This study addresses the issue of the danger of the high amount of Nitrates and Nitrites found in Cucumbers grown in greenhouses in the coastal region in Tartous - Syria, one hundred samples of greenhouse Cucumbers (in their green state) were collec
ted at random from 50 Greenhouses in ten villages in Sahil Akkar in Tartous the villages are: (Arzona, Madihli, A. Zibdi, B. Shofan, Shas, Riyaf, Zahid, Dkaiki, Habroun and T. Sunoun) five Greenhouses were selected from each village, a special information card was prepared for each greenhouse which included the area of the greenhouse, the type of fertilizers used in it, and the source of water used to irrigate the house, the water was tested by a device known as Colorimeter, another device called Spectrophotometer was used to test the amount of Nitrates and Nitrites found in Cucumbers, the results show that the highest amount of Nitrates was in the samples taken from Riyaf 615.29 mg/kg, and the lowest amount in the samples from T.Sunoun 126.15 mg/kg, The Nitrites were at their highest also in Riyaf at 0.06 mg/kg and at their lowest in the samples of B, Shoufan at 0.023 mg/kg, the results also show variation in the Probability value (P=0.000) in the Cucumbers samples. When comparing the amounts reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) it was found that the amounts of Nitrates and Nitrites ranged between 100% in Riyaf, A. Zibdi and Madhli, followed by 90% in B.Shoufan, and 80% in Habroun and Dkaiki,and 60% in Arzona, Zahid, and Shas ,and 30% in T. Sunoun. The percentage of contamination in all the Greenhouses reached only 76%whole. the concentration of the Nitrites was within the standard level less than 1%mg/kg.
Water sources in Syrian coastal area have a great importance due to the variety of the
sources and the urgent needs to water for drinking and irrigation. Therefore great efforts
are made to protect water sources from contaminants. This research aim
ed to study some
contaminant indicators in some drinking water sources in the Syrian coastal area. The
study included determining the concentrations of nitrates, nitrites and some heavy metals
including lead, cadmium and zinc in water samples taken from five sources of water
distributed from north Lattakia to north Tartous. The results showed that the concentrations
of nitrate, nitrite and heavy metals differ depending on the water source. However, all
these concentrations were lower and within the acceptable limits of Syrian standard for
drinking water. The study concluded that water resources in the coastal area are
distinguished with their relative purity and contaminants little reach.
