In light of the catastrophic effects of pollution, many important natural landmarks are under the pressure of many changes that threaten them.
The Nile Delta is one such feature that is inevitably affected by pollution, which is most evident in Egypt, the most populous and driest country downstream of the Nile, which relies entirely on the river as its sole source of drinking water and crop irrigation.
According to new research from the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering, Egypt faces a significant challenge in its water reserves, in light of severe shortages in supplies.
“The civilization that thrived on this spot for more than 7,000 years is suffering from widespread and irreversible environmental degradation,” said research leader Essam Hajji.
According to the “phys.org” website, the researchers analyzed the pollution levels of eight heavy metals in bottom sediment samples collected from two branches of the Nile River Delta, and concluded the following:
- High levels of pollution in the river with metals such as lead and copper.
- The source of these percentages is related to untreated agricultural drainage and municipal and industrial wastewater.
- Growing and huge dams upstream block water flows, thus limiting the river’s ability to expel those pollutants out to sea.
- The scientific measures that the research concluded could limit the scale of the disaster.
“Our study confirms the need for more research on the environmental impacts of recycling untreated water and the change in river turbidity in light of the increased construction of dams upstream of the Nile,” Hajji said.
