Treatment of Endocrine Pollutants Upstream of the Wadis Tghat and Zhoun of the City of Fez by Coagulation-Flocculation (Morocco)

In recent years, the quality of the surface water of the city of Fez has deteriorated due to the development of various anthropic activities, ill-considered modernization, unregulated discharge of wastewater and solid waste. This is a worrying threat to human health and the environment. Previous studies on these wadis have shown that Tghat and Zhoun wadis are the most polluted [1]; [2]; [3]. Adequate treatment of effluents upstream is therefore of crucial importance. The objective of this study is to contribute to the treatment of endocrine pollutants discharged upstream of these two wadis after their characterization and monitoring of their pollutant load for six months (El Madani et al., 2019). The most polluted wadis of the city of Fez [2] by coagulation-flocculation.The results showed that these effluents have a medium faecal load and are loaded by organic pollution at the limit of biodegradability rich in nitrogen and phosphorus matter and a high metallic load with endocrine disrupting effect, mainly Cr, As, Pb and Cd.The treatment of these pollutants by coagulation-flocculation with aluminum sulphate of the effluents studied under optimal conditions of pH, a dose of coagulant and flocculant and coagulation and flocculation agitation speeds, allowed the reduction of almost all the organic matter and 90 to 96% of the metal load

Farmers’ Perceptions and Willingness of Compost Production and Use to Contribute to Environmental Sustainability

Composting is an ecological method of recycling organic waste. It presents an effective solution to reduce the large volume of agricultural waste and provides an organic fertilizer and soil amendment. However, its implementation remains limited, especially in Morocco. The vast majority of farmers are unaware of the effectiveness of compost, and it is often considered as an inefficient product compared with chemical fertilizers. In order to develop a local marketing strategy for compost, this study aims to identify the perceptions and willingness of farmers to produce and use compost in agriculture, and to assess the factors shaping these perceptions and willingness, including socio-economic, agricultural and individual factors. The case of Morocco is investigated, where the vast majority of farmers practice inappropriate disposal of agricultural waste and excessive use of agro-chemicals. Data are collected using a standard questionnaire and face-to-face interviews with 350 farmers during their visit to the international agricultural exhibition in Morocco. Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA) are used for data analysis. The results showed a high level (80%) of acceptance by farmers of the production and use of compost. Farmers are also very willing to produce and use compost in agriculture. All the socio-economic, individual and agricultural factors, except gender, length of experience and cultivated area, had a highly significant influence on farmers’ perception and willingness to produce compost (p < 0.005). The positive perceptions of farmers and the high level of willingness to produce compost imply that the composting of organic waste should be encouraged by our local authorities. The production of compost will thus contribute to environmental sustainability and to the promotion of the ecological management of agricultural waste meeting the requirements of a circular economy