Title: Assessment of groundwater quality of the karst aquifer of Cherea, Tebessa (northeast of Algeria)

Authors: Mehidi Yasser; Nouioua Ismail; Kahoul Ines

Addresses: Water and Environment Laboratory, Mining Institute, Larbi Tebessi University, Road of Constantine 12002, Tebessa, Algeria ' Water and Environment Laboratory, Mining Institute, Larbi Tebessi University, Road of Constantine 12002, Tebessa, Algeria ' Natural Resources and Development Laboratory, Mining Department, Badji Mokhtar University – Annaba, B.P. 12 Annaba 23000, Annaba, Algeria

Abstract: This article is indicated for the assessment of the groundwater quality of the karst aquifer of Cherea, northeast of Algeria by the use of the water quality index (WQI). Ten samples are taken from different areas of the basin depending on the geological variation of the soil. The analyses are carried out for 12 physico-chemical parameters, in which ten parameters used for the determination of WQI. The analyses results show that most of the samples have acceptable contents of these parameters, according to the standards of the AMWR (2011) and WHO (2016). The WQI results indicate 40% of checked points have a good quality, 40% have a fair quality and 20% have a poor quality. This poor quality is equivalent to the high levels of nitrates that exceed the standards. In general, the WQI for the collected samples varies between 32.16 and 91.4.

Keywords: groundwater quality; water quality index; WQI; physico-chemical analysis; Cherea plain; ground water; karst aquifer.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHST.2021.114552

International Journal of Hydrology Science and Technology, 2021 Vol.11 No.3, pp.301 - 320

Received: 18 Apr 2019
Accepted: 30 Aug 2019
Published online: 27 Apr 2021 *

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