Moroccan Journal of Chemistry

ISSN: 2351-812X
http://revues.imist.ma/?journal=morjchem&page=login
Ghalit & al. / Mor. J. Chem. 5 N°2 (2017) 272-284

Hydrochemical characterization of groundwater in the Nekor basin located

in the North-East of the Rif of Morocco

M. Ghalit1*, E.B. Yousfi2, M. Zouhairi3, E. Gharibi1, J-D. Taupin4

1Laboratory of Minerals Solid and analytical chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Oujda, Morocco.
2Superior Institution of Health Professions and Nursing Techniques, Oujda, Morocco.
3Laboratory of condensed matter chemistry. FST, Fez B.P.2202 Morocco.
4Hydrosciences, UMR 5569 (IRD, CNRS, UM), Montpellier-France

Abstract
In order to evaluate the physicochemical quality of the groundwater of the Nekor
watershed (central Rif area in Morocco) and to explain the origin of the mineralization
of these waters, we have analyzed the major elements and traces in water samples taken
from 17 wells distributed along the basin. This study showed that the samples of water
are very charged with a very important mineralization (≥ 1500 mg / l). The Piper
diagram allowed us to define dominant Ca-SO4 or Mg-SO4 hydrochemical facies in
upstream of the basin. In downstream of the basin Na-SO4 or Na-Cl is the dominant
facies. The analyzes of the trace elements show very high levels of manganese,
aluminum and iron with contents exceeding those set by the WHO recommendations.
The geochemical study shows that the water-rock interaction is predominant in the
aquifer. The water saturation indices indicate that these waters are supersaturated in
carbonate minerals. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and the analysis of the
reports of the major elements allowed us the classification of the waters and the
determination of the correlation between the various parameters. Two major
* Corresponding author: phenomena in the acquisition of mineralization of water have been put in evidence. The
ghalit3@gmail.com main phenomenon is the dissolution of the rock by the contact water rock due to the
Received 01March 2017, important residence time in the aquifer. The second phenomenon is associated to the
Revised 25 March 2017, supply of nutrients and therefore with the exchange and recharge of the aquifer. The
Accepted 20 April 2017 use of hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) technique revealed three homogeneous
groups.

Keywords: Groundwater, hydrochemistry, Rif area, Nekor basin

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1. Introduction
Groundwater is a valuable and essential natural resource for multiple uses, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas. Its
origin is the underground geological aquifers and can flow naturally as springs or stored in groundwater and must be
pumped from wells and boreholes. Its quality is a factor influencing health and mortality for humans and animals [1].
The chemical composition of natural waters depends on the mineralogy of the rocks encountered along the runway,
the residence time in the aquifers, the topography and the climate of the area [2]. Knowledge of hydrogeochemistry is
a key to determining the origin of the chemical composition of groundwater, the interaction between water and rock
and the process of groundwater flow [3]. The Nort-East of Morocco, known by the Central Rif, is characterized by a
semi-arid climate. In addition to this climate, climate change and population growth are added and present a real risk
of water deficit in the future years. Indeed, water stress in this part of the country, actually less than 1000 m3 /
inhabitant / year, will aggravate to attain less than 500 m3 / person /year in 2025 [4-5]. The aim of this work is to
evaluate the quality of the Groundwater of the Nekour basin. The study includes physico-chemical analysis of the
major and minor constituents, correlation between the composition of the Groundwater and the geographical nature of
the area. For this, we used a statistical approach on 17 wells distributed from upstream to downstream of the Nekour
basin.

2. Materials and methods

In our study we have analyzed 17 samples of water. They are sampled from different wells having different depths and
exploited by the local population. The locations of the sampling wells are given in Table I.

Table 1. The locations of the 17 sampling wells.

Sample Name X Y Z
E1 Thawith F1 34.848140° -3.927326° 762
E2 Thawith F2 34.907417° -3.897389° 475
E3 Thawith F3 34.917102° -3.876115° 436
E4 Thawith F4 34.915495° -3.876288° 445
E5 Thawith F5 34.917667° -3.869333° 453
E6 Izathiman F1 34.921583° -3.860686° 408
E7 Izathiman F2 34.922032° -3.860298° 408
E8 Izathiman F3 34.922615° -3.855144° 409
E9 Izathiman F4 34.923908° -3.851278° 403
E10 Rabaa F1 34.931026° -3.833961° 363
E11 Rabaa F2 34.931361° -3.833833° 364
E12 Rabaa F3 34.931486° -3.834314° 365
E13 Bayanti F 34.963942° -3.815490° 309
E14 Bayanti S 34.964328° -3.813310° 290
E15 Thazourakhte F 35.019111° -3.821498° 225
E16 Mnoude S 35.049528° -3.848159° 360
E17 Mnoude F 35.063094° -3.826020° 171

