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Monitoring surface water safety at the watershed-scale is paramount amidst multiple contamination sources. This article investigates surface water quality and assesses pesticide contamination in surface water of Oued Martil watershed, marking a seminal contribution as the inaugural assessment of its kind. It examined pesticide contamination and 6 physicochemical parameters at four locations, primarily mitigating the shortage of Moroccan research in this field within the Oued Martil watershed. The pesticide residue samples were analyzed using liquid and gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Results revealed that 16 pesticides studied were below the quantification limits. The pH was generally neutral, except at station S4 in June and July where it was alkaline. Water temperature ranges from 19.7℃ to 33℃, influenced by local factors. Chemical Oxygen Demand fluctuates between 11.6 mg/l and 30 mg/l. Nitrites were typically absent, except at station S1 in April with 0.19 mg/l. Orthophosphates, originating from domestic and agricultural runoff, were present at low concentrations, exceeding 0.005 mg/l in most stations. Surface water quality of sampling sites was therefore predominantly good. These findings further water quality knowledge and pesticide behavior, establishing a crucial baseline for forthcoming monitoring studies.
Taidi et al. (Fri,) studied this question.