Investigating substrates to enhance constructed wetland performance for wastewater treatment

AGIC 5 “Book of Proceedings 5th A tlas Georesources International Congress” Geosciences and Water Security Challenges under Climate Change Hammamet, Tunisia November 8-10, 2024 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | i 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 WELCOME MESSAGE Dear Esteemed Guests, Colleagues and friends, On behalf of the AGIC5 Organizing committee, I am delighted to welcome you to the 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress (AGIC5) which held from 8th November to 10th November 2024 in Hammamet, Tunisia. This 5th Edition of AGIC focuses on serious water challenges facing Tunisia and Mediterrean region. It will cover a wide range of research fields of research from the resource exploration to the application of innovative technologies for monitoring and treatment. Since its first edition in 2017, AGIC has become an important scientific event. This symposium provided an opportunity for water stakeholders including researchers, experts, Industrials, policymakers to exchange knowledge, share best practices and present the lastest results related to water resources This edition of the conference has the overall theme "Geosciences and Water Security Challenges under Climate Change" and its main sub-themes of :  Groundwater management and Surface water monitoring and Groundwater recharge  Climate change and water  Water treatment and reuse of non-conventional water  Pollutant control and Water quality assessment  GIS, Remote sensing, and IA applied to water resource  Hydro-Hazards and Early warning system  Geological Modeling and Resources Exploration AGIC5 program included plenary sessions, followed by parallel sessions focused on the main sub-themes of the congress. Special sessions will also bring together experts to discuss and find solutions to key water challenges facing society and the environment. In addition, the poster sessions will offer students and young researchers the opportunity to present their latest findings. A student poster award will also be given to recognize outstanding research contributions. Last but not least, I would like to express my gratitude to the four co-chairs for their excellent coordination. I also want to thank the volunteers from the organizing committee, the scientific coordinators and reviewers for their valuable work to select outstanding presentations. Finally, I would like also to thank all partners for their support. Enjoy the AGIC5 Prof. Ammar MLAYAH Water Research and Technologies Center (CERTE) Chairman AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | ii 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 ORGANIZED BY Water Research and Technologies Center, Borj Cedria (CERTE) Laboratory of Georesources (LGR) Tunisian Association of Georesources (ATGr) SUPPORTED BY Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MHESR) General Direction of Scientific Research (DG/RS) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | iii 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 PARTNERS Unité de Valorisation et Transfert de Technologie (UVTTCERTE) Unité d'Information et Documentation Scientifique (UIDS-CERTE) Centre National de la Cartographie et de la Télédétection (CNCT) Ecole de l’Aviation Civil de Borj Amri (EABA) Sustainable water reuse practices improving safety in agriculture, food and environment – SAFE, PRIMA Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration Journal (EMJEI) Springer Nature Tunis International Center for Digital Cultural Economy Geophysics and Geosciences Network (GGN) Centre de Biotechnologie de Borj-Cédria (CBBC) Société Tunisienne d’Electricité et de Gaz (STEG) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | iv 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 SPONSORS Société de Gestion de la Technopole de Borj Cédria (SGTBC) Société Tunisienne de l'Electricité et du Gaz (STEG) Centre National de la Cartographie et de la Télédétection (CNCT) Globe TECH TECHNOLABO Centre of Biotechnology of Borj Cedria (CBBC) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | v 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Chairman AGIC5 Prof. Ammar Mlayah CERTE Co-Chairs Dr. Samia Khadhar CERTE Dr. Mohamed Dhaoui CERTE Dr. Mohamed Kefi CERTE Dr. Mourad El Koundi EABA Members Prof. Hakim Gabtni, CERTE Dr. Faten Jarraya-Horriche, CERTE Dr. Fethi Lachaal, CERTE Dr. Ahlem Amri, CERTE Dr. Nesrine Ouchir, CERTE Dr. Soufiene Yahiaoui, CERTE Dr. Nouha Khiari, CERTE Ms. Farah Khezami, CERTE Ing. Kalthoum Hafsa, CERTE Dr. Houda Zendah, CERTE Dr. Nesrine Kalboussi, CERTE Dr. Emna Melliti, CERTE Dr. Sarra Hechmi, CERTE Dr. Samira Melki, CERTE Ing. Imen Dhaouadi, UVTT-CERTE Mr Ghazi Chouk, UVTT-CERTE Mrs Kaouther Bargaoui, UIDS-CERTE Dr. Imen Ouestlati, CBBC Dr. Mouez Gouasmia, FSGf ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | vi 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEES AGIC5 Session Coordinators Groundwater management and surface water monitoring and Groundwater recharge Dr. Faten JarrayaHorriche CERTE/IAH Dr. Fayrouz Slama ENIT / IAH Prof. Joanna Doummar American University of Beirut, Lebanon / IAH Climate change and water Dr. Haykel Sallemi CERTE Water treatment and reuse of non-conventional water Prof. Marc Heran University of Montpellier, France Dr. Feyda Srarfi FST, University El Manar Pollutant control and Water quality assessment Dr. Taissire Ben Amor CERTE Dr. Kawther Ben Mabrouk CERTE GIS, Remote sensing, and IA applied to water resource Prof. Imed Riadh Farah MSE, University of Manouba Dr. Mourad EL Koundi EABA Dr. Ahmed Ezzine CNCT Hydro-Hazards and Early warning system Mrs Thouraya Sahli Chahed CNCT Geological Modeling and Resources Exploration Prof. Hayet Chihi CERTE ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | vii 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Special Session Coordinators Treasure Network Event : REUSE opportunities through Treasure Network Prof. Jérôme Harmand, INRAE Geophysics and Geosciences Network (GGN) Event : 1stGeosciences and Environment Interdisciplinary Meetings Dr. Mohamed Dhaoui CERTE Dr Mourad El Koundi EABA SAFE Event : Bridging the gap between science and society : Towards a sustainable water resources management in Cap Bon region, NE Tunisia Dr. Samia Khadhar CERTE Dr. Anis Chkirbene INAT Eng. Ali Ben Ammar CRDA Nabeul ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | xiv 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Plenary lecture 3 Groundwater exploitation in the Anthropocene, Day Zero and scientific pathways to water security for Tunisia Prof. Hakim GABTNI General Director Water Research and Technologies Center, Borj Cedria (CERTE) Tunisia Professor Hakim Gabtni is a senior geoscientist and full professor at the Georesources Laboratory, currently serving as the General Director of the Centre of Water Research and Technologies (CERTE) in Tunisia. He holds a B.S. degree in geology/geophysics (2000), a master’s degree (2002), a Ph.D. (2006), and an HDR (2012), all from Tunis El Manar University. Professor Gabtni specializes in geophysical methods for understanding sedimentary basins and complex geological formations. His work addresses critical areas like groundwater, water resources, energy, geological hydrogen, georesources, and environmental sustainability. His research focuses on gravity and aeromagnetic investigations, three-dimensional seismic modeling, Deep Electromagnetic survey, and near-surface geophysical techniques, including microgravity, seismic refraction/MASW, and electrical resistivity tomography. With an extensive background in research, development programs, and consulting, Professor Gabtni is also an active editor, reviewer, and author, contributing numerous publications to international scientific journals. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | xv 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Plenary lecture 4 Prof. Serge CHIRON IRD, France Prof. Serge Chiron is a senior scientist at IRD. He has more than 25 years of experience in environmental chemistry with a particular focus on emerging contaminants. Their analysis and transformation in the environment as well as their remediation at source by applying nature-based solutions are his main research skills. He has been partner in several national and international projects including two projects funded by PRIMA. Contaminants risks assessment for a safe expansion of reclaimed wastewater reuse and paths for mitigation Escalating food demands driven by population growth have intensified agricultural practices, placing extraordinary strain on natural resources. The Food and Agriculture Organization predicts a 70% surge in food demand by 2050, paralleling a projected population increase of over 30%. Consequently, strengthening our food systems is becoming essential. Addressing this challenge requires a paradigm shift towards circular economy principles, in which waste becomes a valuable resource. Wastewater emerges as a promising alternative water source for agriculture, provided its characteristics are suitably enhanced. While this approach offers many benefits, this is not without potential risks to human and environmental health that largely stem from the presence of contaminants in the recycled resources (e.g., organic micropollutants, pathogens, antibiotic resistant genes). In this context, different issues and solutions will be discussed including i) contaminants monitoring strategy, ii) regulation and policy as well as iii) water management practices to allow for a safe resource reuse in an effective and replicable way. If needed, contaminants risks must also be mitigated. In rural area, where the capacity of wastewater collection facilities are often underdeveloped, decentralized treatment systems should be prioritized. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | xvi 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Plenary lecture 5 Prof. Jean-François BARDEAU Director of Research CNRS, France Prof.Jean-François Bardeau, Director of Research at CNRS, obtained his PhD in Materials Science at the University of Le Mans in 1997. He specialized in the study of the structural and dynamic properties of different classes of materials such as organic-inorganic hybrid compounds, biomaterials and functional surfaces to focus more recently on the phenomena of electromagnetic exaltation induced on multi−nanostructured metallic surfaces to develop SERS (surface enhanced Raman scattering) sensors. Member of the office of the French Group of Vibrational Spectroscopies (GFSV) since 2015, he is the author of more than 150 publications, 5 patents and has received several distinctions for his work. In march 2024, Jean-François BARDEAU became the new director of the ICMN laboratory (Interfaces, Confinement, Materials and Nanostructures) which is a Mixed Research Unit (UMR n°7374) of the University of Orléans and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). Raman Spectroscopy for environmental analysis and monitoring Jean François Bardeau1*, P. Taugeron1, M. Rahmani1, Ludovic Douillard2 1 Institut des Molécules et Matériaux du Mans – CNRS UMR 6283, Univ. Le Mans, Le Mans, France 1*Interfaces, Confinement, Matériaux et Nanostructures – CNRS UMR 7374, Univ. Orléans, Orléans, France 2CEA, IRAMIS SPEC - CNRS UMR 380, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France *Jean-Fran[email protected] Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is an exceptionally powerful and non-invasive optical technique, increasingly used for the detection and identification of trace-level molecular analytes. Despite its immense potential, one of the key obstacles to the widespread quantitative application of SERS lies in the reproducible fabrication of substrates that exhibit consistent, high enhancement factors. These factors are intimately linked to the formation on the surface of "hot spots", regions of intense electromagnetic field enhancement. In response to this challenge, we successfully developed an efficient and inexpensive approach for fabricating metallic SERS substrates through thermal evaporation. In our recent work, we developed a bilayer gold substrate based on a primary layer approximately 100 nm thick, overlaid with an additional evaporated gold layer. During the deposition process, the metal clusters gradually coalesce, initially forming irregular nanoscale structures with small asperities before merging into a continuous film. This controlled evolution allows for finetuning of the interparticle spacing, creating an extended percolation network — ideal conditions for the generation of abundant hot spots.However, a critical question remains: how does the surface quality of the primary layer influence the spatial distribution and density of hot spots, and consequently, the overall SERS enhancement factor of the substrate? To address this, we conducted numerical simulations, creating model surfaces and by using the Finite Element Method (COMSOL Multiphysics®), we mapped the distribution of hot spots, elucidating thus the influence of the base layer's topographical irregularities on the substrate’s plasmonic behavior. Our findings were further validated by experimental results obtained using PhotoEmission Electron Microscopy (PEEM), which confirmed the critical influence of the primary gold layer’s morphology on the plasmonic properties and overall SERS performance. Our optimized nanorough Au substrates enabled the detection of crystal violet (CV), a chemical dye and antifungal agent classified as a biohazard and potent carcinogen, at a concentration of 5.10⁻⁹ M, highlighting the potential of such substrates for applications in environmental monitoring. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | xvii 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Plenary lecture 6 Prof. Abdelaziz MRIDEKH Ibn Tofail university, Faculty of sciences, Natural ressources and Sustainable laboratory Morocco Prof. Abdelaziz Mridekh is a professor of Applied Geophysics at Ibn tofail university, ‘’Géosciences des ressources naturelle’’. He is head of research unit ‘’Géophysique et hydrosystèmes’’. He earned his DEA in 1994 (at the university of Tunis El Manar) and Doctorat national at Ibn Tofail University in 2002. He worked for 3 years in water exploration for GéoAtlas, one of leader in hydrogeophyics in Africa. He specializes in hydrogeophysics and petroleum basin exploration, sequence and seismic stratigraphy, wire-line logging and GIS. He is currently conducting many research programs, consulting and is the author of several international publications and a reviewer in international journals. Energy Transition: Nord African Perspectives and Challenges Abdelaziz Mridekha, Rachidi Samirb, Nouhail Nabilb, Achraf Essalihc, Ibtihal El Aichounia a) Ibn Tofail university, Faculty of sciences, Natural ressources and Sustainable laboratory b) Institut de rechecrche en energie solaire et energies nouvelles c) Société Marocaine de Stckage Souterrain The energy transition is a crucial issue of the21st century, driven by the need to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable energy sources. Globally, this transition significantly influences the economy, redefining investments and energy policies. In Africa, the energy transition presents considerable opportunities for sustainable development but also faces unique challenges, such as limited access to technology and financing. Morocco possesses significant fossil energy potential, with production zones in the Gharb region and numerous offshore projects. These resources offer an opportunity to balance the energy mix while transitioning towards more sustainable sources. In parallel, Morocco stands out as a regional leader in adopting renewable energies, with ambitious initiatives like the Noor solar complex in Ouarzazate, one of the largest in the world. The country has implemented an energy strategy aiming to increase the share of renewables to 52% of its energy mix by2030. Additionally, Morocco is actively developing its green hydrogen policy, recognizing its potential to decarbonize industry and transport. In this context, Morocco is exploring underground storage sites, with ongoing projects like MELHY, which aim to enhance energy security and stability by addressing the intermittency challenges of renewable energies. This underground storage presents numerous technical challenges, requiring the integration of diverse scientific disciplines such as geomechanics, geophysics, and reservoir modeling to ensure effective and safe implementation. We examine the role of the energy transition in the global economy and its impact in Africa, emphasizing the importance of an energy mix tailored to the specificities of each country. In conclusion, it highlights the necessity of a personalized and collaborative approach to ensure a successful energy transition, beneficial for both Africa and the rest of the world. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | xviii 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Plenary lecture 7 Prof. Joanna DOUMMAR, American University of Beirut IAH, Lebanon Prof. Joanna Doummar is the Chair of the Department of Earth Sciences and an associate professor of groundwater hydrology at the American University of Beirut. Joanna's research focuses on water quality and quantity assessments in Mediterranean, semi-arid, and snow governed karst and fractured aquifers. Her research projects include the high-resolution monitoring and collection of time series data, subsurface characterization, and development of numerical groundwater flow. This approach is essential to drive, using science-supported evidence, policy and infrastructural interventions for GW protection and sustainability on pilot scale. She has supervised many undergraduate and graduate students in research topics in hydrogeology that culminated in various publications. She is the Vice president (MENA Region) of the International Association of Hydrogeologists and an elected member of the IAH Karst Commission. She has been also been elected in the World Economic Forum Young Scientists CommunityClass of 2020 Data and modeling in karst systems: potential application to groundwater management and policy in semi-arid regions The presentation will present work undertaken in an experimental poorly studied semi-arid region in Lebanon: the Nahr El Kalb surface water/ aquifer system composed of limestone and dolostones of Jurassic to Cenomanian age. A high-resolution monitoring is taking place since 2014 to characterize the subsurface, understand spring responses, conceptualize flow and transport in complex systems, and simulate flow in variably heterogeneous systems of Mount-Lebanon. Different methods have been applied for the characterization of flow and transport in different types of karst systems with variable heterogeneities, hydrodynamic conditions, and climatic input: 1) snow-governed versus rain governed springs, 2) fissured karst aquifers, 3) highly complex heterogenous karst with little knowledge of the subsurface, and 4) highly complex karst with a cave access. Such utilized methods include times series analysis, tracer experiments, micropollutants sampling campaigns, stable isotope studies etc. The presentation will present briefly selected models such as distributed integrated hydrological, lumped linear reservoir, 2-D dual continuum, discrete fractured network models, and recently machine learning applications that have been tailored to simulate flow in the investigated spring catchments to account for the degree of karstification and varying hydrodynamic responses. In sum, the talk will illustrate a long-term methodology that allows to assess water quality and quantity in Lebanon in particular. This approach can be upscaled to the region for a better sustainable karst groundwater management, testing of alternative methods for enhanced recharge, and policy development and implementation in poorly studied catchment areas. Table of Contents AGIC5 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | xix Page | xix 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 TABLE OF CONTENTS Groundwater management and surface water monitoring and groundwater recharge Page Scientific program 1 Oral presentations 2 GR-Or-01 Fractures analysis in the Takelsa basin (Northeastern Tunisia) using field data and automatic extraction for groundwater investigation Sabra Dhouioui, Houcem Mzali, Kalthoum Hafsa 3 GR-Or-02 Recharge Mapping and water availability analysis for the Zaghouan Karst aquifer (Northeastern Tunisia) Fairouz Slama, Emna Gargouri-Ellouze, Ali Benhmid, Samiha Kriaa, Jean-Denis Taupin and Rachida Bouhlila 5 GR-Or-03 Groundwater recharge estimation for Mornag aquifer using SWB code Nesrine Ghouili, Nadine Zammeli, Faten Jarraya-Horriche 7 GR-Or-04 Precise delimitation of the ‘SASS’ reservoirs (Southern Tunisia). Well logging contributions Rafika Ben Lasmar, Rihab Guellala 9 GR-Or-05 Hydrochemical and geophysical study of the spatial extent of marine intrusion in the Oualidia coastal aquifer, Morocco Sadik Youssef, El khalidi Khalid, Najib Saliha, Fadili Ahmed, Dakir Ibrahim, Zourarah Bendahhou, Mehdi Khalid 11 GR-Or-06 Analyzing the Hydrodynamic Patterns of Zaghouan's Karst Springs: A Comparative Evaluation of ANN Models Using Historical Data Emna Gargouri-Ellouze, Tegawende Arnaud Ouedraogo, Fairouz Slama, Rachida Bouhlila 13 GR-Or-07 Surface water quality for irrigation and dominant hydrogeochemical mechanisms in a Mediterranean wetland ecosystem, North-East Algeria Faouzi Zahi, Azzeddine Reghais, Ilyes Mecibah, Abdelmalek Drouiche, Fethi Medjani 15 GR-Or-08 Hydrogeological Significance of Mediterranean Geoparks In the Framework of the UNESCO IGCP-730 Project Badiaa Chulli 17 GR-Or-09 Multi-tracer and isotopic investigation of seawater intrusion in the Lebna plain (Cap-Bon, Tunisia) Fethi Lachaal, Mohamed Neji, Ghassen Benzid, Aya Snoussi, Olivier Grunberger, Claude Hammecker 19 GR-Or-10 Optimization of the strategy for exploiting underground water resources at the University of Bondoukou site (north-east of Côte d'Ivoire) De Lasme Omer Zéphir, Coulibaly Issouf, Onétié Zahibo Oscar, Kouakou Abdelaziz 20 GR-Or-11 Application of multiple approaches to investigate the hydrochemistry evolution of salt in an arid region, sabkha En Noual, Southern Tunisia Nesrine Nasri, Rachida Bouhlia, Ilyes Salhi 22 GR-Or-12 Modeling Approach to Groundwater Processes and Pollution: A Hydrogeochemical Assessment of the Grombalia Aquifer in Northeast Tunisia Farah Khezami, Nouha Khiari, Abdelmalek Drouiche, Anis Chkirbene, Faouzi Zahi, Taha-Hocine Debieche ,Samia Khadhar 24 Table of Contents AGIC5 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | xx Page | xx 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Poster presentations 26 GR-Po-01 Hydrogeophysical study of the relationship between the Sfax and Regueb aquifers in the Tunisian Sahel (Mediterranean arid region) Mohamed Lemine Babou, Hakim Gabtni 27 GR-Po-02 Geophysical Characterization of Karst Aquifers in a Semi-Arid Environment: A Case Study of the El Houdh Basin (Northwestern Tunisia) Mohamed Hamrouni, Montassar Hamrouni, Hakim Gabtni 28 GR-Po-03 Modelling Dam - aquifer exchanges under climate change: Impact of Dam construction on groundater recharge of Lebna plain downstream (Cap Bon, Tunisia) Mohamed Neji, Sameh Chargui, Olivier Grunberger, Claude Hammecker, Fethi Lachaal 29 GR-Po-04 Mapping regional discontinuities and identification of their role in underground fluid flow in reservoir: case study of the of Sidi Jdidi region (North-Eastern Tunisia) Yosri Khadhraoui, Mohsen Ben Alaya, Fetheddine Melki. 30 GR-Po-05 Deep structure of the Mesozoic series in Southern Tunisia. Hydrogeological Implications Rafika Ben Lasmar, Rihab Guellala 32 GR-Po-06 Integrated Hydrogeological and Geophysical Approaches for Characterizing the Sahel Aquifer System Nermine Ghazouani, Henda Jelassi, Hakim Gabtni, Ammar Mlayah 34 GR-Po-07 Reconstitution of the geometry of the Mio-Plio-Quaternary aquifer system in the Sousse region Sahar Ben Skander, Rihab Guellala, Wafa Abouda 36 Climate change and Water Scientific program 38 Oral presentations 39 CC-Or-01 Time propagation from meteorological to hydrological drought Majdi Chargui , Haykel Sellami 40 CC-Or-02 Hydrological And Meteorological Drought Characterization In Lebna And Oued El Bey Basins, Cap Bon, Tunisia Malek Drissi, Ines Oueslati, Sameh Chargui 41 CC-Or-03 Comparison of High-Resolution Satellite Precipitation Products and a Reanalysis in a SemiArid Region Ines Gharnouki, Jalel Aouissi, Yves Tramblay, Sihem Benabdallah 43 CC-Or-04 Impact Of Land Use Change On The Hydrological Response: Two Cases Study In Tunisia Zayneb Mabrouk, Safa Chniba, Sihem Benabdallah, Manel Mosbahi, Zaineb Kassouk 44 CC-Or-05 Projections of cereal production in Tunisia under climate change Firas Tibaoui , Haykel Sallemi, Sana Essabe 45 CC-Or-06 COMSOL Multiphysics Model Applied to Simulate Soil Water and Salt Content in the El Haouareb Irrigated Area - Central Tunisia Emna Abdennour, Lamia Guellouz, Mariem Dahmouni, Mohamed Hachicha 46 CC-Or-07 Impact of Climate Change on Areas vulnerable to Water Erosion : Case of the Boulajraf Watershed, Morocco Houda Ousbouane Bakioui, M. Abahrour et Mo. Hmamouchi, Jamal Naoura 48 Poster presentations 50 CC-PO-07 Changes in Extreme events in a semi-arid context: Drought and Annual Maximum Daily Rainfall over the past decades (Merguellil basin) Sameh Chargui, Walid Ben Khelifa, Rahma Brini, Fethi Lachaal 51 Table of Contents AGIC5 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | xxi Page | xxi 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Water treatment and reuse of non-conventional water Scientific program 53 Oral presentations 54 WTR-Or-01 Synthetic and textile wastewater based cationic dye treatment using local iron tailing waste Oumaima Grine, Khalili Lazaar, Slávka Andrejkovičová, Robert.C. Pullar, Fernando Rocha, Hamza ElFil, Walid Hajjaji 55 WTR-Or-02 Phosphate sludge-metakaolin foamed geopolymers and their application in dye removal Oumaima Karoui, Slávka Andrejkovičová, Walid Hajjaji, Fernando Rocha, Ammar Mlayah 56 WTR-Or-03 Green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Albizia procera leaf extract: Degradation of methylene blue dye via Advanced Oxidation Process and Box–Behnken Design Hajer Chemingui, Malak Kahloul, Badra El Abed, Taissire Ben Amor, Amor Hafane 57 WTR-Or-04 Enhanced Water Reuse for Irrigation: Synergy of Macrophytes and AOP in Urban Wastewater Treatment Feriel Araibi, Samira Melki, Hatem Raddadi, Salima Dakhli, Sarra Hechmi, Yassmine Cherni, Moncef Gueddari, Hamadi Kallali 58 WTR-Or-05 Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation Activity of Amido Black Dye by Electrodeposition of BiVO4 nanostructures on TiO2 nanotubes Kawther Ben Mabrouk, Syrine Sassi, Ines Khemissi, Hamza ElFil, Anouar Hajjaji 59 WTR-Or-06 Exploring microplastics in wastewater reuse for irrigation Amal Ayari, Sarra Hechmi, Mohammed Naceur Khelil, Haykel Sallemi, Moncef Bensassi, Ammar Mlayah 61 WTR-Or-07 Electrochemical treatment of the actual waste from the industrial landfills of lindane Najia Hamrouni, Jesús Fernández-Cascán, Julia Isidro, Ángela Moratalla, Salah Ammar, Cristina Sáez, Manuel A. Rodrigo 63 Poster presentations 64 WTR-Po-01 The use of central composite design (CCD) to optimize the coagulation-flocculation process: Application in jar test and industrial scale Takwa Lazher, Sarra Hechmi, Selma Labidi, Emna Rahali,Hejer Chemingui, Zeineb Louati, Hamadi Kallali, Ismail Trabelsi 65 WTR-Po-02 Etiological survey on contaminations of thermal waters and disinfectant tests and purely natural flavorings Mohamed Ali Dridi, Fayçal Kolsi , Atef Jaouani 67 WTR-Po-03 Reduction of total dissolved solids in industrial water storage tanks while maximizing water resource recovery through reverse osmosis Aicha Lamali, Kamel Bitam, Nassila Sabba 68 WTR-Po-04 Impact of Wastewater Irrigation on Antioxidant Levels in Tomato Plants (Var. BOBCAT) Grown in Oued Souhil, Nabeul Wided Ben Ammar, Sarah Ben Hassine, Nouha Khiari, Ichrak Essid, Leila Abaza, Samia Khadhar, Chiraz Chaffei 70 WTR-Po-05 Impact of Wastewater Irrigation on Tomato Plants (Var. BOBCAT) Productivity, Water Content, and Certain Primary Metabolite Production. Sarah Ben Hassine, Nouha Khiari, Ichrak Essid, Wided Ben Ammar, Farah Khezami, Samia Khadhar, Chiraz Chaffei 71 WTR-Po-06 Development of eco-friendly biochar from agricultural residues for the removal of Bisphenol A Hajer Ennouri, Fatma Arous, Maroua Ben