During this study, 25 parameters were determined according to Rodier techniques [6], some of which are carried out
immediately in the field and others carried out in the laboratory. Field measurements of collected samples concern
physical parameters such as temperature (T), hydrogen potential (pH) and electrical conductivity (CE). They were
made immediately after the water samples were collected, using a portable device. The bottles used for the sampling
are polyethylene material with a capacity of 1.5 liters, previously washed with nitric acid and then with distilled
water. In the field, before filling, these bottles were washed three times with the collected water. The filling was done
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to the brim then the cap is screwed in order to avoid any gas exchange with the atmosphere. The water samples were
then transported to a cooler at 4 °C in the laboratory for analysis. The volumetric EDTA assay was used to determine
calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) concentrations and to determine the total hardness of the water. The volumetric
titration was also used to determine the chlorides (Cl-) concentration using silver nitrate as titrating solution and for the
bicarbonates (HCO3-) hydrochloric acid as titrating solution. Potassium (K+) and sodium (Na+) were measured by a
flame photometer Schelwood Model 420. Colorimetric assay methods using a Rayleigh UV-9200 spectrophotometer
were used to determine nitrates (NO3-), sulphates (SO42-), phosphates (PO43-), silicates (SiO32-) and ammonium (NH4+).
Analysis of trace elements (Zinc, Lead, Iron, Chromium, Cadmium, Copper, Nickel, Cobalt, Manganese and
Aluminum) was carried out using an AA-6300 Shimadzu flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer equipped with
An ASC-6100 auto sampler.

2.1. General characteristics of study area

The Nekor basin has an area of 790 km2. It is located in north-eastern Morocco and in the eastern part of the Rif
mountains exactly between latitudes 35 ° 43 'and 35 ° 6' North and between longitudes 3°36' and 4°4'. It opens onto
the Mediterranean Sea by a wide alluvial plain to the east of the Al Hoceima town. This zone presents a complex
geomorphology with very uneven terrain (Figure 1) [7], a diversity of lithological formations with a predominance of
shale formations with friable bases. It is also known by a strong demographic pressure of 76 inhabitants / Km2 and a
much degraded vegetation cover that predisposes the basin to all forms of erosion [8].

Figure 1. Geographical situation and map of the Nekor basin

The study area is characterized by a semi-arid climate with two seasons. A winter season from October to May and a
summer season from June to September known by hot and dry weather. It is a climate marked by an average annual
precipitation of 340 mm but also a strong seasonal and interannual irregularity. This irregularity causes alterations in
the hydrological regime of the Oued Nekor producing brief and violent floods and prolonged low water, which cause
mechanical erosion known as the most intense in Morocco [9].

2.2. Geological setting of study area

The watershed of the Nekor belongs to the external domain of Rif characterized by variability of the lithological
composition with schisto-sandstone flysch dominance (figure 2). The basin has two major structural units: the left
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bank and the right bank. The left bank composed mostly by formations of schist type of Kétama area, alternating
limestones or marls, sometimes encasing large blocks of sandstone (Alsatian schisto-sandstone flysch). As for the
right bank, it is constituted by lithological formations of more varied nature. The lower Miocene sandstones of the Jbel
Kouine are found to the south; to the south-west the hard limestone formations of the Jbel Azrou Akechar are
surrounded by Jurassic schists. Further to the northeast, towards the adjacent Nekor, one encounters essentially a
triasic gypsiferous olistostrome, as well as the cretaceous shale, limestone and marl-limestone formations [8].

Figure 2. The geological and lithological map of the Nekor watershed [8]

2.3. Data processing

The results of the physicochemical analysis were treated by hydrochemical methods and by multivariate statistical
analysis methods. The statistical approach is based on the use of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and
Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA). The Piper, Wilcox and Scatter diagrams are plotted using the AquaChem 2011
software. Statistical analysis performed on the following 11 variables: EC conductivity and Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+,
HCO3-, NO3-, Cl-, SO42-, PO43- and SiO2, were carried out under the XLSTAT 2014 software. The geochemical study
was carried out by natural evaporation simulation (sample temperature), using the chemical thermodynamic software,
Phreeqc. Version 3.3.7-11094. Calculation of the saturation index (IS) of dissolved minerals in water was carried out
using the Debye-Hückel law.

