Geochemical assessment of environmental health in the shoreline between Nador and Al Hoceima, North East of Morocco
2021
Saddik, Mohammed | Fadili, Ahmed | Makan, Abdelhadi
The Moroccan Mediterranean coast between Nador and Al Hoceima is known for its ideal environment that promotes ecological evolution as well as distinctive biodiversity. In this shoreline, a marine protected area for the conservation of the biological richness is under consideration. In this context, the present study was carried out to assess the environmental health based on water physicochemical parameters, sediment granulometry, and geochemical analysis of heavy metals. For this purpose, water and surface sediment samples were collected from ten locations in the seabed. The analysis of the physicochemical parameters of seawater shows that they are of good quality and within the international standards. The granulometric analysis demonstrated a diversity of facies represented by sandy mud, silt, and clay with a low percentage of organic matter, indicating a favorable environment for the reproduction and growth of marine fauna. The analysis of heavy metal concentrations, Pb, Cr, Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn, were below the natural average values. Furthermore, the contamination indices: pollution load index (PLI), modified contamination degree (mCd), geoaccumulation index (Igₑₒ), the potential ecological risk index (RI), and mean ERM quotient (M-ERM-Q) indicated that the study area is beyond any metallic contamination. Consequently, the study area is a favorable habitat for marine fauna and thus it can perfectly host a marine protected area. The obtained results in this work can be used as a reference state for marine protected areas.
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