PJB-2024-549
BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF WATER TAKEN FROM FOGGARAS USING MORINGA OLEIFERA SEEDS’
Ahmed Boulal
Abstract
Foggara is an example of a customary water collection and transportation system found in the Algerian Sahara. However, the local population and institutional authorities see the hydraulic system as a cultural asset that should be preserved. Foggara, especially in the province of Adrar (southwestern Algeria), has long been seen as a location of significant cultural and economic importance. It is mostly utilized to irrigate the oases and provide drinking water to the indigenous people. As a result of the chaotic and intense growth of the city, some Foggaras have dried up and others have become contaminated by waters that were released into the environment. The analyses done for the water of this foggara showed that the pH (8.04) level is perfect, unlike the electrical conductivity (2750 µS/cm), which was far higher than the WHO drinking water requirements (≤ 2000 µS/cm). In terms of physicochemical parameters, most of them, Mg2+, K+, Cl-, HCO3-, NO3-, and SO42-, were much higher than that of the WHO-approved standards for drinking water. The current study came to treat the water of the Foggaras, of Massini and Kaser Addegha, located in Adrar, using the seeds of M. oleifera by monitoring the changes in the water's physicochemical properties, particularly its microbial characteristics over time and at various temperatures. The initial microbial analysis revealed the high pollution of the Foggara's water with 43, 23, and 12 CFUs for fecal coliforms, streptococci, and anaerobic sulfite-reducing bacteria, respectively. After an in vitro treatment with M. oleifera, the results obtained exposed a temporary improvement in the microbial quality of the water. Depending on the applied temperatures, our findings on the 5 °C were quite satisfying with a complete disappearance for the streptococci and anaerobic sulfite-reducers. In addition, it reduced up to 99.8% for total germs (TG), 76% for total coliforms (TC), 68% for fecal coliforms (FC), and 87% for streptococci.
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