PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF OUED MEBOUDJA (ANNABA)

Water pollution is a concept that is constantly evolving. It constitutes today a real threat for the environment and of course for the health of the man. The objective of this study is to evaluate the quality of surface waters of oued Meboudja (Annaba- Algeria) and to characterize the different types of pollution while the composition of water plays an important role in determining its quality. As objective, this work consists at the beginning to realize a monthly follow-up in three sites (S1, S2, S3) of sampling in all the length of the Oued Meboudja (upstream, center and downstream), during the period of January to December 2020, with a complete analysis of the physicochemical parameters such as (Temperature, potential hydrogen, Electric Conductivity, biochemical oxygen demand, Dissolved oxygen, Nitrite, Nitrate, Chloride, Ammonium, Suspended solid, Sodium, fatty oils, turbidity).

The results showed in the three sites (S1 upstream, S2 center, S3 downstream) that temperature ranged between 11°C and 18°C. Means of pH ranged between 7 and 9. Conductivity in our finding raged between about 1064 to 2300 µs/cm. Biochemical oxygen demand ranged between about 9.30 and 13.30 mg/l. Dissolved oxygen also balanced between 1.50 and 2.03 mg O2/l. Nitrite in this study ranged between 1.50 and 2.02 mg/l. Nitrate ranged between about 41 to 52 mg/l. Chloride ranged between 71 to 81 mg/l. Ammonium through the year ranged between 1.66 to 2.30 mg/l. Suspended matter ranged between 153 to 190 mg/l. Sodium ranged between 6 to 6.60 mg/l. fatty oils ranged between 95 to 115 mg/l. Finally turbidity ranged between 8 to 16 NTU. The highest means were observed in the summer (especially in August) of all parameters but the turbidity which augmented significantly in the winter (December to January). Waters of Oued Meboudja are loaded by various pollutants of several origins namely: industrial, chemical and also agro-food.