /monitoring program supported by governance inclusion and public participation, to be further implemented to achieve a better impact and a successful restoration process.

From SWOT Analysis to Strategic Options: Potential Development of Qaroun Lake in Fayoum Governorate, Egypt

Lake Qaroun is one of the important sources of fish production in Egypt. The lake also considered as important source for minerals. It has a very important economic role. The high levels of pollution in the lake require strategic interventions which might not of significant impact unless deeply investigated. This research aims at determining the most important strategic options for the development of Lake Qaroun using the SWOT Analysis Matrix. Secondary data is used in addition to primary data that obtained through one-on-one interviews using pre-designed structured-questionnaire. Interviews included fishermen, experts and government officials. Results of the SWOT analysis matrix refer to high negative impacts on the development of the lake by both internal and external environment. The implementation of the strategic development of the lake will lead to wasting the resources and capabilities, and reduce the opportunities available at the present time and, thus, the inability of the lake to face the threats it faces at the present time and in the future. It’s essential, before starting the development process, to clarify the most important negative results and provide the necessary instructions and directions. It’s highly recommended to have a powerful integrated entity to be responsible for the management of fisheries in Fayoum Governorate. The entity should include representatives from the following organizations; Fayoum University and other related research institutes, the General Authority for Fish Resources Development, Egyptian Environment Affairs Agency of the Ministry of Environment, water resources police, the cooperative union for water wealth and fishermen's cooperative societies.

Utilization of Pollution Indices, Hyperspectral Reflectance Indices, and Data-Driven Multivariate Modelling to Assess the Bottom Sediment Quality of Lake Qaroun, Egypt

Assessing the environmental hazard of potentially toxic elements in bottom sediments has always been based entirely on ground samples and laboratory tests. This approach is remarkably accurate, but it is slow, expensive, damaging, and spatially constrained, making it unsuitable for monitoring these parameters effectively. The main goal of the present study was to assess the quality of sediment samples collected from Lake Qaroun by using different groups of spectral reflectance indices (SRIs), integrating data-driven (Artificial Neural Networks; ANN) and multivariate analysis such as multiple linear regression (MLR) and partial least square regression (PLSR). Jetty cruises were carried out to collect sediment samples at 22 distinct sites over the entire Lake Qaroun, and subsequently 21 metals were analysed. Potential ecological risk index (RI), organic matter (OM), and pollution load index (PLI) of lake’s bottom sediments were subjected to evaluation. The results demonstrated that PLI showed that roughly 59% of lake sediments are polluted (PLI &gt; 1), especially samples of eastern and southern sides of the lake’s central section, while 41% were unpolluted (PLI &lt; 1), which composed samples of the western and western northern regions. The RI’s findings were that all the examined sediments pose a very high ecological risk (RI &gt; 600). It is obvious that the three band spectral indices are more efficient in quantifying different investigated parameters. The results showed the efficiency of the three tested models to predict OM, PLI, and RI, revealing that the ANN is the best model to predict these parameters. For instance, the determination coefficient values of the ANN model of calibration datasets for predicting OM, PLI, and RI were 0.999, 0.999, and 0.999, while they were 0.960, 0.897, and 0.853, respectively, for the validation dataset. The validation dataset of the PLSR produced R2 values higher than with MLR for predicting PLI and RI. Finally, the study’s main conclusion is that combining ANN, PLSR, and MLR with proximal remote sensing could be a very effective tool for the detection of OM and pollution indices. Based on our findings, we suggest the created models are easy tools for forecasting these measured parameters.

Can statistical remote sensing aid in predicting the potential productivity of inland lakes? Case study: Lake Qaroun, Egypt

This study aimed at creating a sustainable and inexpensive Landsat-based electrical conductivity model that can easily notify fisheries managers of changes in electrical conductivity and hence the potential fish yield of Lake Qaroun in Egypt. The study integrated geospatial technology, field measurements, mathematical computations, and fish yield empirical model into the adopted methodology. Seventeen sampling sites covering the entire study area were selected to measure the electrical conductivity (EC; mS/cm) and water depths (D; m) of Lake Qaroun, Egypt, during November 2018. Spatial analysis tools within ArcGIS were used to extract EC data from non-surveyed sites. A high-resolution Sentinel-2B MSI and a cloud-free medium-resolution Landsat-8 OLI scenes for Lake Qaroun were used for morphometric and regression analyses, respectively. For regression, 75% of the dataset was used to build up the regression model, while the remaining 25% was used for validation. The study selected Landsat band ratios that correlated with the highest certainty (R > 0.80) with the examined EC. Stepwise regression model was then developed to predict EC from Landsat-8 data. In choosing the best regression model, the study selected the significant model (P < 0.05) with the highest coefficient of determination (R2) and the least error metrics. Finally, the developed model was applied in calculating the potential yield of Lake Qaroun. The innovative EC model derived in the current study using Landsat-8 OLI for Lake Qaroun showed a very good performance in estimating 95% of EC values significantly with high acceptable accuracy. In closure, the model can be used very efficiently as a decision support tool in assisting managers not only in monitoring the lake’s electrical conductivity regularly, during the month of November, but also in making preliminary estimates of the lake’s potential yield.