3. Results and Discussions

The results of the physicochemical analyzes of the groundwater of the region have been grouped in Table II. It is
important to remember that the notation of the samples is chosen in the ascending order from E1 to E17 which
correspond respectively to the flow of the water from upstream to downstream of the Nekor basin. The values of the
electrical conductivity found are quite important for the different samples. Indeed, these values vary between 1382 and
2310 μS/cm with an average value of 1807.41μS/cm. It is known that conductivity is generally proportional to the
concentration of mineral salts [10]. On the other hand, we have found that the salinity appears to increase in the
direction of the flow of ground water from the downstream of the basin. The SO42- and Cl- ions are the majority anions
by mass and the cations Ca2+ and Na+ are the majority cations by mass. The average molar abundance of the major

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elements (Table III) varies as follows: for the cations it is in the order Na+ >Ca2+ >Mg2+ > K+ and for the anions it is in
the order SO42->Cl->HCO3->NO3-.

Table 2. Results of physicochemical analysis of groundwater of the Nekor basin.

T EC Na+ K+ Mg2+ Ca2+ NH4+ Cl- SO42- HCO3- NO3- PO43- SiO2
Sample pH
(°C) (µS/cm) (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l)
E1 28.5 7.33 2060 94.4 6.5 203.30 301.17 0.08 88.75 1237.11 445.30 26.12 0.40 12.76
E2 17 7.23 1920 96.8 3.1 119.80 265.93 0.00 113.60 923.24 366.00 5.40 0.19 15.08
E3 28.5 7.27 1480 94.4 2.7 108.32 221.07 0.00 172.80 691.05 292.80 25.17 0.33 11.30
E4 28.5 7.6 1461 100 2.6 88.14 237.10 0.00 138.45 758.16 219.60 23.42 0.27 9.96
E5 16.5 7.25 1883 104 3.2 93.87 273.94 0.00 134.90 713.64 366.00 2.45 0.14 11.58
E6 31 7.39 1680 100 2.7 129.48 165.01 0.13 106.50 761.46 329.40 14.30 0.42 9.52
E7 28 6.88 1423 100 2.6 80.46 240.30 0.00 134.90 668.68 268.40 37.60 0.28 9.45
E8 31 7.42 1953 119 3.8 94.88 208.26 0.34 134.90 823.57 329.40 9.09 0.53 10.89
E9 16 7.49 1928 112 3.6 104.46 246.71 0.00 134.90 808.44 317.20 3.84 0.19 11.36
E10 28.5 7.11 1382 105.6 2.6 82.40 206.66 0.03 138.45 616.05 305.00 41.72 0.28 10.97
E11 15.5 7.34 1749 96.8 5.6 84.33 201.85 0.00 120.70 603.42 329.40 3.10 0.19 15.18
E12 31 7.1 1703 115.6 2.7 111.23 173.02 0.19 134.90 704.11 366.00 14.79 0.67 14.00
E13 28.5 7.23 2000 248.8 3.9 91.01 256.32 0.00 301.75 816.05 347.70 20.95 0.33 10.85
E14 21 7.14 1908 296.8 5.3 124.64 214.67 0.03 433.10 767.37 359.90 30.07 0.27 6.30
E15 28.5 7.5 1816 268.8 2 84.35 166.61 0.00 383.40 356.84 457.50 17.62 0.35 13.16
E16 28.4 7.33 2070 507.5 0.8 53.67 120.15 0.00 546.70 392.75 536.80 29.40 0.34 12.93
E17 28.4 7.15 2310 520 2.8 60.38 141.77 0.00 639.00 373.14 500.20 17.06 0.39 16.87

Table 3. Descriptive statistics of major parameters

Parameter Min Max Mean SD
EC 1382.00 2310.00 1807.41 258.99
+
Na 94.40 520.00 181.21 141.55
K+ 0.80 6.50 3.32 1.39
Mg2+ 53.67 203.30 100.87 33.47
Ca2+ 120.15 301.17 214.15 49.12
NH4+ 0.00 0.34 0.05 0.09
Cl- 88.75 639.00 226.92 170.16
2-
SO4 356.84 1237.11 706.77 213.07
HCO3- 219.60 536.80 360.98 82.24
NO3- 2.45 41.72 18.95 11.96
PO43- 0.14 0.67 0.33 0.13
SiO2 6.3 16.87 11.89 2.55

