Title: Water pollution evaluation of Oued Boudjemaa (Algeria)

Authors: Radia Hafsi; Ouerdachi Lahbassi; Abdelouahed Kriker; Hamouda Boutaghane

Addresses: Hydraulic and Hydraulic Constructions Laboratory, Badji Mokhtar University, P.O. Box 12, Annaba 23000, Algeria; Laboratory of Operating and Valorisation of Natural Resources in Arid Areas (LVRENZA), Kasdi Merbah University, BP No. 102 El Khefdji, rue de Ghardaia, Ouargla, Algeria ' Hydraulic and Hydraulic Constructions Laboratory, Badji Mokhtar University, P.O. Box 12, Annaba 23000, Algeria ' Laboratory of Operating and Valorisation of Natural Resources in Arid Areas (LVRENZA), Kasdi Merbah University, BP No. 102 El Khefdji, rue de Ghardaia, Ouargla, Algeria ' Hydraulic and Hydraulic Constructions Laboratory, Badji Mokhtar University, P.O. Box 12, Annaba 23000, Algeria

Abstract: Oued Boudjemaa represents a very important point for fishing and swimming in Eastern Algeria (Annaba), which makes the water quality an imperative question. To study its water quality, samples were taken from five different points along the stream for 12 months, and the physicochemical measurements were used to calculate pollution indices. The main sources of the river water pollution were domestic waste and agricultural waste rich in nutrients. Using Lisec index, the organic pollution index and the Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology, results showed that the water quality ranged from good to very bad. For a better understanding, hierarchical ascendant classification were used to classify the sampling points according to type of discharged water, on the basis of the similarities in the chemical components of the water, three groups were found: low pollution, urban pollution, urban and agricultural pollution.

Keywords: pollution indices; pollution maps; Oued Boudjemaa; domestic and agricultural discharges; agglomerative hierarchical classification; Lisec index; organic pollution index; the Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology; water quality; physicochemical measurements; temporal variation; spatial variation.

DOI: 10.1504/PIE.2016.083915

Progress in Industrial Ecology, An International Journal, 2016 Vol.10 No.4, pp.353 - 369

Received: 19 Mar 2016
Accepted: 21 Aug 2016
Published online: 26 Apr 2017 *

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