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Characterization of chemical and microbiological quality of Nile River surface water at Cairo (Egypt)

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Abstract

Weighted arithmetic method of water quality index (WQI) was used to evaluate the water quality of Nile River at Cairo (Egypt) according to drinking, irrigation, and aquatic life water utilization. The aim of the present study was to characterize the physicochemical and bacteriological water quality of about 70 km long of Nile River at Cairo city area. The objective of the index is to transform complex water quality data into understandable and usable information by the public. The general annual average of WQI values of Nile River at Cairo was poor water for drinking (50.71), good for aquatic life (28.87), and it was excellent for irrigation utilizations (7.27). Microbiological results revealed an increases in total bacterial and pollution indicator counts from the collected water samples.

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Abbreviations

APHA:

American Public Health Association

BOD:

Biological oxygen demand

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand

DO:

Dissolved oxygen

EBT:

Eriochrome black T indicator

EC:

Electrical conductivity

EDTA:

Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (disodium salt)

FAO:

Food and Agriculture Organization

GF/C:

A special type of micro filter paper with 0.45 μm pores

NED:

N-(1-Naphthyl)-ethylene diamine dihydrochloride

TDS:

Total dissolved solids

TP:

Total phosphorus

TS:

Total solids

TSS:

Total suspended solids

WHO:

World Health Organization

TBC:

Total bacterial counts

TC:

Total coliforms

FC:

Fecal coliforms

FS:

Fecal streptococci

WQI:

Water quality index

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF), Cairo, Egypt

    Afify D. G. Al-Afify & Amal A. Othman

  2. Department of Agricultural Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt

    Mohamed Fawzy Ramadan

Authors
  1. Afify D. G. Al-Afify
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  2. Amal A. Othman
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  3. Mohamed Fawzy Ramadan
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Correspondence to Mohamed Fawzy Ramadan.

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Al-Afify, A.D.G., Othman, A.A. & Ramadan, M.F. Characterization of chemical and microbiological quality of Nile River surface water at Cairo (Egypt). Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 29, 725–736 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-018-0721-8

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