Some chemical and physical characteristics of Alexandria coastal water, Egypt

ABSTRACT

Seasonal collection of water samples were carried out at Alexandria coast from 18 selected stations during 2004 - 2005. The study area was divided into three sections A, B, and C. The study areas A and C are clearly affected by brackish polluted water discharge from El-Ammia, Rakta, Bughas, Umum, and Noubaria drains which were studied too. The hydrographic parameters [pH, DO, salinity, and OOM] were studied. This work aimed at evaluating some major ions level [average of 434.6 mg/l, 1.39 g/l, 3.11g/l, and 67.32 mg/l for Ca, Mg, SO[4], and Br in surface water and 449.12 mg/l, 1.48g/l, 3.42 g/l, and 75.68 mg/l in bottom water, respectively] in Alexandria coastal water and their chlorinity ratios relevant to the corresponding normal oceanic ones. The influence of dilution effect resulted from the discharge of different types and amount of land-based effluents was discussed. By all, the average chlorinity ratios of cations deviations from the respective oceanic values can detect as a resulting from the discharging of land -based effluents; [average of 0.074, 0.023, 0.004, and 0.172 for Mg/CI, Ca/CI, Br/CI and SO[4]/CI, respectively]. The correlation coefficients between the major cations and the hydrographic parameters were computed and discussed