Organic Pollutants Evolution and Degrees of Contamination of Hammam Grouz Dam Waters, North-East of Algeria

Abstract

The construction of Hammam Grouz dam allowed to store the quantities of runoff water inside the Haut Rhumel watershed extended over 1130 km². The dam is destined to supply drinking water. The territory of the watershed has witnessed an expansion of the human activity—with its ensuing socioeconomic accessories—which was followed by an irrational dumping of various toxic substances which have been accumulating downstream. The dam’s waters are contaminated by organic pollutants due to domestic, agricultural and industrial discharges stemming from anthropogenic activities within the watershed. These organic pollutants will be leached by the rainwater and transported by the streams to the dam. The objective of this work is to study the evolution of some organic parameters analyzed during the years 2016 and 2017, based on the standards recommended by the WHO, and to identify the degree of contamination of dam waters using the methods of the OPI and IHE for December and July of 2015, 2016 and 2017. The results obtained show high concentrations of the analyzed parameters, with an increase recorded during 2017, indicating high organic water pollution. The degree of pollution, according to OPI and IHE, is moderate to high for the dam waters.