Trends In Quality Research Articles

Australian water quality trends over two decades show deterioration in the Great Barrier Reef region and recovery in the Murray-Darling Basin

Understanding river water quality trajectories and drivers is crucial for effective environmental management. Here we present a comprehensive nation-wide water quality trend assessment across Australia with 287 catchments from 2000 to 2019. About half of the catchments show significant trends in the flow-normalised concentration for each parameter analysed. Most of these significant trends are due to changes in concentration-flow relationships rather than long-term trends in flow. Two of Australia’s major river basins show opposing regional patterns in their significant trends. The North East Coast, which largely flows into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon, has increasing phosphorus and sediments. This potentially reflects lagged effects of increasing land clearing and fertilisation since 1960s, while land improvement in the region has not yet demonstrated improvement on water quality. The Murray-Darling Basin has decreasing salinity, phosphorus, and sediment, likely driven by effects of a region-scale salinity management interventions and a prolonged drought on catchment processes.

Water Quality Trends and Eutrophication Indicators in a Large Subtropical Estuary: A Case Study of the Greater Charlotte Harbor System in Southwest Florida

Water Quality Trends and Eutrophication Indicators in a Large Subtropical Estuary: A Case Study of the Greater Charlotte Harbor System in Southwest Florida

Improved daily PM2.5 estimates in India reveal inequalities in recent enhancement of air quality.

Poor ambient air quality poses a substantial global health threat. However, accurate measurement remains challenging, particularly in countries such as India where ground monitors are scarce despite high expected exposure and health burdens. This lack of precise measurements impedes understanding of changes in pollution exposure over time and across populations. Here, we develop open-source daily fine particulate matter (PM2.5) datasets at a 10-kilometer resolution for India from 2005 to 2023 using a two-stage machine learning model validated on held-out monitor data. Analyzing long-term air quality trends, we find that PM2.5 concentrations increased across most of the country until around 2016 and then declined partly due to favorable meteorology in southern India. Recent reductions in PM2.5 were substantially larger in wealthier areas, highlighting the urgency of air quality control policies addressing all socioeconomic communities. To advance equitable air quality monitoring, we propose additional monitor locations in India and examine the adaptability of our method to other countries with scarce monitoring data.

Navigating Biosimilar Regulatory Pathways in Emerging Markets: Insights from BRICS Nations

This comprehensive review delves into the intricate landscape of biosimilars, offering a nuanced exploration of their background, pivotal role in emerging markets like BRICS, and the multifaceted considerations spanning regulatory, quality, manufacturing, pricing, reimbursement, intellectual property, pharmacovigilance, and future trends. The backdrop on biosimilars unravels their significance as a transformative force in healthcare, providing costeffective alternatives to biologics. The focus then shifts to the emerging markets encapsulated by BRICS, where economic and healthcare landscapes are pivotal determinants in shaping the biosimilar ecosystem. Navigating the regulatory landscape becomes imperative for biosimilar developers, and an overview of regulatory agencies within BRICS underscores the need for harmonized guidelines. Delving deeper, the paper outlines the intricate registration requirements, providing insights into key considerations pivotal for successful biosimilar submissions. Quality, manufacturing, and marketing of biosimilars form a critical triad. Quality attributes and similarity assessments, coupled with analytical methods and characterization, emerge as focal points ensuring the safety and efficacy of these biologic counterparts. Pricing, reimbursement, and market access, the linchpin for successful biosimilar integration, are dissected comprehensively. Pricing policies and strategies, reimbursement considerations, and the plethora of challenges and opportunities associated with market access are examined, offering a holistic understanding of the economic dynamics at play. The intellectual property landscape, delineated through patent regulations, data exclusivity, challenges, and litigation, adds a layer of complexity to biosimilar development and market entry. Pharmacovigilance and post-marketing surveillance emerge as crucial pillars ensuring the ongoing safety of biosimilars. Safety monitoring, risk management plans, and post-marketing surveillance requirements are essential components in this ever-evolving field. The exploration culminates in case studies and market insights, providing tangible examples of successful biosimilar submissions and approvals within the BRICS nations. This segment unveils the current market dynamics, competitive landscapes, and the intricacies of navigating these diverse markets. Looking forward, the paper outlines potential growth prospects and anticipates future trends and opportunities in the biosimilar landscape. It concludes by addressing the evolving policy and regulatory developments, offering stakeholders a comprehensive guide for navigating the dynamic and promising future of biosimilars within the BRICS nations. This work serves as a vital resource for industry professionals, policymakers, and researchers involved in the intricate journey of biosimilar development and market access.

