Impact of brassware utensils industry on the environment, Constantine, North-East of Algeria

Abstract

The traditional industry of brassware utensils localised in Constantine, north-eastern of Algeria. This industry occupies the left bank of the Rummel Valley, a work based on the transformation of copper in sheets into utilitarian or simply decorative items, using chemicals harmful to the environment discharged directly either into the sewerage network or run off on the surface to Oued Rummel, a solid and liquid sample was carried out in order to dose the degree of pollution of possible heavy metals. The results of analyses show a high percentage of heavy metal pollutants in solid and liquid samples show a Cu level that varies from 2mg/l to 3 mg/l, chromium Cr reaches 1.07 mg/l, Nickel Ni 0.81 mg/l, Lead Pb 0.13 mg/l, Cadmium Cd 1.1 and Silver Ag 0.21 mg/l .Rates that exceed all standards, Algerian, WHO, AFNOR. The lack of long-term treatment of these discharges will cause pollution of metal elements harmful to groundwater tables and cause a degradation of water resources exploited for irrigation north of the city of Constantine and which partially flow into the Beni Haroun dam that supplies the major cities of northeastern Algeria.