Assessment of Land-Based Pollution Sources in the Mediterranean Sea Along Gaza Coast – Palestine

The Gaza coastal area is experiencing a rapid growth of its population and economy, which is increasing stress and causes serious threats on the coastal and marine environment. This work is concerned with the assessment of land-based pollution sources in the Mediterranean Sea along Gaza coast. These sources are untreated wastewater discharges directly into sea, industrial effluents, recreational activities, agricultural activities, solid waste, and runoff pollution. During this study all available data were collected from Environment Quality Authority, Palestinian Authority, Ministry of Health, Environmental research published papers, reports, and nongovernmental organizations. In the present study, it was observed that the lack of operational and inefficient wastewater treatment plants makes the wastewater to be considered as the major source of pollution in the coastal and marine environment of Gaza. Based on the recent information, available reports and literatures, the land-based pollutants by sewage disposal constitute the greatest threat to coastal and marine ecosystems and to public health in Gaza. In addition, the Gaza treatment plant capacity is about 42,000 m³/day and it receives about 60,000 m³/day and the amount of 15,000 m³/day dumped directly to the sea as raw sewage. Previous studies showed that the amount of pollutant discharges through sewage disposal such as BOD, nitrogen, and phosphorus may be considered the most significant pollutant threat to the coastal waters by causing high nutrient levels and even eutrophication near sewage outfalls and also causes long-term adverse impacts on the ecology of marine environment. The worst marine waters pollution is found to be in the central area of the Gaza Strip, where untreated effluent from Gaza City is discharged. This study provides an assessment of the land-based pollution sources and will act as a database for future investigations and in developing a management plan to control marine pollution along the Gaza coast.