Evaluation of Groundwater Contamination in Misurata City, Libya

This research examines both groundwater quality and hydrogeological characteristics of the Misurata locality on the Mediterranean Sea in Libya. The area is characterized by different land elevations, while its semi-arid climate exists with geological formations that span from the Miocene to the Quaternary periods. The water resources in this area experience problems because of excessive groundwater pumping, which causes saltwater to enter drinking water. Fifty groundwater samples were collected from wells across Misurata to perform chemical tests and contamination evaluations. The laboratory tests evaluated nitrates and chlorides, phosphates, and heavy metals (cadmium, lead, and zinc) against drinking water and irrigation water standards.The research data demonstrated that agricultural waste and wastewater entry into the ground caused nitrate and phosphate contamination to rise in the groundwater throughout Misurata, generally the southeastern and central parts have shown the highest contamination levels. The chloride measurement demonstrated that seawater intrusion followed the same pattern as other Libyan coastal aquifers, which experienced the intrusion due to excessive pumping. The industrial sections of the city displayed high values of Cadmium and lead concentrations, which endangered both environmental stability and human health. The zinc measurements in all wells exceeded established international limits because established that industrial activities which generate metal processing waste and air pollution lead to high zinc concentrations in surface water (IRC, 2014). The zinc measurements in all wells showed a consistent pattern throughout the entire study.The groundwater contamination in Misurata results from industrial operations and excessive groundwater extraction with an inadequate wastewater treatment practices. This research demonstrates that proper water resource management for drinking and agricultural requires a groundwater system with strict well management rules and ongoing water quality checks and public awareness programs.