The Feasibility of an Online Lifestyle Intervention During the COVID-19 Pandemic on the BMI Z-Score of Mexican Schoolchildren: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

The COVID-19 pandemic was a risky period for childhood obesity, due to the increase in unhealthy behaviors. Online interventions could prevent this problem. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and explore the effect of an online program on the BMI z-score of Mexican schoolchildren at 4 months during the pandemic. A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted with 54 children. The intervention included three online sessions per week of nutrition and physical activity, as well as nutrition information for parents during 4 months. The control group received one nutrition digital brochure. Of the schoolchildren enrolled, 87% completed the study, and the intervention group attended 46% of the classes. At the end of the intervention, no significant difference between groups in the BMI z-score was observed (−0.02, 95% CI −0.19 to 0.15). However, the intervention group improved their quality of life and daily fruit consumption. This online intervention implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic was feasible, and the exploratory analysis showed positive trends in quality of life and daily fruit consumption but not in the BMI z-score and other secondary variables of Mexican schoolchildren. Additional strategies may be needed to improve attendance in online interventions and their impact on BMI in this age group.

The effect of addressing the top 10 global causes of death on life expectancy in 2019: a global and regional analysis.

The life expectancy (LE) index reflects health changes in society, highlighting trends in health quality and quantity. This study focused on analysing the impact of the top 10 causes of death on the global increase in LE in 2019. Data on the top 10 causes of death in 2019 were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease website and a period life table was used to assess how eliminating these causes would impact LE. At the global level, eliminating deaths from ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lower respiratory infections, neonatal conditions, lung cancers, Alzheimer's disease, diarrheal diseases, diabetes mellitus and kidney diseases resulted in an increase in LE at birth of 2.44, 1.64, 0.75, 0.80, 4.06, 0.48, 0.36, 0.52, 0.36 and 0.35y, respectively. The analysis reveals a gender gap in LE influenced by specific causes of death and regional differences. Therefore, public health policies should be customized for each area to target reductions in deaths that significantly improve LE.

Quality, topics, and demographic trends of animal systematic reviews - an umbrella review.

Animal systematic reviews are critical to inform translational research. Despite their growing popularity, there is a notable lack of information on their quality, scope, and geographical distribution over time. Addressing this gap is important to maintain their effectiveness in fostering medical advancements. This study aimed to assess the quality and demographic trends of animal systematic reviews in neuroscience, including changes over time. We performed an umbrella review of animal systematic reviews, searching Medline and Embase for reviews until January 27, 2023. A data mining method was developed and validated to automatically evaluate the quality of these reviews. From 18'065 records identified, we included 1'358 animal systematic reviews in our study. These reviews commonly focus on translational research but with notable topical gaps such as schizophrenia, other psychiatric disorders, and brain tumours. They originate from 64 countries, with the United States, China, the UK, Brazil, and Iran being the most prolific. The automated quality assessment indicated high reliability, with F1-scores over 80% for most criteria. Overall, the reviews were of high quality and the quality improved over time. However, many systematic reviews did not report a pre-registered study protocol. Reviews with a pre-registered protocol generally scored higher in quality. No significant differences in quality were observed between countries. Animal systematic reviews in neuroscience are of overall of high quality. Our study highlights specific areas for enhancement such as the recommended pre-publication of study protocols. It also identifies under-represented topics that could benefit from further investigation to inform translational research. Such measures can contribute to the effective translation of animal research findings to clinical applications.

Mapping nutrient pollution in inland water bodies using multi-platform hyperspectral imagery and deep regression network.

