Moroccan Standards Research Articles

Effect of Glyphosate on the Generation Parent and Four Successive Generations to <i>Daphnia magna</i>

This present study focuses on assessing the toxicity of glyphosate on Daphnia magna. The first part of this work was devoted to evaluate the acute and chronic toxicity of the herbicide studied according to the Moroccan standards ISO 6341 and ISO 100706. Analysis of the test results revealed that glyphosate is toxic to D. magna. This effect is marked by short-term responses at high concentrations, immobility of juveniles (24h), and chronic disturbances (21d) onthe growth and reproduction of this species. Then, the second part was dedicated to evaluating the toxicity of glyphosate over four successive generations from the F0 mother generation to the F4 daughter generation. The results show that the toxic effect of glyphosate was more pronounced in the F4 daughter generation than in the F0 parent generation.

Physicochemical characterization of wastewater from the Al-Hoceima slaughterhouse in Morocco

In the context of the current policy of sustainable management of water resources, the forecasting of pollution risks and the protection of these resources are of paramount importance. For this purpose, the quality of these resources must be safeguarded in the medium and long term. Industrial development in Morocco has made this situation worrying for all socio-economic actors. In recent years, this economic growth has been marked by the establishment of slaughterhouses that discharge their liquid waste into watercourses or sewage networks. These discharges are likely to destabilize the environmental balance in the years to come, hence the need to take responsibility for treating all sources of pollution. The clean-up of these discharges requires several steps from the identification of the various pollutants to their treatment. This is why this initial work was carried out to characterize the wastewater from the Al-Hoceima slaughterhouse and to assess the performance of the treatment plant at this slaughterhouse. The results of the physicochemical analyses showed that the wastewater generated by this slaughterhouse is characterized by a neutral pH of 7.47, a high organic load of 1280 mg O2 L-1 COD, and a remarkable suspended solids content of 259 mL-1. Regarding the performance of the wastewater treatment plant connected to this slaughterhouse; The results show that this plant operates very efficiently, eliminating 65% of the COD, 70.6% of the BOD5 and 65.44% of the TSS, thus eliminating the organic matter, which is 67.82%. For the microbiological charge of these wastewater, the results showed that at the entrance the concentrations of fecal coliforms are 1×106 UFC mL-1, 15×107 UCF mL-1 fecal streptococci and 15×105 for yeast. The effluents discharged by the treatment plant comply with Moroccan standards.

Evaluation of the Performance and Quality of Wastewater Treated by M’zar Plant in Agadir, Morocco

The aim of our study is based on the characterization of the effluents treated by the M’zar plant, the monitoring of its purification performance after each treatment stage and the benefits of treated wastewater reuse in Souss-Massa region. Physico-chemical and bacteriological analyses were performed monthly from May 2019 to September 2020 on four types of water: Raw Water (RW), Settled Water (SW), Filtered Water (FW) and Purified Water treated by ultraviolet radiation (PWUV). After treatment, the pH values were close to neutrality and the concentrations of COD, BOD5, SM and bacteriological parameters were below the limits recommended by Moroccan standards, with a satisfactory abatement rate (between 97.5% and 100%), with the exception of electrical conductivity, which recorded very high values (3.7 dS/cm in PWUV) due to the salt discharged by the fish industries. In fact, the treated wastewater is rich in nitrates (289.24 mg/L in PWUV) and their reuse in agriculture can therefore contribute to making significant savings in terms of fertilization (2.08 t/day of nitrogen with a daily flow of 30,000 m3/day). Furthermore, a daily quantity of 2 to 5 tons of sludge is discharged, containing 40% to 60% of dry volatile matter, which results in the biogas production of 1275 m3/day/decanter.