The values of Nitrates (NO3-) found are generally below the European standard and the WHO recommendations
(50mg / L). However, we have shown that 4 wells have fairly high levels of Nitrates greater than 30 g / L with a
maximum of 41.72 mg / L. In case when nitrate concentration is greater than 50mg/L, the water is qualified non-
potable because it is toxic for humans especially in the most vulnerable population such as children and women in
pregnancy. In fact, it causes diseases (Methemoglobinemia) and gastric diseases (carcinomas) in children [11]. The
ammonium contents in the studied waters are low with the range 0 to 0.34 mg/L. The orthophosphates recorded show
very high levels with a maximum of 0.67 mg / l. For metal elements (Table IV), except for aluminum, iron and
manganese, the concentrations of the various metals analyzed have normal values lower than the maximum limits
allowed by the WHO standards 2011 for consumption water. The concentration of iron in different wells is
heterogeneous and varied between 0.0085 mg/L and 1.1 mg /L. The manganese contents are high in most of wells with
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a maximum of 0.8 mg / L. The high content of iron with a lower degree of manganese have a negative effect on the
appearance and the taste of water. This gives to the water a reddish coloration, especially in the deepest wells located
in upstream of the basin. Mn is coming from the numerous dendritic minerals (11% MnO2) that cover the surface of
all schistosity and fracture planes of flysch formations in the Nekor basin [12]. For aluminum, the concentration
obtained is between Min 0.1 mg/L and Max 1.4 mg/L. The maximum value that we have obtained is greater than
WHO recommendation.

Table 4. Descriptive statistics of metal elements

Variable Min Max WHO [13]
Pb (mg/l) 0 0.0013 0.01
Co (mg/l) 0 0.0163 -
Cd (mg/l) 0 0.002 0.003
Ni (mg/l) 0 0 0.02
Cu (mg/l) 0 0.02 2
Zn (mg/l) 0.0018 0.0542 3
Cr (mg/l) 0 0.0374 0.05
Mn (mg/l) 0.2 0.8 0.5
Fe (mg/l) 0.0085 1.1 0.3
Al (mg/l) 0.1 1.4 0.2

3.1. Principal Component Analysis

PCA is a method that reduces the number of variables (parameters measured for water samples) [14]. This approach
was used to extract related variables and to deduce the processes that control the chemistry of water [15].

Table 5. Eigenvalues and percentages of variabilities by main axes.

F1 F2 F3 F4
Eigenvalue 4.7648 2.4244 1.8902 1.3778
Variability (%) 39.7067 20.2030 15.7515 11.4815
% Cumulative 39.7067 59.9097 75.6612 87.1427

The analysis of the variables of the PCA in the factorial plane F1-F2 is presented in figure 4. The result obtained put in
evidence three groups of the studied parameters. The first factor F1 has 39.70 % of total variance. This factor is related
to the concentrations of Ca2+, Mg2+, SO42- and K+ which are linked to the mineralization of water by the dissolution of
rocks phenomenon. The factor F1 therefore defines an axis of global mineralization of the water. The distribution of
the sources of water on either side of this axis shows the existence of two groups, which shows that these ions come
from two different dissolution mechanisms.

Figure 4. Graphical representation in the factorial plane

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The alteration of the rocks following a long water-rock contact could influence the dissolution mechanism, which is
added to the leaching of the soil during the infiltration. Factor F2 presents 20.20 % of the total variance is linked to
Na+, Cl-, HCO3-, and SiO2 ions, coming from the evaporites, carbonates and acid hydrolysis of the silicate minerals.
The F3 factor, which represents 15.75 % of the total bound variance linked to (NH4+, PO43-), is closely associated with
the organic matter content of sediments and agricultural activities. The factor F4, which explains 11.48 % of the
inertia of the cloud of the representative points, is determined by nitrates (NO3-). The regrouping of the cloud of the
obtained points indicates that the associated parameters are solved by the same phenomenon. They come from the
surface and are caused by man or animals.

