Spatial assessment of salinity and nitrate pollution in Amman Zarqa Basin: a case study |
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Authors: | Mustafa Al Kuisi Mohammed Al-Qinna Armin Margane Taiseer Aljazzar |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Jordan, P.O. Box 13437, Amman, 11942, Jordan;(2) Department of Land Management and Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan;(3) Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), P.O. Box 51 01 53, 30631 Hannover, Germany;(4) Department of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, RWTH Aachen University, Lochnerstr. 4-20, 52064 Aachen, Germany |
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Abstract: | Intensive use of land resources in arid and semi-arid regions exert serious pressures on groundwater resources and jeopardize
further socio-economical developments. The Amman-Zarqa Basin (AZB), the most vital basin in Jordan, is facing recent groundwater
deterioration due to a very large increase in water demands for domestic, agricultural, and industrial uses. The objectives
of this paper were to quantify the degree of contamination in the basin by evaluating the characteristics, distribution and
seasonal variations of two pollution indicators (nitrate concentration and salinity) and to determine the impacts of human
activities (land use) on groundwater quality. Based upon long-term data (1970–2005) of groundwater samples collected from
538 wells across the AZB, spatial analyses indicated that both indicators have a strong spatial dependence and are anisotropically
distributed. Prediction maps of Ordinary Kriging and Indicator Kriging provided detailed indications of the major and minor
sources of pollution in the basin. Inefficient wastewater treatment plants, industrial activities and agricultural practices
were responsible for 91, 85, and 25% salinization of nearby wells, respectively. Nitrate pollution had reached 73% above threshold
(50 mg/L) in some cases. The temporal analyses estimated the salinity buildup rate to be around 8 × 10−2 μS/cm per day, while nitrate buildup rate was estimated to be around 6 × 10−2 mg/L per day. Remote sensing and spatial analyses helped greatly in groundwater quality assessment not only in providing
the environmental status of the AZB but also in delineating the potential of contamination risk zones and their correlation
to human activities. Furthermore, the paper suggests some environmental protection strategies that should be adopted to protect
the vital groundwater resources of the basin from further deterioration. |
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