Hydro-biological characterization and efficiency of natural waste stabilization ponds in a desert climate (city of Assa, Southern Morocco)

Abstract The city of Assa is located in a Saharian area characterized by an arid climate and water scarcity. Like any other Saharian city in a developing country, the city is facing the challenges of rapid urbanization and the need to improve wastewater treatment and management. The main objective of this work is to assess the performance of waste stabilization ponds in an arid area. This evaluation concerns microbiological and physico-chemical monitoring over three and twelve months respectively. Microbiological results indicate bacterial elimination rates of over 90% in autumn–winter due to the effectiveness of facultative ponds with 20–25 days of retention time, water clarity, ponds depth, and high sunlight exposure and penetration. Physico-chemical parameters surpass the Moroccan standards for reuse except Ph and T0 by 20–30%, this wastewater is relatively loaded with various pollutants, especially high organic load and low oxygen content. Statistical analysis has been made by principal component analysis (PCA), and confirms that dissolved oxygen, total suspended solids, COD and BOD5 do not reach the threshold for discharge into the natural environment, and moreover their reuse. For the improvement of the quality of these waters, it is legitimate to provide an upgrade of this plant by a tertiary treatment with maturation ponds.

Nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membrane for nitrate removal: performance study and economic evaluation

Contamination of water with nitrates is a global problem that poses a serious threat to human health. In Morocco, a country characterized by limited water resources, groundwater accounts for almost 32% of total resources. However, 6% of these water resources are estimated to have nitrate levels greater than 50 mg / L, the level recommended by the world health organization for drinking water (WHO) and in some areas of high agricultural activity the nitrate content exceeds 250 mg / L. In the first part of this study, the efficiency of two commercial membranes, Reverse Osmosis and Nanofiltration membranes (Dow-FilmTec) is experimentally compared and assessed for nitrate removal by using real brackish water, containing 850-1100 mg/l of total dissolved solids (TDS) and 119-130 mg/l of nitrate. To accomplish this goal, the influence of operating conditions (pressure, recovery rate) on nitrate removal is discussed. The salt rejection from each membranes and the energy consumption are also calculated to choose the best membrane for nitrate removal and drinking water production. The pilot used in this study (supplied by the French company TIA) is an industrial pilot plant having two modules equipped with various spiral commercial membranes with an area of 7.6 m². The second part of this study estimates the total cost of the produced water by the application of the two studied membranes (NF and RO) for a plant of nitrate removal having a capacity of production of 2400 m 3 /d (100 m 3 /h) corresponding to a water consumption for 50000 capita following the Moroccan standards in rural medium. The design of the plant was carried out based on the experimental results from the first part of the study corresponding to a recovery rate of 83% and 10 bars of pressure. Technically and economically, the work shows that in this case, the NF process appears more suitable than the RO for nitrate removal.

Exploratory Study on the Impact of the Transition to IAS/IFRS on Moroccan Groups <br/>—Case of Performance Indicators

Since the entry into force of IAS/IFRS in 2005, the issue of the impact of IAS/IFRS on economic and financial performance has been a complex debate in EU member countries. Indeed, several studies have been carried out in this context, such as Spain (Callao et al., 2007), France (Boukari & Richard, 2007), Canada (Blanchette et al., 2011) … With the exception of the research carried out by Ahsina et al. in 2014, the analysis of the impact of the adoption of IFRS on companies listed on the Casablanca stock exchange has so far remained non-existent in the case of Morocco. As a result, our article aims to study and analyse the impact of the first “IFRS 1” transition on the 16 listed groups on the Moroccan financial market. The results show that there is no significant difference between the financial statements prepared in accordance with Moroccan standards and those prepared in IFRS. The results of our research show that the transition from Moroccan accounting standards (CGNC) to international accounting standards (IAS/IFRS) does not have significant consequences during the first transition period.

