Pollutants in Surface Water: Toxicological Consequences, Challenges, and Measures towards Conserving Water Quality

Surface water quality degradation from increasing pollution is a major worldwide threat, particularly in Morocco, a country with limited water resources, where preserving available clean water is therefore of the utmost importance. A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA methodology, using scientific databases and Moroccan official reports. This review examines the contamination of Moroccan surface water by conventional and emerging pollutants (e.g., surfactants, dyes, heavy metals and microplastics), considering their distribution, sources and effects on health. Heavy metals have been documented extensively in Morocco; emerging contaminants, by contrast, have received little attention and are not yet covered by current management frameworks. Domestic and industrial discharges and agricultural activities appear to be the principal sources of contamination. Both aquatic ecosystems and human health are exposed to these substances. Managing them has proved difficult, partly because monitoring is patchy and partly because regulation has not kept pace; for emerging contaminants, the difficulty arises from the limited information about them. Beyond these knowledge gaps, we found that management policies are weakened by barriers of an institutional, legal and technological nature: dilapidated wastewater infrastructure, weak regulatory control in practice, and little cooperation across disciplines. The recommendations we put forward follow from this diagnosis. They call for integrated monitoring networks and for national policies brought into line with international standards, supported by sustained research funding and a firmer legal framework. Emerging contaminants deserve dedicated surveillance, and multisectoral initiatives should be encouraged. None of this can work unless government agencies, universities and other stakeholders act in concert. We therefore advocate a comprehensive national strategy capable of protecting ecosystems and public health, taking into account the state of water resources in Morocco.