Qarounispora grandiappendiculata gen. et sp. nov. (Halosphaeriaceae, Microascales) from Qaroun Lake, Egypt

An ascomycete collected from wood submerged in Qaroun Lake, El-Faiyum governorate, Egypt, is described as a new genus in the family Halosphaeriaceae. Multigene analyses based on LSU, SSU and ITS rDNA placed the new fungus as a distinct branch within the family. The new genus is characterized by its yellow to orange-brown ascomata, thin-walled, semi-persistent asci, hyaline to yellow-orange, thick-walled, distoseptate ascospores with one polar appendage that is amorphous in structure, large in size and irregular in shape.

Environmental Pollution Indices and Multivariate Modeling Approaches for Assessing the Potentially Harmful Elements in Bottom Sediments of Qaroun Lake, Egypt

This research intends to offer a scientific foundation for environmental monitoring and early warning which will aid in the environmental protection management of Qaroun Lake. Qaroun Lake is increasingly influenced by untreated wastewater discharge from many anthropogenic activities, making it vulnerable to pollution. For that, six environmental pollution indices, namely contamination factor (Cf), enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), degree of contamination (Dc), pollution load index (PLI), and potential ecological risk index (RI), were utilized to assess the bottom sediment and to determine the different geo-environmental variables affecting the lake system. Cluster analysis (CA), and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to explore the potential pollution sources of heavy metal. Moreover, the efficiency of partial least-square regression (PLSR) and multiple linear regression (MLR) were tested to assess the Dc, PLI, and RI depending on the selected elements. The sediment samples were carefully collected from 16 locations of Qaroun Lake in two investigated years in 2018 and 2019. Total concentrations of Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, Hf, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, P, Pb, Sb, Se, Zn, and Zr were quantified using inductively coupled plasma mass spectra (ICP-MS). According to the Cf, EF, and Igeo results, As, Cd, Ga, Hf, P, Sb, Se, and Zr demonstrated significant enrichment in sediment and were derived from anthropogenic sources. According to Dc results, all collected samples were categorized under a very high degree of contamination. Further, the results of RI showed that the lake is at very high ecological risk. Meanwhile, the PLI data indicated 59% of lake was polluted and 41% had PLI &lt; 1. The PLSR and MLR models based on studied elements presented the highest efficiency as alternative approaches to assess the Dc, PLI, and RI of sediments. For examples, the validation (Val.) models presented the best performance of these indices, with R2val = 0.948–0.989 and with model accuracy ACCv = 0.984–0.999 for PLSR, and with R2val = 0.760–0.979 and with ACCv = 0.867–0.984 for MLR. Both models for Dc, PLI, and RI showed that there was no clear overfitting or underfitting between measuring, calibrating, and validating datasets. Finally, the combinations of Cf, EF, Igeo, PLI, Dc, RI, CA, PCA, PLSR, and MLR approaches represent valuable and applicable methods for assessing the risk of potentially harmful elemental contamination in the sediment of Qaroun Lake.

Assessment of Water Quality in Lake Qaroun Using Ground-Based Remote Sensing Data and Artificial Neural Networks

Monitoring and managing water quality parameters (WQPs) in water bodies (e.g., lakes) on a large scale using sampling-point techniques is tedious, laborious, and not highly representative. Hyperspectral and data-driven technology have provided a potentially valuable tool for the precise measurement of WQPs. Therefore, the objective of this work was to integrate WQPs, derived spectral reflectance indices (published spectral reflectance indices (PSRIs)), newly two-band spectral reflectance indices (NSRIs-2b) and newly three-band spectral indices (NSRIs-3b), and artificial neural networks (ANNs) for estimating WQPs in Lake Qaroun. Shipboard cruises were conducted to collect surface water samples at 16 different sites throughout Lake Qaroun throughout a two-year study (2018 and 2019). Different WQPs, such as total nitrogen (TN), ammonium (NH4+), orthophosphate (PO43−), and chemical oxygen demand (COD), were evaluated for aquatic use. The results showed that the highest determination coefficients were recorded with the NSRIs-3b, followed by the NSRIs-2b, and then followed by the PSRIs, which produced lower R2 with all tested WQPs. The majority of NSRIs-3bs demonstrated strong significant relationships with three WQPs (TN, NH4+, and PO43−) with (R2 = 0.70 to 0.77), and a moderate relationship with COD (R2 = 0.52 to 0.64). The SRIs integrated with ANNs would be an efficient tool for estimating the investigated four WQPs in both calibration and validation datasets with acceptable accuracy. For examples, the five features of the SRIs involved in this model are of great significance for predicting TN. Its outputs showed high R2 values of 0.92 and 0.84 for calibration and validation, respectively. The ANN-PO43−VI-17 was the highest accuracy model for predicting PO43− with R2 = 0.98 and 0.89 for calibration and validation, respectively. In conclusion, this research study demonstrated that NSRIs-3b, alongside a combined approach of ANNs models and SRIs, would be an effective tool for assessing WQPs of Lake Qaroun.