Physico-chemical study of raw wastewater from Outat El Haj city, Morocco

The climatic changes that the middle Moulouya region of Morocco has undergone in recent years, demographic growth and the development of urbanization have led to a significant decrease in the reserves of water that can be mobilized for domestic and agricultural uses. This deficit, between availability and need for water, will only increase with the increasing needs of the water consuming sectors. The main objective is to follow the physical-chemical evolution of raw wastewater in the city of Outat El Haj. Sampling took place over 12 months (2014-2015). The physical-chemical study of urban discharges from the city of Outat El Haj made it possible to define the pollution ratio per inhabitant between 17 and 21 mg/hab.day with BOD5 concentration between 525 mg/l and 2125 mg/l and pH values near neutrality. The ratio COD/BOD5 is from 1.92 to 2.04, shows the biodegradability of effluents, and may be treated by a biological system such as stabilization ponds as found nationwide. The values of the physical-chemical obtained are above the wastewater discharge standards recommended by the WHO and and the Moroccan standards. At the end of this research, it turned out that wastewater from the city of Outat El Haj is of lousy quality to very bad.

Assessment of the water quality of Oued El Kell by physicochemical and bacteriological approach

Aquatic ecosystems continue to be threatened and the impacts of anthropization on biodiversity and human health are unprecedented following untreated wastewater discharges. Our study consists of the analysis of organic pollution parameters (dissolved oxygen, forms of nitrogen, ortho phosphates, and COD) and microbiological indicators of faecal pollution of the waters of Oued El Khell. The latter receives municipal and domestic wastewater from the Ain Salma tourist complex that is poured directly onto the bed of Oued Bou-Iddar tributary of Oued el Kell that is use for the irrigation of vegetable crops. The results obtained show that the water from the study stations is classified as municipal wastewater after biological purification since the COD value varies between 80 and 100 mg / L. The Organic Pollution Index (OPI) shows the waters’ quality of stations sampled from a bacteriological point of view, the ratio (R: FC / FS) total coliforms (CF) and faecal streptococci (SF) show that the origin of faecal contamination is animal and human with a human predominance for S1 and S3 and human origin for station S2. According to Moroccan standards, the waters of the study are not suitable for irrigation and can affect human health.

Control of physicochemical parameters of spring waters near quarries exploiting limestone rock

The goal behind this work is defined as the study of the quality of water from karst springs near quarries exploiting limestone rock in order to assess its adequacy with domestic uses. At that end, a study at the mountain level was carried out. This mountain is in the Haouz area, in Tetouan, which is located north of Morocco and shelters active quarries. This research is based on the assessment of the physico-chemical parameters of the spring water used by local residents and located near this industry. The water quality evaluation was carried out by comparing the recorded values, according to Moroccan Standards related to the quality of water for human use. The review of some parameter’s indicative of water pollution (T °, pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, total dissolved solids and the alkalimetric total title) revealed that the quality of the studied spring water is good and does not present any health risk to the users of this water during the winter season.

Carbon and nitrogen removal from a synthetic dairy effluent in a vertical-flow fixed bed bioreactor

In this study, a synthetic dairy effluent (SDE) containing high levels of COD and nitrogen was treated in a fixed-bed bioreactor (FBBR) under the influence of the variations in residence time, aeration conditions and temperature. The tests performed continuously in a single step and the same reaction vessel allowed to define a 96 h cycle comprising two anoxic/aerobic phases of 48 h each. Sequential anoxic and aerobic conditions improved the removal of TKN and NH4+ by a factor of 2.5, whereas low temperature (10–15 °C) significantly decreased the nitrogen and COD removal rate. Overall, outcomes showed a successful growth of the biomass that reached (5.8 ± 0.31) × 106 CFU/mL, and high removal efficiency of COD (93.5 ± 8.1%), NO3− (99.2 ± 19%), TKN (87.5 ± 16.1%), and NH4+ (55.8 ± 8.3%), and hence complied with Moroccan standards. The FBBR system, therefore, can be applied successfully to remove COD and nitrogen from wastewater.

