Geoenvironmental Assessment of Bahariya Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt
Ahmed Gad Abd El Wahed;
Abstract
Bahariya Oasis is one of the most geologically significant regions located in the heart of the Western Desert of Egypt. It is facing a severe constraint in the availability of good agricultural land. The groundwater in Bahariya Oasis is contaminated with many pollutants. The consequence of using such contaminated waters in irrigation is to increase the toxic metals content in soil surface and hence in the cultivated crops.
A total of 136 samples were collected from groundwater (37 samples), sabkha water (4 samples), different types of soil sediments (54 samples) and the three main cultivated crops (41 samples) of the study area. The collected samples were subjected to different analyses in order to give a geoenvironmental assessment of Bahariya Oasis. This assessment focused on the most recent picture of the pollution in the Bahariya Oasis groundwater and its soil sediments, with special attention to toxic metals contamination and the natural radioactivity, with regard to irrigation and drinking water quality and soil contamination and their impact on human health.
The results of textural and mineral investigations of the soil sediments were implemented to assess the relative contributions of their source rocks as well as the climatic conditions that prevailed during their inheritance by weathering. Moreover, an attempt was made to elucidate the nature of transporting agents and the characteristics of their depositional environments.
The interaction of groundwater with the sedimentary rocks which consisting the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer strongly affects the chemical composition of groundwater of Bahariya Oasis. Generally, the groundwater in Bahariya Oasis is not safe and should be consumed with care. It is contaminated with more than permissible levels of some toxic metals both for irrigation and drinking. So, a regular monitoring of the water quality is needed due to the high levels of chemical contaminants as revealed in this study.
The associations that exist between chemical components in the Bahariya Oasis soils were inherited from the parent rocks and materials, and affected by weathering processes and agricultural activities which enhance the accumulation of toxic metals. Bahariya Oasis soils experience a different degree of contamination that exceeds in many sites the recommended limit for toxic metals in soil. The calculated dose rate and annual effective dose values of natural radioactivity were higher than the international recommended values in soil. A quick and targeted plan must be implemented to reduce the degradation of cultivated soil. Any further reclamation will be implemented in uncultivated soils in this region must be preceded by obvious ways to toxic metal remediation.
A total of 136 samples were collected from groundwater (37 samples), sabkha water (4 samples), different types of soil sediments (54 samples) and the three main cultivated crops (41 samples) of the study area. The collected samples were subjected to different analyses in order to give a geoenvironmental assessment of Bahariya Oasis. This assessment focused on the most recent picture of the pollution in the Bahariya Oasis groundwater and its soil sediments, with special attention to toxic metals contamination and the natural radioactivity, with regard to irrigation and drinking water quality and soil contamination and their impact on human health.
The results of textural and mineral investigations of the soil sediments were implemented to assess the relative contributions of their source rocks as well as the climatic conditions that prevailed during their inheritance by weathering. Moreover, an attempt was made to elucidate the nature of transporting agents and the characteristics of their depositional environments.
The interaction of groundwater with the sedimentary rocks which consisting the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer strongly affects the chemical composition of groundwater of Bahariya Oasis. Generally, the groundwater in Bahariya Oasis is not safe and should be consumed with care. It is contaminated with more than permissible levels of some toxic metals both for irrigation and drinking. So, a regular monitoring of the water quality is needed due to the high levels of chemical contaminants as revealed in this study.
The associations that exist between chemical components in the Bahariya Oasis soils were inherited from the parent rocks and materials, and affected by weathering processes and agricultural activities which enhance the accumulation of toxic metals. Bahariya Oasis soils experience a different degree of contamination that exceeds in many sites the recommended limit for toxic metals in soil. The calculated dose rate and annual effective dose values of natural radioactivity were higher than the international recommended values in soil. A quick and targeted plan must be implemented to reduce the degradation of cultivated soil. Any further reclamation will be implemented in uncultivated soils in this region must be preceded by obvious ways to toxic metal remediation.
Other data
| Title | Geoenvironmental Assessment of Bahariya Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt | Other Titles | تقييم جيوبيئى للواحات البحرية، الصحراء الغربية، مصر | Authors | Ahmed Gad Abd El Wahed | Issue Date | 2014 |
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