تقييم نوعية مياه نهر الحصين الأدنى في السّاحل السّوري

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the water quality of the lower Al-Hasin River on the Syrian coast and its seasonal variations during the period from March 2023 to February 2024. The study aimed to determine the physicochemical and bacteriological characteristics and to understand the spatial and temporal variability of these characteristics. Water samples were collected from nine sites and analyzed to determine turbidity, pH, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, iron, and phosphates, in addition to bacterial counts and coliform bacteria.

The results showed chemical and bacteriological pollution of the lower Al-Hasin River. Chemical pollution was evident in the high concentrations of ammonia, especially at the Al-Balata and Jisr Aroor sites during the winter and spring seasons, respectively, with a value of 3.2 mg/L. Bacteriological pollution was also high at these sites, with the highest bacterial count reaching 100.7 colonies/200 mL, and coliform bacteria recorded 78 colonies/200 mL in the summer.

The results also showed significant differences between the values of pollution indicators in the studied sites according to the Tow-way ANOVA test (p-value < 0.05) . In contrast, there were no significant differences between them during the seasons (p-value > 0.05) except for turbidity values, which showed significant differences between the seasons (p-value < 0.05) .

Human activities contributed to the deterioration of water quality in the lower Al-Hasin River, especially due to the discharge of untreated wastewater into the river, particularly in the Al-Balata tributary. The results also showed high concentrations of bacteriological pollutants in the summer and autumn seasons in most sites, which can be attributed to the decrease in river flow and consequently the increase in the concentration of pollutants in its waters.

The study recommends improving the management of the Al-Hasin River basin to reduce water pollution and treat wastewater before discharging it into the river to reduce environmental impacts and ensure water quality for various uses.