Studies on some phytoplankton and phytobenthos from Lake Qaroun, El-Fayoum Egypt

Studies on some phytoplankton and phytobenthos from Lake Qaroun, El-Fayoum Egypt

Geochemistry and mineralogy of Qaroun Lake and relevant drain sediments, El-Fayoum, Egypt

Qaroun Lake (El-Fayoum, Egypt) is a saline endorheic basin within the northern arid zone of El-Fayoum, Egypt. Mineralogical and geochemical investigations were conducted on 32 samples from the Holocene sediments of the lake and relevant drains to get information on the sediment type and maturity, source rocks, weathering, environments of deposition, and tectonic settings. The lithology of sediment samples consists of pelites and sandstones with low compositional maturity degree characterizing first cycle deposits. The sediments are mainly composed of quartz and calcite, with minor phases including feldspar, dolomite, saponite, kaolinite, hematite, goethite, gypsum, and halite minerals. The lake's sediments are enriched in Cr, Mo, Hf, Pr, and Nd and depleted in Ni, Zn, As, Rb, Y, Sn, Sb, Ba, and La, while the drain's ones are enriched in V, Sr, Zr, Cr, Mo, Hf, Pr and Nd and depleted in Co, Zn, As, Rb, Y, Sn, Sb, Ba, Pb, and La, compared to the earth's crust shale. These sediments are mainly sourced from intermediate and felsic igneous rocks, as well as, calcareous and sandstone materials incorporated in the nearby geologic formations and soils. The high SiO2 and the low Fe2O3 and MgO concentrations reflects the acidic nature of rocks in the source area. The SiO2 and (Al2O3+K2O+Na2O) binary plot indicates the prevailing semiarid to arid climatic conditions during the sedimentation. High values of CIA and PIA and low values of ICV as well as the relationship between K2O/Na2O and K2O+Na2O contents reveal relatively moderate to a high degree of chemical weathering in the source area. The elemental ratios and geochemical discrimination diagrams show that the sedimentary environments are fluviatile-deltaic environments that experienced oxic to dysoxic conditions. The geochemical characteristics of the lake sediment samples point to a transitional tectonic setting from oceanic island arc to active continental and passive continental margins, while those of the drains samples indicate an active continental tectonic setting. The obtained data can be meaningful for the development of Qaroun lake environment.

Using Optimized Two and Three-Band Spectral Indices and Multivariate Models to Assess Some Water Quality Indicators of Qaroun Lake in Egypt

Standard methods are limited for monitoring and managing water quality indicators (WQIs) in real-time and on a large scale. Consequently, there is an urgent need to use reliable, practical, swift, and cost-effective monitoring tools that can be easily deployed and assist decision makers in assessing key indicators relevant to surface water quality in a comprehensive manner. Surface water samples were collected and evaluated for water quality at 16 distinct sites across the Qaroun Lake in 2018 and 2019. Different WQIs, including total dissolved solids (TDS), transparency, total suspended solids (TSS), chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), and total phosphorus (TP), were tested for aquatic utilization. An integrated approach comprising WQIs, geospatial techniques, hyperspectral reflectance indices (SRIs) (commonly used SRIs, two-band and three-band SRIs (Spectral index calculated from water spectral reflectance of two or three wavelengths)), and partial least square regression (PLSR) models were used to assess the water quality of Qaroun Lake. According to the findings, the water quality attributes are polluted to varying degrees. The majority of commonly used SRIs presented moderately relationship with four WQIs (transparency, TSS, Chl-a, and TP) (R2 = 0.45 to 0.64), while the majority of newly two-band SRIs (NSRIs-2b) indicated moderate to strong relationships with WQIs (R2 = 0.51 to 0.74), and the majority of newly three band SRIs (NSRIs-3b) presented strong relationships with WQIs (R2 = 0.67 to 0.81). Broadly, the highest coefficients of determination were noticed with the NSRIs-3b followed by the NSRIs-2b and then the commonly used SRIs. For example, the NSRIs-3b (NDSI648,712,696) had stronger relationships with transparency, TSS, and Chl-a with R2 = 0.77, 0.66, and 0.81, respectively, than other SRIs. In addition, the NSRIs-3b (NDSI620,610,622) showed the highest R2 of 0.73 with TSS. The NSRIs-3b coupling with PLSR predicted the WQIs with satisfactory accuracy in the calibration (reach up R2 = 0.85) and validation (reach up R2 = 0.81) datasets. The overall findings of this research study showed that deriving an optimized NSRIs-3b from spectrum region and combining it with PLSR model could be a practical tool for managing water quality of the Qaroun Lake by accurately, timely, and non-destructively monitoring the WQIs.