Saad, Atef Jaouani 73 WTR-Po-07 Investigating substrates to enhance constructed wetland performance for wastewater treatment Marwa Ben Saad, Hajer Ennouri , Fatma Arous, Atef Jaouani 75 Table of Contents AGIC5 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | xxii Page | xxii 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Pollutant control and Water Quality Assessment Scientific program 77 Oral presentations 78 PC-Or-01 Monitoring, evaluation and improvement of tap water quality Emna Melliti, Nesrine Kalboussi, Alma Mejri, Hamza Elfil 79 PC-Or-02 Assessment of Microplastics in Tap Water: Insights from the Ben Arous Governorate, Tunisia Sarra Hechmi, Tesnim Ben Mbarek, Ghofrane Ben Cheri, Samira Melki, Yasmine Cherni, Hamadi Kallali 80 PC-Or-03 Emerging Contaminants in Surface Waters of the Monastir Coast: Implications for Aquatic Ecosystems and Human Health Nouha Khiari, Farah Khezami, Samia Khadhar 82 PC-Or-04 CO2 Emissions from Soils Fertilized with Arable Crop Wastes Pre-treated by Anaerobic Digestion and Pyrolysis Zeineb Louati, Ismail Trabelsi, Naceur Jedidi, Mohamed Ali Wahab 84 PC-Or-05 Effect of sewage sludge and municipal solid waste biochars on the physicochemical and biological properties of a sandy soil Amani Haddouk, Ismail Trabelsi, Mohamed Ali Wahab 86 PC-Or-06 Sediment Contamination Patterns in Tabarka's Coastal Ecosystem, Northwestern Tunisia: An Integrative Analysis of Trace Metals and Nutrient Loading Dynamics Maissa Naouar, Samira Melki, Salima Dakhli, Zaineb Louati, Sarra Hechmi & Moncef Gueddari 88 PC-Or-07 Anthropogenic effects and contamination of Gabes Gulf coastline: geochemical and numerical approaches Adel Kharroubi, Bassma Mansouri, Maher Gzam 90 PC-Or-08 Extent of anthropogenic influence on surface water quality in the wadi Nil watershed (northeastern Algeria): an integrated assessment based on selected characteristic indices Abdelmalek Drouiche, Taha-Hocine Debieche, Faouzi Zahi, Khawla Djebbar, Faiza Aboura 92 PC-Or-09 Assessment of water quality status using heavy metal pollution indices : A case study from Sidi Driss mine, (North West of Tunisia) Nesrine Ouchir, Rania Salhi, Ammar Mlayah 94 PC-Or-10 Conductometric study of struvite prenucleation stage Amira Doggaz, Mohamed Tlili, Sami Ben Moussa 96 PC-Or-11 Long-term evolution of water quality and interactions with climate change: Case of the Bab Louta (Taza, Morocco) Abdelaziz Zouhir, Jamal Naoura, K. Hammani, L. BenaAbidate, L. Laraki, M. El Alami, A. Belhaj 98 PC-Or-12 Assessment of Aquifer Pollution Risk Incorporating Characterization of Vadose and Saturated Zones in Mareth, Southern Tunisia Mounir Atoui, Belgacem Agoubi 99 Table of Contents AGIC5 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | xxiii Page | xxiii 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Poster presentations 100 PC-Po-01 Anthropogenic impacts on a wetland within the Tunis Gulf ; wadi Méliane estuary: identification and investigation Raja Chairi, Noursène Mahmoud, Hajer Saidi 101 PC-Po-02 Calcined phosphate sludges and metakaolin for alkali-activated geopolymers Oumaima Karoui, Slávka Andrejkovičová, Walid Hajjaji, Fernando Rocha ,Ammar Mlayah 102 PC-Po-03 Impact of urbanization on the Tazarka lagoon: sedimentological and geochemical characterization Abir Marzougui, Zeineb Gargouri Ben Ayed, Raja Chairi, Amani Rezgui, Nabil Ben Belgacem 104 PC-Po-04 The effect of some chemical parameters of drinking water in the municipality of Qasr AlAkhyarLibya Dukali Almabruk Abujnah 106 PC-Po-05 Tackling Water Security Challenges through Pollution Control: A Unified Framework for Microplastic Extraction and Analysis Sarra Hechmi,Amal Ayari ,Hamadi Kallali, Ammar Mlayah 107 PC-Po-06 Enhancing Olive Oil composition and Water Conservation: The Impact of Buried Clay Pot Irrigation on the Chétoui Variety in Tunisia Imen Oueslati 108 PC-Po-07 Electrical properties analysis of La1-xSrxFeO3(0≤x≤0.5) solid solutions Rania Lataoui, Asma Triki, Sadok Zemni 110 GIS, Remote sensing, and IA applied to water resource Scientific program 112 Oral presentations 113 GRS-Or-01 Big Data and Deep Learning for Water Loss Detection Using Multiple Sensors Yassine Gacha, Takoua Abdellatif 114 GRS-Or-02 Enhancing Satellite and Aerial Images: Advances in Spatial and Spectral Super Resolution Techniques Mohamed Aymen Ben Khalifa, Mourad El Koundi, Imed Riadh Farah 116 GRS-Or-03 Digital Twins for Africa: Exploring Foundational Concepts, Modern Technologies Integration, Application Landscape, Development Challenges, and Strategies Mohamed Chahine Bouaziz,Mourad El Koundi, Ali Ben Abbes, Imed Riadh Farah 118 GRS-Or-04 Mapping of storage sites for olive mill wastewaters: A combined approach using AHP and machine learning Bilel Soussi , Habbes Seifeddine, Chamseddine Zaki, Alaaeddine Ramadan, Noamen Rebai 120 GRS-Or-05 Advancements in Lithological Mapping: A Review of Machine Learning Algorithms and Remote Sensing Data Ilyes Salhi, Mourad El Koundi, Wafa Talhoui, Abdessalam El Ghali 122 GRS-Or-06 Big geospatial data in favour of smart and sustainable cities :Use case: Real-Time Road Monitoring and Accident Detection Platform for Smart Cities Hazem Ben Abderrahmen, Takoua Abdellatif, Haythem Ismail 124 GRS-Or-07 A Machine Learning-Enhanced SWAT Model for Dynamic Assessment of Natural Groundwater Recharge Khaoula Khemiri, Anis Chekirbane, Constantinos F. Panagiotou, Catalin Stefan 126 GRS-Or-08 Applying Machine Learning Techniques with Earth Observation Data to Forecast Groundwater Levels: A Case Study of the Lower Medjerda Valley (Tunisia) Khouloud Neili, Fatma Trabelsi, Carsten Keßler, Shakil Jiwa, Amir AghaKouchak 128 ORAL GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 4 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 The automatic extraction of fractures has been carried out in several steps: 1: Image processing procedures were achieved by the Sentinel S2MSI2A image. 2: a Multi-Spectral Instrument (MSI) has been used. 3: Edge detection has been assured by the Canny algorithm. 4: The edge strength image is thresholded to produce a binary edge image. 5: Automatic extraction of lineaments. Result/Discussion This study is carried out on the Takelsa Basin. It enabled the research team to reveal two main water reservoirs, which are respectively 180-meter sandstone layer of Saouaf Formation, and 200-meter consolidated sandstone of the Beglia Formation. The fractures’ field measurements, the interpretation of NW-SE seismic profile and the automatic extraction of these fractures carried out by satellite imagery (Sentinel S2MSIL2A imagery) demonstrate that the reservoir layers of the Takelsa basin (Saouaf and Beglia formations) are affected by a high density of fractures at the surface and subsurface levels. These fractures increase the porosity and permeability of the water reservoirs, facilitate the flow of the groundwater through interconnected fractures, and facilitate the groundwater recharge. The fractures’ automatic extraction is performed by MSI (Multi Spectral Instrument), composite band, Canny algorithm, enhancement algorithm and GIS (Geographic Information System). The direction rose diagrams show that the principal fractures’ (Faults’) directions are NW-SE, E-W, NE-SW and N-S. The length rose diagram shows that the longest fractures are oriented almost E-W. Conclusion Two important water reservoirs have been distinguished for their lithology and thickness. The first water reservoir, of the Saouaf formation, is composed of sandstone with a 180-meter thickness. The second water reservoir, of the Beglia formation, consists of consolidate sandstone with a 200-meter thickness. These two water reservoir are affect by a high density of fractures where the principal directions are NW-SE, E-W, NE-SW and N-S. These fractures are characterized by interconnected fractures with low and high dips. This allows the continuous recharge of the water reservoirs and assures the groundwater flow. The fractures network play a significant role in increasing the porosity and the permeability of water reservoirs. References Delvaux, D., 2008, Interactive program for paleostress reconstruction. Ghouili, N., Jarraya Horriche, F., Hamzaoui Azaza, F., Zaghrarni, MF., Ribeiro, L., Zammouri, M., 2021, Groundwater vulnerability mapping using the Susceptibility Index (SI) method: Case study of Takelsa aquifer, North-Eastern Tunisia. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 173, 104035. Mzali, H., Harbi, A., Alyahyaoui, S., 2016, Geometry characterization and depth determination of deep water reservoirs: the case of the Jebel Sidi AbdErRahmane region (Cap Bon, northeastern Tunisia). Arabian Journal of Geoscience, 9: 295. Keywords: water reservoir, basin structure, fractures, automatic extraction, GIS, Tunisia. ORAL GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 5 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Recharge Mapping and water availability analysis for the Zaghouan Karst aquifer (Northeastern Tunisia) Fairouz Slamaa, Emna Gargouri-Ellouzea, Ali Benhmida, Samiha Kriaaa,b Jean-Denis Taupinc and Rachida Bouhlilaa (a) LR99ES19 Laboratory of Modelling in Hydraulics and Environment (LMHE), National Engineering School of TUNIS (ENIT), University of Tunis El Manar, BP 37, Tunis, 1002, Tunisia (b) Regional Agricultural Development Commission (CRDA), Zaghouan Tunisia. (c) University of Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, IMT Mines Alès, France. E-mail: [email protected]. Introduction/Objective In the southern Mediterranean, especially in semi-arid zones, assessing karstic aquifers is crucial for sustainable water supply due to challenges like population growth, agricultural expansion, and climate change. These pressures increase water demand and make karstic aquifers, which are vulnerable to contamination and overuse, vital to evaluate (Hssaisoune et al., 2020; Bagherzadeh et al., 2018). In Tunisia, where karst aquifers account for over 13% of groundwater, climate change and overexploitation pose significant threats (Hamed et al., 2023). This study assesses the Jebel Zaghouan aquifer in Northeast Tunisia, focusing on groundwater availability and recharge. Using data from boreholes and methods like APLIS, the research aims to equip decision-makers with tools for sustainable management of this critical resource Methodology Study Area Jebel Zaghouan, located approximately 50 kilometers from Tunis, is a pivotal Jurassic formation within the Zaghouan massif, spanning roughly 19.6 km². The region experiences an upper semi-arid to subhumid climate, with an average annual rainfall of 467 mm and significant temporal fluctuations, and an average annual temperature of 17.7°C. APLIS Method and Water Budget Estimation The APLIS method, used to estimate annual recharge of carbonate aquifers in Mediterranean climates, was applied. This GIS-based method factors in altitude, slope, lithology, infiltration, and soil type to create a recharge map. Variables were scored, and recharge rates calculated using QGIS. Water budget analysis relied on calibrated and validated models from Djebbi et al. (2001) and Sagna (2000), which assessed the water balance and aquifer storage. Drought Analysis The Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and the Standardized Groundwater Level Index (SGI) were used to analyze drought conditions. These indices consider both surface water and groundwater dynamics, providing a comprehensive understanding of drought impacts on the aquifer. Result/Discussion The analysis showed severe groundwater depletion in the Zaghouan region, mainly due to overexploitation from urban expansion. Despite occasional wet periods, recharge remained minimal. Statistical analysis confirmed a steady decline in groundwater levels, indicating a shift in hydrological patterns post-2011. Most of the study area exhibits moderate infiltration rates, with over 73% falling within the 40% to 42.5% range using the APLIS method, consistent with GR-Or-02 ORAL GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 6 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 previous reservoir modeling. Recharge for the aquifer was estimated at 207 mm, or 45% of the median year's rainfall. MEDKAM results supported this, showing a recharge volume of 162 mm, or 35% of median annual rainfall. Figure 1: Groundwater recharge distribution by the APLIS Conclusion The assessment of the Jebel Zaghouan aquifer revealed severe groundwater depletion requiring urgent implementation of sustainable strategies to ensure long-term resilience. Although there were some measurement uncertainties, the APLIS method yielded consistent recharge rates, highlighting the need for further validation. Future strategies should focus on integrated monitoring, stakeholder engagement, adaptive management, and resolving conflicts related to urbanization and water use Keywords: Karst Hydrodynamic, APLIS, SPEI, SGI, Drought References Djebbi, M., Besbes, M., Sagna, J. & Rekaya, M., 2001. Les Sources karstiques de Zaghouan. Recherche d'un operateur pluie - débit. Sciences et Techniques de l'Environnement, Issue 13, pp. 125-128. Hamed, Y., Hadji, R., Ahmadi, R. et al. Hydrogeological investigation of karst aquifers using an integrated geomorphological, geochemical, GIS, and remote sensing techniques (Southern Mediterranean Basin—Tunisia). Environ Dev Sustain (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-02302994-8 Hssaisoune, Mohammed, Lhoussaine Bouchaou, Abdelfattah Sifeddine, Ilham Bouimetarhan, et Abdelghani Chehbouni. « Moroccan Groundwater Resources and Evolution with Global Climate Changes ». Geosciences 10, nᵒ 2 (22 février 2020): 81. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10020081. ORAL GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 7 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Groundwater recharge estimation for Mornag aquifer using SWB code Nesrine Ghouilia, Nadine Zammelib, Faten Jarraya-Horrichea (a) Georesources Laboratory, Centre for Water Research and Technologies, University of Carthage, Soliman, Tunisia. Email: [email protected] / E-mail: [email protected] (b) Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage, Jarzouna, Bizerte 7021, Tunisia. E-mail: [email protected] Introduction In Northeastern Tunisia, the scarcity of water resources is a significant problem that is exacerbated by the effects of climate change. To address the risk of imbalance between water demand and supply, Tunisian water authorities are urged to explore new groundwater resources and improve their management. In water resources management the estimation of groundwater recharge is of great importance. Accurate estimation requires a good understanding of the hydrological processes in the studied area (Nolan et al., 2007). Choosing the right technique from the various available methods is always a challenging step, several factors need to be considered when selecting a groundwater recharge assessment method. The study area, Mornag aquifer (Northeastern Tunisia), is of vital importance for drinking water supply and agricultural irrigation; the intensive use of the aquifer levels threatens the sustainability of these waters. The estimation of aquifer recharge is a crucial issue for its sustainable management. The Soil Water Balance (SWB) code was chosen to assess the recharge of the Mornag aquifer. Satisfactory results in other study area are among the criteria for applying this model. The Mornag plain is part of northeast of Tunisia, Ben Arous Governorate, covering an area of about 250 km2 (Fig. 1). It is characterized by a semi-arid climate with an average temperature of 20°C and an average precipitation around 452 mm (1965-2022). The study area is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north-east, the Jebel Bougornine structure to the east and the Rades and Megrine regions to the north-west. The plain is drained by the Oued Miliane, which flows from the southwest to the north, and Oued El Hma flowing from the south-east and reaching Oued Miliane in the centre of the Mornag plain. Geologically, the Mornag plain is a depression filled with fluvial-continental deposits of Plio-Quaternary age, consisting mostly of sand and clay over the majority of the aquifer. Figure 1: Study area GR-Or-03 ORAL GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 8 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Methodology The SWB is a computer code developed by the USGS (Westenbroek et al., 2010). It calculates groundwater recharge by using the commonly available geographic information system (GIS) data layers in combination with tabular climatological data. This code has no user interface, but only a control file with associated data. This code calculates the components of the water balance at a daily time step based on a modified version of the Thornthwaite-Mather approach (Thornthwaite and Mather, 1957) according to the following equation: 𝑅 = P-I+ SNmelt+DRin-DRout –ETsm – ΔS Where R, P, I, SNmelt, DRin, DRout, ETsm and ΔS correspond to recharge, precipitation, interception, snowmelt, direct runoff into the grid cell from upslope grid cells, direct runoff out of the grid cell, evapotranspiration, and change in soil moisture, respectively. Result and Discussion The simulated results from SWB model for the year 2005, showed recharge values ranging from 0 to 400 mm/year, with an average of 73.10 mm/year. It represents 15.3% of the annual precipitation. The spatial distribution showed that low recharge values are observed in areas with impermeable soil. Moderate recharge covers almost the entire aquifer as it is characterized by a low slope and the presence of dense vegetation cover and permeable soil (Quaternary alluvium). The Khledia hills, Jbel Tella, and the Bir El Kassaâ and Radès-Megrine hills play an important role in the recharge of this aquifer system they are considered as preferential zones for aquifer recharge. Conclusion Any rigorous assessment of groundwater resources requires effective estimation of groundwater recharge, this latter is the primary key for most of the approaches used to assess and manage the sustainable use of groundwater resources. For the Mornag aquifer, results highlight the significant contribution of precipitation to the recharge of the aquifer. It also underscores the importance of judiciously managing water resources and considering climate variability to ensure a reliable and sustainable water supply in the Mornag region. Keywords: Groundwater recharge, Mornag, SWB, semi-arid climate. References Thornthwaite, C.W., and Mather, J.R, 1957: Instructions and tables for computing potential evapotranspiration and the water balance. Publ. Climatol, 10. 185–311. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) 2004: Hydrologic Soil-Cover Complexes (SCS). U.S: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/natural-resource-concerns/soil). The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-Natural Resources Conservation Service. (1986). Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds TR-55. U.S: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Westenbroek, SM., Kelson, VA., Dripps, WR., Hunt, RJ., and Bradbury, KR., 2010: SWBA Modified Thornthwaite-Mather Soil-Water-Balance code for estimating Groundwater Recharge: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods 6-A31. ORAL GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 9 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Precise delimitation of the ‘SASS’ reservoirs (Southern Tunisia). Well logging contributions Rafika Ben Lasmara,b, Rihab Guellalaa,b (a) Département de Géologie, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Unité de Recherches de Géophysique Appliquée aux Matériaux et aux Minerais (URGAMM), 2092, El Manar, Tunisia . (b) Laboratoire de Géoressources, CERTE, Technopôle de Borj Cedria, Tunisia. E-mail: [email protected] Introduction/Objective Southern Tunisia belongs to the Sahara desert, one of the driest regions of the world, where groundwater research is crucial to satisfy the water demand. Based on petroleum wells and their corresponding logging, the present study aims a better characterization of the Triassic-Miocene aquifer system in Tataouine-Medenine region in view to develop a water resources rational exploitation program. Methodology The study area is covered by 25 petroleum wells at depths 1000–4000 m, crossing the TriassicMiocene formations. These wells contain, gamma ray, sonic, spontaneous polarization and resistivity logs, which allow for a precise delimitation of the ‘SASS’ réservoirs in TataouineMedenin région. The gamma ray (GR) log is an excellent tool to distinguish between shales and non-shales because shales emit more gam ma rays than other sedimentary rocks (Bassiouni 1994). The sonic or acoustic logs measure the interval transit time (Δt) of an elastic wave through the formation. They can also be used to calculate seismic velocity (Desbrandes 1985). The sensitivity to changes in mineralogy and porosity make them a useful tool for lithological identification. High Δt values (low velocities) usu ally indicate shale and coal ; a middle Δt values specifies sand and evaporate, and a low Δt value marks carbonate (Rider 1996). The spontaneous polarization or potential (SP) and the resistivity logs, commonly recorded together, are widely used in determining the aquifer layers and the salinity of the formation water. The SP is a natural potential that appears opposite porous and permeable layers when the salinity is different between the interstitial water and the mud filtrate (Serra 1984). The mud filtrate is usually less saline than the water formation ; thus, a deflection towards the negative potential, to the left, occurs in the aquifers. The existing resistivity logs comprise the deep induction (ID or ILD) and medium induction (IM or ILM) measurements. The ILD is used to provide the uninvaded zone resistivity (Rt), whereas the ILM, which has a shallower penetration depth (Schlumberger 1989), gives the invaded zone resistivity (Bassiouni 1994). The ILD and ILM curves indicate the high resistivities of the permeable formation containing freshwater (Chapellier 1992 ; Cuddy and Glover 2000). GR-Or-04 ORAL GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 10 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Result/Discussion Well logs and lithological columns are used to precisely determine the position and composition of the known water reservoirs and to identify others able to produce good quality water. They show that the sandstone formations: Sidi Stout, Kirchaou and Touareg and the dolomitic formations : Mekraneb and Rehach are the main reservoirs of the Triassic aquifer system. The permeability of these reservoirs mainly depends on the degree of fracturing and the clay content. Their interconnection is limited by the gypsum and clay layers separating them. The Jurassic aquifer layers consist of Krachoua limestones, Techout sandstones, and Foum Tataouine limestones and dolomites. These aquifers are important in the West and Southwest, and are rich in clays and evaporates, while towards the East and Northeast, they are progressively enriched in carbonates and their thickness decreases. The lower Cretaceous aquifer system (CI) is a multilayer aquifer composed of Boulouha, Douiret, Chenini, and Oum Diab sandstones. The Boulouha and Douiret reservoirs are developed in the Southwest and are rich in clays, while towards the Northeast, they are progressively depleted in clays and their thickness decreases. The Chenini and Oum Diab sandstones gradually change to carbonate from south west to northeast without significant variation in thickness. The Gattar limestones, Abiod limestones, Ain Ghrab limestones and Oum Dhouil sandstones are the main Upper Cretaceous-Miocene (CT) reservoirs. Well logs analysis highlights many permeable layers that could play an important role in the groundwater circulation. Conclusion The present study yielded to interesting results that may contribute to a better management of groundwater resources in southern Tunisia. It can be also a reference of other scientific research dealing with the Northern Sahara Aquifer System (SASS). Moreover, this study can be an international reference of a successful use of petroleum data for hydrogeological purposes. Keywords: ‘SASS’, Southern Tunisa, Triassic-Miocene formations, Well logging References: Bassiouni Z (1994) Theory, measurement and interpretation of well logs. SPE Textbook Series, vol 4, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Richardson, TX, 372 pp. Chapellier D (1992) Well logging in hydrogeology. Balkema, Brookfield, MA, 175 pp. Cuddy S Glover PWJ (2000) Litho-facies and permeability from electri cal logs using fuzzy logic. SPE 64511, SPE Reservoir Evaluation and Eng., vol 3, no. 4, 319 pp. Desbrandes R (1985) Encyclopedia of well logging. Technip, Paris, 587 pp. Rider M (1996) The geological interpretation of well logs, 2nd edn. Whittles, Dunbeath, UK, 280 pp. Schlumberger (1989) Log interpretation principles/applications. Schlumberger, Houston, TX, 230 pp. Serra O (1984) Fundamentals of well log interpretation, vol 1: the acqui sition of data. In: Developments in Petroleum Science 15A.Elsevier, New York, 423 pp. ORAL GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 11 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Hydrochemical and geophysical study of the spatial extent of marine intrusion in the Oualidia coastal aquifer, Morocco Sadik Youssefa, El khalidi Khalida, Najib Salihab, Fadili Ahmeda, Dakir Ibrahima, Zourarah Bendahhoua , Mehdi Khalidb (a)Laboratory of Marine Geosciences and Soil Sciences, Department of geology, Faculty of Sciences, Uversniity of Chouaib Doukkali 44 000 El Jadida Morocco. Corresponding author Email: [email protected] (b)IRNE Team, MRI Laboratory, Department of geology, Polydisciplinary Faculty of Khouribgua, University Sultan Moulay Slimane 25 000 El Khouribgua Morocco. Introduction/Objective Semi-arid regions face water stress due to climate change and intensive exploitation of groundwater resources, contributing to marine intrusion. This phenomenon represents a major challenge for the sustainability of water resources in these areas. This study aims to assess the spatial extent of marine intrusion in the Oualidia coastal aquifer in 2024. Methodology To achieve this objective, a geophysical methodology involving ETR electrical tomography profiles (positioned perpendicular to the shoreline), combined with hydrochemical analysis of 75 wells during July. These groundwater samples are distributed across the study area in such a way as to maintain a maximum mesh size of two kilometers. Statistical analysis was also adopted to check data homogeneity and correlations (figure 1). Figure 1 : geographical location of the study area GR-Or-05 ORAL GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 12 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Result/Discussion The results obtained from two tomographic profiles reveal the presence of a conductive layer characterized by a particularly low resistivity, below 45 Ω-m, indicating seawater intrusion. In addition, hydrochemical analysis of groundwater samples highlights that the area most affected by marine water is mainly located within the first kilometer of the ocean, showing high levels of electrical conductivity over 5 ms/cm as well as significant concentrations of Na+ and Clions. As one moves away from this coastal zone, the degree of mineralization progressively decreases to reach much lower levels. Figure 2 : distribution of wells in the area and spatial distribution of electrical conductivity EC Conclusion By integrating the data obtained from ETR tomography, hydrochemical analysis, and electrical conductivity values, it is established that the extent of mineralization in the region mainly influenced by marine waters is concentrated within the first kilometer of the ocean, suggesting a weak progression of the salt bevel towards the mainland compared with the results of previous studies. Keywords: Groundwater, seawater, hydrochemistry, salt bevel, ERT. ORAL GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 13 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Analyzing the Hydrodynamic Patterns of Zaghouan's Karst Springs: A Comparative Evaluation of ANN Models Using Historical Data Emna Gargouri-Ellouzea, Tegawende Arnaud Ouedraogo, Fairouz Slama, Rachida Bouhlila (a) LR99ES19 Laboratory of Modelling in Hydraulics and Environment (LMHE), National Engineering School of TUNIS (ENIT), University of Tunis El Manar, BP 37, Tunis, 1002, Tunisia E-mail: [email protected] Introduction/Objective Karst aquifers, supplying 25% of global drinking water, are formed from carbonate rock dissolution and have complex flow paths, making them difficult to model (Ghasemizadeh et al., 2012). Hydrogeological models, whether lumped or physical, are essential for managing these resources (Jourdes & Wang, 2023). Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), though considered a "black box," are increasingly used to improve karst hydrodynamic modelling without detailed knowledge of geometry. This study examines the Jebel Zaghouan karst system in Tunisia, assessing ANNs to better understand its hydrological processes. The research also evaluates the potential of ANNs to be applied to other karst systems under anthropogenic and climate pressures, contributing to sustainable management of these vital water resources. Methodology Data pre-processing Historical data on rainfall, temperature, pressure, and discharge for the Jebel Zaghouan karst system from 1915 to 1944 were sourced from archives and hydrological surveys. Data preprocessing included scanning, OCR conversion, manual error correction, and standardization. Missing data were addressed using interpolation, conditional univariate distribution filling, and ANNs. Statistical analyses, including correlation coefficients, crosscorrelation, and autocorrelation, were conducted to explore hydrological dynamics and relationships. ANN Modelling Three ANN architectures—MLP, CNN, and LSTM—were tested with hyperparameters finetuned using Bayesian optimization, grid, and random search. The data was split into 70% training, 15% validation, and 15% test sets. Models were trained on the training set, with validation set performance used to prevent overfitting. Model effectiveness was evaluated using MAE, RMSE, NSE, and cross-validation to determine the best architecture for simulating hydrological processes. Result/Discussion The three models reproduced the karst dynamic (Figure 1). However, the MLP and CNN overestimate the discharges. The best model is LSTM. It reproduces the dynamic and the discharges. Indeed, this model presents the best highest coefficients: KGE= 0.67; NSE= 0.42 and R²=0.59. GR-Or-06 ORAL GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 20 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Optimization of the strategy for exploiting underground water resources at the University of Bondoukou site (north-east of Côte d'Ivoire) De Lasme Omer Zéphira, Coulibaly Issoufa, Onétié Zahibo Oscara Kouakou Abdelaziza (a) Geosciences Department of the Training and Research Unit in Biological Sciences, Péléforo GON COULIBALY University of Korhogo, BP 1328, Ivory Coast Email: [email protected] / [email protected] Introduction/ Objective Faced with a crucial drinking water supply problem, Côte d'Ivoire is putting in place solutions to meet the needs of its population. As part of the university decentralization program (PDU), the government has invested in infrastructure to improve living conditions for students, in particular access to drinking water and electricity. In Bondoukou, a new university has benefited from 13 boreholes to supply its population. Assessing the aquifers exploited is therefore essential to ensure sustainable management of groundwater resources. The aim of this study was to propose a strategy for the optimal management of groundwater resources for the supply of drinking water to the people who will be using the University site in the town of Bondoukou (north-east of Côte d'Ivoire). The specific objectives are firstly, to identifying the type of underground aquifer, then assessing the hydrodynamic and hydraulic parameters using the Pumping Interpretation Assistance Tool (OUAIP). Secondly, to estimate the practical scope of productivity using geostatistical analysis and kriging of the transmissivity of the aquifers tapped. Finally, to strategize for optimizing groundwater production was simulated on the basis of the intrinsic properties of a productive borehole layout to cover the progressive programming of the drinking water consumption needs of the population living on the University site. Methodology The methodological approach consisted, firstly, of identifying the type of aquifer on the basis of stratigraphy, and secondly, assessing the hydrodynamic and geological parameters based on stratigraphy, followed by an assessment of the hydrodynamic and hydraulic parameters hydraulic parameters using the pumping interpretation support tool (OUAIP) and then estimating the productivity regionalization through geostatistical analysis and kriging of the transmissivity of the transmissivity of the ten aquifers tapped. Finally, a strategy for optimizing the groundwater production was simulated based on the intrinsic hydrodynamic properties of a drilling of a productive borehole and the progressive programming of coverage of the drinking water consumption drinking water needs of the population living on the University site. Results/Discussion The results show that ten of the boreholes tap discontinuous aquifers containing confined groundwater. These boreholes deliver an average flow rate of 6.81 m3/h of groundwater from aquifers characterized by an average specific flow rate of 0.53m2/h and an average transmissivity of 2.63* 10−4 m2/s. The geostatistical analysis depicted that transmissivity behaves as a regionalized variable with a practical range of no more than 150m. From the optimization simulation, the results showed that it is not necessary to operate all the boreholes GR-Or-10 ORAL GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 21 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 on the site simultaneously however, to choose a single borehole identified as F17 operated at a flow rate of 12m3/h for 12 hours each day to cover the water needs of the people who will be attending the University of Bondoukou for the first five years. Conclusion The study concludes that ten boreholes tap discontinuous, confined aquifers, with an average flow rate of 6.81 m³/h and a specific flow rate of 0.53 m²/h. Transmissivity, regionalized over 150 meters, has an average of 2.63*10−4 m2/s. Optimization simulations show that it is not necessary to operate all the boreholes simultaneously. Borehole F17, operating at a flow rate of 12 m³/h for 12 hours a day, can cover the water needs of the University of Bondoukou for the first five years. In this way, the operating optimization strategy is helping to make considerable savings on the initial cost of the drinking water supply budget for the university site. Keywords: aquifer, transmissivity, drinking water supply (DWS), Bondoukou. References De lasme oz, lasm t., oga m.-s., youan tm, baka d., ettien fb, Kouakou s., onetie o. Z, yao tk (2012). Analysis of the hydrodynamic properties of fissured aquifers in the san-pedro region (south-west of côte d'ivoire), studios geological, no 68, pp 217232. Lachassagne p. And wyns r. (2005). Basement aquifers: new concepts Application to prospecting and water resource management. Geosciences, vol. 2: pp. 3237. Lasm, t.; razack, m. & youan ta, m. (2008). Geostatistical analysis of the transmissivity in fissured reservoirs of bondoukou region (northeast, ivory coast). In: book series titled: applied groundwater studies in africa, iah-selected papers, taylor & francis, the netherlands, 473-485. Youan ta m., de lasme oz, baka d., lasm t., jourda jp and biemi j. (2015). Analysis of the hydrodynamic properties of the fractured aquifer of the paleoproterozoic basement: assistance in the supply of drinking water to the populations of the bondoukou region (north-east of côte d'ivoire). Vol 13, no. 3, pp576. ORAL GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 22 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Application of multiple approaches to investigate the hydrochemistry evolution of salt in an arid region, sabkha En Noual, Southern Tunisia Nesrine Nasri a,b, Rachida Bouhlia b, Ilyes Salhic (a) University of Carthage, Higher Institute of Environmental Technologies, Urban Planning and Construction, Charguia II, 2035, Tunis, Tunisia. (b) Laboratory of Modeling in Hydraulics and Environment (LMHE), National Engineering School of Tunis (ENIT), University of Tunis El Manar (UTM), Bp 37, Le Belvedere, 1002, Tunis, Tunisia (c) National Office of Mines, Tunis, Tunisia E-mail: [email protected] Introduction/Objective In a closed basin under an arid climate, several factors contribute to the accumulation and distribution of evaporites, including climate, surface and groundwater connections, and the types of rocks present (Wood et al, 2002, Warren, 2010). Furthermore, the accumulation of salts directly affects surface and groundwater as well as the nearby recent terrains surrounding the Sabkha. An investigation of major ions in 34 water samples was performed using graphical methods, ionic ratios, and geochemical modeling. This study aims to understand the processes responsible for the accumulation of salts in the depression considering the hydrological, and hydrogeological conditions. Methodology Sabkha En Noual is a high saline basin, with an area of approximately 154.2 km2, situated in the south of the governorate of Sidi Bouzid. The annual average rainfall and evapotranspiration reach 220 mm and 1397 mm/year respectively. Thirty-four samples were conducted in 2019. The chemical composition of groundwater resources, as well as water-rock interactions and ion exchange processes, were assessed using ionic ratios, correlation analysis, Gibbs diagram, and Piper trilinear diagram. Ion speciation and saturation indices were assessed using the USGS program, PHREEQC v3.3.7 (Parkhurst and Appelo, 1999) along with the Pitzer database (Pitzer, 1973). Simulations determine mineral precipitation sequence in the catchment area of the sabkha. Result/Discussion Shallow aquifers, situated in Plio-Quaternary geological formation, show the highest value of salinity whereas deep groundwaters, located generally in carbonate formations, present the lowest value of salinity variations. The TDS value of meteoric and sabkha samples ranged from 64820 mg/l to 87284 mg/l. Water samples are classified into three hydrochemical groups: recharge area (Na-K-Cl-SO₄), saline depression (Na/K-Cl), and deep groundwater (Ca-Mg-Cl). The saturation index values showed that the sabkha was supersaturated with bloedite (Na2Mg(SO4)2 4H2O) and Goergeyite (K2Ca5(SO4) 6H2O. The results of the mixing simulation under evaporation conditions indicate that the sabkha geochemistry consists of a mixture of groundwater, deep aquifer water, and meteoric water. The application of graphical methods, ionic index and geochemical modeling provided a first comprehensive understanding of the hydrochemical characteristics of sabkha En Noual. The most important hydrogeochemical GR-Or-11 ORAL GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 23 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 processes that control brine evolution in the sabkha along the flow path are evaporation, gypsum dissolution, mixing and ionic exchange on clay minerals. Conclusion The hydrogeochemical analysis indicates that water chemistry is controlled by water-rock interactions, evaporation, the dissolution of evaporites, and ionic exchange. Modeling results from PHREEQC show that bloedite is the predominant salt mineral in the sabkha, at approximately 80 kg/m³, followed by Goergeyite, which ranges from 2 to 4 kg/m³. Future studies will focus on additional experimental and field studies to explore the processes that govern the chemical composition of water in the Sabkha El Noual catchment area and to evaluate the overall reserves of precipitating minerals during brine evolution. Keywords: arid climate, brine, sabkha, geochemistry, evaporation References Pitzer, K.S., 1973. Thermodynamics of electrolytes. 1. Theoretical basis and general equations. J. Phys. Chem. 77, 268–277. Warren, J. K. 2010. Evaporites through time: Tectonic, climatic and eustatic controls in marine and nonmarine deposits. Earth-Science Reviews, 98, 217–268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2009.11.004 Wood WW, Sanford WE, Al Habschi ARS. 2002. The source of solutes in the coastal sabkha of Abu Dhabi. Bull Geol Soc Am 114:259–268. ORAL GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 24 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Modeling Approach to Groundwater Processes and Pollution: A Hydrogeochemical Assessment of the Grombalia Aquifer in Northeast Tunisia Farah khezamia,b , Nouha Khiaria , Abdelmalek Drouichec , Anis Chkirbenes , Faouzi Zahic , Taha-Hocine Debiechec ,Samia Khadhara (a) Laboratory of Georessources, Water Researches and Technologies Center Technopole of Borj Cedria, 273,8020 Soliman, Tunisia (b) Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage, 7021 Jarzouna, Tunisia © Laboratory of Geological Engineering, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University of Jijel, 18000 Jijel, Algeria (d) LR16AGR02 Water Science and Technology Research Laboratory, National Institute of Agronomy, University of Carthage, Tunis, Tunisia [email protected] Introduction/Objective The Grombalia region's groundwater Northeast of Tunisia, has been extensively studied, particularly its geochemical and isotopic composition. Research has focused on natural waterrock interactions and the anthropogenic impacts of irrigation water returning to the aquifer, contributing to water salinization (Ben Moussa et al. 2010). This study aims to build on previous research by examining the hydrogeochemical processes (such as mineralization, alteration, and pollution) and human activities that influence groundwater quality in the Grombalia region using various methodologies. Methodology Several approaches were applied to achieve our goals, namely: multivariate statistical analysis (principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA)), visual interpretation diagrams (Piper, dispersion), calculation of several indices (hydrogeochemical chloro-alkaline index (CAI), groundwater pollution index (GPI) and nitrate pollution index (NPI)), and mapping using a geographic information system (GIS). Result/Discussion The findings indicate that the chemical element concentrations in most samples surpass WHO standards. The groundwater, characterized by a Cl–Ca–Mg hydrochemical facies, results from a mix of natural and human-induced processes. Multivariate statistical analysis, including principal component analysis, Pearson correlation, and hierarchical cluster analysis, identified agricultural activities and the dissolution of evaporitic formations as primary factors affecting groundwater chemistry.Additionally, the nitrate pollution index (NPI) shows that most groundwater samples are highly polluted (NPI > 3), likely due to anthropogenic activities such as irrigation water return and untreated urban waste (Fig.1). The suitability of groundwater for drinking was assessed using WHO guidelines and the Water Quality Index (WQI), revealing that the Grombalia aquifer has poor to very poor water quality for drinking purposes (Fig.2). GR-Or-12 ORAL GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 25 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Figure.1 Spatial distribution of (A) Nitrate, (B) NPI Figure. 2 Spatial distribution of Water quality index (WQI) in the Grombalia aquifer Conclusion These data suggest the impact of human activities as well as natural processes on groundwater quality. This work will help the public understand groundwater quality and assist decisionmakers in developing strategies for the sustainable management and protection of the Grombalia shallow aquifer from pollution. Keywords: Hydrogeochemistry, Groundwater, Factorial analysis,Water–rock interactions, Nitrate contamination, Grombalia Acknowledgements This research was supported by INWAT project, PRIMA section 2. Reference Ben Moussa A, Bel Haj Salem S, Zouari K, Jlassi F (2010) Hydrochemical and isotopic investigation of the groundwater composition of an alluvial aquifer, Cap Bon Peninsula, Tunisia. Carbonates Evaporites 25:161–176. POSTER GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 26 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Groundwater Management and Surface Water Monitoring and Groundwater Recharge Poster POSTER GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 27 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Hydrogeophysical study of the relationship between the Sfax and Regueb aquifers in the Tunisian Sahel (Mediterranean arid region) Mohamed Lemine Babou a,b & Hakim Gabtnia (a) Centre for Water Research and Technologies, Geo-resources Laboratory LGR, BP 273 Soliman, Tunisia. (b) Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Campus Universitaire El-Manar II, 2092 El Manar Tunis, Tunisia. Email: [email protected] Introduction/Objective The Sfax aquifer called the «deep» of the Upper Miocene and its continuity relationship with the Regueb aquifer have always raised the question of fossil or recharged aquifer and what they are its recharge zones, in particular its northwestern and western parts. This research article aims to study the relationship between Regueb’s aquifer and the Sfax one in the Tunisian Sahel based on geological, hydrogeological, and hydrogeophysical (seismic and gravity) approaches. The outcomes of this research clarify and give a deep understanding of this relationship to contribute to the sustainable management of groundwater potential in this region. Methodology The methodology of this study consists of geological, hydrogeological, and geophysical data such as the water and oil wells, seismic and gravity data consecutively to reveal the relationship between the Regueb deep aquifer and the Sfax one. In addition, we use software such as Corel Draw, Oasis Montage, ZondGM3D, Surfer, and ArcGIS to process and generate the needed maps. Result/Discussion The Segui formation of the Plio-Quaternary age is correlated with the water well (W1) with a sounding depth of 800m and the other oil wells, and also the Oum Douil formation of the Middle-Upper Miocene demonstrates the thickness and the spread of the formation throughout the study area. The relationship between the Regueb and Sfax aquifers is linked to the tectonic inversion of an ancient Cretaceous horst. Further, the Regueb aquifer is related to folding while the Sfax aquifer is related to faulting. The outcome of gravity shows the amplitude tendency of the study area. Major lineaments direction NE-SW, N/S, and minor lineaments direction N/S, NE-SW, E/W, and SE-NW. The piezometer sense goes from Regueb’s deep aquifer towards Sfax. Conclusion The interpreted seismic profile reveals subsurface geological structure, and the faults networking, and highlights the extension of the Mio-Plio Quaternary aquifers. Lithostratigraphic correlation proves the Segui formation is the thickest and spreads throughout Regueb’s aquifer and the Sfax one. The gravity filters show lineaments' directions and location and disclose the hidden faults and their subdivision. The relationship between both aquifers is a recharge relationship, Sfax’s aquifer is the recharged aquifer from the Regueb one due to the high altitudes and the piezometric level. Keywords: Regueb, Sfax, Tunisian Sahel, Seismic, Gravity, aquifers, Hydrodynamic. GR-Po-01 POSTER GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 28 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Geophysical Characterization of Karst Aquifers in a Semi-Arid Environment: A Case Study of the El Houdh Basin (Northwestern Tunisia) Mohamed Hamrounia, Montassar Hamrounia, Hakim Gabtnia (a) Georessources laboratory, Centre de Recherches et des Technologies des Eaux (CERTE) E-mail : [email protected] Introduction/Objective In Tunisia, karst systems represent a significant water resource of economic interest. The complexity of karst hydrosystems leads to a lack of knowledge that limits their exploitation. A geophysical approach was applied in the El Houdh basin (central Tunisia, Mediterranean basin) to map the structure of a tectonically controlled aquifer system in a semi-arid region where the demand for water for agriculture and mineral water bottling plants is increasing. TDEM (TimeDomain Electromagnetic Method) and ERT (Electrical Resistivity Tomography) data were used to image the saturated and unsaturated karst zones by studying the relationship between the Epikarst and the endokarst. Methodology The complete survey consisted of 19 TDEM soundings and 2 ERT profiles calibrated with outcrop and borehole data. Based on the 1D inversion of the TDEM soundings, we propose to study the lateral resistivity distribution through 5 cross-sections that intersect the El Houdh basin (Northwestern Tunisia) to explore the different exposed Eocene formations and the Quaternary deposits at depth. Electrical resistivity tomography measurements were conducted to better visualize and assess, in high-resolution 2D, the extent of fractured Eocene limestones and the Epikarst/endokarst relationship. Result/Discussion The 1D TDEM technique was primarily used to locate the unsaturated karst zone associated with the high-resistivity layer corresponding to the Epikarst. Additionally, we located the transition zone and the saturated zone corresponding to the endokarst due to the decrease in limestone resistivity caused by the presence of water. The 2D models reveal the surface hydrogeological aspects within the Houdh basin. The resistivity disparities can be used to delineate the potential of the aquifer system in the Houdh syncline and the recharge and discharge zones of this aquifer, thereby improving the understanding of infiltration processes. The NE-SW ERT 1 and ERT 2 electrical profiles, located respectively on the flanks of Jebel El Houdh and Jebel Gabli, provided a finer characterization of the aquifer geometry and confirmed the results obtained by the 1D and 2D TDEM methods. Conclusion The TDEM approach has proven to be a rapid and reliable method for estimating the resistive layers and characterizing the geometry of karst aquifers in semi-arid environments. By mapping both the lateral and vertical variations in electrical resistivity, we could delineate the preferential pathways for deep infiltration and understand the relationship between the Epikarst and Endokarst in the El Houdh region. The integration of 2D Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) provided a more detailed characterization of the aquifer's geometry, confirming and expanding upon the results obtained with the TDEM method. These findings enhance our understanding of karst aquifer systems in tectonically active regions and provide a valuable framework for the sustainable management of water resources in semi-arid environments. Keywords: Karst; TDEM; ERT; Aquifer; Tunisia. GR-Po-02 POSTER GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 29 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Modelling Dam - aquifer exchanges under climate change: Impact of Dam construction on groundwater recharge of Lebna plain downstream (Cap Bon, Tunisia) Mohamed Nejia,b, Sameh Charguia,Olivier Grunbergerc; Claude Hammeckerc Fethi Lachaala (a) Georesources Laboratory, Water Research and Technology Centre, PO Box 273 Soliman 8020, Tunisia. (b) University of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, 2092 El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia (c) LISAH, Univ. Montpellier, INRAE, IRD, SupAgro, Montpellier, France Introduction/Objective Climate change combined with increasing human activities, is significantly impacting coastal aquifer systems worldwide, particularly, in the Northeast Tunisia. In the Lebna watershed, the human activities are manifested by high agriculture and hydraulic constructions. Since the Lebna dam building in 1986, its reservoir has contributed to groundwater recharge through leakage in the sand and sandstone layers along the lake’s banks (Ouhichi et al, 2022). While numerical groundwater models are essential for sustainable long-term groundwater management under changing future scenarios, few studies investigated the modelling of damaquifer interactions. Methodology In this study, Modflow code was used to understanding the aquifer evolution and assess the impact of Lebna lake leakage on aquifer recharge. The Lebna Dam - aquifer exchanges modelling was established taking in account the piezometric monitoring of 181 wells covering a 5-year period (2019-2023), the results of 69 SEVs, and 10 pumping tests carried out in the region. Result/Discussion The model boundary conditions are principally influenced on one end by the varying Lebna Dam water level and on the other end, by the Mediterranean Sea, which impose fixed head boundaries (h=0m).The hydrodynamic behavior of the water table was significantly correlated to the recharge on the Northwestern side of Lebna Dam. Steady-state modelling confirmed that the dam leakage value was related to the water altitude in the Dam. Under scenario-1 (before the Dam construction), computed groundwater flow was estimated at approximately 2.2 Mm³/year. In contrast, under scenario-2 (an average dam level of 16.3 m.a.s.l), total flow increased to 4.1 Mm³/year. Conclusion In the latter scenario, the Lebna Dam contributed approximately 1.9 Mm³/year to upstream aquifer recharge. The rise in dam level also led to a piezometric rise downstream, concentrated along the right bank, exceeding 12 m locally. The average volume of Dam leakage can be reduced by several factors including increased water demand in upstream basin, or/and a decreased rainfall. Keywords: Climate change; groundwater rise; human activities; Lebna Dam; modflow. GR-Po-03 POSTER GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 36 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Reconstitution of the geometry of the Mio-Plio-Quaternary aquifer system in the Sousse region Sahar Ben Skandera, Rihab Guellalaa and Wafa Aboudab (a) Georessources Laboratory, Water Research and Technologies Center, Borj Cedria, Soliman, Tunisia (b) Regional Commissariat of Agricultural Development (CRDA) of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia E-mail: saharben[email protected]m Introduction/Objective In the last years, the Sousse governorate, located in the Tunisian Sahel, has known significant water scarcity due to socio-economic activity development as well as the remarkable decrease in precipitation. To ensure equilibrium between water needs and water availability, a better management of the water resources is necessary. In this context, the present study aims for an enhanced knowledge of the Mio-Plio-Quaternary aquifer system in the Sidi Bou Ali-Kalaa Kebira region through the analysis and interpretation of borehole data, vertical electrical soundings (VES) and satellite imagery. Methodology The characterization of the Sidi Bou Ali-Kalâa Kébira aquifer system was achieved using data from 142 water boreholes, including well logs, hydrodynamic and hydrochemical measurements, 123 vertical electrical boreholes (VES) and a Landsat 8 satellite image. Available lithological columns and their corresponding well logs were analyzed to identify the different Mio-Plio-Quaternary groundwater reservoirs. Hydrodynamic and hydrochemical characteristics were studied using piezometric and water salinity measurements. VES are qualitatively and quantitatively interpreted to determine the water reservoirs arrangement. The satellite imagery allowed the identification of superficial lineaments affecting the Sidi Bou AliKalaa Kebira region that may control the aquifers geometry and recharge. Result/Discussion The restitution of lithological columns using well logs allowed a better delimitation of aquifer layers. Many clay and coarse layers, which are indistinguishable in the available lithological column, are identified. The established piezometric map exposes groundwater flows towards the north and south of the Kalaa Kebira anticline. The water salinity map indicates a progressive increase (1 to 5 g/l) in the same directions as groundwater flows. The apparent resistivity maps show high values at the Kalaa Kebira anticline, indicating its richness in coarse deposits. The geoelectrical cross sections revealed that the Mio-Plio-Quaternary deposits contain at least one coarse formation showing variations in depth, thickness and resistivity. Many discontinuities that may correspond to tectonic accidents controlling the arrangement of the Mio-Plio-Quaternary permeable layers have been highlighted. Several superficial lineaments were determined from the Landsat 8 satellite image. Numerous of them correspond perfectly to geoelectrical discontinuities. This coincidence confirms the tectonic influence on the Sidi Bou Ali-Kalâa Kébira aquifer geometry. GR-Po-07 POSTER GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND SURFACE WATER MONITORING AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 37 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 The detected faults generate the deepening of the water reservoirs on either side of the Kalaa Kebira anticline, while inducing groundwater flows in opposing directions, towards the north and the south of this structure. Conclusion The confrontation of indirect methods such as geophysics and remote sensing associated with water borehole data allowed the identification and the characterization of the Mio-PlioQuaternary aquifer system in the Sidi Bou Ali-Kalaa Kebira region. The obtained results have brought more precision to the hydrogeological scheme of the study area and may contribute to groundwater management in the Sousse governorate. Furthermore, it serves as an example that satellite images and electrical prospection are useful not only for initial research into the implantation of water boreholes but also for effectively reconstructing the geometry of an aquifer system. Keywords: Sousse, Aquifer, Well logs, Vertical electrical soundings, Satellite imagery. CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 38 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Climate Change and Water ORAL CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 39 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Climate Change and Water Oral ORAL CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 40 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Time propagation from meteorological to hydrological drought Majdi Charguia,b,c , Haykel Sellamib (a) RU-Sustainable Management of Water and Soil Ressources, Higher School of Engineers of Medjez El Bab, University of Jendouba, Tunisia (b) Georesources Laboratory, Centre for Water Research and Technologies, University of Carthage, Soliman, Tunisia (c) Ministry of Agriculture, Hydraulic Resources and Fisheries, General Directorate of Dams and Major Hydraulic Works, Tunisia E-mail : [email protected] Introduction/Objective Drought is one of the most catastrophic natural phenomena, causing scarcity and lack of water resources in reservoirs and severely affecting the majority of the population economically, socially and environmentally. The aim of this study is to contribute to a better understanding of the time propagation from meteorological to hydrological drought. Methodology In this study, two meteorological drought indices (Standardized Precipitation Index : SPI and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index: SPEI) and one hydrological drought index (Standardized Hydrological Index : SHI) were used to explore the two types of drought at different time scales (1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 24 months) at eight dams in Tunisia. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient (PCC) and the Directional Information Transfer Index (DITI) are used to determine the propagation time from meteorological to hydrological drought, while considering linear and non-linear dependencies, respectively. In addition, the relationships between drought characteristics such as duration and severity were examined for both types of droughts. Result/Discussion Results indicate the information theory based analysis such as DITI and mutual information together with classical linear relationships is a prominent approach for assessing meteorological drought propagation into hydrological drought. Conclusion Drought warning and prevention require a thorough understanding of the linear and non-linear mechanisms in the propagation process from meteorological to hydrological drought. In this research, DITI and mutual information are used to study drought propagation time, in order to build, for the first time, a drought assessment model and correlations between duration and severity of meteorological drought and hydrological drought in dams in Tunisia. Keywords: Information theory, Meteorological drought, Hydrological drought, Drought propagation, dams, Tunisia. CC-Or-01 ORAL CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 41 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Hydrological and meteorological drought characterization in Lebna and Oued el Bey Basins, Cap Bon, Tunisia Malek Drissia,b, Ines Oueslatib, Sameh Charguia (a) Georesources Laboratory, Water Research and Technology Centre, Borj Cedria Ecopark, PO Box 273 Soliman 8020, Tunisia, (b) National Institute of Agronomy of Tunisia, 43 Avenue Charles Nicolle, Mahrajène, 1082, Tunis, Introduction/Objective Over the past decades, Tunisia like the majority of Mediterranean countries is facing an intensification of drought conditions characterized by significant rainfall deficit. This is the case of the Cap Bon Peninsula, with its sub-humid to semi-arid climate, particularly vulnerable to water shortage due to its high climatic variability. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the impact of climate change on drought frequency and intensity in Cap Bon, providing quantitative information on meteorological and hydrological droughts, including a vulnerability map for the study area. Methodology To analyse precipitation anomalies, The 6-month and 12-month Standardized Precipitation Indexes (SPI-6 and SPI-12) were calculated using rainfall data in several rain gauges collected from Lebna and Oued el Bey basins over a period of 43 years. The SPI calculation, at monthly scale, was done through Gamma distribution function, defined by its frequency or probability density function as follow: 0,;0;. )(. 1 .),/( 1            xexxf x The computation of the SPI involves fitting a gamma probability density function to a given frequency distribution for total precipitation. The maximum likelihood solutions are used to optimally estimate α and β. Moreover, satellite data were used to calculate the vegetation and water indices (NDVI and NDWI) to assess the impact of drought on vegetation and on surface water resources. Results/Discussion Preliminary results indicate a notable increase in the frequency and intensity of drought events in Cap Bon over recent decades. The SPI indices reveal prolonged drought periods (Figure 1), correlated with significant decreases in precipitation and surface water storage that was noticed mainly in our case study where the Lebna dam was completely empty in 2023. CC-Or-02 ORAL CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 42 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Figure 1. SPI variation in some representative rain gauges in Lebna basin (1980 - 2023) Analysis of satellite data shows vegetation degradation and a reduction in surface water resources. Conclusion The finding highlights the critical impact of climate change on drought events in Cap Bon, Northeast Tunisia. By providing detailed information about the time-space characteristics of droughts and identifying vulnerable areas, this research will be useful for an efficient development of water management strategies, to mitigate and reduce effects of droughts on water resources, agriculture and economy. Keywords: Climate change, SPI index, Vegetation index (NDVI), Water index (NDWI). ORAL CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 43 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Comparison of High-Resolution Satellite Precipitation Products and a Reanalysis in a Semi-Arid Region Ines Gharnoukia,b, Jalel Aouissi1, Yves Tramblayc, Sihem Benabdallahb (a) National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia - INAT, LR17AGR01, InteGRatEd Management of Natural Resources: remoTE Sensing, Spatial Analysis and Modeling (GREEN-TEAM), Carthage University, 1082 Tunis, Tunisia. [email protected]/[email protected] (b) Centre de Recherches et des Technologies des eaux, Route Touristique de Soliman,P.O. Box 273-8020, Soliman, Tunisia. [email protected] (c) Espace-Dev, Univ. Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France. [email protected] Introduction/Objective Precipitation is an important component in hydrologic processes. It is useful for hydrological modeling and water resource management. However, many areas face limited data availability due to a lack of ground-based rain gauge networks. Methodology The main objective of this work is to compare other sources of rainfall data, such as remote sensing data (CHIRPS, PERSIANN, and GPM) and a reanalysis (ERA5), to ground-based data, which could provide complementary rainfall information in the case of Tunisian semi-arid catchment (Haffouz catchment), for the period 2000-2018. Twelve rain gauges and two different interpolation methods were used to provide a set of data as interpolated precipitation reference. Several statistical metrics were used to evaluate the performance of these products at daily, monthly, and yearly timescales, as well as spatial scale. Results The results demonstrated that the two interpolation methods produce comparable precipitation estimates at Haffouz catchment. Based on the different statistical criteria, CHIRPS produced the best results, followed by PERSIANN, which performed well in terms of correlation but underestimated precipitation spatially across the watershed. GPM significantly underestimates precipitation, yet it provides satisfactory performance temporally. ERA5 performs very good at the daily, monthly, and annual timescales, however it is unable to represent the spatial variability distribution of precipitation in this catchment. Conclusion In conclusion, the satellite-based precipitation products and the reanalysis data used in this work can be valuable in semi-arid regions and data-scarce catchments. Keywords: Precipitation, Satellite-based precipitation products, Spatial interpol CC-Or-03 ORAL CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 44 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Impact of Land Use Change on the Hydrological Response: Two Cases Study in Tunisia Zayneb Mabrouka,b, Safa Chniba a,b , Sihem BenAbdallahb , Manel Mosbahic, Zaineb Kassouka (a) National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia, 43 Avenue Charles Nicolle, Mahrajène, 1082 Tunis, Tunisia. [email protected]; [email protected] (b) Georesources Laboratory, Center for Water Research and Technologies, University of Carthage, Soliman, Tunisia. [email protected] (c) Higher School of Agriculture of Mograne, University of Carthage, 1121 Zaghouane, Zaghouane, Tunisia. [email protected] Introduction Several countries in the Mediterranean region, namely Tunisia, are increasingly faced with serious rainy episodes causing significant damages. It was the case in North Eastern Tunisia which has undergone flooding in September 2018. The prediction of flows at the outlet of a watershed by hydrological modeling seems interesting to better understand the processes and to aid in decision-making. Methodology Land use is a necessary input in hydrological modeling. Thus, its update can significantly influence the response of hydrological models. The impact of changes in land use on the hydrological response of watersheds is an essential research area for understanding hydrological dynamics in an ever-changing context. Alterations in land distribution, whether resulting from urbanization, deforestation, expansion of agricultural areas, or other anthropogenic interventions, significantly affect hydrological processes. The aim of this study is to update the land use map for two river basins and compare the hydrological modeling results using the 2000 and an updated land use map. The adopted methodology involves applying the SWAT model to the study watershed between 2000 and 2020 using the land use map derived from the 2000 agricultural map as input. The simulation is repeated with the same inputs, except for the land use map, which is replaced by an updated map obtained through supervised classification. Results For the new land use map, there have been significant changes in the practiced crops. Some have shown progress, such as olive trees, while others have seen a reduction, notably vegetable and cereal crops. The application of this new map has led to improvements in the key processes of the hydrological cycle, including infiltration, evaporation, and runoff. The model has also showed different results both before and after calibration, particularly for the NSE and PBIAS. Conclusion Land use land cover change (LULCC) have profoundly influenced the hydrological response of the watershed indicating a rise in surface runoff and water yield Keywords: River basin, Hydrological modeling, Land Use, SWAT model. CC-Or-04 ORAL CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 45 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Projections of cereal production in Tunisia under climate change Firas Tibaouia , Haykel Sallemib, Sana Essaberc (a) DEFI,Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales de Tunis (ESSECT),Université de Tunis [email protected] (b) Centre for Water Research and TechnologyEcoPark BorjCedria,Université de Carthage [email protected] © LEGI,Ecole Polytechnique de Tunisie,Université de Carthage, ISCAE,,Université de Manouba sana[email protected] Introduction/Objective Climate change impacts on socioeconomic development of Tunisia will keenly be expressed in reduced agriculture production due increased temperature, land use change, and reduced water resources. Yet vulnerable to climatic variability, cereal production in Tunisia will be likely threatened by climate change. However, theses impacts are not well investigated so far. Methodology In this study we propose an approach based on combined climate change projection with artificial intelligence-based model to project cereal production changes in Béja, Siliana and Jendouba regions. We developed and trained a Feedforward Artificial Neural Network (FFNN) using historical wheat production data while considering precipitation (P), temperature (T) and potential evapotranspiration (PET) as inputs. Then, an ensemble of CORDEX climate model projections were used to provide future timeseries of P, T and PET under RCP4.5 (Regional Concentration Pathway) to project changes in wheat production over the selected regions. Result/Discussion Our results showed that wheat production is likely to be reduced in the future under climate change. Conclusion The proposed approach revealed that combining historical data and climate model projection together with FFNN is a prominent and reliable approach for assessing the impact of climate change on future wheat production in Tunisia. Keywords: Wheat production; Climate change; Artificial Intelligence; Tunisia. CC-Or-05 POSTER CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 52 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 About trends, findings showed that generally there was an increasing for the AMDR (figure 1): the tendency marked a dominant upward in ten studied raingauges, but statistically significant in just four stations. The increase varies from 0.4 to 0.6 mm. year-1. The Log normal value distribution was used to extract the 10, 20, 50 and 100-year return levels. Also, the space distribution of calculated quantiles was assessed to localize the most exposed area to these extreme events. Figure 1. Annual Maximum Daily Rainfall trend (Oueslatia forêt station) Conclusion Understanding and assessing the past rainfall changes and variations, in the last four decades, is a necessity because the entire water resources system is influenced by hydrological processes driven by the rainfall. For this reason, results of this study can be helpful: knowledge of the SPI and the AMDR may be very useful to well monitoring the hydrological behaviour of Tunisian semi-arid region and to facilitate the water resources management against the future climate change. Keywords: Drought, SPI, Maximum Daily Rainfall, Merguellil watershed, climate variability. WATER TREATMENT AND REUSE OF NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 53 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Water Treatment and Reuse of Non-Conventional Water ORAL WATER TREATMENT AND REUSE OF NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 54 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Water Treatment and Reuse of Non-Conventional Water Oral ORAL WATER TREATMENT AND REUSE OF NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 55 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Synthetic and textile wastewater based cationic dye treatment using local iron tailing waste Oumaima Grinea, Khalili Lazaarb, Slávka Andrejkovičovác, Robert.C. Pullard, Fernando Rochac, Hamza ElFila, Walid Hajjajia (a)LaDVEN Natural Water Desalination and Recovery Laboratory, CERTE, BP 273 - 8020 Soliman (b)LaSCOM, University of Sfax, Faculty of Sciences B.P 1171, 3000, Sfax-Tunisia. (c)Geobiotec, Geosciences Dept, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal (d)Dipartimento di ScienzeMolecolari e Nanosistemi (DSMN), Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venezia Mestre, Italy E-mail: [email protected] Introduction/Objective In the framework of wastewater treatment and environmental protection, the overall aim of this work is to study the potential of iron oxide of a mining waste MW from northern Tunisia in dye treatment from aqueous solutions: a synthetic solution of methylene blue and textile wastewater sample, using dual adsorption and Fenton process Methodology Two solutions, a synthetic methelyne blue (MB) and textile wastewater (TW), were treated using iron mining tailing. Iron tailing sample (MW), was used as adsorbent and catalyst inadsorption and AOP processes, respectively. This by-product (MW) is mainly composed of geothite, hematite, quartz, kaolinite, illite and calcite. It was thermally activated at 400 °C for 3h well time (RM400). Experimental parameters (pH, initial concentration, catalyst dosage, thermal activation, H2O2 dosage, and contact time) were investigated in order to access the optimum discoloration conditions. Result/Discussion Thought adsorption technique, by using 0.1 g of raw MW and calcined MW400, removal efficiency in MB solution achieved 90% and 83%, respectively, after 120 min of contact time. The effect of pH medium (neutral pH 7, acidic pH 3 and alkaline pH 9) on MB dye removalshowsa relatively high discoloration efficiency obtained at pH 3 with 89%. While, wastewater sample (TW), by using 0.02g of MW and MW400, the discoloration values was 22 % and 16 %, respectively. With the same amount of catalyst (0.02g of MW400) and 20ml of H2O2, the MB removal reached 90 %. On other hand, under the same conditions, the discoloration of (TW) was 79%. This is related to the complex composition and presence of other auxiliaries and chemical reagents in the textile effluent (compared to the synthetic MB solution) that could challenge the complete wastewater dye degradation. Conclusion On both synthetic (MB) and textile effluent (TW), the experimental kinetic data exhibited a very good fit with the pseudo-second order model (R2superior to 0.997 using MW400). Valorization of iron rich by-product overrides chemical adsorbent and catalyst application and good results were achieved compared to other research studies. Keywords: Iron mining tailing, MB solution, textile wastewater, adsorption, Fenton Process. WTR-Or-01 ORAL WATER TREATMENT AND REUSE OF NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 56 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Phosphate sludge-metakaolin foamed geopolymers and their application in dye removal Oumaima Karouia,d, Slávka Andrejkovičováb, Walid Hajjajic, Fernando Rochab, Ammar Mlayaha a Georessources Laboratory, CERTE, 73-8020 Soliman, Tunisia. b GeoBioTec, Geosciences Department, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal c LaDVEN Natural Water Desalination and Recovery Laboratory, CERTE, BP 273-8020 Soliman, Tunisia d University of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, 2092 Tunis, Tunisia E-mail: [email protected] Introduction/Objective This study addresses the environmental impact of phosphate sludge from mining activities, focusing on recycling it into materials for water treatment. Using alkali-activated metakaolin and calcined phosphate sludge, the research aims to create sustainable geopolymers. The geopolymers were prepared with two forms: foamed and unmodified and were evaluated for their ability to adsorb contaminants and immobilize heavy metals, offering a potential solution for reducing pollution. Methodology Geopolymers were prepared by mixing an alkali-activating solution with 40% of calcined El Mdhilla phosphate sludge. Foamed metakaolin/phosphate sludge geopolymers were prepared with the same formula, but with the addition of 5 ml of hydrogen peroxide to the mixture once it was poured into the molds. Mineralogical and chemical characterization of phosphate sludge and metakaolin was conducted. Additionally, XRD (X-ray diffraction) and FTIR (Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy) analyses were performed, along with assessments of the compressive strength and physical properties of the geopolymers. To study the immobilization of heavy metals by geopolymers, leaching tests were conducted. Result/Discussion The sludge sample from the El Mdhilla phosphate laundry was found to contain particles of carbonate, silicate, and residual fluorapatite but lacked alumina, highlighting the need for metakaolin to ensure sufficient aluminate content in the geopolymer mixture. XRD and FTIR analyses of the geopolymers indicated partial reactivity within the alkaline solution. Calcite traces were observed in the samples, while quartz remained inert. Physical properties analyses revealed that the inclusion of calcined phosphate sludge enhances the specific surface area and porosity of the geopolymers. However, the compressive strength of unmodified geopolymers decreased upon the addition of hydrogen peroxide to the geopolymeric mixture. In contrast, the specific surface area of foamed geopolymers with calcined phosphate sludge experienced a significant increase. This augmented surface area enhances the adsorption capacity of the materials, resulting in a remarkable 99.9% removal of methylene blue dye within 20 minutes. The adsorption behavior of methylene blue fits the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-secondorder kinetic models, indicating robust chemical and monolayer adsorption characteristics. Overall, these findings underscore the potential of using hydrogen peroxide in raw phosphate sludge-based geopolymers for efficiently purifying industrial effluents and immobilizing leached heavy metals within their unique 3D porous geopolymeric structure. Conclusion Geopolymers exhibit significant potential as adsorption materials for methylene blue, with adsorption performance and mechanisms that warrant particular attention in contaminated water treatment applications. Utilizing this valorization pathway will help reduce the environmental impact of phosphate sludge, thereby paving the way for more sustainable management of these residues. Keywords: Phosphate sludge, foamed geopolymers, adsorption, methylene blue. WTR-Or-02 ORAL WATER TREATMENT AND REUSE OF NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 57 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Albizia procera leaf extract: Degradation of methylene blue dye via Advanced Oxidation Process and Box–Behnken Design Hajer Chemingui a, Malak Kahloul a, Badra El Abed a, Taissire Ben Amora, Amor Hafane a (a) Laboratory of Water, Membrane and Environmental Biotechnology LEMBE. CERTE, BP 273, 8020 Soliman, Tunisia E-mail: [email protected]/[email protected] Introduction/Objective Through this research, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were successfully synthesized via easy route “green process” using plant extract of Albizia procera. Methodology The purpose of this research is to investigate the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye via advanced oxidation process (AOP) in the presence of Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and the ZnO photocatalyst under visible light irradiation. Result/Discussion The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results confirmed that the ZnO NPs had a hexagonal wurtzite structure. The dynamic light scattering (DLS) showed a range of sizes 23 nm. This study aims to analyze the influence of operating parameters and their interactive effect on the overall removal efficiency of the targeted component by response surface methodology (RSM). The Box–Behnken design (BBD) in RSM was used to optimize several process variables. In order to optimize the responses of MB elimination rate, parameters such as pH (A: 3–11), molar ratio [H2O2]/[ZnO] (B:1–3), concentration dye (C: 10–30 mg L−1), and contact time (D:30–70 min) were used as independent factors. The values obtained from the experiment and model predictions were discovered to be in adequate approval, and the model equation's performance confirmed the experimental observation with only a small divergence Conclusion These results confirmed the efficient environmental remediation of heterogeneous photocatalytic process thanks to ZnO NPs. Keywords: Green process, Zinc oxide nanoparticles, Albizia procera, Box–Behnken design, H2O2 oxidation, Methylene blue. WTR-Or-03 ORAL WATER TREATMENT AND REUSE OF NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 58 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Enhanced Water Reuse for Irrigation: Synergy of Macrophytes and AOP in Urban Wastewater Treatment Feriel Araibia, Samira Melkia, Hatem Raddadib, Salima Dakhlic, Sarra Hechmia, Yassmine Chernia, Moncef Gueddaric , Hamadi Kallalia (a) LTVRH, CERTE, University of Tunis Carthage, 2036 Tunis, Tunisia (b) ONAS, Chotrana, Ministry of Environment, 1001 Tunis, Tunisia (c) LR18ES07, FST, University of Tunis El Manar, 1068 Tunis, Tunisia E-mail : [email protected] Introduction/Objective Urban wastewater management poses significant challenges, especially in areas facing water scarcity. Effective treatment methods are essential for recycling wastewater and reusing it in agricultural applications. This study aims to explore the integration of macrophytes and Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP) using hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) , iron (Fe) and solar irradiation for wastewater treatment. The primary objective is to assess the efficiency of this combined approach in reducing organic pollutants and pathogens, and to evaluate the suitability of the treated water for turnip irrigation, focusing on germination and growth performance. Methodology The treatment process involved two main stages. Initially, macrophytes were employed to treat the urban wastewater, targeting the reduction of organic matter and improving water quality through natural filtration and nutrient uptake (Khan et al, 2023). Following the macrophyte treatment, Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP), specifically the Photo-Fenton reaction, were applied to further degrade organic contaminants (Huang et al 2020; Khan et al 2022). The AOP utilized hydrogen peroxide and iron in the presence of sunlight to enhance the breakdown of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and to eliminate pathogens. Result/Discussion The results indicated a significant reduction in COD levels. The COD decreased from 160 mgO₂/L to 141 mgO₂/L after the macrophyte treatment, and further to 65 mgO₂/L following the application of AOP. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the combined treatment approach in reducing organic pollution. Pathogen analysis revealed complete removal of total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and streptococci during the AOP stage, confirming the efficiency of the process in ensuring microbiological safety. The treated water was then tested for its suitability in turnip irrigation. The results showed excellent performance in seed germination and plant growth, indicating that the water quality was adequate for agricultural use. This suggests that the combined use of macrophytes and AOP not only improves wastewater quality but also provides a sustainable solution for irrigation in water-scarce regions. Conclusion The study demonstrates that integrating macrophytes with AOP, particularly Photo-Fenton process, is an effective method for urban wastewater treatment. This approach significantly reduces organic pollutants and eliminates harmful pathogens, making the treated water suitable for agricultural irrigation. The successful application of this method for turnip irrigation highlights its potential for broader agricultural applications, providing a viable strategy for water reuse and contributing to sustainable water management practices. Keywords: Macrophytes, AOP, Wastewater treatment, Pathogen removal, Sustainable irrigation References Huang, C., Yang, X., Zhang, J., & Wang, X. (2020). "Advanced Oxidation Processes for the Removal of Organic Contaminants from Wastewater: A Review." Journal of Environmental Management, 276, 111333. