@article{fdi:010084568,
  title = {{D}ischarge of treated wastewater : hydrodynamic and hydrogeochemical impacts on the {K}airouan plain aquifer ({C}entral {T}unisia)},
  author = {{B}en {M}essaoud, {R}. and {L}achaal, {F}. and {L}educ, {C}hristian and {M}layah, {A}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{I}n {T}unisia, the discharge of treated wastewater onto land area has become a common practice, especially in arid and semi-arid regions where there are no permanent rivers to receive discharge. {T}reated wastewater constitutes a potential anthropogenic source of aquifer recharge as is the case for the alluvial aquifer downstream of the {K}airouan plain. {T}his alluvial aquifer receives annually an average volume of 4.9 hm(3) of treated wastewater from the {D}hraa {T}ammar wastewater treatment plant, which is discharged over a land area of 182 ha. {T}his research presents the first piezometric and hydrogeochemical characterization of {K}airouan plain shallow groundwater and the assessment of treated wastewater impacts on groundwater piezometric levels, salinity and hydrogeochemical composition and microbiological contents of groundwater. {T}o achieve these objectives, a piezometric surveys of 15 shallow wells was undertaken. {A}dditionally, groundwater and treated wastewater samples were collected in {F}ebruary and {A}pril 2017 for chemical and microbiological analysis. {T}he piezometric study shows that treated wastewater discharge induces a local increase of the water table level materialized by the appearance of a piezometric dome (a height estimated at 1.5 m) in the discharge site during a period of 4 years (2014-2017). {S}hallow groundwater downstream of {K}airouan plain shows a naturally high mineralization state (a salinity more than 20 g {L}-1) caused by natural mineralization process. {A} considerable reduction of groundwater salinity (between 3 and 10 g {L}-1) is observed in the discharge site due to treated wastewater infiltration. {D}ischarge of treated wastewater has caused an increase of groundwater bicarbonate concentration due to leaching of organic matter and local microbiological groundwater contamination (250-450 fecal germs per 100 ml) in the discharge site.},
  keywords = {{K}airouan plain alluvial aquifer ; {T}reated wastewater ; {D}ischarge ; {P}iezometric level ; {G}roundwater salinity ; {M}icrobiological contamination ; {TUNISIE} ; {KAIROUAN} ; {KAIROUAN} {PLAINE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{E}nvironmental {E}arth {S}ciences},
  volume = {80},
  numero = {10},
  pages = {381 [15 ]},
  ISSN = {1866-6280},
  year = {2021},
  DOI = {10.1007/s12665-021-09667-7},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010084568},
}