Accumulation of heavy metals in water and sediments Moroccan Atlantics estuary

Abstract

The strong popularity and tourist potential of the Rabat/Salé region of northern Morocco plays an important socio-economic role, asking the question of monitoring its environmental quality. This study provides a preliminary dataset for concentrations of dissolved heavy metals in water and sediment. Concentrations of six metal elements (Fe, Zn, Cu, Cr, Pb, and Cd) were measured in water and sediment to understand the level of heavy metals and their source distributions, that could be distributed through anthropogenic activities. The samples were taken at five stations in the Bouregreg estuary of the Rabat/Salé region in August 2022.The pollution of the estuary remains important despite the measures taken by the local authorities since 2006 in the context of ecological conservation, such as the closure of the Oulja landfill on the side of the city of Salé and the pre-treatment of wastewater on the side of the city of Rabat.