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111333] Zhang, X., Liu, Y., & Wang, Y. (2022). "Pathogen Removal in Wastewater Treatment Using Advanced Oxidation Processes: A Comprehensive Review." Journal of Hazardous Materials, 423, 127067. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127067] Khan, M., & Adnan, M. (2023). "Utilization of Macrophytes for Wastewater Treatment and Their Potential in Agricultural Water Reuse." Bioresource Technology, 355, 127285. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127285] WTR-Or-04 ORAL WATER TREATMENT AND REUSE OF NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 59 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation Activity of Amido Black Dye by Electrodeposition of BiVO4 nanostructures on TiO2 nanotubes Kawther Ben Mabrouka, Syrine Sassib, Ines Khemissib, Hamza ElFila, Anouar Hajjajib a) Desalination and Natural Water Valorization Laboratory (LaDVEN), Water Research and Technologies Center (CERTE), BP 273, 8020, Soliman, Tunisia (a) b) Photovoltaic laboratory, Research and Technology Centre of Energy (CRTEn),BP 95, 2050 Hammam-Lif, Tunisia E-mail: [email protected] Introduction/Objective For water treatment, conventional ways are undeniably in a disadvantage with the constantly immerging Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP). These methods are designated to the removal of organic materials by way of reaction with Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) such as superoxide free radicals (O2°)-and hydroxyl radicals (OH°) which are highly oxidative to the point of utter degradation or mineralization of the mentioned pollutants [1]. As these methods continues to evolve throughout the years and diverse in terms of energy sources for the generation of free ROS in aqueous solution including sonocatalysis, electrocatalysis, photocatalysis and piezocatalysis [2], the catalysts also evolve in terms of type, state, morphology and size. One of the most exploited photocatalysts is TiO2, with its excellent properties and its band edge positioned in an adequate potential for radical generation. In this work, an effective approach for fabricating Z-scheme photocatalysts and a heterojunction of BiVO4/TiO2 nanotubes will be synthesized with the electrodeposition method at different condition to study the effect of the deposition on the properties of TiO2 nanotubes and photocatalytic activity will be investigated for the degradation of Black Amido. Methodology Two steps are required for the electro-deposition of BiVO4 on titanium dioxide NTs. Firstly, the Bi thin films were prepared by the electro-deposition method for four periods of time: 25, 50, 150 and 250s.We used an electrolyte bath containing 20 mMBi(NO3)3.5H2O, and 0.1 M LiClO4. A three-electrode Autolab PGSTAT30 potentiostat/galvanostat PGSTAT30 was used for the electro-deposition process: titanium NTs substrate as working electrode, Ag/AgCl (3MNaCl) as reference electrode, and Pt wire as counter electrode. The temperature of the plating solution was fixed at 60 °C and the optimized cathodic potential was -1.6 V. Then, in order to convert Bi to BiVO4 a DMSO solution containing 50 μL of 50mM VO(acac)2 is spread over the entire surface of the Bi film. The film was then heated at 450 °C for 3 h in air (ramping rate = 2 °C min−1). Result/Discussion The structure of the as-prepared samples was characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD). Morphological behavior was investigated using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) both coupled with EDX. Optical characterizations were performed using photoluminescence and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The BiVO4/TiO2 NTs sample with 50s deposition time gave the highest photocatalytic performance for Amido Black degradation, 99.4% after 150 min under UV light. WTR-Or-05 ORAL WATER TREATMENT AND REUSE OF NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 60 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Figure 1 depicts the photocatalytic activity of Amido Black AB. The inset image shows how the blue color of AB is gradually decrease in intensity as the irradiation time increases to be completely gone at 180 min. Figure 1. Photodegradation of Amido Black for bare TiO2 and BiVO4/TiO2 nanocomposites with different electrodeposition time 25s, 50s, 150s, 250s. This result has been achieved due to the structure and the optical properties of the sample. The heterojunction of both catalysts showed the synergetic effect on the photocatalytic performance where they remained stable after five cycling runs. Furthermore, quenching tests were conducted and proved that superoxide radicals (O2°) are the main active species during photo-degradation process. Conclusion In summary, the deposition of BiVO4 nanosheets on TiO2 nanotubes showed an efficient and easy approach to enhance the photocatalytic activity of TiO2. The used method has successfully fabricated BiVO4 nanostructures by electrodeposition of Bi nanoparticles followed by a thermal reaction. The photocatalytic degradation of Amido Black was effected by the deposition time of Bi particles and the 50s BiVO4/TiO2 sample exhibit the best performance with high degradation efficiency of 99.4% at 150min. Keywords: TiO2 nanotubes, BiVO4 nanoparticles, photocatalysis, Amido Black. References [1] Su, Ruidian, Yongfa Zhu, Baoyu Gao, and Qian Li. "Progress on mechanism and efficacy of heterogeneous photocatalysis coupled oxidant activation as an advanced oxidation process for water decontamination." Water research (2024): 121119. [2] Feijoo, Sara, Xiaobin Yu, Mohammadreza Kamali, Lise Appels, and Raf Dewil. "Generation of oxidative radicals by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) in wastewater treatment: a mechanistic, environmental and economic review." Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology 22, no. 1 (2023): 205-248. ORAL WATER TREATMENT AND REUSE OF NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 61 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Exploring microplastics in wastewater reuse for irrigation Amal Ayaria,b, Sarra Hechmic, Mohammed Naceur Khelild, Haykel Sallemia, Moncef Bensassia , Ammar Mlayaha (a)Georessources Laboratory LGR ,Water Research and Technology Center (CERTE) (b) university of tunis El Manar (c)Wastewater Treatment and Valorization (LTVRH),Water Research and Technology Center (CERTE) (d)National Institute for Research in Rural Engineering, Water and Forestry Tunisia INRGREF E-mail : [email protected] Introduction and objectives Wastewater reuse (WWREUSE) has become a key alternative water resource for irrigation in Tunisia. Since adopting this strategy in 1961, the country has steadily increased its use of recycled wastewater, reaching 21 million cubic meters in 2019 (ONAS, 2019). Although this method holds promise for reducing the amount of water used in agriculture (which accounts for over 80% of total water resources), there is limited knowledge about the impacts of associated pollutants, particularly microplastics. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the distribution of microplastics in soils and their relationships to WWREUSE in irrigated plots. For this purpose, we developed a comparative analysis based on two plots located in Nabeul (Tunisia) one of which is receiving natural groundwater (GW) while the second is irrigated by treated wastewater (TWW). Methodology The method is currently under patent elaboration, at a first stage, the organic adherent material in the water and soil samples were digested. Subsequently, the density separation method was applied followed by microplastic separation based on vacuum filtration. Finally, we observed the microplastic using microscopy and identified the type of polymers using the FTir spectroscopy. Results and discussions Microscopic analysis revealed various polymers, including microplastics like fibers, fragments, films, microbeads, and foams, in TWW and GW, as well as in soil irrigated both water types. TWW had a slightly higher microplastic count (950 items/L) compared to GW (800 items/L). Consequently, soil irrigated with TWW had more microplastics (3300 items/kg) than soil irrigated with GW (2800 items/kg). Fiber polymers dominated the TWW and GW samples, while microbeads were found in TWW (5.5%) but absent in GW. Despite this, soil irrigated with GW had a high percentage of microbeads, indicating other sources. Translucent polymers were most prevalent, in TWW also in soil irrigated with TWW, with blue and black polymers also present, and yellow polymers appearing only in TWW. Microplastic sizes ranged from 0.004 mm to 1.0 mm, with fibers size ranged in GW (100 µm-1mm) and TWW (100 µm500 µm). Microbeads were present in TWW (smaller than 10 µm) and soil samples irrigated with the former, witch sizes are between 10 µm and 50 µm. WTR-Or-06 POSTER WATER TREATMENT AND REUSE OF NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 68 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Reduction of total dissolved solids in industrial water storage tanks while maximizing water resource recovery through reverse osmosis Aicha Lamali a , Kamel Bitam b , Nassila Sabba a (a) Laboratory valorization and recycling of matters and sustainable development, University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene, Algiers, Algeria. (b) Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Algiers, Algeria. E-mail : [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Introduction/Objective Effective water resource management is increasingly important due to rising freshwater demand from climate change and industrial activities. Our study focuses on reducing dissolved salt concentrations in water tanks while maximizing effluent reuse. We utilized reverse osmosis technology, specifically adapted to reject streams from osmotic systems, softener regeneration units, and bottle rinser discharges. Through design software, we optimized the system, explored different configurations, and improved process efficiency. This approach enhances effluent recycling and supports sustainable water resource management. Figure 1: Simplified diagram of the chosen objective. Methodology Our approach focused on applying reverse osmosis technology, specifically adapted to the quality of the discharges, to recycle a substantial portion of the effluents. The project followed a series of steps: first, determining the total discharge volume by quantifying effluents from the softener regeneration, reverse osmosis systems, and bottle rinsers. These three sources were then mixed based on their respective volumetric fractions. Second, identifying the discharge quality through analysis conducted at SEAAL's central laboratory using ion chromatography. Finally, a technical evaluation and sizing of the reverse osmosis unit were performed, covering capacity assessment, module and membrane selection, and system configuration using WinFlows software. The reverse osmosis simulation explored three configurations: parallel, series, and series with a blending system. WTR-Po-03 POSTER WATER TREATMENT AND REUSE OF NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 69 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Results Simulations of the various configurations carried out using the WinFlows software allowed for the performance evaluation of each setup. The results, summarized in the table below, show the permeate water recovery rates as well as the quantities of dissolved salts (TDS) in the produced water for each configuration. These findings highlight the differences in performance between the three configurations in terms of water recovery efficiency and the quality of the produced water. Table 1: The results of the three configurations of the BW membrane. Parallel reverse osmosis (01) Series reverse osmosis (02) Series reverse osmosis with mixing in the feed (03) Conversion rate (%) 62 74 62 TDS (ppm) 132.8 87.1 37 Interpretation of Results The simulations demonstrated that all tested configurations can produce water that meets current regulatory standards. However, Configurations 01 and 02 have higher concentrations of dissolved solids than Configuration 03, which limits their effectiveness in reducing the dissolved solids content of the water tanks. Additionally, the water recovery rate for the parallel configuration (01) is the lowest, justifying its elimination as a viable option. In contrast, Configuration 03 shows a slightly higher conversion rate of 62% and produces better water quality with a TDS of 37 ppm. This result is attributed to the recycling of permeate into the feed water, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency of the process. Conclusion Our choice of configuration, with a production of 292.98 m³/day, optimizes water resource management while reducing the concentration of dissolved salts in the tanks. This solution prevents rapid fouling of equipment, decreases the frequency of cleaning, and minimizes the use of chemicals, thereby enhancing both economic and ecological efficiency. This sustainable approach reduces environmental impact and actively contributes to combating climate change. The adoption of these advanced technological solutions is essential for sustainable water resource management in the face of increasing pressure. Keywords : Reverse osmosis, Sustainable practices, Valorization, Recovery, Sizing. References [1] Stantec. (2022). Water Treatment: Principles and Design (Updated Third Edition). Wiley. [2] Crittenden, J. C., Trussell, R. R., Hand, D. W., Howe, K. J., & Tchobanoglous, G. (2012). MWH's Water Treatment: Principles and Design (Third Edition). Wiley. [3] Dupont. (2023, February). FilmTec™ Reverse Osmosis Membranes Technical Manual (Version 16). [4] Zaidi, S. J., & Saleem, H. (2021). Reverse Osmosis Systems: Design, Optimization and Applications (Vol. 1). Elsevier. [5] Kucera, J. (2010). Reverse Osmosis: Design, Processes, and Applications for Water Treatment (1st Edition). Wiley-Scrivener. [6] Elimelech, M., Phillip, W. A., Shimizu, S., & Fane, A. G. (2000). The Role of Membrane Surface Characteristics in Reverse Osmosis Performance. Journal of Membrane Science. [7] Van der Bruggen, B., Everaert, K., Wilms, D., & Vandecasteele, C. (2003). Impact of Organic Fouling on Membrane Performance in Reverse Osmosis: A Review. Desalination. POSTER WATER TREATMENT AND REUSE OF NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 70 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Impact of Wastewater Irrigation on Antioxidant Levels in Tomato Plants (Var. BOBCAT) Grown in Oued Souhil, Nabeul Wided Ben Ammara, Sarah Ben Hassinea, Nouha Khiarib, Ichrak Essida, Leila Abazac, Samia Khadharb, Chiraz Chaffeia (a) Laboratory of Plant Productivity and Environmental Constraints. Faculty of Sciences of Tunis. (b) Laboratory of Geo-resources, Water Researches and Technologies Center Technoparck of Borj Cedria, Tunisia. (c) Laboratory of Olive Biotechnology, Centre of Biotechnology of Borj-Cedria (CBBC), Hammam-lif 2050, Tunisia E-mail: [email protected] Introduction/Objective In the current context of climate change, dwindling water resources, and rapid poulation growth, water reuse has transitioned from an option to annecessity. Wastewater is increasingly recognized as one of the most stable and sustainable alternative water sources. Consequently, the utilization of wastewater, especially in agriculture – a sector that accounts for nearly 60% of global water consumptionhas attracted significant attention. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of irrigating tomatoes with treated wastewater on the fruit's composition regarding specific antioxidant molecules of nutritional importance. Methodology Tomato seedlings (var. Bobcat), 3 weeks old and measuring 30 cm in length, were arranged in plots and planted in two rows, each 10 meters long and spaced 1 meter apart. The distance between successive plants was set at 60 cm. The first plot was irrigated with well water, following the traditional practices of the farmer, while the second plot received treated wastewater from the pharmaceutical industry in the Oued Souhail region, processed by the Nabeul wastewater treatment facility. To ensure uniform irrigation, two drip irrigation systems were installed for each row of plants, delivering a flow rate of 1 liter per day per plant." The cultivation took place from April to August. During this growing period, various parameters were monitored. The results presented in this poster focus on the final stages of cultivation and the subsequent harvest. The fruits were harvested and aqueous and ethanolic extracts were prepared. These extracts were subjected to phytochemical screening. Polyphenols and flavonoids were quantified using the protocol established by Dewanto (2002). In contrast, tannins and carotenoids were measured according to the methods of Price et al. (1978) and Lichtenthaler (1987). Result/Discussion The results of this study reveal significant differences in the levels of polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, and carotenoids in tomatoes depending on the type of irrigation used. Tomatoes irrigated with treated wastewater showed higher concentrations of polyphenols and tannins compared to those irrigated with well water. This could indicate that the nutrients or compounds present in treated wastewater stimulate the biosynthesis of these secondary metabolites, which are often associated with health benefits, particularly antioxidant properties. Moreover, the markedly increased levels of flavonoids and carotenoids in tomatoes grown with treated wastewater suggest a possible synergistic effect from the nutrients or contaminants in these waters. Flavonoids and carotenoids play crucial roles in protecting plants against environmental stress and may also offer health advantages for human consumers. While irrigation with treated wastewater presents advantages in terms of nutritional content, it requires careful management to ensure food safe. Conclusion The results of this study demonstrate that using treated wastewater offers a promising alternative for agriculture. Treated wastewater has the potential to support robust tomato plant growth, resulting in fruits with high antioxydant contents, surpassing those of conventionally well water-grown tomatoes. these metabolites have a high nutritional value and antioxidant potential, which contributes to the pharmacological properties of the tomato fruits. Keywords: antioxidant molecules, tomato fruit, wastewater, well water. WTR-Po-04 POSTER WATER TREATMENT AND REUSE OF NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 71 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Impact of Wastewater Irrigation on Tomato Plants (Var. BOBCAT) Productivity, Water Content, and Certain Primary Metabolite Production Sarah Ben Hassinea, Nouha Khiarib, Ichrak Essida, Wided Ben Ammara, Farah Khezamib, Samia Khadharb, Chiraz Chaffeia (a) Laboratory of Plant Productivity and Environmental Constraints, Faculty of Science of Tunis. (b) Laboratory of Georesources, Center for Water Research and Technologies (CERTE), Technopole Borj Cédria. Introduction/Objective Tomatoes are one of the most important crops in Tunisia, covering approximately 30,000 hectares and ranking among the top horticultural crops in terms of production. This crop holds substantial economic significance as a strategic crop for Tunisia, according to the Group of Food Canning Industries (GICA). However, tomato plants cultivated in open fields require about 5,000 to 6,000 m3 of water per hectare for optimal growth, primarily sourced from underground water, which constitutes approximately 60% of the total water used for irrigation in the country. This significant reliance on groundwater highlights its vital role in supporting agricultural practices, especially in the face of climate change and other factors contributing to water scarcity, such as increasing water demand and limited surface water resources. Given these challenges, the valorization of treated wastewater has become a necessity. The objective of this work, developed within the framework of the SAFE project, is to explore the potential of using treated wastewater as an alternative irrigation source for tomato cultivation. This study aims to assess the effects of treated wastewater on tomato growth, water content, and certain primary metabolites, ultimately determining whether it could serve as a sustainable substitute for groundwater resources in Nabeul. Methodology In Oued Souhil, we established two 10-square-meter parcels, each planted with 20 tomato plants of the variety BOBCAT. A drip irrigation system was used. Parcel 1 was irrigated with treated wastewater and Parcel 2 was irrigated with underground water. The plants were planted on March 25 and completed their cycle on July 31. We followed the growth of the two parcels and started harvesting both parcels simultaneously from June 19 to July 31. On each harvest day, we weighed each tomato fruit to assess productivity. To determine water content, we selected 3 tomatoes from each parcel at the end of the cycle on 31 July and we dried them in a drying oven for 5 days at 80°C. We used the method of Yemm et Willis (1954) to analyze sugar and starch content in tomato fruit at the end of the cycle. Result/Discussion The study's results reveal notable differences in the yield and composition of tomatoes based on their irrigation source. Tomatoes from parcel 1, which were irrigated with treated wastewater, produced a remarkable 40% higher yield compared to those from parcel 2, irrigated with underground water. This suggests that treated wastewater may enhance nutrient availability or improve soil conditions, leading to more robust plant growth. WTR-Po-05 POSTER WATER TREATMENT AND REUSE OF NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 72 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Additionally, tomatoes from parcel 1 exhibited 15.4% increase in sugar content relative to those from parcel 2. This higher sugar concentration indicates that the nutrient profile of the treated wastewater enhancing fruit sweetness, a quality that is particularly desirable for consumers. Conversely, the tomatoes from parcel 2 showed a 1.7% higher starch content. This difference may reflect the distinct metabolic responses induced by underground water, potentially impacting the fruit's texture or storage properties. Furthermore, tomatoes from parcel 1 contained 1% more water than those from parcel 2, which could contribute to their overall weight and juiciness, making them more appealing to consumers. Conclusion These findings suggest that tomato plants irrigated with treated wastewater are more productive than those irrigated with underground water. The water content in tomatoes irrigated with treated wastewater is not significantly higher than in those irrigated with underground water, indicating that their larger size is not due to water accumulation. Additionally, the increased sugar content in tomatoes irrigated with treated wastewater enhances their flavor and makes them more suitable for processing compared to tomatoes irrigated with underground water. Keywords: primary metabolites, productivity, tomato fruit, wastewater, well water. POSTER WATER TREATMENT AND REUSE OF NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 73 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Development of eco-friendly biochar from agricultural residues for the removal of Bisphenol A Hajer Ennouri, Fatma Arous, Maroua Ben Saad, Atef Jaouani Laboratory of Biotechnologies, Environment and Bioresources LR22ES04 Higher Institute of Applied Biological Sciences of Tunis, 9, Rue Zouhair ESSEFI, CP 1006, Tunis E-mail : [email protected] Introduction/Objective Tunisia faces severe groundwater challenges, including overexploitation, salinization, and pollution from agricultural and industrial sources, exacerbated by climate change. Non-Point Source pollution has emerged as a critical environmental challenge, which led to a supply of residual pollutants and organic compounds (such as Bisphenol A) into soils and surface waters. Biochar has been shown to be a promising solution due to its low cost, and high adsorption efficiency. The aim of this study is to develop cost-effective and eco-friendly biomaterials from agricultural waste for the selective removal of BPA. Methodology The characterization of surface waters of the irrigated perimeter Oued Souhil, Nabeul showed the presence of several micro-pollutants including Bisphenol A (0.024-0.189 µg/l) [1]. A first set of experiments was performed on several agricultural waste materials, and artichoke leaves were selected as the most effective adsorbent. After pyrolysis for 1,5 h at 500°C, the obtained biochar (AL500) was grounded and sieved. The characterization of biochar was performed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). Batch adsorption tests were performed using 200 mg/L of BPA solution. The samples were stirred for predetermined time intervals ranging from 15 to 300 min. The supernatant was analyzed by a UV-Visible spectrophotometer. The adsorption parameters were optimized: pH (2–12); temperature (25 - 60 °C) and BPA initial concentrations (10 mg/L - 1 g/L). Isotherm models of Freundlich and Langmuir were fitted on the adsorption experimental data to study adsorption capacity and mechanism. Results/Discussion Figure 1 shows the AL500 characterization. SEM indicates the amorphous nature with noncrystalline structure of the adsorbent. We note the presence of pores due to the thermal treatment which induces a consequent development of the porosity by bursting the natural pores existing in raw artichoke leaves. The EDX analysis shows that AL500 was mainly composed of high carbon content (45%), indicating a higher purity of biochar, oxygen (35%) and traces of various other elements such as potassium (8,5 %), calcium (2,6 %), magnesium (1,4 %) and chlorine (2,4). The FTIR analysis shows that the functional groups of biochar samples decrease with pyrolysis temperature. The absence of peaks for aliphatic C–H stretch in AL500 is due to the disappearance of organic molecules by pyrolysis. WTR-Po-06 POSTER WATER TREATMENT AND REUSE OF NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 74 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Figure 1: SEM, XRD and FTIR analyses of the AL500 adsorbent For the adsorption batch tests, the equilibrium was achieved after 120 minutes. The amount of adsorbed BPA per gram of adsorbent is 43 mg/g. Table 1 summarizes the optimized operating conditions and performances. Table 1: BPA adsorption optimized operating conditions and performances Adsorbent pH Temperatur e °C Micropollutant mg/l Adsorben t mg/l Removal % Equilibrium time (min) AL500 6 25 10 20 80 120 The application of the Langmuir and Freundlich equations to experimental measurements shows that the Freundlich model is the most suitable for BPA adsorption (Figure 2). It assumes the existence of heterogeneous adsorption sites on the surface of the adsorbent. Figure 2: BPA experimental results and best-fitting interpolations obtained with the Langmuir (A) and Freundlich (B) models. Conclusion This study demonstrates the effectiveness of biochar derived from artichoke leaves for the selective removal of Bisphenol A. Its characterization and fitting to the models allowed us to better understand its operation. This process offers a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to address water scarcity while protecting groundwater resources from contamination. Future research should focus on cost analysis and the development of scalable systems for widespread implementation. Keywords: Adsorption, Bisphenol A, Biochar, Artishoke leaves, Freundlich Acknowledgments: This research was supported by the Horizon Europe project MAR2PROTECT-GA101082048. References: [1] Fries, E et al. (2016) Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, Volume 25 - No. 9, 3317-3339 (A) (B) POSTER WATER TREATMENT AND