Sawsan Haifa⁽¹⁾ , Aziz Assad⁽¹⁾ and Rafah Fares^*(1)

(1). Department of Soil and Water, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria.

(*Corresponding author: Rafah Mahmoud fares. E-Mail:faresrafah@yahoo.com)

Received: 25/11/2021         Accepted: 27/03/202

Abstract: 

The increasing growth of population and the scarcity of water sources available for human use, as well as the mismanagement of the available water resources have caused a great water deficit in Syria. This largely applies to the coastal area which suffers from a shortage of water resources, especially in summer. The Northern Great River is considered one of the most important water sources in Latakia, which has been exposed to many pollutants because of human activities within the basin of this river. Heavy elements are considered one of the most important dangers that this river has been exposed to, due to its seriousness to the vital community of this river, which extends to man through food chains. Six major sampling sites have therefore been identified in the lower part of the river in period 22/12/2019 to July,2022 in order to identify temporal and spatial changes in the composition of some heavy elements within the river water. Both pH and EC were measured in addition to three elements and cadmium. The results showed that copper was within the natural limits set by the World Health Organization. Both lead and cadmium have seriously exceeded the universally permitted limits. Statistical analysis of the correlation between the changes in the concentrations of the elements studied within the same location also showed that there was no moral correlation, which confirms the existence of various and different sources of these heavy elements in the river water.

Keyword: Alkabeer Alshamali River, heavy elements, Water pollution, phosphate fertilizers, sewage.

Full paper in Arabic: pdf