A new approach for the mandatory application of the thermal regulation of construction (RTCM) in the future moroccan buildings

This study made it possible to retrace the major stages in the implementation of thermal regulations for buildings while placing them in their global and regional framework. This regulation, which was born following the crucial energy consumption experienced by the building sector and which has prompted countries to take regulatory steps to combat this scourge. Morocco is also committed to this approach by setting up the Moroccan Construction Thermal Regulation (RTCM), in order to guarantee energy efficient buildings. Following the comparison with the Thermal Building Regulations of Tunisia (RTBT), a country enjoying a comparable climatic and economic framework, our study also allowed us to underline the similarity of approaches in the two countries but also the delay experienced by Morocco in this implementation which fortunately is in the process of filling it by accelerating the procedures. Our work is in line with this perspective, by making it possible to highlight the steps taken in the establishment of this RTCM and those that remain to be developed, refined or adapted to the country context. In this sense, a broad consultation of stakeholders (decision-makers, prescribers and professionals) through a survey, allowed us to elucidate the reasons for the delay in the implementation of this RTCM, and the skepticism of both sides to its consideration favoring by far its voluntary aspect of its application. This consultation has especially enabled us to enrich this regulation for a better adaptability to the Moroccan context, ensuring at the same time a fairly flexible transition from a voluntary application to a compulsory application. In addition, we have reviewed the high performance insulation materials to be offered for both building envelopes and their structures. And for better performance, we have also proposed the integration of certain Moroccan standards in digital simulation tools for thermally insulating buildings and which will be developed in the next work.

Spatio-temporal typology of the physico-chemical parameters of a large North African river: the Moulouya and its main tributaries (Morocco)

The physico-chemical parameters of surface water from the largest Maghrebian river flowing into the Mediterranean Sea, the Moulouya River, show a large variability in space and time, under the influence of natural and anthropogenic phenomena. This study was conducted between March and August 2014, and involved regular bimonthly monitoring of nine abiotic parameters in each of the 45 selected stations along the Moulouya River and its main tributaries: the Anzegmur, Melloulou and Za rivers. The use of inter- and intraclass analyses facilitates the interpretation and understanding of the spatio-temporal variability of these physico-chemical descriptors and highlights the evolution of their spatial structure, and supported by the statistical analyses. In this study, a dominant spatial typology marked by a reduced temporal influence is highlighted. In terms of comparisons between the four rivers studied, the results show that the water quality in the Anzegmur and Melloulou Rivers is good with little or no pollution if judged by the Moroccan standards of the quality of the surface waters. In contrast, the water quality in the Za River and the main Moulouya River is degraded. High concentrations of organics were recorded at the M6, M8, M12 and Z11 stations, which receive untreated wastewater from the rural communes of Zaïda and Missour and the urban communes of Guercif and Taourirt, respectively. Improvement of water management in North African catchments is therefore recommended and suggestions are given herein.

Contribution of the pollution index and GIS in the assessment of the physico-chemical quality of the surface waters of Moulouya River (NE, Morocco)

This study assesses the spatial and temporal physico-chemical quality of the surface waters of Moulouya River based on the global pollution index PI. Several physico-chemical parameters (T°C, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved Oxygen (DO), BOD5, PO43−, NH4+, SO42− and NO3−) were monitored on 66 samples collected in 2014 during three campaigns at 22 stations from the upper reaches in the Upper Moulouya to its mouth in the Mediterranean. The results show that 86.4% of the stations show no pollution and are mainly located upstream of Moulouya river during the three campaigns of 2014 (March–April, May–June and July–August). However, the Zaida (M6), Missour (M12) and Gercif (M16) stations have polluted waters related to the very high levels of ammonium, nitrates, sulphates, phosphates and DBO5, which exceed Moroccan standards and would be related to the anthropogenic impact of agricultural fertilizers and urban and industrial wastes.

