Marwan Ghanem

This research investigates the awareness, in addition to the willingness to use and willingness to pay for treated water in agriculture. Results are reported from field surveys of both farmers and consumers in the Dura town, Palestine. Palestine is suffering from an increasing population, increasing consumption and an increasingly-severe water shortage, for this reason use of treated water is an important policy priority. For farmers and consumers, use of treated water for irrigation remains arguable issues as users are concerned with public health and low trust in the quality of treated water. The willingness to use and to pay for vegetables and fruits with two different levels of water treatment is investigated. The Mean of WTP for one cubic meter of treated water by farmers is (4.31 NIS/m3), while the highest price that farmers are willing to pay is (5.88 NIS/m3). It was found that 60% of consumers were negatively positioned towards consuming fruits irrigated with restricted wate...

Elimination of pathogens and emerging pollutants represents a key factor in integrated water resources management in arid regions. Within the SMART Jordan Valley project it is the objective of this study to assess the occurrence and examine the elimination of selected emerging pollutants and pathogens in waste water treatment and aquifer recharge. In batch and soil column studies non-chlorinated organophosphorous compounds (tri-n-butylphosphate, triphenylphosphate) and endocrine disruptors (e.g. 17-ß-estradiol, bisphenol A) proved to be biodegradable, while the X-ray contrast agents iomeprol and iopromide were eliminated in the soil columns only, and the chlorinated trialkylphosphates showed persistency. Treating waste water in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) in combination with powdered activated carbon (PAC) resulted in considerable removal rates also for the more persistent compounds such as the antiepileptic carbamazepine. Viruses were shown to be present in most of the Jordan Valley surface water samples. MBR treatment resulted in a decrease of MS2 bacteriophages used as model viruses.

This study describes the impact of septic tanks on the groundwater quality of the shallow Pleistocene aquifer in Jericho area, Westbank, Palestine. Septic tanks are widely used for storage and disposal of sewage in the populated and agricultural city of Jericho. Routine hydrochemical tests for groundwater quality performed for several years identified the problem of a gradual nitrate increase, without pinpointing its definite sources. The geological formations of the Jericho area and the shallow nature of the Pleistocene aquifer, together with the mechanism of recharge, make the groundwater in this aquifer highly susceptible to contamination, particularly along sewers. The lithology of the Samara (high hydraulic conductivity) and the Lisan formation (low conductivity but increased infiltration along fractures) promote easy seepage of agricultural and anthropogenic inputs into the groundwater. Nitrate concentrations are elevated near septic tanks and animal farms, with nitrate values exceeding 74 mg/L. δ15Nnitrate and δ18Onitrate signatures suggest sewage and manure as the main sources of high nitrate concentration in the groundwater. Samples taken during the end of the dry season indicate that a slight denitrification in the aquifer.