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The Fate of Base Metals in the Environment and Water Quality in the Mellegue Watershed, Northwest Tunisia

Das Verhalten von unedlen Metallen in der Umwelt und die Wasserqualität im Mellegue-Einzugsgebiet, Nordwest Tunesien

La influencia de los metales base en el ambiente y la calidad del agua en la cuenca Mellegue, Noroeste de Túnez

突尼斯西北部Mellegue流域水样及环境碱金属特征

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Abstract

The 130 Mm3-capacity Mellègue reservoir has a broad catchment area. Contaminants include sewage from cities, farm fertilizers, and metals released from mine tailings, all of which threaten Tunisia’s water supply. Forty surface water samples were collected from watercourses and 18 from the reservoir during the wet and dry seasons. To evaluate groundwater contamination, the Sarrat basin was considered as a case study, and well water was analysed. The total amounts of base metals and nutrients in the watercourses did not exceed international standards. Evaporites in broad Triassic outcrops and in tailings dissolve, and may fix lead as sulphates; however, sulphate and chloride can complex and increase the solubility of some metals. The nutrient and salt content were highest in the Rmel River, which receives sewage from el Kef. An opposing gradient of metals was observed in the reservoir water column: elements such as Zn, Pb, and Al were enriched upwards, while Mn, Fe, and Cr increased towards the sediment–water interface. The same behaviour was observed for NO3 − and O2, due to metal release under reducing conditions in bottom waters, and dissolution of Fe and Mn colloids. Fertilizers and sewage may be responsible for the potentially hazardous level of nutrients in the groundwater.

Zusammenfassung

Der 130 Millionen m³ große Mellègue-Speicher hat ein weites Einzugsgebiet. Schadstoffe aus urbanen Abwässern, Düngemitteln und Metallen aus Tailings sind ein Bedrohung für die Wasserversorgung in Tunesien. Während der Trocken- und Regenzeit wurden vierzig Oberflächenwasserproben aus Gewässern und achtzehn aus dem Speicher entnommen. Am Fallbeispiel des Sarrat-Beckens wurden zudem Brunnenwasserproben analysiert, um Grundwasserbelastungen zu untersuchen. Die Gesamtgehalte an unedlen Metallen und Nährstoffen im Oberflächengewässer liegen nicht über internationalen Standards. Durch lösliche Evaporite, welche in den weiten Ausstrichbereichen triassischer Gesteine und in Tailings vorkommen, kann Blei sulfatisch gebunden werden. Andererseits besteht die Möglichkeit, dass Sulfat- und Chloridkomplexe die Löslichkeit einiger Metalle beeinflussen. Die Nährstoff- und Salzgehalte waren im Rmel-River, welchem Abwässer aus El Kef zufließen, am höchsten. Ein umgekehrter Metall-Konzentrationsgradient wurde in der Wassersäule des Wasserspeichers festgestellt. Zink, Blei und Aluminium waren im oberen Abschnitt angereichert, wohingegen Mangan, Eisen und Chrom in Richtung der Sediment-Wasser Grenze zunahmen. Das gleiche Verhalten wurde für Nitrat und Sauerstoff aufgrund von Metallfreisetzungen unter reduzierenden Bedingungen sowie der Lösung von Eisen- und Mangankolloiden im bodennahen Wasser beobachtet. Düngemittel und Abwässer sind vermutlich verantwortlich für die sehr hohen Nähstoffgehalte im Grundwasser.

Resumen

El reservorio de 130 Mm3 de capacidad de Mellègue tiene una amplia cuenca. Los contaminantes incluyen las aguas residuales provenientes de distintas ciudades, fertilizantes de granjas y metales liberados desde colas de mina, y amenazan el suministro de agua de Túnez. Cuarenta muestras de agua superficial fueron colectadas desde cursos de agua y 18 desde el reservorio durante las estaciones secas y húmedas. Para evaluar la contaminación del agua subterránea, se consideró la cuenca Sarrat como un caso de estudio y se analizó el agua potable. Las cantidades totales de metales base y nutrientes en los cursos de agua no excedió los estándares internacionales. Las evaporitas en los grandes afloramientos triásicos y en las colas se disuelven y pueden fijar plomo como sulfatos; sin embargo, sulfato y cloruro pueden complejar e incrementar la solubilidad de algunos metales. Los contenidos en nutrientes y sales fueron máximos en el río Rmel que recibe aguas residuales desde el Kef. Un gradiente opuesto de metales fue observado en el agua del reservorio: elementos como Zn, Pb y Al se enriquecieron hacia la superficie mientras Mn, Fe y Cr se incrementaron hacia la interface sedimento-agua. El mismo comportamiento fue observado para NO3- y O2, debido a la liberación de metales bajo condiciones reductores en las aguas del fondo y la disolución de coloides de Fe y Mn. Los fertilizantes y las aguas residuales podrían ser los responsables por el nivel potencialmente peligroso de nutrientes en el agua subterránea.

突尼斯西北部Mellegue流域水样及环境碱金属特征

Mellegue水库汇水面积大,库容量达130×106m3。水体污染物主要源自城市废水、农用化肥、尾矿释放等,它们对突尼斯供水构成巨大威胁。分别在干、枯季从汇水河道取地表水样40个和水库水样18个;同时,为评价区域地下水污染状况,分析了Sarrat盆地泉水水样特征。河道水样的碱金属和养分含量未超国际水质标准。研究区内大面积三叠纪蒸发盐岩露头和尾矿露头发生溶解作用,铅被固定为硫酸盐,硫酸盐和氯化物混合作用进一步促进某些金属离子溶解。Rmel河因接受el Kef城市废水而养分和盐含量最高。水库水样呈现相反梯度变化:锌、铅和铝向上富集,而锰、铁和镉向底部水-岩界面富集。底水还原环境金属离子释放和铁锰胶体溶解作用使NO3-和O2含量具有相同变化规律。农用化肥和城市废水污染是地下水呈养分超标趋势的主要原因.

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Fig. 1
Fig. 2

(modified from Ben Haj Ali et al. 1985), and b NW-SE geologic cross section of Neogene-Quaternary deposits. Key for geologic units in a: 1 quaternary: alluvium and silt, 2 Mio-Pliocene: clays, sand, silt, and conglomerates, 3 oligocene: sand, sandstone, and marls, 4 early Eocene: carbonates and marls, 5 early Cretaceous: marls, carbonate, and sandstone, 6 Late Cretaceous: marls, carbonate, and sandstone, 7 Triassic: gypsum, dolomite, sand and clays

Fig. 3

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  1. Centre of Water Researches and Technologies, Technopole Borj Cedria, Hammam-Lif, Tunisia

    A. Mlayah, F. Lachaal, A. Chekirbane & S. Khadar

  2. GeoBioTec-GeoBiosciences, Geotechnology and Geoengineering Research Center, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    E. Ferreira da Silva

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  1. A. Mlayah
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Mlayah, A., Lachaal, F., Chekirbane, A. et al. The Fate of Base Metals in the Environment and Water Quality in the Mellegue Watershed, Northwest Tunisia. Mine Water Environ 36, 163–179 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-017-0430-z

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