Speaker
Description
Morocco is facing a growing water shortage due to climatic, geographical, and demographic challenges. To address this crisis, the use of treated wastewater, often underestimated, appears to be a promising solution, offering an alternative that reduces pressure on conventional water sources. Extensive treatment systems, such as lagooning, are proving to be effective and well-suited to Moroccan conditions. Similarly, the high-rate algal ponds purification technique, as a tertiary treatment step, stands out, promoting symbiosis between bacteria and algae to accelerate purification and improve the quality of pre-treated wastewater. The objective of this work is to evaluate the purification performance of an algal channel, recently installed at the Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, which is fed by water previously treated via a vertical nested filter, and to compare the results with those obtained using a horizontal nested filter. The results showed that this treatment process enabled very efficient removal of nitrogen compounds (99.5% for NH4+, 100% for NT, and 99% for NO3-) and relatively high removal of PT, orthophosphates, and COD, with respective percentages of around 64%, 97%, and 86%. Comparing the results of the algal channel with those of the horizontal interlaced filter system, significant nitrogen removal and reductions (p < 0.05) in organic matter and phosphorus to 97%, 79%, 76%, and 27%, respectively, for TSS, COD, TP, and NT were observed. The quality of the water treated by the algal channel, therefore, meets Moroccan irrigation standards and FAO guidelines for water reuse. The treated water can therefore be safely reused for the irrigation of green spaces. Consequently, the proposed treatment strategy could be a good option for the irrigation of green spaces. Algal channel treatment using microalgae offers a promising and effective solution for wastewater treatment. This technology has significant potential to reduce nutrient loads and improve the quality of treated wastewater, serving a variety of applications and thus helping to mitigate the challenges of water scarcity and pollution.