Eggshell adsorption process coupled with electrocoagulation for improvement of chromium removal from tanning wastewater

ABSTRACTThe present work deals with the removal of trivalent chromium from chrome tanning effluent in a batch stirred electrocoagulation cell with aluminium alloy coupled with biosorption using Eggshell (ES). Effects of operating time, current density and adsorbent dose have been investigated. Compared to a simple electrocoagulation (EC), the concentration of chromium using a coupled or combined EC/ES process has been successfully reduced to environmentally acceptable levels even with a concentrated tanning effluent (3.21 g/L). The maximum uptake of chromium ions was obtained at lower current densities of 200 A/m2, at operating time of 110 min and with the eggshell dose of 12 g/L. The energy consumption during the coupled electrocoagulation/adsorption process was also reduced comparatively to the simple electrocoagulation. A pseudo-second-order chemical sorption model satisfactorily described kinetic data. The water treated by this technique respects the strengths Moroccan standards and the method was found to be highly efficient and relatively fast compared to existing conventional techniques.

Securing Access to Drinking Water in North-Eastern Morocco: The Example of the Taourirt-Oujda Corridor

Taourit-Oujda corridor (T.O.C.) is a geological entity of north-eastern Morocco with a total area of 4000 Km2. The drinking water supply in this arid region still faces challenges that meet a growing demand for a shortage of fresh water. This shortage is mainly due to the scarcity and irregularity of the precipitations, the overexploitation of the water resources, and the decrease of the capacity of storage dams that are the main source of drinking water supply in this area. This work aims at estimating deficit (to 2040) for drinking water provided by Machraa Hammadi dam and proposing favourable drilling sites to strengthen drinking water supply through the identification of groundwater resources that can be used in quantity and quality. To do this, a multi-criteria analysis (MCA) covering geological, hydrogeological and hydro-chemical aspects using the Geographical Information System (GIS) was carried out. This study shows that T.O.C. aquifer is more productive in the south-west of it, in the centre near the El Aioun municipality and in the north-east at the town of Sidi Bouhouria. According to Moroccan standards, defining the quality norms of surface waters, waters destined for irrigation, and of surface waters used for the production of drinking water, the groundwater in the center and north-east areas is also with good to medium overall quality groundwater.

Groundwater Quality in Sidi Slimane, Morocco.

Background.Groundwater is an important source of drinking water for human and animal populations and therefore should be protected from pollution. The study area, Sidi Slimane, is in the western region of Morocco, which is a highly important agricultural area.Objectives.The aim of the present study was to assess the suitability of groundwater for drinking in the Sidi Slimane region.Methods.Twenty (20) samples were collected from different locations in the study area in 2015 in order to evaluate the quality of groundwater for human consumption. Collection, transportation and analysis of samples were performed according to the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater of the American Public Health Association (APHA), 2017. The major ions (cations and anions), ammonium (NH4+), pH and electrical conductivity (EC) of the groundwater samples were analyzed. Total dissolved solids (TDS) and total hardness (TH) parameters were calculated on the basis of obtained chemical data. ArcGIS program (version 10.4.1) was used in the preparation of topographic and hydrological maps of the study area.Results.Groundwater showed high concentrations of most parameters of drinking water quality according to Moroccan and international standards. Groundwater was brackish and very hard. The results showed that sodium and chloride ions were the predominant ions. Salinity was present at low depths. The majority of groundwater samples in the study area (18 out of 20) were sodium chloride type, and only 2 samples were mixed calcium-magnesiumchlorine type.Discussion.The obtained results were compared with the Moroccan standards for drinking water. The results show that 100%, 75%, 70%, 70%, 65% and 55% of groundwater samples exceeded the permissible limits for drinking water quality according to the Moroccan standard with regard to sodium, calcium, TDS, EC, chlorine, and nitrate, respectively.Conclusions.Most of the groundwater samples in the study area showed poor drinking water quality. Groundwater quality must be protected by controlling the use of pesticides, fertilizers, manure, and harmful irrigation practices.Competing Interests.The authors declare no competing financial interests