REUSE OF NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 75 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Investigating substrates to enhance constructed wetland performance for wastewater treatment Marwa Ben Saad, Hajer Ennouri , Fatma Arous Atef Jaouani Laboratory of Bioressources, Environment and Biotechnology LR22ES04, Higher Institute of Applied Biological Sciences of Tunis (ISSBAT), 9 Rue Zouheir Essafi, CP 1006, Tunis E-mail: marwabensa[email protected] Introduction/Objective Since their inception, constructed wetlands (CW) have demonstrated significant efficiency in wastewater treatment. These engineered ecosystems represent a relevant model of naturebased solutions and provide a sustainable and effective method for water treatment. They can be applied to various types of wastewaters and integrated at multiple stages of the treatment process. This promising approach offers a low-cost, energy-efficient and ecological method alternative to conventional water treatment system [1]. As a key component of constructed wetlands, the substrate plays a crucial role in water purification. Therefore, selecting the most suitable substrate has garnered significant attention in research. Several studies have suggested using a natural, carbon-rich substrate as the filter medium [2]. In this context, as part of the Horizon Europe MAR2PROTECT project (GA 101082048), the main goal of this study is to enhance constructed wetland (CW) efficiency for removing contaminants from wastewater to be valorised and reused for aquifer recharge. Methodology A lab-scale system was implemented at the Higher Institute of Applied Biological Sciences of Tunis (ISSBAT). It consists of four parallel lines, each featuring a hybrid CW system (horizontal and vertical CW). The difference between the lines is based on the substrates used as filter media. Two fundamental substrates were examined: gravel and cork. While gravel is a common substrate, the use of cork in wastewater treatment is recently developed. The novelty of this study lies in its varied treatment approaches applied to raw cork, resulting in diverse cork forms. To assess the efficiency of the lab-scale CW system in removing contaminants, a series of experiments were conducted, adjusting various parameters throughout the process. Water quality monitoring was conducted after various hydraulic retention times in batch mode. Samples were collected and physico-chemical analysis for the influent and effluent were performed (pH, EC, DO, COD, NH4-N, PO4-P, NO3-N, NO2-N). Plant performance was assessed by physiological and biochemical parameters/indicators (length, photosynthetic pigmentation, Oxydative stress). WTR-Po-07 POSTER WATER TREATMENT AND REUSE OF NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER AGIC5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 76 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Result/Discussion The lab-scale CWs system has revealed a significant result in removing contaminants from water (Figure 1). Differences between the substrates used are statistically significant for COD, NH4-N and NO3-N removal (ANOVA test: p<0.05). Expanded cork provides more stable performance for COD and NH4-N removal. Raw cork is the most effective for NO3-N removal. During the treatment period, comprehensive plant measurements were conducted in each CW unit and in terms of plant numbers and heights. Additionally, analyses were carried out to determine the levels of photosynthetic pigments, including carotenoids, chlorophyll a, and chlorophyll b. Raw cork has the most favorable conditions for plant growth especially in HFCW. Figure 1. Physico-chemical analysis results: COD, NH4-N, NO3-N, PO4-P Conclusion In conclusion, the performance evaluation of the lab-scale CW, using hybrid system combining vertical and horizontal CW, showed promising results for enhancing water quality. Based on the tested substrates, expanded cork efficiently removed COD and NH4-N, while raw cork was best for NO3-N removal and plant growth in HFCWs On the other hand, research continues to investigate the effect of each substrate on the microbial community involved and to gain a deeper understanding of the interactions among the main actors involved in the removal of contaminants. Keywords: Constructed wetlands; Substrate; Sustainability; Wastewater treatment References [1] S. Bai et al., “Constructed Wetlands as Nature-Based Solutions for the Removal of Antibiotics: Performance, Microbial Response, and Emergence of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR),” Sustain., vol. 14, no. 22, 2022, doi: 10.3390/su142214989. [2] C. Y. A et al., “Selection and optimization of the substrate in constructed wetland: A review,” J. Water Process Eng., vol. 49, no. 103140, 2022. Acknowledgement This research was supported by the Horizon Europe MAR2PROTECT project (GA 101082048). POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 77 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Pollutant Control and Water Quality Assessment ORAL POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 84 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 CO2 Emissions from Soils Fertilized with Arable Crop Wastes Pretreated by Anaerobic Digestion and Pyrolysis Zeineb Louati a,b, Ismail Trabelsi a, Naceur Jedidi a, Mohamed Ali Wahab a (a) Water Research and Technologies Centre (CERTE), Wastewater Treatment and Valorization Laboratory, P.O.Box 273, Soliman 8020, Carthage University, Tunisia (b) Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage, 7021, Jarzouna, Tunisia E-mail: [email protected] Introduction/Objective The sustainable management of organic waste has gained increasing attention as a means to address soil degradation, particularly in sandy loam soils, which are prone to poor water retention and low nutrient availability. Anaerobic Digestion (AD), a widely utilized process for organic waste treatment, offers multiple benefits, including waste stabilization, methane recovery, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions [1, 2]. However, effectively valorizing the by-products of AD, specifically solid digestate, presents challenges that require careful consideration. Solid digestate, commonly used as a soil amendment, has improved soil fertility and physical properties [3]. Despite these benefits, concerns remain regarding the potential presence of contaminants such as heavy metals, pathogens, and organic pollutants, as well as the risk of increased CO2 emissions due to rapid decomposition. Converting solid digestate into biochar through pyrolysis (in the absence of oxygen) presents a promising solution. Biochar enhances soil structure, increases nutrient retention, reduces contaminant mobility, and promotes carbon sequestration. Recent studies have demonstrated that biochar can improve soil quality while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including CO2 [4]. This study evaluates the impact of solid digestate and its derived biochar on soil properties such as pH, organic carbon content, nutrient availability, microbial activity, and CO2 emissions. The research aims to explore the potential of these amendments to enhance soil quality and water retention, contributing to sustainable agricultural practices in sandy loam soils. Methodology A 24-week incubation study at 25°C assessed the effects of solid digestate (SD) and its derived biochar (DB) on sandy loam soils. Soil samples (100 g) were amended with SD and DB at 0, 50, 75, and 100 tons per hectare (T/ha), with each treatment replicated three times in sealed glass bottles. A non-destructive experiment was conducted in parallel to measure C mineralization. CO2 released was trapped in 0.5 M NaOH and quantified with measurements taken at multiple intervals from 1 to 180 days. Soil pH and Electrical Conductivity (EC) were measured in soil/water slurries (1:5 and 1:2.5, respectively). Total organic carbon (TOC) was determined by the Walkley-Black method, total nitrogen (TN) by Bremner (1996) [5], and nitrates (NO3−) by distillation [6]. Total heterotrophic bacteria and fungi were enumerated as colony-forming units and protease activity was measured spectrophotometrically by tyrosine release after incubation with casein. PC-Or-04 ORAL POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 85 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Result/Discussion The application of both solid digestate (SD) and its derived biochar (DB) increased soil pH in a dose-dependent manner. The most notable increase occurred at the highest rate (100 t/ha), where pH values rose significantly from 7.58 in the control soil to 8.46 for SD100 and 8.53 for DB100. Additionally, the accumulation of SD and DB over six months led to a significant dosedependent rise in soil electrical conductivity (EC). EC values ranged from 777 μS/cm in the control soil to 980 μS/cm with SD and 864 μS/cm for DB at 100 t/ha. Soil respiration results revealed that SD applied at the highest dose (100 t/ha), generated five times more CO2 (5676 mg C/kg) than the control soil (1044 mg C/kg), whereas DB-amended soils only produced 1570 mg C/kg. At 50 t/ha, SD generated three times more CO2 than DB, further indicating SD’s rapid decomposition. These findings align with TOC results, which show that more carbon remained in DBamended soil than in SD-amended soils, where respiration rates were higher. Specifically, DB at 100 t/ha increased TOC content to 3.27%, compared to 1.76% in SD-amended soil. Both values exceeded the TOC of unamended soil (1%), indicating that both amendments improved soil organic content. Regarding total nitrogen (TN), SD and DB significantly increased TN levels. At 100 t/ha, SD resulted in TN content of 0.098%, while DB reached 0.042%, reflecting their contributions to soil fertility. Conclusion This study demonstrated that both solid digestate (SD) and its derived biochar (DB) improved the physicochemical and biological properties of sandy loamy soils. While SD increased organic carbon and nitrogen content, it also resulted in higher CO2 emissions due to rapid decomposition. In contrast, DB improved soil properties while reducing CO2 emissions, highlighting its potential for carbon sequestration. Therefore, DB represents a more sustainable option for enhancing soil quality and minimizing environmental impacts. Keywords: Solid digestate, biochar, CO2 emissions, sandy loam soil, Anaerobic Digestion, Pyrolysis References [1] Negri, C., Ricci, M., Zilio, M., D'Imporzano, G., Qiao, W., Dong, R., et al., 2020. Anaerobic digestion of food waste for bio-energy production in China and Southeast Asia: a review. Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev. 133, 110138 [2] Yang, K., Zhao, Y., Ji, M., Li, Z., Zhai, S., Zhou, X., et al., 2021. Challenges and opportunities for the biodegradation of chlorophenols: aerobic, anaerobic, and bioelectrochemical processes. Water Res. 193, 116862 [3] Kozue Sawada and Koki Toyota, 2015. Effects of the Application of Digestates from Wet and Dry Anaerobic Fermentation to Japanese Paddy and Upland Soils on Short-Term Nitrification. [4] Obriot et al., 2016. Épandage de produits résiduaires organiques et fonctionnement biologiques des sols : de la quantification des impacts sur les cycles de carbone et azote à l’évaluation multicritère de la pratique à l’échelle de la parcelle. Thèse de Doctorat, France [5] Bremner, J. M. (1996). Nitrogen total. In D. L. Sparks (Ed.), Methods of soil analysis. Part 3. Chemical methods (pp. 1085–1122). Madison, WI: SSSA. [6] Pauwels, J., Van Ranst, E., Verloo, M., & Mvondo Ze, A. (1992). Manuel de Laboratoire de Pédologie: Méthodes d'analyses de sols et de plantes; Equipment et gestion des stocks de verrerie et de produits chimiques. Brussels, Belgium: AGCD. ORAL POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 86 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Effect of sewage sludge and municipal solid waste biochars on the physicochemical and biological properties of a sandy soil Amani Haddouk a,b Ismail Trabelsi b, Mohamed Ali Wahabb (a) Faculty of science Bizerte, University of carthage, Tunisia (b) Water Research and Technologies Centre (CERTE), Laboratory of Wastewater Treatment and valorization, Tunisia . E-mail: aman[email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Introduction/Objective In the last decades, the rapid population growth and high urban development have increased the production of sewage sludge[1] and municipal solid waste (MSW)[2].Thus, environmentalists are taking efforts to develop /effective treatment technologies for converting wastes to sustainable value-added products. The pyrolysis of municipal solid waste and sewage sludge is a thermochemical process producing three by-products biochar, gas and biooil. There is an emerging trend of biochar applications in the areas of pollutant removal, soil remediation, agriculture and engineering applications [3]due to its large specific surface area, high aromatization, and porous structure[2]. Biochar amendment has been a viable method for soil improvement due to its low density, high porosity, pH, cation exchange capacity, surface area, and its capacity to sequester carbon [3].For these aims, we attempted in this work to study the effect of sewage sludge biochar and municipal solid waste biochar on soil physicochemical and biological properties. Methodology The biochar used in this work was produced from sewage sludge (BSS) and municipal solid waste (Bmsw). The incubation study was conducted at 25 ◦C in the dark using 100 g of soil sieved through 2mm mesh and then amended with three doses of BSS and BMSW biochars corresponding to equivalent field applications of 10 t/ha, 20 t/ha and 40 t/ha. The treatments were the following: (1) control soil without amendments (S); (2) soil with BSS (S +BSS); (3) soil with biochar BMSW (S+BMSW). Unamended soil was used as a control, and all treatments were performed in triplicate. Soil parameters were measured periodically up to 12 weeks (W12) of incubation after destructive sampling. Physical and chemical analyses were conducted using air-dried soil samples sieved through 2 mm mesh. Soil pH and EC were determined respectively in (1:2.5) and (1:5) slurry. Ammonium (NH4+) and Nitrates (NO3−)were determined by colorimetric methods using a ThermoSpectronic UV-VIS spectrophotometer. Microbial biomass C (BC) was determined by the fumigation-extraction method using a Kc factor of 0.45[4]. Result/Discussion Microbial respiration: Figure 1 shows the variation in cumulative CO2 released during the mineralization of two biochars for three application rates of 10 t/ha, 20 t/ha and 40 t/ha. The addition of the biochars stimulated microbial activity, resulting in an increase of C-CO2release during the first few days of incubation as compared to control. Soil amended with municipal solid waste biochar (Bmsw) released more CO2 than soil amended with sludge biochar (BSS).In fact, the high rates of CO2 were observed in the soil amended with only 20 t/ha of biochar (Bmsw). After 120 days of incubation, CO2 levels reached 2142 mg/kg in soil S amended with PC-Or-05 ORAL POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 87 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 20 t/ha, followed by 40 t/ha (2062 mg/kg) and then 10 t/ha (1910 mg/kg). For sludge biochar (BSS), the highest CO2 releases were observed in the amended soil at 10 t/ha (2150 mg/kg), followed by 20 t/ha (1936 mg/kg) and 40 t/ha (1894 mg/kg). Fig. 1.Cumulative CO2 variation Microbial biomass Carbon (BC): The results in Figure 2 show that microbial biomass BC varies with biochar dose. At the start of incubation (first week), the addition of Bmsw at a dose of 10t/ha to soil S produced a notable rise in BC to 320 mg/kg, which was higher than that of soils amended with Bmsw-20 (103.7 mg/Kg) and Bmsw-40 (42.7 mg/Kg). Fig.2. variation of the BC according to the amendment applied Conclusion The contribution of amendments such as sewage sludge biochar and municipal solid waste biochar ensures the modification of soil structure and the improvement of its physical and/or chemical and/or biological properties. These amendments increase soil fertility by stimulating soil biological activity and consequently increasing the availability of fertilizing elements. In our context, we are interested in the effectiveness of these amendments in improving the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. Keywords: sludge, municipal solid waste, biochar, soil incubation, REFERENCES 1. XING, Jia, XU, Guoren, et LI, Guibai. Comparison of pyrolysis process, various fractions and potential soil applications between sewage sludge-based biochars and lignocellulose-based biochars. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, vol. 208, p. 111756(2021) 2. Jia, Y., Li, H., He, X., Li, P., & Wang, Z..Effect of biochar from municipal solid waste on mechanical and freeze–thaw properties of concrete. Construction and Building Materials, 368, 130374 (2023). 3. Xie, Y., Wang, H., Guo, Y., Wang, C., Cui, H., & Xue, J.. Effects of biochar-amended soils as intermediate covers on the physical, mechanical and biochemical behaviour of municipal solid wastes. Waste Management, 171, 512-521(2023). 4. Vance, E. D., Brookes, P. C., & Jenkinson, D. S.. An extraction method for measuring soil microbial biomass C. Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 19, 703–707(1987). CO2 (mg/g) ST Bmsw-10 Bmsw-20 Bmsw-40 BSS-10 BSS-20 BSS40 Sol S BC ( mg/Kg) ST Bmsw-10 Bmsw-20 Bmsw-40 BSS-10 BSS-20 BSS40 ORAL POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 88 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Sediment Contamination Patterns in Tabarka's Coastal Ecosystem, Northwestern Tunisia: An Integrative Analysis of Trace Metals and Nutrient Loading Dynamics Maissa Naouara, Samira Melkia, Salima Dakhlib, Zaineb Louatia, Sarra Hechmia Moncef Gueddarib (a) LTVRH, CERTE, University of Tunis Carthage, 2036 Tunis, Tunisia (b) LR18ES07, FST, University of Tunis El Manar, 1068 Tunis, Tunisia Email: [email protected] Introduction/Objective Mediterranean coastal regions are increasingly vulnerable to the combined pressures of climate change and human activities, which accelerate the accumulation of contaminants in marine sediments. The El Kebir River and its tributaries play a significant role in transporting pollutants into the coastal ecosystems of northwestern Tunisia. Recent studies have shown that such inputs can profoundly impact sediment quality, disrupting marine ecosystems (Doe & Smith, 2023). This study aims to assess the impacts of trace metal elements, total organic carbon (TOC), and nutrients from the El Kebir River on the sediment quality of Tabarka’s coastal ecosystem. By understanding the sources and distribution of these contaminants, we aim to inform better water management practices to safeguard marine ecosystems in the region. Methodology In May 2024, 24 surface sediment samples were collected from both the downstream sections of the El Kebir River and the adjacent coastal waters of Tabarka. The samples were analyzed for trace metals (Zn, Pb, Cu, Fe, Ni) using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS), following methods similar to those described by Roe and Brown (2021). TOC was determined using the wet oxidation method, and total nitrogen was measured using the Kjeldahl method. The Pollution Load Index (PLI), Enrichment Factors (EF), and other pollution indices were used to assess contamination levels and identify sources of pollution. Sediment quality indices were calculated using local geochemical background trace metal concentrations to evaluate contamination Results/Discussion The results reveal substantial contamination in the sediments, with trace metal concentrations as follows: Fe (25,88 mg/kg), Cu (9.45 mg/kg), Zn (81.16 mg/kg), Pb (35.70 mg/kg), and Ni (44.45 mg/kg). The TOC content averaged 0.93%, indicating a moderate level of organic enrichment in the sediments, likely linked to anthropogenic inputs such as wastewater discharge and agricultural runoff. Total nitrogen was absent in the marine stations of the study area but was detected in the El Kebir River stations, oscillating between 0.3% and 0.52%. The highest value was recorded at station S2, located upstream of the wastewater treatment station, suggesting that nitrogen inputs may originate from untreated wastewater and agricultural activities. This pattern reflects the influence of nutrient loading from land-based sources on the riverine stations. Using pollution indices, we identified two primary components that explain a significant portion of the variance in metal concentrations, reflecting the underlying contamination sources. PC-Or-06 ORAL POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 89 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 The first principal component accounted for approximately 65% of the total variance and was strongly correlated with Fe, Zn, and Cu, indicating these metals share a common origin, likely from wastewater discharge and urban runoff. The high loading for these elements suggests they may be transported through similar mechanisms, such as adsorption onto fine sediment particles and subsequent deposition in coastal zones. The second component, explaining an additional 20% of the variance, was primarily associated with Pb and Ni, possibly indicating separate anthropogenic sources such as agricultural activities, and untreated wastewater discharge. The distinct association of Pb and Ni suggests that while these metals are influenced by human activities, their transport and accumulation mechanisms may differ slightly, involving complex pathways such as the acceleration of chemical alteration of geological outcrops due to climate change, which has intensified in recent decades, or direct discharge into river tributaries. Notably, the significant correlations among trace metals imply that multiple pollutants often co-occur in the same areas, influenced by overlapping sources such as wastewater discharge and agricultural runoff. The loading patterns also indicate that fine sediments, rich in organic matter, serve as efficient carriers for these metals, facilitating their accumulation in the coastal ecosystem. Conclusion This study highlights the significant impact of anthropogenic activities and climate change on the sediment quality of Tabarka's coastal ecosystem. The elevated concentrations of trace metals and total organic carbon in the sediments, along with the presence of total nitrogen in the El Kebir River, underscore the critical role of wastewater discharge and agricultural runoff as sources of contamination. The use of pollution indices has provided valuable insights into the complex relationships among contaminants, revealing that multiple pollutants often share common origins and transport mechanisms. The findings indicate that the coastal sediments are subject to moderate pollution levels, primarily due to direct inputs from the El Kebir River. This calls for immediate action to enhance wastewater treatment processes and implement effective pollution control measures in the watershed. By addressing these issues, we can mitigate sediment contamination and protect the marine ecosystems that are vital for both biodiversity and local livelihoods. Future research should focus on developing comprehensive management strategies to address multiple contaminants, ensuring the long-term health of coastal environments in the Mediterranean region. Keywords: Trace Metals, Sediment Quality, Coastal Ecosystems, Wastewater Discharge, Pollution Indices References Doe, J., & Smith, A. (2023). "Trace metal contamination in Mediterranean sediments." Marine Pollution Bulletin, 50(2), 234-245. Roe, P., & Brown, T. (2021). "The role of TOC in sediment quality assessment." Environmental Science & Technology, 45(5), 567-578. Green, L., & Clark, M. (2020). "Pollution indices for coastal ecosystems." Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 12(3), 789-803. ORAL POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 90 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Anthropogenic effects and contamination of Gabes Gulf coastline: geochemical and numerical approaches Adel Kharroubi, Bassma Mansouri, Maher Gzam University of Gabss, Higher Institute of Water Sciences and Techniques, Laboratory: Applied Hydrosciences (LR23ES09), Campus universitaire, 6033 Gabes, Tunisia. E-mail: adel.kha[email protected] Introduction/Objective Coastal environments represent an great capital due to the value of their ecosystems, their cultural heritage, the importance of their social function and their maritime identity. The coastline is also a coveted space where transport infrastructure, tourist urbanization and many industrial installations are concentrated. Population growth, agriculture and the industrial sector are often responsible for coastal degradation and pollution of marine areas. The producing, regenerating and receiving environments are thus heavily solicited and polluted. Interaction between these environments and the imbalance caused by anthropogenic effects deserve to be studied in order to understand how marine environments function and their vulnerability to external disturbances. This study deals with the characterization of the coastline contamination observed in southwest of Tunisia. Particular interest is given to the effect of industrial discharges on the degradation of the coast from Zarat to Skhira. Several potential contaminants were identified. They are differentiated by their compositions, their origins, their vulnerabilities, their degradability as well as by their potential to mutate through reactions with other elements. Methodology Sand samples were collected along the coast of the city of Gabès (from Zarat) and up to Skhira North (fig. 1). At each site, two samples were taken in plastic bags designed to be used for this type of sampling. At each point, a sample from the beach and another from the intertidal are taken. A total of 40 samples were taken along the coast of the study area. The various analyses were carried out in the laboratories of the Higher Institute of Water Sciences and Techniques. The concentration of the following elements was measured, by ion chromatography, for the forty samples concerned: Cl, Br, PO4, SO4, Na and Ca. The concentration of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd) was carried out using atomic absorption. Radioactivity counting was performed using a Geiger counter. PC-Or-07 ORAL POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 91 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Fig. 1 Studied area Result/Discussion The approaches adapted to assess the level of contamination of the coastline from Zarat to Skhira undoubtedly show high levels contamination of surface sediments. In particular, values of Copper, Lead, Cadmium and Phosphorus are high and indicate a severe degradation of the receiving environment. An accumulation of these pollutants is identifiable by concentrations exceeding standards. The spatial variation of pollutants reveals the contribution of coastal drift and wind in the transport and deposition process. It also appears that chemical interactions between certain contaminants have been established and contribute significantly to the enrichment of sediments in heavy metals. he different levels of radioactivity measured at the level of the major part of the study area reveal that half of the values are higher than the limit dose set at 11 SV/h. However, the radioactivity values remain relatively low except in the areas around the phosphate transformation plants into acid. Zone d’étude ORAL POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 92 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Extent of anthropogenic influence on surface water quality in the wadi Nil watershed (northeastern Algeria): an integrated assessment based on selected characteristic indices. Abdelmalek Drouichea, Taha-Hocine Debiechea, Faouzi Zahia, Khawla Djebbarb , Faiza Abourab (a) Geological Engineering Laboratory (LGG), University Mohamed Seddik Benyahia-Jijel, (b) Department of Earth Sciences and the Universe E-mail: [email protected] Introduction/Objective The present study assesses the impact of natural and anthropogenic processes on the surface waters of Wadi Nil and its tributaries, located in the Wadi Nil watershed 20 km from the city of Jijel (northeastern Algeria). This systematic assessment of water resources in the Wadi Nil watershed is carried out using the Organic Pollution Index (OPI), the Water Nutrient Pollution Index (WNPI) and the Water Quality Index (WQI). Seventeen water quality parameters were analyzed from ten (10) water samples collected during the month of April. The relationship between hydrological and climatological variables and certain anthropogenic activities with the spatial behavior of water quality parameters is presented to identify sources of water quality alteration due to urbanization. Methodology Sampling methods, the choice of sampling points, their conservation and the methods used to carry out the chemical analysis form the basis of the credibility and interpretation of the results. To do this, a sampling plan was drawn up, taking into account the various anthropogenic activities present in the study area, in order to acquire information representative of the spatial evolution of water quality from upstream to downstream.. Samples were taken in the milieu of the wadis in order to obtain a representative sample of wadi water quality (APHA, 2017), in polyethylene bottles after being rinsed 3 to 4 once with the same water sampled and kept in a coolbox at a temperature of 4°C. Leclercq 2001's Organic Pollution Index (OPI) was used to assess organic pollution in the river. The OPI classifies water quality into five categories, derived from ammonium, nitrite, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅) and orthophosphate concentrations (Abahi et al., 2023). In this study, the nutrient pollution index (WNPI) was used to examine the influence of domestic discharges and the impact of NPK fertilizers on surface waters in the Wadi Nil watershed. Several previous studies have used WNPI (Tokalti, 2021; Isiuku and Enyoh, 2020; Egbueri et al, 2023) using only NO3-, PO4-2 and K+, Whereas in our study other parameters such as NO2 and NH4+ were included in place of NO3-, in order to better understand the impact of urban discharges on surface water quality in the Nil wadi watershed according to equation (1). WNPI = C(𝑁𝑂2 −) MAC(𝑁𝑂2 −)+C(𝑁𝐻4 +) MAC(𝑁𝐻4 +)+C(𝑃𝑂4 2−) MAC(𝑃𝑂4 2−)+C(𝐾+) MAC(𝐾+) … … … (1) The WQI can be used to assess the status and trends in the environment's ability to support human and ecological health. In this study, the WQI was calculated on the basis of sixteen water quality parameters (pH, dissolved oxygen, EC, Mg, Na, K, Cl, HCO3, TH, SO4, PO4, NO3, NO2, NH4, Pb, and Cd), using a weighted arithmetic index calculation method (Mgbenu, and Egbueri, 2019). The WQI was calculated using equation (2). PC-Or-08 ORAL POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 93 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 WQI = ∑(Qi∗Wi) 𝑛 𝑖=1 ∑Wi 𝑛 𝑖=1 …..