Inland waters face multiple threats from human activities and natural factors, leading to frequent water quality issues, particularly the significant challenge of eutrophication. Hyperspectral remote sensing provides rich spectral information, enabling timely and accurate assessment of water quality status and trends. To address the challenge of inaccurate water quality mapping, we propose a novel deep learning framework for multi-parameter estimation from hyperspectral imagery. A deep convolutional spatial-spectral joint learning method incorporating high-dimensional attention-weighted differences is proposed to optimize the deep features. The model was used to accurately estimate the distribution of three key eutrophication-related water quality parameters: total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and ammonia nitrogen. Through scale analysis, ablation experiments, and model comparisons, the results demonstrate stable regression performance with the proposed model. Specifically, the coefficient of determination (R2) values are 0.8315, 0.8137, and 0.8245, the mean absolute error (MAE) values are 0.2035, 0.0056 and 0.0134, and the mean squared error (MSE) values are 0.0733, 0.00008 and 0.0003 for the three parameters in the test set, respectively. Compared to the traditional feature analysis and regression methods, the R² values are improved by approximately 30 %, while the MAE and MSE values are reduced by approximately 60 % and 80 %, respectively. The model was applied to airborne hyperspectral imagery for nutrient pollution mapping. To assess the model's generalizability, we applied the trained model to multi-temporal satellite hyperspectral imagery and validated against in situ monitoring data, where the proposed model demonstrated promising cross-platform and temporal transferability.

APPLICATION OF THE DYNAMIC FACTOR MODEL ON NOWCASTING SECTORAL ECONOMIC GROWTH WITH HIGH-FREQUENCY DATA

Economic growth is crucial for planning, yet delayed data releases challenge timely decision-making. Nowcasting offers near-real-time insights using high-frequency indicators (released monthly, weekly, or even daily) to predict low-frequency variables (quarterly or yearly). This study uses high-frequency indicators (monthly), such as stock price changes, air quality, transportation data, financial conditions, and Google Trends, to nowcast quarterly GDP through the Dynamic Factor Model (DFM). The data used span from January 2010 until March 2023, which is split into two: January 2010 until March 2022 for training data and the rest as testing data. Compared to the benchmark Autoregressive Moving Average with Exogenous Variables (ARMAX) model, DFM demonstrates superior accuracy with lower symmetric Mean Absolute Percentage Error (sMAPE). In addition, to evaluate the model performance in nowcasting the GDP across the sector using DFM, the additional metrics, i.e., Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD), and Adjusted R-squared, concluded that in the industrial and transportation sectors results in sufficient nowcasting of GDP, Meanwhile, In the financial sector, the results of the nowcasting GDP give poor estimation results that need improvement.

Objective Markers of Sleep Quality in the Acute Postoperative Period After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Pilot Study

Background Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients are frequently subjected to immediate postsurgical pain and sleep disruption. Recent studies have explored postoperative sleep disruption using subjective assessments, however the literature on objective sleep quality markers remains sparse. Purpose The aim of this pilot study was to assess objective sleep quality measures in the immediate postoperative period following TKA. Design/Methods Patients undergoing primary TKA at a level two medical center were enrolled in a prospective study. Wearable sleep tracking devices (WHOOP, USA) were used to record resting heart rate (RHR), heart rate variability (HRV), hours of sleep, number of sleep disturbances per hour, hours of deep sleep (N3), hours of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and restorative sleep (deep and REM sleep combined) for at least a week preoperatively and four weeks postoperatively. The mean preoperative baseline values were compared to mean values over the first four postoperative weeks. Results Out of 25 enrolled patients, eight patients with complete data were included for analysis,. The mean hours of deep sleep (0.7 vs. 1.1; p=0.043) and restorative sleep (1.7 vs 2.3; p=0.043) were decreased in the first postoperative week compared to the fourth postoperative week. There were no other significant differences regarding any other outcomes. Conclusion This pilot study suggests that TKA patients have disruptions in deep and restorative sleep in the immediate postoperative period, although the sample size was limited by patient compliance with the wearable devices. Further study with greater sample size is warranted to further explore trends in postoperative sleep quality.

Stress, Resilience, Sexual Functioning and Quality of Life in Patients Undergoing Arthroplasty and Arthroscopy.

