Comparative Study Of Nitrate Levels In Groundwaters Of Addis Ababa And Dire Dawa

Nitrate is the most frequently introduced pollutant in the groundwater’s of Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa city. This study was conducted to compare the level of nitrate pollution of the major cities Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa. The study tries to identify different source of nitrate pollution for both cities by revising of previous works and literatures on geological, hydrogeological and hydrochemistry of both areas. The possible sources of nitrates are city sewage, defective septic tank effluents, municipal waste, industrial waste, wastes from livestock and chemical fertilizers containing nitrogen. In Addis Ababa the mean concentration of nitrate is 7.9 and the standard deviation is ±14.96 and in Dire Dawa the mean concentration is 37.27 and the standard deviation is ±51.4. The spatial plot of nitrate of the study areas shows that the nitrate level of Dire Dawa is higher than Addis Ababa. The lowering of nitrate level in Addis Ababa is as a result of low nitrification process. The nitrate level in Dire Dawa becomes high because of shallow groundwater level depth which varies 9.3-93.5 meter whereas, in Addis Ababa it varies 0-260 meter, the main aquifer is sandstone, sandy soil and agriculture is dominant. Therefore, integrated waste management strategy and proper groundwater management should be practiced to provide safe drinking water with sufficient quality and quantity in both cities.rnKey word: Addis Ababa, Comparison, Dire Dawa, Nitrate

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