Study of the pollution impact from wastewater reuse for irrigation on the groundwater of the quaternary aquifer, west cairo

The hazards resulting from the extensive application of using sewage and drainage effluent in its form or mixing with fresh water from two sewerage stations(Zenin and Abu-Rawash) for agriculture irrigation were studied by means of chemical, isotopic and biological techniques. The hydrochemical results of major chemical constituents of surface water samples fall in the acceptable range for using this water for irrigation, while minor groups (NO3, PO4) and heavy metals measurements showed higher values of Cd, Fe, Ni, Mn, and Pb in the mixed water more than the maximum permissible limits. The collected groundwater samples from the area of study showed high values of the total dissolved solids, minor groups and heavy metals in most wells around Zenin and abu Rawash sewerage stations. These values increase in the direction of the groundwater flow from south-east to north-west. The isotopic enrichment of delta 18O, delta D enhanced with tritium values for surface and groundwater samples confirms the direct replenishment from surface and groundwater samples confirms the direct replenishment from surface water bodies by downward infiltration to the underlying aquifer, which permits the migration of wastewater contaminants through the soil layers to reach the groundwater level. The influence of wastewater infiltration was also detected from the high counting numbers of microbes obtained in all samples, which selected from some drains and wells close to the sewerage stations. From the previous results the real hazards for using this water not only depend on the quantitative estimates of total major ions, but the harmful pathogenic attack of micro and macro organisms as well as heavy metals will pose the greatest risk to the human health. On the long run the infiltration of the polluted water will threat the groundwater to different depths of the shallow layer of the quaternary aquifer that is the only source of potable water supply in some locations