Impact Assessment of Phosphogypsum Leachate on Groundwater of Sfax-Agareb (Southeast of Tunisia): Using Geochemical and Isotopic Investigation

The production of phosphoric acid by the Tunisian Chemical Group, in Sfax, Tunisia, led to the degradation of the groundwater quality of the Sfax-Agareb aquifer mainly by the phosphogypsum leachates infiltration. Spatiotemporal monitoring of the quality of groundwater was carried out by performing b...

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Main Authors: Samira Melki, Moncef Gueddari
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018-01-01
Series:Journal of Chemistry
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/2721752
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author Samira Melki
Moncef Gueddari
author_facet Samira Melki
Moncef Gueddari
author_sort Samira Melki
collection DOAJ
description The production of phosphoric acid by the Tunisian Chemical Group, in Sfax, Tunisia, led to the degradation of the groundwater quality of the Sfax-Agareb aquifer mainly by the phosphogypsum leachates infiltration. Spatiotemporal monitoring of the quality of groundwater was carried out by performing bimonthly sampling between October 2013 and October 2014. Samples culled in the current study were subject to physicochemical parameters measurements and analysis of the major elements, orthophosphates, fluorine, trace metals, and stable isotopes (18O, 2H). The obtained results show that the phosphogypsum leachates infiltration has a major effect on the downstream part of the aquifer, where the highest values of conductivity, SO42-, Ortho-P, and F-, and the lowest pH were recorded. In addition, these results indicated that phosphogypsum leachates contained much higher amount of Cr, Cd, Zn, Cu, Fe, and Al compared to the groundwater. Spatiotemporal variation of the conductivity and concentrations of major elements is linked to the phosphogypsum leachates infiltration as well as to a wide range of factors such as the natural conditions of feeding and the water residence time. Contents of O18 and 2H showed that the water of the Sfax-Agareb aquifer undergoes a large scale evaporation process originated from recent rainfall.
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spelling doaj-art-1a07af37394f468e8007ff1ced636b902025-02-03T01:27:14ZengWileyJournal of Chemistry2090-90632090-90712018-01-01201810.1155/2018/27217522721752Impact Assessment of Phosphogypsum Leachate on Groundwater of Sfax-Agareb (Southeast of Tunisia): Using Geochemical and Isotopic InvestigationSamira Melki0Moncef Gueddari1Laboratory of Geochemistry and Environmental Geology, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 2092 Tunis, TunisiaLaboratory of Geochemistry and Environmental Geology, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 2092 Tunis, TunisiaThe production of phosphoric acid by the Tunisian Chemical Group, in Sfax, Tunisia, led to the degradation of the groundwater quality of the Sfax-Agareb aquifer mainly by the phosphogypsum leachates infiltration. Spatiotemporal monitoring of the quality of groundwater was carried out by performing bimonthly sampling between October 2013 and October 2014. Samples culled in the current study were subject to physicochemical parameters measurements and analysis of the major elements, orthophosphates, fluorine, trace metals, and stable isotopes (18O, 2H). The obtained results show that the phosphogypsum leachates infiltration has a major effect on the downstream part of the aquifer, where the highest values of conductivity, SO42-, Ortho-P, and F-, and the lowest pH were recorded. In addition, these results indicated that phosphogypsum leachates contained much higher amount of Cr, Cd, Zn, Cu, Fe, and Al compared to the groundwater. Spatiotemporal variation of the conductivity and concentrations of major elements is linked to the phosphogypsum leachates infiltration as well as to a wide range of factors such as the natural conditions of feeding and the water residence time. Contents of O18 and 2H showed that the water of the Sfax-Agareb aquifer undergoes a large scale evaporation process originated from recent rainfall.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/2721752
spellingShingle Samira Melki
Moncef Gueddari
Impact Assessment of Phosphogypsum Leachate on Groundwater of Sfax-Agareb (Southeast of Tunisia): Using Geochemical and Isotopic Investigation
Journal of Chemistry
title Impact Assessment of Phosphogypsum Leachate on Groundwater of Sfax-Agareb (Southeast of Tunisia): Using Geochemical and Isotopic Investigation
title_full Impact Assessment of Phosphogypsum Leachate on Groundwater of Sfax-Agareb (Southeast of Tunisia): Using Geochemical and Isotopic Investigation
title_fullStr Impact Assessment of Phosphogypsum Leachate on Groundwater of Sfax-Agareb (Southeast of Tunisia): Using Geochemical and Isotopic Investigation
title_full_unstemmed Impact Assessment of Phosphogypsum Leachate on Groundwater of Sfax-Agareb (Southeast of Tunisia): Using Geochemical and Isotopic Investigation
title_short Impact Assessment of Phosphogypsum Leachate on Groundwater of Sfax-Agareb (Southeast of Tunisia): Using Geochemical and Isotopic Investigation
title_sort impact assessment of phosphogypsum leachate on groundwater of sfax agareb southeast of tunisia using geochemical and isotopic investigation
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/2721752
work_keys_str_mv AT samiramelki impactassessmentofphosphogypsumleachateongroundwaterofsfaxagarebsoutheastoftunisiausinggeochemicalandisotopicinvestigation
AT moncefgueddari impactassessmentofphosphogypsumleachateongroundwaterofsfaxagarebsoutheastoftunisiausinggeochemicalandisotopicinvestigation