Wastewater reuse in agriculture sector: resources management and adaptation in the context of climate change: case study of the Beni Mellal-Khenifra region, Morocco

Recent climate change effects worsened water scarcity in Morocco and forced the country to seek alternative water resources such as domestic and industrial wastewater. In this context, we assessed the treatment efficiency of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) of the BeniMellal-Khenifra region based on physicochemical and biological parameters. Vegetation cover evolution near WWTPs was also analysed using satellite images (Landsat TM and OLI). Six WWTP were evaluated based on treated water quality and a survey of nearby farmers and residents. Results showed treated wastewater is in line with Moroccan standards, and can be reused for irrigation and aquaculture without harmful effects. The survey pointed to the Boujaad WWTP as a model in the region. The vegetation cover evolution before and after WWTP existence showed an important improvement of cultivated lands. As a conclusion, wastewater reuse will allow the BeniMellal-Khenifra region to secure agricultural irrigation to safeguard freshwater quantities and quality despite climate change.

Groundwater of the Maamoura Water Table Morocco

This study was conducted to characterize the quality of groundwater. It was done in a design office. In this context, an illustration of the groundwater quality of the kenitra salted flats region, which constitutes, by five layers, the maamoura sheet. We sampled 2 3 wells. These analyzes show that the temperature of these waters complies with the standards, the same for the potential of hydrogen against the level of chloride, total chlorine and free chlorine largely exceeds the Moroccan standards of drinking water. So we see that it is necessary to make treatments before using this water so as not to have consequences on their health, especially for children, who are more sensitiv .

Bacteriological and physicochemical quality of treated wastewater of the Mzar treatment plant

In order to use purified wastewater on watering green spaces of Agadir city, we conducted this study to assess the bacteriological and physicochemical quality of treated wastewater in Mzar treatment plant. To realize these objectives, we analyzed four types of waters: raw water (RW), decanted water, purified water and purified water treated by the ultraviolet radiation (PWUV). The biologically analyzed parameters are fecal coliforms (FC) and fecal enterococci (FE). The physicochemical parameters are: pH, electrical conductivity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), five-day biological oxygen demand (BOD5) and total suspended solids (TSS). The results showed a high level of bacterial contamination in all types of waters, and the average loads of FC were between 4.71 × 106 CFU/100 mL (RW) and 1.45 × 103 CFU/100 mL (PWUV), while loads of FE were between 2.62 × 105 CFU/100 mL (RW) and 7.92 CFU/100 mL (PWUV). The physicochemical parameters show a pH close to neutrality and a high electrical conductivity (3261 μS/cm) in PWUV. In all stages of wastewater treatment, values of COD, BOD5 and TSS were under the limit values recommended by Moroccan standards. Except for the electrical conductivity and FC, all the studied parameters were under the limit values requested by the Moroccan standards. The microbiological quality of PWUV is unstable, and if these waters are reused, they can affect the microbiological and physicochemical quality of green spaces and groundwater.

Effect of physicochemical and microbiological parameters on the water quality of wadi Zegzel

Abstract Wadi Zegzel is a mountain stream inside a site of ecological and biological interest (SIBE) in the Northeast of Morocco. The impact of various anthropogenic activities (agricultural, tourism ...) was obvious. It is suggested that surveillance of Wadi Zegzel is necessary for the proper management and preservation of this heritage. Normed Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to standardize the data to evaluate correlations between physicochemical variables (T ° C, pH, BOD5, COD, NH4 ...) and microbiological variables (FTMA, TC, FC, EC, SF ...) and their spatiotemporal structure (the spatial effect and the seasonal effect).The upstream Zegzel is characterized by a gradient of mineralization in winter and it’s downstream by a gradient of faecal pollution during the summer. The waters of the WadiZegzel are below the limit of Moroccan standards for the quality of surface water and water intended for irrigation. Therefore, they are considered of good quality for agricultural uses.