3.2. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA)

HAC was used to determine whether water samples can be divided into statistically distinct groups. The results
obtained in our study are presented in the figure 5. It seems, according to the HCA dendrogram, that the samples are
classified into 3 distinct classes. The first class consists of a sample (E1) which is located upstream of the basin. The
second class is composed of the large number of samples (from E2 to E14) which are located along the basin. The
third class consists of 3 samples (E15, E16 and E17) which are located downstream of the basin. This classification
seems to fit perfectly with the direction of drainage of the watershed and confirms the effect of erosion on the burden
of groundwater in major elements.

Figure 5. HCA Dendrogram of the water samples

3.3. Mineralization of water samples

Figure 6 shows the total mineralization of the studied waters from upstream (E1) to downstream (E17). The result
shows that the majority of the waters have a very high mineralization which exceeds 1500 mg / l. On the other hand,
the water samples collected from the sites situated upstream of the basin are rich with sulfate, calcium and magnesium
ions, whereas the samples located in the downstream zone are rather rich with sodium and chloride ions.

Figure 6. Total concentration of the main elements (mg / l) of the groundwater studied from the upstream E1 to the
downstream E17 of the Nekour basin
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3.4. Groundwater Hydrochemistry
We used the Piper diagram [16] (Figure 7) to classify the different water samples according to their chemical
composition. The results obtained show that most samples coming from the upstream of the basin have sulphate-
calcium (Ca-SO4) or sulphate-magnesium (Mg-SO4) chemical facies. On the other hand, the samples coming from the
downstream have facies ranging from sulphate-sodium (Na-SO4) to chloride-sodium (Na-Cl). The hydrochemical
facies confirmed appear to be in perfect agreement with the geological nature of the aquifers of the Nekor basin.

Figure 7. Piper Diagram of Groundwater in the Nekor Basin

In addition, we have reported the main results on the Schoeller diagram [17] (Figure. 8) in order to understand the
lateral distribution of certain ions. The concentration in milliequivalents of most of the ions studied as Ca2+, Mg2+,
Na+, K+, Cl-, SO42- and HCO3- is close to 10 meq/l. The diagram shows that groundwater in this area has similar
chemistry. However, the examining of the distribution of Na+ and Cl- ion concentration, allows us to classifie the wells
into three well-defined groups (Figure 8). While the distribution of concentration of Ca2 +, Mg2 + and SO42- ions allows
to classifie the samples in two groups only.

Figure 8. Schoeller diagram of samples from the Nekor basin

3.5. Ionic relations

We carried out a study of the correlation relationships between ionic elements using dispersion diagrams to explain the
various hydrogeochemical mechanisms involved in the evolution of water chemistry. In this approach, the correlation
coefficient is evaluated to demonstrate the linear relationship between two variables. When the correlation is very

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close to 1, this indicates that the degree of dependence is linear between the variables [18]. This study can verify the
origin of these solutes and the processes that generated the composition of the water studied [19].

Figure 9. Correlation curve of chlorides and sodium in samples

The results obtained show that the correlation coefficient between the chemical elements Na + and Cl- in the samples
(Figure 9) is 0.981. This shows that the correlation between these two elements is very strong and that the two
elements are of the same origin. Analysis of the correlation curve of Cl - as a function of Na+ shows the existence of
two distinct groups of wells. A group of wells situated upstream and the median of the basin, characterized by (Na + /
Cl-) ratio close to 1, which means that in this zone the composition of the water is determined by the dissolution of the
layers of the halite. The second group is characterized by (Na+ / Cl- ) > 1 and thus an excess of Na+, related to the
wells located downstream of the basin. The sodium enrichment compared to halite dissolution and the Ca2+ and Mg2+
deficiency compared to HCO3- and SO42- observed for these waters (Figure 10) may be due to the basic exchange
phenomenon associated with minerals Clays which fix Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions after release of Na+ ions [20][21]. This
phenomenon can also be explained by anthropogenic contribution and/or exchange between deeper groundwater
[22][23]. It is important to emphasize that the region is characterized by a semi-arid climate with a high rate of
evapotranspiration leading to the formation of salt layers that are leached into groundwater. Moreover, the high use of
fertilizers in agriculture at the studied area leads to an increase of the salinity of groundwater [24]. Similarly,
anthropogenic and marine activities lead to an increase of Na+ and Cl- ions [25][26].

3.5.1. Ratio (SO42-+HCO3-)/(Ca2++Mg2+)

The graphical representation of (SO42- + HCO3-) as a function of (Ca2+ + Mg2+) (Figure 10) shows that the majority of
the values are distributed over the line with a slope is egal to 1. The main geochemical phenomena due to Water-rock
interaction, involve sedimentary rocks of carbonate or sulphate type (calcite, dolomite anhydrite and gypsum) [27].

