Title: Environmental quality of the Oued Lârbaa, Morocco: a multivariate approach using physicochemical parameters, indicator bacteria and parasite and floristic monitoring

Authors: Nezha Mherzi; Fatima Lamchouri; Abdelouahab Zalaghi; Hamid Toufik

Addresses: Laboratory of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modeling, Health and Quality of Life (SNAMOPEQ), Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza (FPT), Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University (USMBA) of Fez, B.P. 1223 Taza-Gare, Taza, Morocco ' Laboratory of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modeling, Health and Quality of Life (SNAMOPEQ), Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza (FPT), Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University (USMBA) of Fez, B.P. 1223 Taza-Gare, Taza, Morocco ' Laboratory of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modeling, Health and Quality of Life (SNAMOPEQ), Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza (FPT), Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University (USMBA) of Fez, B.P. 1223 Taza-Gare, Taza, Morocco ' Laboratory of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modeling, Health and Quality of Life (SNAMOPEQ), Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza (FPT), Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University (USMBA) of Fez, B.P. 1223 Taza-Gare, Taza, Morocco

Abstract: In this study, a botanical inventory, five physico-chemical parameters, results of bacteriological and parasitological analyses of soil and water during three periods (dry-2017, wet-2018, and dry-2018) on nine stations of Oued Lârbaa, were analysed by principal component analysis and ascending hierarchical classification. The interpretation of results using these tools allowed us to understand that acidity and salinity are stress factors for the survival of bacteria because of negative correlations between them. The analysis also showed negative correlations between bacteria and parasites which means the presence of competition, vegetation is negatively affected by temperature and pollution. Ascending hierarchical classification showed that stations having received the same type of discharges meet in the same group; station S8 which receives the leachates of the uncontrolled landfill is alone in a group indicating the unique polluting character of leachate.

Keywords: principal component analysis; PCA; Oued Lârbaa; water; soil; physicochemical-bacteriological-parasitological parameters; hierarchical ascending classification; HAC; botanical inventory; Morocco.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2024.135557

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2024 Vol.27 No.1/2, pp.129 - 150

Received: 14 Aug 2022
Accepted: 07 Dec 2022
Published online: 18 Dec 2023 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article