In India, the incidence of orthopaedic conditions is significantly increasing, with 63 million people suffering from various orthopaedic issues, causing considerable distress to patients. This study aims to assess stress, resilience, sexual functioning, and quality of life in participants who underwent arthroplasty and arthroscopy surgery at baseline, one month, and three months. This comparative study utilised the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Sexual Function Scale, and the WHO Quality of Life Scale. The comparison between arthroscopy and arthroplasty reveals distinct patterns in stress, resilience, sexual functioning, and quality of life. For both procedures, stress levels were higher at baseline and one-month post-surgery but decreased by three months. Resilience scores improved consistently over time in both groups. However, sexual functioning and quality of life showed different trends: while sexual functioning initially decreased post-arthroscopy but improved by three months, arthroplasty participants generally experienced a more consistent improvement in both sexual functioning and quality of life from baseline through the follow-up periods. The study showed that stress was significantly higher at baseline and one-month post-surgery. However, the trends in sexual functioning and quality of life differed between the two types of surgery. These findings highlight the need for tailored patient support and interventions based on the type of orthopaedic procedure performed.

Effects of Land Use Transition on Regional Ecological Environment—A Case Study of Zhaosu County, Xinjiang

As a focal point in contemporary land system science research, land use transitions significantly impact the ecological environment. Zhaosu County, a typical ecological county in the arid region of Northwest China, offers significant insights into the processes of land use transition and their effects on the ecological environment. Studying these dynamics is crucial for the county’s rational spatial allocation and sustainable development. Based on the remote sensing monitoring data of land use in Zhaosu County in 2000, 2010, and 2018, this article classified land use according to three primary functions: “production, living, and ecological”. By comprehensively applying the research methods of land use transfer matrix model, land use center of gravity shift model, eco-environmental quality index, and regional ecosystem contributions, this paper quantitatively analyzed the process of land use functional transition and spatial transition in Zhaosu County from 2000 to 2018 and scientifically investigated the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of land use transitions as well as their varying impacts on the ecological environment. This research indicates that: (1) From 2000 to 2018, the ecological land in Zhaosu County initially experienced an increase followed by a decrease; in contrast, production land underwent a decline before rebounding, while living land has shown a continuous upward trajectory. (2) The spatial distribution of the three primary functional land uses in Zhaosu is unbalanced, and the center of gravity of all land uses has shifted during the study period. Among them, the center of gravity of water area and other ecological land underwent the most pronounced displacements, and the spatial migration intensified initially before gradually diminishing, while the degree of deviation of urban living land was the least pronounced. (3) The comprehensive eco-environmental quality index of Zhaosu County continued to decline from 0.584 in 2000 to 0.549 in 2018, indicating a persistent degradation trend of the ecological environment quality. (4) The negative effects of the ecological environment in Zhaosu County outweighed the positive effects, and the main factors contributing to the decline in ecological environment quality were grassland degradation and the decline of the snowline.

Long-term trends in water quality and C-Q relationships reveal complex interactions between changing land uses and climate

Long-term trends in water quality and C-Q relationships reveal complex interactions between changing land uses and climate

The Long-Term Variations of Phytoplankton Biomass in the Lower Nakdong River: 2000~2021

Objectives : Globally, the mass proliferation of phytoplankton driven by climate change has emerged as a significant societal issue. This study analyzes over two decades of long-term hydraulic, hydrological, and water quality data collected from the lower Nakdong River, along with changes in phytoplankton community biomass. The aim is to evaluate long-term trends in water quality and the ecological changes occurring in this region.Methods : The monitoring site in the lower Nakdong River is Mulgeum, where samples were collected weekly from January 2000 to December 2021 for the analysis of physicochemical water quality characteristics, as well as phytoplankton abundance and species composition. The hydrological status was assessed using flow rate data from the Jin-dong (Haman) station of the Nakdong River, along with rainfall data from the Korea Meteorological Administration for eight regions influencing the lower Nakdong River.Results and Discussion : Analysis of the annual average concentration changes of water quality parameters at the Mulgeum intake site in the lower Nakdong River found that water quality has generally improved since the construction period (2009-2012) of the weir. This improvement is attributed to the strengthening of T-P water quality standards for sewage treatment plant discharges in 2012, which resulted in enhanced phosphorus treatment at wastewater facilities in the river's middle and upper regions. Consequently, significant reductions were observed in the annual average concentrations of BOD, NO<sub>3</sub>-N, T-N, and T-P. Evaluating long-term changes in flow rate and rainfall, it was found that both annual average rainfall and flow rate decreased after the weir was installed, particularly from May to September when temperatures rise. Rainfall decreased by approximately 8% to 38%, while flow rate decreased by 46% to 62%. Long-term temperature changes indicated that summer temperatures increased by 0.9<sup>o</sup>C to 1.4<sup>o</sup>C, and winter temperatures rose by 1.6<sup>o</sup>C to 2.0<sup>o</sup>C, resulting in an overall annual average increase of about 1.3<sup>o</sup>C. An analysis of long-term changes in phytoplankton biomass and community composition revealed an increase in average biomass from 3,639 cells/mL before the weir was installed to 4,034 cells/mL afterward, representing an increase of about 11%. In winter, the dominance period and biomass of diatoms decreased, while in summer, the biomass and dominance period of cyanobacteria increased. Notably, in August, biomass increased approximately 7.5 times, rising from 2,009 cells/mL before the dam to 15,059 cells/mL afterward. This significant increase was identified as a key factor in the overall rise in phytoplankton biomass following the weir's installation.Conclusion : Recent climate change impacts, such as rising average temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns, have become increasingly evident in South Korea. This study utilizes over 20 years of long-term data to demonstrate that, in the lower Nakdong River, there has been a gradual decline in both rainfall and flow rates, accompanied by an increase in average temperatures. Consequently, the dominance period and biomass of diatoms have decreased. In contrast, cyanobacteria, which thrive in warmer conditions, have experienced an extended dominance period into early spring and late autumn as a result of rising temperatures, leading to an overall increase in cyanobacterial biomass.