Figure 10. The graphical representation of (SO42-+HCO3-) as a function of (Ca2++Mg2+)

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3.5.2. Ratio (SO42--HCO3--Ca2+-Mg2+)/(Na+- Cl-)
Ion exchange is one of the important processes responsible for the concentration of ions in groundwater. The elements
Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3- and SO42- can be exchanged with the Na+ and Cl- ions. In order to evaluate this phenomenon we
have presented the curve of (Figure. 11). In this curve, the abscissa axis represents the amount of Na + gained or lost
compared with that provided by the dissolution of the halite salt and the ordinate axis represents the Quantity of Ca2+
and Mg2+ gained or lost compared to that provided by the dissolution of gypsum, calcite and dolomite. In the case
where ion exchange is the dominant process in the system, the curve must form a straight line with a negative slope of
(-1) [28][29]. In our case, the results obtained give a negative slope of (-0.9645) (Figure. 11). This result confirms that
the concentrations of Ca+, Mg2+ and Na+ are mainly related to the phenomenon of ion exchange [30].

Figure 11. The graphical representation of (Ca+Mg-HCO3-SO4) as a function of (Na-Cl)

3.5.3. Ratios (Mg2+/Ca+2) et (Ca2+/SO42-)

Most of the groundwater samples have a ratio R(Mg2+/Ca2+) < 1 and a ratio R(SO4/ Ca2+) >1 (figure. 12), which means
that the calcium concentration exceeds that of Magnesium and therefore the origin of calcium is not dolomite.
Similarly, the values on the curve of figure 12 are arranged above the line relative to the dissolution of the gypsum. In
conclusion, the origin of the calcium is mainly due to the dissolution of the calcareous rock and not the dolomite or the
gypsum.

Figure 12. The graphical representation of Mg2+ as a function of Ca2+ (left) and SO42- as a function of Ca2+ (right)

3.6. SI Saturation Indices

In general, saturation indices (SI) are used to express the predisposition of water towards precipitation or dissolution
of minerals [31]. In our case, the saturation index (SI) was calculated using the PHREEQC program [32]. Calcium is
one of the parameters that contribute to water mineralization. It emerges that the underground waters of the study area
have quite remarkable levels of calcium. Calcite, aragonite and dolomite saturation indices are positive when they are
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plotted against concentrations of Mg2+ and Ca2+, indicating that the waters are saturated with elements coming from
the dissolution of carbonates rocks. On the other hand, the waters are under saturated with ions coming from the
dissolution of sulphated rocks: gypsum and anhydrite.

Figure 13. Relationship between log activity Mg2+ and SI of dolomite and gypsum

Figure 14. The relationship between Ca2+ activity activity and carbonate minerals

It is noted in the graphs (Figure. 13, 14 and 15) that the origin of calcium is due to evaporites (gypsum) and anhydrite.
The state is related to the geological nature of the aquifer and the degree of soil evapotranspiration [33].

Figure 15. The saturation index of minerals of different samples

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4. Conclusion
The study carried out on 17 wells along the Nekor basin showed that the waters are highly mineralized (max = 2.4 g /
l, mean = 1.9 g / l). The Piper diagram allowed us to define dominant Ca-SO4 or Mg-SO4 hydrochemical facies
upstream of the basin and downstream of the dominant Na-SO4 or Na-Cl facies. The analyzes of the trace elements
show very high levels of manganese, aluminum and iron with contents exceeding the WHO recommendations.
The distribution of ions upstream and downstream of the watershed is different. We have shown that concentrations of
Ca2+, Mg2+, SO42- are higher in upstream of the basin, as opposed to the Na+ and Cl- ions, which seem to be higher
rather than downstream of the basin. We have shown that the mineralization of water comes from the alteration of the
silicates, the dissolution of the ores, the leaching of the soil and the exchange process. These different phenomena are
produced with varying degrees along the watershed. The statistical study by PCA and HCA allowed us to classify the
17 wells distributed along the Nekkor basin into distinct groups, which shows that the water quality is strongly in the
flow direction and the geochemical nature of each Sampling point. The calculation of the water saturation indices
indicates that these waters are supersaturated in carbonate minerals, which is in agreement with the nature of the
geological formations that are sedimentary of detrital origin.

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