INVESTIGATION OF SOME MAJOR IONS ANOMALIES IN ALEXANDRIA COASTAL WATER (APRIL, 1999)

INVESTIGATION OF SOME MAJOR IONS ANOMALIES IN
ALEXANDRIA COASTAL WATER (APRIL, 1999)
RAMZY N.B., DALIA S.M.S.A. AND AMAL A.E.A.
National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Kayet Bay, Alexandria, EGYPT
Keywords: Major ions – Alexandria water – Chlorinity ratio – Coastal area
ABSTRACT
The present work aims to evaluate some major ions level in Alexandria coastal water
and their chlorinity ratios relevant to the corresponding normal oceanic ones. This study of
some major constituents in Alexandria coastal waters is based on the analysis of 36 samples
taken from 6 sections collected during April 1999 starting from Rashid to Agami
.According to the total average of the analyzed samples concentration, the studied ions
levels were as follows: Ca 421 mg/L, Mg 1379 mg/L, SO4 2.717 g/L, and alkalinity 2.82
meq/L. The corresponding chlorinity ratios for these ions are: 0.02013, 0.06609, 0.1311 and
0.1314 respectively. By all the average chlorinity ratios of the cations and anions deviations
from the respective oceanic values can be detected. The marked dilution effect caused by
the Nile water in front of Rashid branch in addition to the waste effluents discharge at some
points of the coast is considered as the main contribution of these anomalies. Calcium /
chlorinity ratio deviates negatively below the normal oceanic ratio. Magnesium content is
about 3.4 folds that of calcium and tends to increase seawards and downwards. Most of
samples reflect Mg/Cl as well as SO4/Cl ratios below the normal oceanic ones while the
specific alkalinity deviates positively above the oceanic ratio.