Detection of spatiotemporal changes in eco-environmental quality based on RSEI and SG filtering and its driving force analysis: a case study in Sichuan Province, China.

Landsat images were extracted using Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and optimized by Savitzky-Golay (SG) filtering. The Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI) method was used to analyze the eco-environmental quality in Sichuan Province in recent 20years. In addition, Theil-Sen median method and Mann-Kendall (MK) test were used to test the change trend of eco-environmental quality. Furthermore, drivers were evaluated by partial correlation analysis, 2D scatter plots, and t tests. The results showed that (1) in the past 20years, the eco-environmental quality of Sichuan Province was on the rise, and the eco-environmental quality in the western region was better than that in the eastern region. The eco-environmental quality was positively correlated with forest and grassland types, and negatively correlated with cultivated land and urban and rural construction land types. (2) The eco-environmental quality of Sichuan Province is linearly correlated with the digital elevation model, but poorly correlated with slope and slope direction. In the range of slope 0° ~ 9° and southeast direction, the eco-environmental quality is the worst. (3) The eco-environmental quality of Sichuan Province was most significantly affected by soil moisture and sunshine hours. The study can help us to understand and assess the health of ecosystems in Sichuan Province, provide a scientific basis for protecting and improving the environment, and guide the formulation and implementation of environmental protection policies.

Major and Trace Airborne Elements and Ecological Risk Assessment: Georgia Moss Survey 2019-2023.

The study, carried out as part of the International Cooperative Program on Effects of Air Pollution on Natural Vegetation and Crops, involved collecting 95 moss samples across the territory of Georgia during the period from 2019 to 2023. Primarily samples of Hypnum cupressiforme were selected, with supplementary samples of Abietinella abietina, Pleurozium schreberi, and Hylocomium splendens in cases of the former's absence. The content of 14 elements (Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, S, Sr, V, and Zn) was detected using Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES), while the Hg content was determined using a Direct Mercury Analyzer. To identify any relationships between chemical elements and to depict their sources, multivariate statistics was applied. Principal component analysis identified three main components: PC1 (geogenic, 43.4%), PC2 (anthropogenic, 13.3%), and PC3 (local anomalies, 8.5%). The results were compared with the first moss survey conducted in Georgia in the period from 2014 to 2017, offering insights into temporal trends of air quality. Utilizing GIS, a spatial map illustrating pollution levels across Georgia, based on the Pollution Load Index, was generated. The Potential Environmental Risk Index emphasized significant risks associated with mercury and cadmium at several locations. The study highlights the utility of moss biomonitoring in assessing air pollution and identifying hotspots of contamination. The findings from this study could be beneficial for future biomonitoring research in areas with varying physical and geographical conditions.

