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Environmental Earth Sciences

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01-10-2017 | Original Article

Degradation of groundwater quality in coastal aquifer of Sabratah area, NW Libya

Authors: Nawal Alfarrah, Gebremedhin Berhane, Charles Bakundukize, Kristine Walraevens

Published in: Environmental Earth Sciences | Issue 19/2017

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Abstract

Overextraction of groundwater is widely occurring along the coast where good quality groundwater is at risk, due to urbanization, tourist development and intensive agriculture. The Sabratah area at the northern central part of Jifarah Plain, Northwest Libya, is a typical area where the contamination of the aquifer in the form of saltwater intrusion, gypsum/anhydrite dissolution and high nitrate concentrations is very developed. Fifty groundwater samples were collected from the study area and analysed for certain parameters that indicate salinization and pollution of the aquifer. The results demonstrate high values of the parameters electrical conductivity, sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride and sulphate which can be attributed to seawater intrusion. The intensive extraction of groundwater from the aquifer reduces freshwater outflow to the sea, creates drawdown cones and lowering of the water table to as much as 30 m below mean sea level. Irrigation with nitrogen fertilizers and domestic sewage and movement of contaminants in areas of high hydraulic gradients within the drawdown cones probably are responsible for the high nitrate concentration towards the south of the region. Seawater intrusion and deep salt water upconing result in general high SO₄ ²⁻ concentrations in groundwater near the shoreline, where localized SO₄ ²⁻ anomalies are also due to the dissolution of sebkha deposits for few wells in the nearby sebkhas. Upstream, the increase in SO₄ ²⁻ concentrations in the south is ascribed to the dissolution of gypsum at depth in the upper aquifer.

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Title: Degradation of groundwater quality in coastal aquifer of Sabratah area, NW Libya
Authors: Nawal Alfarrah
Gebremedhin Berhane
Charles Bakundukize
Kristine Walraevens
Publication date: 01-10-2017
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Environmental Earth Sciences / Issue 19/2017
Print ISSN: 1866-6280
Electronic ISSN: 1866-6299
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-6999-5

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