A new approach for the assessment of groundwater quality and its suitability for irrigation: a case study of the Korba Coastal Aquifer (Tunisia, Africa).

Groundwater is the main source of water in Mediterranean, water-scarce, semiarid regions of Tunisia, Africa. In this study of the Korba coastal aquifer, 17 water wells were studied to assess their suitability for irrigation and drinking purposes. Assessment parameters include pH, salinity, specific ion toxicity, sodium adsorption ratio, nutrients, trace metals pollutants, and fecal indicators and pathogens.

Mesophilic biogas production from fruit and vegetable waste in a tubular digester.

A semi-continuously mixed mesophilic tubular anaerobic digester was tested for the conversion of fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) into biogas. The effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and the feed concentration on the extent of the degradation of the waste was examined. Varying the HRT between 12 and 20 days had no effect on the fermentation stability and pH remained between 6.