Integration of Water Quality Indices and Multivariate Modeling for Assessing Surface Water Quality in Qaroun Lake, Egypt

Water quality has deteriorated in recent years as a result of rising population and unplanned development, impacting ecosystem health. The water quality parameters of Qaroun Lake are contaminated to varying degrees, particularly for aquatic life consumption. For that, the objective of this work is to improve the assessments of surface water quality and to determine the different geo-environmental parameters affecting the lake environmental system in Qaroun Lake utilizing the weighted arithmetic water quality index (WAWQI) and four pollution indices (heavy metal pollution index (HPI), metal index (MI), contamination index (Cd), and pollution index (PI), that are enhanced by multivariate analyses as cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), and support vector machine regression (SVMR). Surface water samples were collected at 16 different locations from the lake during years 2018 and 2019. Thirteen physiochemical parameters were measured and used to calculate water quality indices (WQIs). The WQIs of Qaroun Lake such WAWQI, HPI, MI, Cd, PI revealed a different degree of contamination, with respect to aquatic life utilization. The WQIs result revealed that surface water in the lake is unsuitable, high polluted, and seriously affected by pollution for an aquatic environment. The PI findings revealed that surface water samples of Qaroun Lake were significantly impacted by Al, moderately affected by Cd and Cu, and while slightly affected by Zn due to uncontrolled releases of domestic and industrial wastewater. Furthermore, increasing salinity accelerates the deterioration of the lake aquatic environment. Therefore, sewage and drainage wastewater should be treated before discharging into the lake. The SVMR models based on physiochemical parameters presented the highest performance as an alternative method to predict the WQIs. For example, the calibration (Val.) and the validation (Val.) models performed best in assessing the WQIs with R2 (0.99) and with R2 (0.97–0.99), respectively. Finally, a combination of WQIs, CA, PCA, and SVMR approaches could be employed to assess surface water quality in Qaroun Lake.

Effect of heavy metals on protein content of marine unicellular green alga Dunaliella tertiolecta.

Microalgae are rich source of protein containing necessary amino acids at different levels. The present study was designed to assess stimulatory and/or inhibitory impact of five different concentrations (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25mg/L) of three essential heavy metals (nickel, zinc, and copper) on protein content (soluble, insoluble, and total) of the marine unicellular green alga Dunaliella tertiolecta. Further, geospatial analyses were used to assess the suitability of Qaroun Lake for D. tertiolecta proliferation. The experimental results showed a gradual increase in protein content of D. tertiolecta with low concentrations of the three investigated heavy metals. However, increasing levels of heavy metals led to inhibitory effect on protein synthesis in alga with different grades. Ni, Zn and Cu levels in Qaroun lake were found suitable for the proliferation of Dunaliella (Lower than 5mg/L). The present study highly recommends the necessity to encourage site selection of optimal marine environments suitable for the proliferation of marine algae rich in protein content.

Diversity and Characterization of the Bacterial Communities of Different Water Resources in Egypt Concerning Contamination Type

The habitat of microorganisms is different from one to another, some are naturally found in water environment, others are introduced due to different sources of contamination. The present study aimed to characterize the bacterial community of diverse water resources in Egypt in relation to the contamination source pursued them. So, water samples were collected from seven different water resources; groundwater, Nile River water, agricultural drainage water (El-Hussieniya drain), sewage contaminated drain (Bahr El-Baqr drain), industrial wastes contaminated drain (Al-Khadrawiya drain), fresh water Lake (Nasser Lake) and brackish water Lake (Qaroun Lake). A total of 2218 bacterial isolates were collected, purified and identified by means of biochemical reactions and 16S rDNA sequence analysis to 21 bacterial genera. The sewage contaminated drain water (Bahr El-Baqr drain) has the highest diverse bacterial community, while the fresh water (Nasser) Lake has the lowest diverse community due to lake of contamination. In addition, Bacillus, Pseudomonas and Staphyllococcus were the most popular genera, where they have been detected in all types of water resources. The less popular genera were Yersinia, Klebsiella, Aerumonas, Shigella, Salmonella, Cardiobacterium, Arthrobacter and Streptobacillus, where they all have been detected once.