Geology Department, Faculty of Sciences, Zagazig University, Zagazig City, 44519, Egypt.
Environmental Affairs, Sharkiya Governorate, Zagazig City, 44511, Egypt.
Environ Monit Assess. 2024 Apr 5;196(5):429. doi: 10.1007/s10661-024-12541-1.
Water, as an indispensable constituent of life, serves as the primary source of sustenance for all living things on Earth. The contamination of surface water with heavy metals poses a significant global health risk to humans, animals, and plants. Sharkiya Governorate, situated in the East Nile Delta region of Egypt, is particularly susceptible to surface water pollution due to various industrial, agricultural, and urban activities. The Bahr Mouse Stream, crucial for providing potable water and supporting irrigation activities in Sharkiya Governorate, caters to a population of approximately 7.7 million inhabitants. Unfortunately, this vital water source is exposed to many illegal encroachments that may cause pollution and deteriorate the water resource quality. In a comprehensive study conducted over two consecutive seasons (2019-2020), a total of 38 surface water samples were taken to assess the quantity of heavy metals in surface water destined for human consumption and other applications, supported by indices and statistics. The assessment utilized flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry to determine the concentration of key heavy metals including iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and chromium (Cr). The calculated mean value of the Water Quality Index (WQI) was found to be 39.1 during the winter season and 28.05 during the summer season. This value suggests that the surface water maintains good quality and is suitable for drinking purposes. Furthermore, the analysis indicated that the concentrations of heavy metals in the study area were below the recommended limits set by the World Health Organization and fell within the safe threshold prescribed by Egyptian legislation. Despite the identification of localized instances of illegal activities in certain areas, such as unauthorized discharges, the findings affirm that the Bahr Mouse stream is devoid of heavy metal pollution. This underscores the importance of continued vigilance and regulatory enforcement to preserve the integrity of these vital water resources.
水是生命不可或缺的组成部分，是地球上所有生物的主要生存来源。地表水重金属污染对人类、动物和植物构成了重大的全球健康风险。埃及尼罗河东三角洲地区的 Sharkiya 省由于各种工业、农业和城市活动，特别容易受到地表水的污染。Bahr Mouse 溪流是 Sharkiya 省提供饮用水和支持灌溉活动的重要水源，为大约 770 万居民提供服务。不幸的是，这一重要的水源受到许多非法侵占的威胁，这些侵占可能导致污染并恶化水资源质量。在一项为期两个连续季节（2019-2020 年）的综合研究中，共采集了 38 个地表水样本，以评估用于人类消费和其他用途的地表水重金属含量，并辅以指数和统计数据。评估采用火焰原子吸收分光光度法来确定包括铁（Fe）、锰（Mn）、镉（Cd）、铜（Cu）、铅（Pb）、锌（Zn）、镍（Ni）、钴（Co）和铬（Cr）在内的关键重金属的浓度。冬季季节的水质指数（WQI）的计算平均值为 39.1，夏季季节为 28.05。这表明地表水保持着良好的质量，适合饮用。此外，分析表明，研究区域内重金属的浓度低于世界卫生组织建议的限量，并在埃及法规规定的安全阈值内。尽管在某些地区发现了局部非法活动，如未经授权的排放，但调查结果证实 Bahr Mouse 溪流没有重金属污染。这突出表明需要继续保持警惕并加强监管执法，以保护这些重要水资源的完整性。
