Groundwater quality is assessed by comparing pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), and electrical conductivity (EC) in wells in the Sabratha region (Libya): A field study.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65405/3yr2c657Keywords:
Groundwater, pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Electrical Conductivity (EC))Abstract
This study was conducted in the Sabratha area, 70 kilometers west of Tripoli, to evaluate the quality of groundwater wells in the region and compare them with local and international standards. Most residents of this area rely on groundwater wells for drinking water and agriculture, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas where surface water availability is limited for domestic, agricultural, and industrial uses. Water samples were collected from 30 wells distributed across different areas of the city between October and December 2018, and assigned the codes B1 to B30. Groundwater samples were collected 10 minutes after pumping to avoid unexpected changes in water properties, in accordance with standard procedures (APHA, 2015). All samples were collected in the morning using one-liter polyethylene bottles. The samples were transported to the laboratory on the same day as collection, and physical analyses were performed, including electrical conductivity (EC) and pH measurement, as well as chemical analyses such as total dissolved solids (TDS) and electrical conductivity (EC)).
The results showed that the hydrogen ion concentration (pH) values all ranged between 7.1 and 7.9 and did not exceed the permissible limits for drinking water according to Libyan standards. However, the TDS levels were high in most wells, exceeding the permissible limits according to Libyan drinking water standards. The highest value (9350 mg/L) was recorded in well B4, and the lowest value (590 mg/L) in well B16 (3). The results for electrical conductivity in the study samples were as follows: The highest value was in well number (4) and the lowest value was in well number (16) in the study area, which had the highest rates in the city center, Talil and Qalil area, which ranged between (μs/cm 9900) for sample (B4) and (μs/cm 9600) for sample (B3) and (μs/cm 9600) for sample (B25), respectively, where the conductivity exceeded the permissible limits for drinking water, which indicates the concentrations of dissolved salts, the proximity of the wells to seawater and the difference in the layers of the underground earth..
Downloads
References
1- خضير حسين ؛ جميل لهيب ؛ اهبال محمد ( 2013 م ): دراسة لتحديد بعض مصادر تلوث المياه الجوفية في مدينة العجيلات . ملخص الأوراق العلمية ، ورشة عمل بعنوان " الوضع المائي بمدينة العجيلات والمناطق المجاورة ".المعهد العالي لشؤن المياه ، العجيلات ، ليبيا.
المراجع الاجنبية.
1-Mtewa T, Chauluka F, Mtewa A, Banda L, Kalindekafe L (2018). Water quality assessment of various sources in Periurban areas of Malawi: A case of Bangwe township in Blantyre. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, DOI: 10.5897/AJEST2018.254.
2-Kalua PWR, Chipeta WPC (2005). ‘A Situation Analysis of Water Sector in Malawi.’ A paper presented at the workshop on Situation Analysis of Water Sector in Malawi
3-Kaonga C, Kambala C, Mwendera C, Mkandawire T (2013). Water quality assessment in Bangwe Township, Blantyre City, Malawi. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, DOI: 10.5897/AJEST12.19
4-Viola T H, Ribeiro A M L, Penz Júnior A M and Viola E S (2009)Influence of water restriction on the performance and organdevelopment of young broilers. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia38, 323-327.
5-García-Ávila F, Ramos-Fernández L, Pauta D and Quezada D (2018)Evaluation of water quality and stability in the drinking waterdistribution network in the Azogues city, Ecuador. Data in brief18, 111-12.
6-Ensley S M and Radke S L (2019) Toxic minerals, chemicals, plants,and gases. Diseases of Swine 1072-1087.
7-Stylus, S., & Ramesh, S. (2015). Physicochemical analysis of groundwater samples for drinking and irrigation purposes. International Journal of Environmental Sciences, 6(2), 250–258.
8-Kim, H. N.; and Park, J. H. 2024. Monitoring of soil EC for the prediction of soil nutrient regime under different soil water and organic matter contents. Applied Biological Chemistry, 67(1), 1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13765-023-00849-4
9-Hem, J.D. Study and Interpretation of the Chemical Characteristics of Natural Water; Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey: Reston, CA, USA, 1985; 2254, p. 263
10-Rusydi, A.F. Correlation between conductivity and total dissolved solid in various type of water: A review. IOP Conf. Ser. Earth Environ. Sci. 2018, 118, 012019. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef.
11-Wolkersdorfer, C. Mine Water Treatment—Active and Passive Methods; Springer: Berlin/CrossRefHeidelberg, Germany, 2022; p. 328. ISBN 978-3-662-65770-6. [Google Scholar] [
12-Brook Abate D. F. Assessment of the quality of drinking water supply, and the status of sanitation and hygiene in mudulla Town, tembaro. Civil and Environmental Research . 2016;8(6):67–78.
13-Leschik, S., A. Musolff, R. Krieg, M. Martienssen and M. Bayer-Raich et al., 2009. Application of integral pumping tests to investigate the influence of a losing
stream on groundwater quality. Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., 6: 4209-4232
14-UNICEF, 2008. UNICEF Handbook on Water Quality. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), New York, USA., Pages: 179
W. K. Amhimmid, E. J. Emhemmad and M.A. Ali, Evaluation of Drinking Wall's Water 15-Quality in Murzuq Basin Southwest of Libya, International Journal of Advanced Materials. Research, Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 43-47, 2020.
16- Tareq Alnnale. (2025). Random construction in the city of Al-Bayda during the period 2011-2022 and its irregular expansion and its impact on the urban landscape. مجلة العلوم الشاملة, (10)(ملحق 38), 2590-2614. https://doi.org/10.65405/7ms6e657.