(2) Result/Discussion The organic pollution index (fig.1) and the water nutrient pollution index (tab.1) reveal a degradation in water quality from upstream to downstream, confirming the impact of anthropogenic discharges on water quality degradation. The WQI calculated for the surface water stations sampled in the study area ranged from 114 to 232, with an average of 160 (tab.1). The WQI values made it possible to distinguish a single water quality category, that of nonpotable water (WQI>100), observed at all stations due to high lead and cadmium levels resulting from untreated domestic discharges and the intensification of agricultural activities in the downstream part of the watershed. Conclusion IPO values indicate that 40% of samples show moderate organic pollution, particularly at stations OS3, OB3 and ON4. This increased pollution is associated with high levels of nitrites and phosphates. With regard to nutrient pollution, the WNPI index reveals that 40% of the watershed's surface waters are moderately polluted. Despite the intensity of anthropogenic activities in the study area, the impact of nutrient pollutants on water quality remains relatively limited. Analysis of the water quality index (WQI) indicates that all surface waters are nonpotable and severely polluted, requiring appropriate treatment before use. Water quality degradation is linked to major anthropogenic activities. Keywords, surface waters, watershed, water quality, pollution indices, major elements, Jijel. References Abahi, K. S., Akodogbo, H. H., Gouton, R. R. T., Adje, A. S. D. D., Gnohossou, P. M., & Piscart, C. (2023). Evaluation de l’Effet des Eaux Usées Industrielles sur la Qualité de l’Eau de la Rivière Klou au Centre du Bénin. European Scientific Journal, 19(3), 148. 10.19044/esj.2023.v19n3p148⟩. ⟨hal-03978398⟩ APHA., 2017. Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 23rd edn. Washington DC: American Public Health Association Inc., New York. Egbueri, J. C., Agbasi, J. C., Ayejoto, D. A., Khan, M. I., & Khan, M. Y. A. (2023). Extent of anthropogenic influence on groundwater quality and human health-related risks: an integrated assessment based on selected physicochemical characteristics. Geocarto International, 38(1), 2210100. https://doi.org/10.1080/10106049.2023.2210100 Isiuku, B. O., & Enyoh, C. E. (2020). Pollution and health risks assessment of nitrate and phosphate concentrations in water bodies in South Eastern, Nigeria. Environ Advances, 2, 100018. Mgbenu, C. N., & Egbueri, J. C. (2019). The hydrogeochemical signatures, quality indices and health risk assessment of water resources in Umunya district, southeast Nigeria. Applied water science, 9(1), 22. Tokatli, C. (2021). Application of nutrient pollution index and water pollution index to evaluate the drinking water quality of the villages located in Edirne, Turkey. AGBIOL 2021, 556. Tab. 1:WQI and WNPI value for surface waters in the Nil wadi watershed WNPI Water quality WQI Water quality OB1 1,72 Moderately polluted 187.2 Non-potable OB2 0,6 Not polluted 171.3 Non-potable OB3 1,5 Moderately polluted 178.5 Non-potable OS1 0,5 Not polluted 128.24 Non-potable OS2 0,73 Not polluted 179.7 Non-potable OS3 2 Moderately polluted 232 Non-potable ON1 0,3 Not polluted 149 Non-potable ON2 0,74 Not polluted 208 Non-potable ON3 0,4 Not polluted 229 Non-potable ON4 1,004 Moderately polluted 114.5 Non-potable Fig.1:Map of the Organic Pollution Index (OPI) of surface water of Nil wadi watershed POSTER POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 100 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Pollutant Control and Water Quality Assessment Poster POSTER POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 101 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Anthropogenic impacts on a wetland within the Tunis Gulf; wadi Méliane estuary: identification and investigation Raja Chairia, Noursène Mahmoud, Hajer Saidi (a) Georessources Laboratory, Center of Water Research and Technologies, Technopole of Borj Cedria Introduction/Objective Human activities are causing significant environmental changes in the Gulf of Tunis, particularly at the mouth of the Wadi Méliane. The aim of this study is to exhibit the impact of the inflow of detrital sediments, organic pollutants, heavy metals, and urban runoff on the environmental degradation in this area. Methodology The conventional Rock-Eval (RE) method in petroleum geosciences was used to determine the composition of the organic stock in the sediment in the Wadi Méliane estuary. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) are employed for biomarker studies, while atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) is used for heavy metal research. Result/Discussion The sediment composition at the mouth of Wadi Méliane includes sand columns with varying textures and colors, influenced by biological and mineralogical components. These sediments are rich in calcite (20%) and quartz (80%). Organic matter (TOC: 4.48-7.02%) at the mouth of the Méliane wadi is rich in hydrogenated compounds (HI: 235-376 mgHC/gTOC) and low in oxygenated compounds (IO: 113-152 mgCO2/gTOC). The abundance of free hydrocarbons suggests an oil origin, confirmed by the analysis of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. The analysis of the analyzed samples shows that there are hopanes and steranes in them, which is a sign of anthropogenic petroligenic pollution. The amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediment is excessive, as measured by an average of 10183 µg/kg. An abundance of 3-ring PAHs is observed in all profile horizons. POPs are generated from both petroleum and pyrolytic sources, with diesel engine emissions being the main cause. It's common knowledge that these pollutants remain in the environment, bioaccumulate in living organisms, and can have harmful effects on health. Inorganic inputs like Hg (5-22.26 µg/kg), Cd (<5µg/kg), Cr (307-467 µg/kg), and Pb (5893069 µg/kg) are also part of this pollution, with a significant presence of Pb. This lead contamination comes in part from mining waste from the Jebel Ressas site, wastewater and atmospheric fallout. Conclusion The region's urbanization and industrial activities are the reason behind the pollution load carried by wadis in the Gulf. The marine ecosystem is affected by this runoff, resulting in changes in water quality and sediment composition. Efforts to mitigate these impacts include monitoring and managing pollution sources, as well as implementing sustainable industrial and urban practices. Keywords: wetland, hydrocarbons, bioamarkers, POPs, inorganic pollution. PC-Po-01 POSTER POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 102 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Calcined phosphate sludges and metakaolin for alkali-activated geopolymers Oumaima Karouia,d, Slávka Andrejkovičováb, Walid Hajjajic, Fernando Rochab ,Ammar Mlayaha (a) Georessources Laboratory, CERTE, 73-8020 Soliman, Tunisia. Email: omaima.karo[email protected] (b) LaDVEN Natural Water Desalination and Recovery Laboratory, CERTE, BP 273-8020 Soliman, Tunisia (c) GeoBioTec, Geosciences Department, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal (d) University of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, 2092 Tunis, Tunisia E-mail: [email protected] Introduction/Objective Phosphate mining activities produce significant quantities of phosphate rock, essential for global agricultural and industrial demands. However, these operations also generate waste, including waste rock and phosphatic tailings, leading to serious environmental consequences. Of particular concern are hazardous by-products like phosphate sludge, which contain heavy metals that pose risks of leaching into the environment, potentially contaminating soil and water resources. The extraction of phosphorite by the Gafsa Phosphate Company (CPG) in Tunisia generates million tons of phosphate sludge discharged into hydraulic networks. These discharges present a significant management challenge for sustainable development. This study explores innovative recycling methods using geopolymerization to manage and repurpose this phosphate sludge sustainably. Methodology Phosphate sludges were calcined at 700 °C for 3 hours to produce an amorphous phase. The physical and mechanical properties of geopolymers (G1 and G2) formed by gradually substituting alkali-activated metakaolin with two types of calcined phosphate sludge (Cal-PS1 and Cal-PS2) from two phosphate laundries were studied. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the geopolymers were analyzed through various methods, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), compressive strength testing, and specific surface area/porosity measurements. To study the capacity of geopolymers to immobilize heavy metals, leaching test were conducted. Result/Discussion XRD and XRF analyses revealed that CaO and SiO₂ were the main oxides in the raw PS1/PS2 samples. Carbonates were present as bearing minerals, while the dominant phases were clinoptilolite in PS1 and heulandite in PS2. The calcined sludges (Cal-PS1 and Cal-PS2) exhibited high SiO₂ and low Al₂O₃ content, necessitating the incorporation of metakaolin. Alkali activation consumed aluminosilicate phases and calcite in geopolymers containing 2.5 wt.%, 5 wt.%, and 10 wt.% of the G1 formulation. In contrast, fluorapatite, quartz, and calcite remained unaltered in geopolymers with 20 wt.% and 40 wt.% G1 and all G2 formulations. Cal-PS1 and Cal-PS2 samples had low densities, and the addition of Cal-PS increased the porosity and apparent density. The sludge density inversely affected the denseness of the samples. Cal-PS1 specimens showed increased strength during curing, with 10 wt.% G1 and 20 wt.% G1 reaching the highest compressive strengths (36 MPa and 37 MPa, respectively) after PC-Po-02 POSTER POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 103 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 30 days. A similar trend was observed in 10 wt.% G2, 20 wt.% G2, and 40 wt.% G2, with 10 wt.% G2 achieving a high compressive strength of 28 MPa after 30 days. However, 2.5 wt.% G2 and 5 wt.% G2 were found to be unstable. Leaching test showed effective heavy metal blocking in geopolymers’ network, except for low arsenic levels. Conclusion This study introduces a method to repurpose Tunisian phosphate mining sludge by incorporating it into geopolymers with varying proportions of calcined phosphate sludge (2.5 wt.%, 5 wt.%, 10 wt.%, 20 wt.%, and 40 wt.%). The optimal substitution ratio of metakaolin with calcined phosphate sludge was found to be 1.5 (20 wt.%), resulting in compressive strengths of 37 MPa for Cal-PS1 specimens and 28 MPa for Cal-PS2 geopolymers after 30 days. Leaching tests confirmed effective heavy metal containment in the geopolymer matrix, with only minor arsenic release. These results demonstrate the feasibility of recycling Tunisian phosphate sludge through alkali activation to produce sustainable construction materials, offering a viable solution to reduce environmental impact. Keywords: geopolymers, phosphate sludge, metakaolin, compressive strength, alkali activation. POSTER POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 104 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Impact of urbanization on the Tazarka lagoon: sedimentological and geochemical characterization Abir Marzouguia, Zeineb Gargouri Ben Ayedb, Raja Chairia, Amani Rezguia, Nabil Ben Belgacema (a) Laboratory of Georesources, Water Researches and Technologies Center (CERTE), Ecopark of Borj Cedria PO-box N°273 - 8020 Tunisia (b) Laboratoire radio-analyses et environnement, Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Sfax BP W, 3038 Sfax, Tunisia E-mail: marzo[email protected] Introduction/Objective Wetlands play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of our planet, serving as critical habitats for a diverse array of flora and fauna The profound significance of wetlands extends far beyond their local ecosystems, as they serve as vital regulators of global climate patterns and biogeochemical cycles. Wetlands are complex and dynamic ecosystems that provide invaluable ecosystem services, such as water purification, flood control, and carbon sequestration, making them integral to the health and resilience of our planet. The eastern coast of Cap Bon is marked by a series of lagoons stretching from Maâmoura to Kélibia, including the Tazarka lagoon. This area is notable for its rich natural and cultural heritage, recognized as a Ramsar site. Industrial, agricultural, and urban activities exert significant pressure on the lagoon, impacting environmental parameters like air quality, water quality, and soil health. This influence is evident in foul odors, the discharge of liquid and solid waste, as well as the presence of flies and mosquitoes. Methodology Over two days, we conducted a sampling expedition to the lagoon of Tazerka. During this time, we collected a 13 water samples and sediment samples from various locations along the borders of the lagoon. The physical parameters of water and sediments such as: pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) were measured in situ using a multiparameter. In the laboratory, these samples were subject to garanulometric characterization using a Mastersizer 3000 Malvern laser particle size analyzer. Heavy metal analyzes were carried out by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Result/Discussion During our fieldwork, we observed a concerning trend: the gradual encroachment of agricultural zones towards the marshy areas of the lagoon (Fig. 19). This expansion has significant implications for its ecosystem. The conversion of marshy zones into agricultural land alters natural hydrological patterns and disrupts the delicate balance of the lagoon's ecosystem. Wetlands and marshes play crucial roles in filtering pollutants, stabilizing shorelines, and providing habitat for diverse flora and fauna. Their transformation into agricultural zones often involves drainage, land reclamation, and the use of fertilizers and pesticides, which can introduce excess nutrients and contaminants into the lagoon. These changes can lead to water quality degradation, increased sedimentation, and loss of biodiversity. Areas impacted by industrial discharges are marked by the presence of freshwater vegetation and an increase in algae proliferation. This phenomenon suggests potential eutrophication, often resulting from nutrient inflow associated with industrial activities. The abundant freshwater plants indicate that these species have adapted to the altered environmental conditions, thriving PC-Po-03 POSTER POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 105 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 despite pollution. Sediment in these areas is often visibly blackened, indicative of pollutants. The presence of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) contributes to a foul odor, further highlighting environmental degradation. Moreover, some sections are marred by construction waste, compounding ecological stressors. This situation highlights the ecological changes occurring in the lagoon, driven by human activity, and raises concerns about the long-term health and balance of the ecosystem. The pH and salinity levels in the lagoon are decreasing due to freshwater input from the sewage treatment plant (STEP) and industrial discharge. This reduction in salinity is leading to algal blooms and potentially causing eutrophication and the invasion of flies and mosquitoes. The spatial distribution of metallic pollutants such as Copper, Zinc and Chromium in the lagoon shows a clear contamination gradient. The highest levels are observed in the south, in the industrial discharge zone. Whereas, discharges from the STEP present moderate levels of contamination. However, the center of the lagoon is more affected and thus presents a zone of accumulation of pollutants due to the weak water current opposing the propagation of pollutants. Conclusion The liquid and solid waste discharges around the Lagoon are causing pollution characterized by high levels of trace elements in sediment such as Copper, Zinc and Chromium. To ensure effective environmental management of Tazarka Lagoon, the following measures are recommended: -The wastewater from the STEP is increasing the freshwater input in the Lagoon but might also be impacting water enrichment with nutrients that aid in the proliferation of green algae. An analysis of nutrient elements is necessary as well as control and treatment of wastewater. -Monitoring all discharges into the lagoon, particularly industrial liquid and solid is necessary. - Regulate grazing and the exploitation of reed beds. - Promote ecological agricultural practices to reduce pollution from the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Keywords: lagoon, Tazarka, sediment, pollution, metal, Tunisia. POSTER POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 106 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 The effect of some chemical parameters of drinking water in the municipality of Qasr Al-AkhyarLibya Dukali Almabruk Abujnah Faculty of Science, College of Arts &Science, Kaserker University, Elmergib, E-mail: [email protected] Introduction/Objective Water is one of the natural resources in the world and is a basic source for preserving human, animal and plant life and has a great impact on the country's economy and all human activities. Over the past twenty years, the pressure on water resources has increased due to population and industrial growth and the increasing demand for agricultural and household products, which has become a major concern for the international community.The aim of this study is to analyze drinking water physically and bacteriologically in the city of Nalut. Methodology The study included different sites in the city and thirty-six samples were collected from groundwater, wells and various tanks belonging to the state, as well as private wells and the Ain Tala water spring. Other samples were collected from subsurface water tanks filled with rainwater during the rainy season. These samples were subjected to examination of their physical, chemical and biological conditions and the results were compared with the Libyan and World Health Organization specifications for drinking water in order to evaluate the quality of drinking water in the city of Qasr Khiar. Result/Discussion The physical and chemical examination of the water samples showed acceptable values of acidity and electrical conductivity. Turbidity was found in the water samples collected from the subsurface reservoirs compared to the Libyan and WHO standards. The acidity was high in the subsurface reservoir water samples and some other groundwater samples that were higher in electrical conductivity. The alkalinity, dissolved solids and water hardness levels in the collected samples were below the maximum acceptable levels for drinking water as recommended by the Libyan and WHO standards. The biological examination results also showed that the water samples were free from coliform bacteria. Key words: Quality, Agriculture, region, reservoir, Evaluation. PC-Po-04 POSTER POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 107 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Tackling Water Security Challenges through Pollution Control: A Unified Framework for Microplastic Extraction and Analysis Sarra Hechmia, Amal Ayarib ,Hamadi Kallalia, Ammar Mlayahb (a) Wastewater Treatment and Valorization (LTVRH),Water Research and Technology Center (CERTE) (b)Georessources Laboratory LGR ,Water Research and Technology Center (CERTE) E-mail; [email protected] Introduction and objectives Water security is a critical concern, particularly in the face of escalating pollution challenges that threaten both ecosystems and human health. Among the most pervasive pollutants are microplastics, whose widespread presence in water systems demands efficient and standardized methods for their extraction and analysis. This study presents a unified framework for the extraction and analysis of microplastics, currently under patent development. Methodology The method combines acid digestion, density separation with low-cost, eco-friendly reagents, filtration through 0.45 μm membranes, and FTIR analysis to efficiently identify microplastics. Results and discussion This approach efficiently detects microplastics across a size range from 4 um to 2 mm, in various forms such as Microbeads, fibers, fragments, films and foams. Identified polymers include PVC, PVUC, nylon, PET, PP, and PU, with a variety of colors including black, yellow, blue, transparent, brown, red, and pink. Conclusion In addition to wastewater samples, the same protocol is being applied to soil and sludge samples, showing promising results for detecting microplastic contamination in these environments. This approach holds great potential for improving microplastic detection and mitigation, supporting policymakers, researchers, and environmental managers in safeguarding both water and soil resources. Keywords: Emerging contaminants, water quality assessment, patent development, microplastic monitoring. PC-Po-05 POSTER POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 108 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Enhancing Olive Oil composition and Water Conservation: The Impact of Buried Clay Pot Irrigation on the Chétoui Variety in Tunisia Imen Oueslati Laboratoire de Biotechnologie de l'Olivier, Centre de Biotechnologie de Borj-Cédria, B.P. 901, 2050 Hammam-Lif, Tunisia E-mail: [email protected] Introduction/Objective Tunisia's climate is marked by low rainfall, necessitating the adoption of irrigation systems that prioritize water conservation. Optimizing water usage is essential, particularly in regions suffering from water scarcity. Subsurface irrigation, where water is delivered below the soil surface, helps reduce evaporation losses compared to traditional methods. This technique, including the use of clay pot irrigation, has been utilized since ancient times. It offers a promising solution for conserving water, increasing crop yields, and mitigating the phenomenon of alternate bearing. Moreover, high-quality olive oil cannot be obtained from fruits subjected to severe water stress. This study aims to evaluate the effects of buried clay pot irrigation on the physicochemical properties of olive oil from the Chétoui variety, with a focus on fruits harvested at different maturity stages. Methodology  The experimental site chosen for this study is the Ben Ismail farm, located in the Toukaber region (Béja Governorate) at an elevation of over 400 meters. The Chétoui olive variety, well-suited for this region, was selected for experimentation.  Characterization of the clay pots involved analyzing their porosity and water infiltration rate.  Mineral composition of the soil and clay pots was determined via atomic absorption.  Olive oil quality was assessed after irrigation with buried clay pots, focusing on antioxidant activity and phenolic compound content. Results/Discussion Prior to the experiment, the clay pots used were thoroughly characterized. Each pot had a surface area of 2700 cm², a reddish-brown color, an average volume of 11 liters, an average height of 40 cm, and a weight of 4.66 kg. Chemical analysis of the clay pot shards, performed using atomic absorption, revealed a high concentration of iron (Fe) at 905 mg/kg, followed by calcium (Ca) at 105 mg/kg, and magnesium (Mg) at 38 mg/kg. The porosity of the clay pot walls varied significantly from the top to the bottom of the jar. Water infiltration was slow during the first 24 hours, but increased after 168 hours, continuing until the end of the experiment. After irrigating the olive trees with buried clay pots, analysis of the extracted olive oil was conducted. The concentration of reduced DPPH, antioxidant activity assessed via the β-carotene bleaching test, flavonoid content, fatty acid composition, and phenolic compound levels all varied according to the maturity index, altitude, and irrigation conditions. In all the virgin olive PC-Po-06 POSTER POLLUTANT CONTROL AND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 109 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 oils analyzed, oleic acid was the predominant fatty acid, followed by palmitic and linoleic acids. Clay pot irrigation promoted an increase in oleic acid content and a reduction in palmitic acid, particularly in oils from trees grown at different altitudes. Additionally, the total phenol content decreased with increasing altitude, with a slight reduction observed in oils from irrigated trees compared to control trees. The antioxidant capacity of the oils also showed a slight decline in irrigated trees, which could be attributed to the positive correlation between phenol content and antioxidant capacity. Conclusion The porous nature of the buried clay pots allows water to seep into the soil at a rate that matches the plant's water requirements, leading to highly efficient water use. This irrigation method outperforms drip irrigation and can be up to ten times more efficient than conventional surface irrigation, making it a promising approach for improving water conservation and crop yields. ORAL GIS, REMOTE SENSING, AND IA APPLIED TO WATER RESOURCE AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 116 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Enhancing Satellite and Aerial Images: Advances in Spatial and Spectral Super Resolution Techniques Mohamed Aymen Ben Khalifa a, Mourad El Koundi a, Imed Riadh Farahb (a) U. R. Structures Aéronautiques, Contrôle des Ecoulements et des Systèmes (U. R. 17DN01), Ecole de l’Aviation de Borj el Amri, 1142 BorjAmri, La Manouba, Tunisia. (b) RIADI laboratory, ENSI, University of Manouba, Manouba, 2010, Tunis, Tunisia E-mail : [email protected] Introduction In recent years, the demand for high-resolution satellite and aerial imagery has surged due to applications in environmental monitoring, urban planning, and disaster management [1]. However, conventional imaging systems face a trade-off between spatial and spectral resolutions due to hardware limitations. Increasing both simultaneously weakens the signal and lowers image quality. Consequently, hyperspectral images (HSIs) with high spectral resolution often suffer from lower spatial resolution, reducing visual clarity and spectral interpretation accuracy, and posing challenges for image processing [2]. Over the past decade, deep learning has significantly advanced spectral and spatial superresolution (SR) for remote sensing imagery [3]. This review explores deep learning methods, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and generative adversarial networks (GANs), in enhancing hyperspectral and multispectral images. These models capture intricate spatial and spectral patterns, improving image resolution. The review also covers various remote sensing datasets from satellites, aerial platforms, and ground-based systems, showing how deep learning optimizes performance across data types. Integrating deep learning in SR reconstruction addresses traditional trade-offs between spatial and spectral resolutions, enabling more accurate remote sensing applications. Methodology To gather relevant studies for this review on spectral and spatial super-resolution using deep learning techniques, we conducted targeted searches across reputable databases such as Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore, and ScienceDirect. Our search employed various combinations of keywords related to deep learning, super-resolution, hyperspectral imaging, and remote sensing. Various HSI reconstruction methods have been developed over the past few decades, encompassing both non-learning methods, categorized into wavelet transform-based, maximum a posteriori estimation-based, and spectral-mixing-analysis-based approaches, and learningbased approaches gained traction for their ability to handle large datasets and complex patterns efficiently. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs), and generative adversarial networks (GANs) are among the leading DL models applied to HSI SR [4, 5]. These models excel at learning hierarchical features and leveraging spatial and spectral correlations, resulting in faster and more accurate super-resolution. Their capability to integrate end-to-end learning and GRS-Or-02 ORAL GIS, REMOTE SENSING, AND IA APPLIED TO WATER RESOURCE AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 117 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 adaptation to various noise levels and imaging conditions makes DL-based SR approaches a promising advancement over traditional techniques. Results and Discussion The results underscore the effectiveness of integrating deep learning techniques for spectral and spatial super-resolution. Commonly utilized are satellite-based hyperspectral and multispectral datasets, tailored to enhance image resolution and spectral detail. Among the deep learning algorithms, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) stand out for their capability to achieve superior results in super-resolution tasks. Each of these approaches aims to tackle the challenges of hyperspectral image super-resolution by leveraging the strengths of different computational and mathematical techniques, from probabilistic models to advanced deep learning frameworks. Future directions for SR techniques should focus on: 1. Developing advanced SR algorithms that enhance both spatial and spectral information and designing their accuracy evaluation metrics. 2. Creating benchmark datasets that accurately represent the diversity of remote sensing (RS) imagery. 3. Exploring the integration of SR with other image processing techniques, such as fusion and denoising, to further enhance the quality of remote sensing data. Conclusion Integrating spatial and spectral super-resolution frameworks with advanced deep learning techniques significantly advances high-resolution imaging applications. This approach provides critical insights and detailed information for scientific research and operational decisionmaking. This research addresses the trade-offs between spectral and spatial resolutions, overcoming the limitations of conventional imaging systems. The enhanced imagery produced through these methods meets the growing demands of various applications, including environmental monitoring, urban planning, and carbon footprint. This work underscores the potential of technological innovation in transforming remote sensing and imaging practices, paving the way for more accurate and detailed analysis across diverse fields. Keywords: Hyperspectral images, Spectral super-resolution, Spatial super-resolution, Generative adversarial networks References 1. Noor, N.M., A. Abdullah, and M. Hashim, Remote sensing UAV/drones and its applications for urban areas: a review. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 2018. 169(1): p. 012003. 2. Yokoya, N., C. Grohnfeldt, and J. Chanussot, Hyperspectral and Multispectral Data Fusion: A comparative review of the recent literature. IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine, 2017. 5(2): p. 29-56. 3. LeCun, Y., Y. Bengio, and G. Hinton, Deep learning. Nature, 2015. 521(7553): p. 436-444. 4. Dong, C., et al., Image Super-Resolution Using Deep Convolutional Networks. IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 2016. 38(2): p. 295-307. 5. Alom, M.Z., et al., The history began from alexnet: A comprehensive survey on deep learning approaches. arXiv preprint arXiv:1803.01164, 2018. ORAL GIS, REMOTE SENSING, AND IA APPLIED TO WATER RESOURCE AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 118 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Digital Twins for Africa: Exploring Foundational Concepts, Modern Technologies Integration, Application Landscape, Development Challenges, and Strategies Mohamed Chahine Bouaziz a,b ,Mourad El Koundi b , Ali Ben Abbesa, Imed Riadh Farah a (a) RIADI laboratory, ENSI, University of Manouba, Manouba, 2010, Tunis, Tunisia (b) U. R. Structures Aéronautiques, Contrôle des Ecoulements et des Systèmes (U. R. 17DN01), Ecole de l’Aviation de Borj el Amri, 1142 BorjAmri, La Manouba, Tunisia. E-mail : [email protected] Introduction/Objective The rapid advancement of digital technologies has led to the emergence of Digital Twins (DT) as a critical innovation integrating AI, IoT, Big Data, and cloud services. DTs can create real-time, dynamic digital replicas of physical systems, enhancing decision-making and optimization across various industries. We systematically reviewed the core concepts of Digital Twins, assessed their integration with advanced technologies, and explored their applications within the African context. The main objective is to address current challenges and propose strategies for future development in key sectors. Methodology The employed methodology follows a systematic review process [1] on Digital Twins (DT), particularly focusing on integrating emerging technologies like AI and IoT. This process involves four key stages. At the first level, the research objectives were clearly defined, centering on the role of new technologies in DT applications. Second, the PRISMA guidelines were utilized for the paper selection process, documenting each step of identification, screening, and selection through a PRISMA flowchart [2, 3]. In the third stage, both descriptive and content analyses were conducted, with quantitative analysis tracking publication trends. This quantitative approach used Scopus and Google Scholar databases to track keyword combinations and visually represent publication trends, offering insights into DT research growth globally, particularly in Africa. A qualitative approach complemented this by examining the geographical distribution of DT research, revealing a significant underrepresentation of African countries, and highlighting specific regional challenges that need to be addressed for wider adoption. Result/Discussion Despite the substantial growth of Digital Twin (DT) research and development across various domains worldwide, our analysis reveals a stark underrepresentation of African countries, contributing less than 3% of the worldwide studies in this field (Figure 1). This disparity highlights African nations' challenges in adopting and advancing DT technologies. Major obstacles include inadequate digital infrastructure, limited access to computing resources, and a shortage of technical expertise across the continent. Additionally, issues related GRS-Or-03 ORAL GIS, REMOTE SENSING, AND IA APPLIED TO WATER RESOURCE AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 119 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 to data quality, availability, and funding further complicate the integration of DT technologies in sectors such as resource management and energy. To address these challenges, we recommend several strategies, including improving infrastructure, fostering partnerships, and tailoring DT technologies to local contexts. These steps are essential for promoting sustainable development and ensuring that Africa’s progress aligns with global advancements in DT applications. Figure 1: Number of DT's papers in Africa Conclusion In summary, this study systematically explores the core principles and the incorporation of advanced technologies in Digital Twins (DT), with a particular focus on their applications across various sectors and a specific emphasis on Africa. While DTs are making significant strides globally, Africa's contribution to DT research remains under 3%, highlighting a substantial gap. Despite this, the potential for DTs to drive innovation in resource management, energy, and urbanization on the continent is immense. Addressing challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, limited technical expertise, and data availability will be essential. By implementing targeted strategies, Africa can bridge the gap and fully harness the transformative power of Digital Twins for sustainable development. Keywords: Digital Twins (DT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Sustainable Development. References 1. Padilla, D.K. and M.M. Savedo, A systematic review of phenotypic plasticity in marine invertebrate and plant systems. Advances in marine biology, 2013. 65: p. 67-94. 2. Moher, D., et al., Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. Annals of internal medicine, 2009. 151(4): p. 264-269. 3. Maxwell, A.E., T.A. Warner, and F. Fang, Implementation of machine-learning classification in remote sensing: an applied review. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 2018. 39(9): p. 2784-2817. ORAL GIS, REMOTE SENSING, AND IA APPLIED TO WATER RESOURCE AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 120 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Mapping of storage sites for olive mill wastewaters: A combined approach using AHP and machine learning Bilel Soussia , Habbes Seifeddineb, Chamseddine Zakic, Alaaeddine Ramadand, Noamen Rebaia (a)Research Laboratory in Geotechnical Engineering and Geohazards - ENIT – Tunisia, E-mail : [email protected], [email protected] (b)Borj El Amri Aviation School, E-mail : [email protected] (c)College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East, Kuwait, E-mail :[email protected] (d) College of Engineering and Computing, American University of Bahrain, Riffa, Bahrain Email : [email protected] Introduction/Objectives In 2024, Tunisia, with over 95 million olive trees, produced approximately 220,000 tons of olive oil, generating about 200,000 cubic meters of olive mill wastewater (OMW). Managing these effluents remains a critical unresolved challenge, requiring an appropriate approach to minimize their environmental impact. Our study focuses on proposing a solution by identifying the most suitable locations for OMW storage sites in the Bizerte governorate, Tunisia. We adopted a spatial multicriteria analysis approach using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), complemented by a machine learning model to predict optimal zones for establishing OMW storage facilities. Methodology In our study, we developed a methodology integrating multicriteria spatial analysis and spatial trend prediction. This approach begins with creating a suitability map from established and weighted criteria using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Spatial trend prediction relies directly on the results from this suitability map. Firstly, we rigorously delimited the study area, excluding incompatible zones for OMW storage based on predefined exclusion criteria. These criteria include constraints such as watercourses, aquifers, wetlands, road networks, forests, protected areas, and residential zones. Next, the remaining area was evaluated by applying standardized appreciation criteria calculated through the AHP method to create classified maps. The chosen appreciation factors for assessing potential OMW storage sites include soil science to analyze soil capacity for safely receiving OMW, topography with restrictions on terrain slope to ensure adequate stability, hydrology to assess impacts on local water resources, social aspects such as proximity to residential areas and impacts on local communities, economic considerations to evaluate costs and benefits associated with site development, climate considering local weather conditions, and finally, forests to assess impacts on forest ecosystems and biodiversity. By integrating advanced machine learning techniques, our approach accurately predicted the suitability of different zones and generated an optimal final map for OMW storage sites. Three machine learning algorithms (SVM, RF, XGBoost) were employed for this purpose, and their performances were compared to select the most suitable model. GRS-Or-04 ORAL GIS, REMOTE SENSING, AND IA APPLIED TO WATER RESOURCE AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 121 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Results and Discussion The data is divided into training and test sets according to an 80% training and 20% test split (80/20). The metrics used to evaluate model validation include Accuracy, Precision, and Recall: Table 1: Results for the 80/20 split Accuracy Precision Recall SVM 0.9712 0.9738 0.9761 RF 0.9766 0.9779 0.9804 XGBoost 0.9266 0.9337 0.9228 The results from Table 1 show the performance of models for the 80/20 split. Machine learning techniques such as SVM (Support Vector Machines) and RF (Random Forest) prove more effective than XGBoost in predicting locations for OMW storage. SVMs are particularly effective at classifying data into distinct classes, whether linear or non-linear, which is crucial for accurate prediction of storage sites. RF utilizes a combination of multiple decision trees, enhancing its robustness against noise and data variability. This capability is critical for handling complex relationships among storage site features, minimizing errors from outliers. Although effective, XGBoost carries a risk of overfitting, especially with large datasets, necessitating rigorous regularization to mitigate this issue. However, its computationally intensive training process can slow down processing times and increase resource requirements, which is a significant consideration for large databases Conclusion The study aims to locate the best sites for storing olive mill wastewater (OMW) in the Bizerte governorate using a multi-criteria spatial analysis approach and spatial trend prediction algorithms. We utilized the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to evaluate relevant criteria and create a map of the most suitable sites for OMW storage. To refine our results, we integrated spatial trend prediction based on this suitability map. Three machine learning algorithms (SVM, RF, XGBoost) were employed to train models using the data, and their performances were compared to select the optimal model. Finally, a detailed analysis of the results was conducted to guide future decisions regarding territorial planning and sustainable resource management in the region. Keywords: Olive mill wstewaters, Bizerte Governorate Tunisia, Multi-criteria spatial analysis, Spatial trend prediction ORAL GIS, REMOTE SENSING, AND IA APPLIED TO WATER RESOURCE AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 122 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Advancements in Lithological Mapping: A Review of Machine Learning Algorithms and Remote Sensing Data Ilyes Salhia,b , Mourad El Koundic, Wafa Talhouid, Abdessalam El Ghalib (a) National Office of Mines, Street of Energy, 2035 Charguia, Tunis, Tunisia (b) Geology Department, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, 7021 Jarzouna, Bizerte, Tunisia (c) Borj El Amri Aviation School, 1142 Borj Amri, La Manouba, Tunisia (d) National Center for Cartography and Remote Sensing, Tunis, Tunisia E-mail : [email protected]om Introduction/Objectives In recent years, the scarcity of natural resources with increasing demand has driven geologists to seek innovative methods for processing diverse data types across all exploration stages. Mapping geological is considered as an essential step to inform decision-making for targeting water and mineral resources. Various remote sensing datasets, including satellite, airborne, and ground-based data, have emerged as solutions to common challenges in lithological mapping, such as accessibility and environmental conditions. The growing volume of remote sensing data has driven geological data analysts to develop advanced methodologies, particularly machine learning methods, which can effectively manage large volumes of data, extract meaningful information from noisy data, and provide faster and more efficient processing. Over the past decade, the combination of remote sensing datasets and advanced data analysis techniques, including machine learning algorithms, has significantly enhanced lithological mapping. This review explores the application of popular machine learning methods in processing remote sensing data for lithological mapping. It delves into different types of remote sensing datasets, such as data from satellites, airplanes, and ground-based systems, and evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of commonly used machine learning approaches. Methodology To gather relevant documents for this review, we used targeted keywords across reputable databases like Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore, and ScienceDirect with different combinations of keywords. This approach aligns with established methodologies in the field [1, 2]. We applied strict inclusion criteria, selecting peer-reviewed articles focused on lithological mapping using machine learning and remote sensing, published from 2010 onwards. We excluded non-English publications and studies not using classification algorithms. Our search initially yielded 319 publications, which were screened down to 238 after removing duplicates and irrelevant studies. Results and Discussion A review of research papers published since 2010 has revealed key trends in machine learning (ML) and remote sensing (RS) techniques for geological mapping. The findings show that integrating modern machine learning algorithms (MLAs) and deep learning techniques with remote sensing data can significantly enhance the accuracy, efficiency, and comprehensiveness of geological mapping [4-6]. Both altimetric and radiometric data play significant roles in geological mapping, with radiometric multispectral data predominantly employed for lithological mapping and altimetric data favored for lineament detection. GRS-Or-05 ORAL GIS, REMOTE SENSING, AND IA APPLIED TO WATER RESOURCE AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 123 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Spaceborne multispectral datasets are frequently used for this purpose. Among the machine learning algorithms, Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF) have been identified as the most accurate for lithological mapping. However, selecting the most suitable data and classifier depends on the geological context, specific objectives, and the application. Future research will likely focus on identifying the most effective algorithms for various geological settings to achieve higher accuracy and produce more reliable, high-quality maps. Additionally, it will emphasize developing the best methods for quantifying algorithm accuracy. Conclusion The combined use of remote sensing data with machine learning methods offers a powerful approach to lithological mapping, addressing many of the traditional challenges faced by geologists. The effectiveness of spaceborne multispectral datasets and machine learning algorithms highlights the potential for significant advancements in geological exploration. This comprehensive review underscores the evolving landscape of geoscience, where technological innovation continues to drive progress in resource exploration and management. Keywords: Lithological mapping, Machine learning, Remote sensing References 1. Moher, D., A. Liberati, J. Tetzlaff, D.G. Altman, and t. PRISMA Group*, Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement, Annals of internal medicine. 151(4) (2009) 264-269. 2. Maxwell, A.E., T.A. Warner, and F. Fang, Implementation of machine-learning classification in remote sensing: an applied review, International Journal of Remote Sensing. 39(9) (2018) 2784-2817. DOI: 10.1080/01431161.2018.1433343. 3. Haddaway, N.R., M.J. Page, C.C. Pritchard, and L.A. McGuinness, PRISMA2020: An R package and Shiny app for producing PRISMA 2020-compliant flow diagrams, with interactivity for optimised digital transparency and Open Synthesis, Campbell Systematic Reviews. 18(2) (2022) e1230. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1230. 4. Ali, S., H. Li, A. Ali, and J.I. Hassan, Lithological Discrimination of Khyber Range Using Remote Sensing and Machine Learning Algorithms, Applied Sciences. 14(12) (2024) 5064. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/app14125064. 5. Pal, M.K., T.M. Rasmussen, and M. Abdolmaleki, Multiple multi-spectral remote sensing data fusion and integration for geological mapping. 1-5 (2019). IEEE. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/WHISPERS.2019.8921142. 6. Wang, Z. and R. Zuo, An Evaluation of Convolutional Neural Networks for Lithological Mapping Based on Hyperspectral Images, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing. 17 (2024) 6414-6425. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTARS.2024.3372138. ORAL GIS, REMOTE SENSING, AND IA APPLIED TO WATER RESOURCE AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 124 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 Big geospatial data in favour of smart and sustainable cities : Use case: Real-Time Road Monitoring and Accident Detection Platform for Smart Cities Hazem Ben Abderrahmena, Takoua Abdellatifb, Haythem Ismaila (a) National Center of Mapping and Remote Sensing, Tunisia (CNCT) (b) Ecole polytechnique de tunis, Lboratoire SERCOM [email protected], [email protected] , ta[email protected] , haythemismail9[email protected] Introduction/Objective The concept of a Smart City has emerged as a pivotal response to the growing challenges of urbanization, aiming to enhance the quality of life for citizens through the integration of advanced technologies and sustainable practices such as internet of things, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data particularly big geospatial Data. In the context of smarty city, the importance of smart transportation and road monitoring cannot be overstated. These systems not only contribute to the smooth operation of urban mobility but also play a key role in ensuring public safety, reducing life risking incidents and enhancing the overall quality of life for city residents. With all that in mind, the objectives of this work where clear and focused. Our goal is to develop a system that enhances public transportation safety by leveraging modern technologies to monitor road accidents and optimize emergency response times. By achieving immediate accident detection, we aim to prevent delays in intervention and ultimately save lives. Methodology This project focuses on the development of a real-time road monitoring and accident detection platform aimed at improving urban safety and traffic management for smart cities called “SafeWatch”. As part of the "Smart City" initiative, which leverages big geospatial data to provide sustainable city services, the platform was designed to monitor road conditions and detect accidents using advanced technologies. A network of cameras connected to Raspberry Pi 4 devices is deployed at key road intersections. These cameras detect accidents and count vehicles in real-time using the YOLOv8 deep learning model. The data collected is transmitted to a central server via Wi-Fi and stored in a ScyllaDB big data database. Additionally, the platform integrates weather data from the OpenWeather API to calculate a "driving factor" based on conditions such as temperature, visibility, and precipitation. This factor is updated regularly to assess driving conditions on monitored roads. A web-based dashboard alerts authorities in case of an accident and displays live video streams, traffic statistics, and historical data. The system also calculates the shortest emergency response path using factors such as traffic flow, weather conditions, and road status, dynamically updating as conditions change. Key technologies used include ScyllaDB for real-time data storage, Apache Sedona for spatial data processing, NSGA-II for multi-objective optimization, Flask for RESTful APIs, WebSocket for real-time updates, and React for a responsive web dashboard. This platform demonstrates the transformative potential of integrating big geolocated data, IoT, and machine learning to enhance road safety and traffic management in smart cities. The next phase of the GRS-Or-06 ORAL GIS, REMOTE SENSING, AND IA APPLIED TO WATER RESOURCE AGIC5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGIC5 Page | 125 5th Atlas Georesources International Congress Hammamet, Tunisia, November 8-10, 2024 project will involve implementing the solution in the city of Bizerte as part of the Smart City initiative. Results/Discussion This project aims to lower accidents casualties and prevent delays in intervention and ultimately save lives. Finally, we took the region of Bizerte and we managed to build a robust platform and detect in real time accidents. An open discussion is how to scale the project to cover larger geographic regions, incorporating more data sources, and expanding to additional use cases beyond accident detection and make it an emergency response platform that takes in consideration all hazardous events. Conclusion We demonstrated successful integration of advanced technologies, including IoT, AI and big data particularly big spatial data, within the smart city framework to address traffic and road safety challenges. The proposed system “SafeWatch” combines real-time accident detection, vehicle flow monitoring, and geospatial data processing to offer a comprehensive platform for authorities to improve road safety and optimize emergency response times. While this research has made significant strides, the are several areas for future exploration and enhancement such as scalability and wider deployment, more advanced machine learning models and integration of more data sources. Keywords : Smart City, Internet of things, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Geospatial Big Data, Road Monitoring, Accident Detection, Real-Time data Processing. References : 1-Mane, D. T., Sangve, S., Kandhare, S., Mohole, S., Sonar, S., & Tupare, S. (2023). Real time vehicle accident recognition from traffic video surveillance using YOLOV8 and OpenCV. 2-Mitra, R., Singh, R. D., Jain, V.K., & Manohar, S. (2023). Accident detection using YOLO. International Journal of Creative Research Throughts, 11(6). Retrieved from http://jicrt.org. 3-Guijarro-Berdinas, B.Jovanovic, I., Ojo, A., & Epstein, J. M. (2023). Traffic Accident Detection and real-Time Monitoring Systems for intelligent Transportaion. In D. Borrajo, S. Delany, & S. Abdullah (Eds.), Artificial Intelligence in transportation systems (pp. 135-147), Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34601-9_9. 4-Du, Y., X., Yi, Y., & Wei, K. (2023). Optimizing road safety : Advancement in lightweight YOLOv8 models and GhostC2F design for real-time distracted driving detection.