Bouchaou, Lhoussaine

Bouragba, Latifa

Boutaleb, Said

Hsissou, Youssef

Tagma, Tarik

The objective of our study was to determine the current status of alluvial aquifer in the Souss-Massa basin, where the nitrate pollution of groundwater is being increasing along the last decades. A multiapproach methodology using hydrogeology, nitrate concentrations, irrigation type and oxygen-18 and deuterium data, was carried out to identify the sources of this pollution. According to the spatial distribution of nitrate contents, nitrate pollution occurs mainly in Chtouka-Massa plain. More than 36%
of the sampled wells exceed the value of 50 mg/L as NO3
-. Groundwater in Souss plain is less polluted comparing it to Chtouka-Massa; only 7% of wells exceed the permitted level. Agricultural practices in the study sites are the main cause of serious nitrate pollution given the  uperimposition of high nitrate concentrations with the distribution of irrigated perimeters. High nitrate levels are associated with high 18O values, clearly indicating that significant quantities of evaporated irrigation waters infiltrate along with fertilizer nitrate to groundwater system. Different 18O-NO3 - trends suggest isotopically distinct, non-point source origins which vary spatially and temporally, due to different degrees of evaporation/recharge and amounts of fertilizer applied

Tagma, T

Hsissou, Y

Bouchaou, L

Bouragba, L

Boutaleb, S

AJOL - African Journals Online

English

Groundwater nitrate pollution in Souss-Massa basin (south-west Morocco)

HAL - Université de Franche-Comté

https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajest/article/download/56258/44703

Groundwater nitrate pollution in Souss-Massa basin (south-west Morocco)

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HAL - Université de Franche-Comté