Assessment and spatial mapping of water quality parameters using QGIS: Creating a dynamic map

ABSTRACT Groundwater is a critical resource for drinking, irrigation, and industrial purposes, making up 30.1% of global freshwater. Ensuring its quality is vital for human health due to the risks of contamination. Effective management and monitoring of groundwater are essential, particularly in regions like Peninsular Malaysia where groundwater constitutes a significant water source. This study aims to generate and assess the spatial distribution of the groundwater quality index (GWQI) using quantum GIS (QGIS), perform a spatiotemporal analysis from 2014 to 2022, and develop a dynamic map for public accessibility. Addressing the need for efficient and cost-effective monitoring methods, this research moves beyond traditional resource-intensive approaches by leveraging QGIS for spatial interpolation. The goal is to provide a preliminary assessment method into groundwater quality trends and facilitate better resource management in Peninsular Malaysia. The study used historical groundwater quality data from 2014 to 2022, with QGIS software and the QGIS2Web plugin to create spatial and dynamic maps. The GWQI spatial distribution was generated using the inverse distance weighted method, and data were visualized through static and dynamic web maps hosted online for easy access. Overall, the study indicated stable but regionally variable groundwater quality, necessitating continued monitoring and targeted interventions.

Safety and feasibility of single-incision robotic totally extra-peritoneal repair for inguinal hernia using the da Vinci Xi platform: a single-center prospective pilot study.

This study aimed to report the safety and feasibility of single-incision robotic totally extra-peritoneal repair (TEP) with the da Vinci Xi platform. We prospectively included patients with unilateral inguinal hernia who underwent elective single-incision robotic TEP between August 10, 2021 and December 12, 2022. The primary outcome was the determination of postoperative complications, and secondary outcomes were quality of life and recurrence rate. Twenty patients were included in this study. The median age of patients was 60 (interquartile range [IQR], 44.8-62) years, and most were male (90%). Eighteen patients had an indirect hernia. The median total operative time was 70 (IQR, 60.5-82.0) min, the median docking time was 5 (IQR, 3.3-6.0) min, and the median console time was 42 (IQR, 30.3-49.8) min. No postoperative complications occurred within six months postoperatively. We observed an upward trend in quality of life, which was low preoperatively, with improvement noted one month postoperatively. During the six-month follow-up period, there were no cases of recurrence. For uncomplicated inguinal hernias, single-incision robotic TEP using the da Vinci Xi platform can be selectively and safely attempted.

Long-term water quality dynamics and trend assessment reveal the effectiveness of ecological compensation: Insights from China’s first cross-provincial compensation watershed

Despite the global adoption of watershed Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) to enhance water quality, their effectiveness in achieving improvements remains inadequately assessed. This study employed the Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS) model to evaluate water quality changes in China’s first cross-provincial Ecological Compensation (EC) watershed from 2000 to 2020, and to determine the impact of human interventions and climate change. Results showed that the WRTDS model accurately predicted concentrations and loads of TN, NH4+, CODMn, and TP, while human interventions, including WWTPs construction and EC measures, have improved water quality to varying extents. Specifically, NH4+ concentrations rose sharply from 2000 to 2008 but decreased during the EC period, indicating effective wastewater treatment. However, TN concentrations continued to rise, and TP levels did not significantly decrease, probably due to the accumulation legacy N and P in soil and groundwater. Moreover, CODMn concentrations exhibited a steady increased from 2000 to 2020. These trends collectively suggest that point source pollution controls are effective, while non-point source pollution, particularly legacy sources, remains a considerable challenge. In addition, water quality variations under different climate conditions reveal the diversity of potential pollution sources, while extreme precipitation events potentially increasing TN, CODMn, and TP concentrations. Overall, the WRTDS model effectively evaluates the watershed EC programmes, identifies long-term water quality trends and potential sources, and offers valuable insights for optimizing pollution control strategies.

Assessment of groundwater quality and public health risks: physicochemical and bacteriological analysis in the Casablanca-Settat region, Morocco

ABSTRACT This study reports groundwater contamination in Morocco’s Casablanca-Settat region and observes groundwater quality trends, using Moroccan, EU and WHO standards. High mineralisation was attributed to soil composition and extensive agriculture. Bacteriological analysis indicated significant faecal contamination, with a positive correlation between bacterial load (TC, EC, IE) and physicochemical parameters (NO3–, NH4+, and oxidisability), as nitrates and ammonium provide nutrients for bacterial growth, thus explaining the direct correlation. The study highlights the region’s deteriorating groundwater quality.