Contribution to reassess the health of Agadir Bay after the installation of the wastewater treatment plant: Evaluation of metallic contamination

Agadir bay plays a vital role in the socio-economic life of the region sous massa draa (tourism and fishing). however,this ecosystem knows environmental constraints associated with various human activities (wastewater discharges,ports,etc.). therefore,the ecosystem has been during the past two decades,the subject of much research relating to its health: physical chemistry,hydrocarbons,eco-toxicology,biomarkers,phytoplankton,phytotoxicology,microbiology and zooplankton. the present study concerning the trace metals in the bay of agadir,consolidates the hypothesis of the role of upwelling in the enrichment of the coastal ecosystem by cadmium,in addition to contributions related to wastewater. however,the relative decline in metal concentrations observed in this study compared to previous studies in the same ecosystem,suggests that the contribution of wastewater from this contamination has decreased. this is probably related to the installation and initial operation of the treatment station wastewater since 2002,whose main consequence is the cessation of discharges of wastewater into the marine environment. it was followed by an improvement in the quality of the coastal environment in the bay.