Taher Cheikho(1) Mahmoud Haj Issa(2) and Hadi Dayoub*(1)
(1). Department of Forestry and Environment, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Latakia, Syria.
(2). Soil and Water Sciences Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Latakia, Syria.
(*Corresponding author: Eng. Hadi Dayoub. E-mail: hadi.dayob.sy@gmail.com)
Received: 10/04/2018 Accepted: 29/09/2018
Abstract
This study was conducted to assess the water quality of El-Sen River in the Syrian coastal basin for drinking and irrigation purposes. Water samples from four sites along the river bed were collected monthly during October 2013 to September 2014, and were analyzed for some important physical and chemical parameters. The study revealed that all of the studied parameters concentrations were found within the permissible limits for human consumption according to the Syrian and World Health Organization Standards. As well as these ions concentrations were found to be directly related to environmental and geologic features of the river basin, where limestone and dolomite formations occupy a large part of its surface. Piper and Schöeller-Berkaloff diagrams revealed that the water is of HCO3-Ca-Mg type. According to U.S. Salinity Laboratory classification of irrigation water, all samples were under water type (C2-S1). Such water can be used for irrigation on almost all soils with little danger of the development of harmful levels of exchangeable sodium, and if a moderate amount of leaching occurs. Statistical analysis showed significant differences between the means of electrical conductivity, sodium, potassium, sulfates, nitrates, nitrite and phosphates of sampling points. Application of Principal Components Analysis to physio-chemical data showed that the correlations with the first and the second factors (F1-F2) revealed the dissolution phenomenon of carbonate formations of limestone and dolomite.
Key words: El-Sen river, Water quality, Drinking water, Irrigation water.
Full paper in Arabic: PDF