title: Organic carbon, and major and trace element dynamic and fate in a large river subjected to poorly-regulated urban and industrial pressures (Sebou River, Morocco).
abstract: An annual-basis study of the impacts of the anthropogenic inputs from Fez urban area on the water geochemistry of the Sebou and Fez Rivers was conducted mostly focusing on base flow conditions, in addition to the sampling of industrial wastewater characteristic of the various pressures in the studied environment. The measured trace metals dissolved/particulate partitioning was compared to the ones predicted using the WHAM-VII chemical speciation code. The Sebou River, upstream from Fez city, showed a weakly polluted status. Contrarily, high levels of major ions, organic carbon and trace metals were encountered in the Fez River and the Sebou River downstream the Fez inputs, due to the discharge of urban and industrial untreated and hugely polluted wastewaters. Trace metals were especially enriched in particles with levels even exceeding those recorded in surface sediments. The first group of elements (Al, Fe, Mn, Ti, U and V) showed strong inter-relationships, impoverishment in Fez particles/sediments and stable partition coefficient (Kd), linked to their lithogenic origin from Sebou watershed erosion. Conversely, most of the studied trace metals/metalloids, originated from anthropogenic sources, underwent significant changes of Kd and behaved non-conservatively in the Sebou/Fez water mixing. Dissolved/particulate partitioning was correctly assessed by WHAM-VII modeling for Cu, Pb and Zn, depicting significant differences in chemical speciation in the Fez River when compared to that in the Sebou River. The results of this study demonstrated that a lack of compliance in environmental regulations certainly explained this poor status.
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulon, PROTEE, EA 3819, 83957 La Garde, France; LIMOM, Faculté des Sciences Dhar El Mehraz, Université Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Dhar El Mehraz B.P. 1796 Atlas, Fès 30000, Morocco.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hayzoun
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulon, PROTEE, EA 3819, 83957 La Garde, France. Electronic address: cgarnier@univ-tln.fr.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garnier
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulon, PROTEE, EA 3819, 83957 La Garde, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Durrieu
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulon, PROTEE, EA 3819, 83957 La Garde, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lenoble
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulon, PROTEE, EA 3819, 83957 La Garde, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Le Poupon
authors.affiliation: Centre Européen de Recherche et d'Enseignement de Géosciences de l'Environnement UMR 6635 CNRS - Aix-Marseille Université, FR ECCOREV, Europôle Méditerranéen de l'Arbois, 13545 Aix-en-Provence, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Angeletti
authors.affiliation: LIMOM, Faculté des Sciences Dhar El Mehraz, Université Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Dhar El Mehraz B.P. 1796 Atlas, Fès 30000, Morocco.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ouammou
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulon, PROTEE, EA 3819, 83957 La Garde, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mounier
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007221:Industry; D009018:Morocco; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D014131:Trace Elements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002244:Carbon
keywords: Dissolved/particulate partitioning; Freshwater; Industrial and urban inputs; Major and trace elements; Organic carbon; Speciation modeling