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Assessment of industrial pollution and water quality in the Nile River using GIS-based indices at Aswan, Egypt

2025-12-31
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Ahmed N. A. Abdou, Mohamed Hamed, Abdelmonsef M. M. Hassan, Mostafa A. Khaled

Abstract

Industrial pollution represents a critical threat to freshwater ecosystems, particularly in regions where rivers serve multiple socio-economic functions. The Nile River in Aswan Governorate, southern Egypt, is a vital source of drinking water, irrigation, fisheries, and tourism, yet it is increasingly exposed to untreated industrial effluents. This study assessed the spatial extent and intensity of such pollution using geographic information system (GIS)-based spatial interpolation alongside two comprehensive indices: the weighted arithmetic water quality index (WAWQI) and the canadian water quality index (CWQI). Findings revealed distinct pollution hotspots near major industrial discharge areas, where water quality was classified as poor to very poor (WAWQI: 52.6–127.4; CWQI: 74.2–68.3). In contrast, upstream and downstream zones more distant from effluent sources exhibited good water quality (WAWQI: 24.5–38.1; CWQI: 93.69–85.52). The most degraded sites were characterized by elevated concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (13.1–59.6 mg/L), biochemical oxygen demand (7.67–36.5 mg/L), total suspended solids (4.67–13.1 mg/L), turbidity (6.01–17.1 NTU), total nitrogen (1.13–3.35 mg/L), and phenol (8.01–10.10 µg/L). These results highlight the ecological vulnerability of the Nile River in Aswan to industrial activities, with direct implications for ecosystem health and resource sustainability. They also underscore the limitations of relying solely on traditional water quality monitoring without spatial analysis, as GIS-based interpolation proved critical in detecting pollution gradients beyond sampling sites. The study supports the enforcement of Egypt’s Law 48/1982 on water protection and contributes to global sustainable development goals, particularly SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 14 (Life Below Water).

Data availability

The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aquatic Ecology Department, Faculty of Fish and Fisheries Technology, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt

    Ahmed N. A. Abdou

  2. Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University (Assiut Branch), Assiut, 71524, Egypt

    Mohamed Hamed

  3. Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Drive, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA

    Mohamed Hamed

  4. Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), Aswan, Egypt

    Abdelmonsef M. M. Hassan

  5. Marine Science Department, National Authority for Remote Sensing &Space Sciences (NARSS), Cairo, Egypt

    Mostafa A. Khaled

Authors
  1. Ahmed N. A. Abdou
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  2. Mohamed Hamed
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  3. Abdelmonsef M. M. Hassan
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  4. Mostafa A. Khaled
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Contributions

Ahmed N. A. Abdou: Methodology, Visualization, Validation, Data curation, Formal analysis, Writing original draft. Mohamed Hamed: Conceptualization, Visualization, Validation, Investigation, Data curation, Writing original draft, review, and editing. Abdelmonsef M. M. Hassan: Visualization, Validation, Data curation, Writing original draft, review, and editing. Mostafa A. Khaled: Conceptualization, Methodology, Visualization, Investigation, Data curation, Formal analysis, Software, Writing original draft. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohamed Hamed.

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Abdou, A.N.A., Hamed, M., Hassan, A.M.M. et al. Assessment of industrial pollution and water quality in the Nile River using GIS-based indices at Aswan, Egypt. Sci Rep (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-33738-5

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  • Received: 04 July 2025

  • Accepted: 22 December 2025

  • Published: 31 December 2025

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-33738-5

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Keywords

  • GIS
  • Industrial effluent
  • Nile River
  • Spatial distribution
  • Water quality indices

Subjects

  • Ecology
  • Environmental sciences
  • Hydrology
  • Water resources

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