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Corrosion and scaling occur in water distribution systems. However, not much data is available concerning this issue in Morocco. This study aims to evaluate drinking water's corrosive and scaling potential in the water distribution systems of several cities in Morocco using water stability indices and other physicochemical parameters. To do so, 100 samples were collected mainly from the cities in the Rabat-Salé-Kenitra region of Morocco. The results of the physicochemical analysis of 100 collected samples show that the means of the pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, chloride, temperature, and total dissolved solids are 7.577 ± 0.23, 173.6 ± 52.04 mg/l as CaCO3, 212.57 ± 98.18 mg/l as CaCO3, 418.7 ± 407.75 mg/l, 25.16 ± 1.58 oC, 597.5 ± 435.74 mg/l, respectively. The mean values of the water stability indices are 0.1158 ± 0.38, 7.345 ± 0.68, 7.132 ± 0.86, and 12.41±0.35 for the Langelier saturation index (LSI), the Ryznar stability index (RSI), the Puckorius scaling index (PSI), and the aggressive index (AI), respectively. The water samples show corrosive tendencies of 41%, 75%, 97%, and 13% based on the LSI, RSI, PSI, and AI, respectively, and are considered supersaturated and likely to scale, corrosive, and non-aggressive. The water samples in Rabat, Salé, Bouknadel, and Kenitra were mostly supersaturated with a tendency to scale, with the highest percentage of stable water while the water in Khemisset and Tiflet was mostly corrosive, with Tiflet recording the highest chloride content of 3220.1 mg/l. Water's scaling and corrosive potential varied depending on the source of water in each city. Therefore, it is essential to continuously supervise the stability of water at different points of water distribution systems, create an adapted approach for each city, and instill strict national standards for the physicochemical parameters that affect corrosion and scaling to ensure safe drinking water.

Glyphosate is a non-selective broad-spectrum herbicide widely used for weed control. It is currently one of the most important and widely sold herbicides in the world. Due to uncontrolled use and poor waste disposal, this herbicide has the potential to reach aquatic ecosystems, either surface water or groundwater, such as well water. The objective of this study was to show the degree of contamination of well water in 7 different agricultural areas of the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region in Morocco. This is a prospective study carried out on 82 samples collected. The determination of glyphosate concentrations in these well waters was performed using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique. The results reveal that 83% of the samples collected showed traces of glyphosate (>0.075 µg/l) with concentrations ranging from 0.075 µg/l to 3.828 µg/l. The highest glyphosate concentrations were observed in the agricultural area of Kenitra, with a concentration of 3.828 µg/l. This study is one of the first conducted on glyphosate contamination of well water in Morocco. These results demonstrated glyphosate contamination of collected well water and the requirement to implement concrete sanitary measures (control, awareness campaigns...) to better manage the use of glyphosate and limit water contamination, the human health risks and environmental impact of this herbicide.

Abstract Background Monoclonal gammopathies are a group of disorders associated with clonal proliferation of plasma cells that produces a monoclonal protein. Aims The main objective of this study was to describe the epidemiological and immunochemical characteristics of monoclonal gammopathies diagnosed during 19 years in a Moroccan teaching hospital. Materials and Results This retrospective study enrolled 443 Moroccan patients with monoclonal gammopathy, patients meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria in at the biochemistry department of Military Hospital in Rabat, the capital of Morocco, from January 2000 to August 2019. Of the 443 enrolled patients, 320 (72.23%) were men and 123 (27.77%) were women. All patients were of Caucasian origin, from 12 Moroccan regions. The patient's samples were collected and subjected to serum protein electrophoresis and serum immunofixation electrophoresis to further characterize the monoclonal protein. The mean ± SD age of the 443 participants was 62.24 ± 13.14 years. Reasons for being admitted to the hospital were as follows, bone pain (41.60%), renal failure (19.08%), alteration of the general condition (12.21%), and anemia (10.69). Plasma cell proliferative disorders in our study were as follows, multiple myeloma (MM) (45.65%), Monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance (MGUS) (39.05%), Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (5.58%), Lymphoma (2.27% + 1.2%), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (2.48%), Plasma cell leukemia (1.86%), Plasmacytoma (0.62%), POEMS syndrome (0.41%), and Amyloidosis (0.84%). The most frequent isotypes in MM were the IgGκ (62) 36.5%, IgGλ (52) 30.6%, IgAκ (27) 15.9%, and the IgAλ (19) 11.2%. It is also worth noting that Free light chain MM represents 20% of all cases of MM. Conclusions We found that monoclonal gammopathies are age‐related and affects men more than women, also the results of this study point to the delayed diagnosis of monoclonal gammopathies, since most of our patients were diagnosed at the MM stage. The most frequent isotypes were the IgGκ and IgGλ in MM and MGUS, in Waldenström macroglobulinemia were IgMκ and IgMλ and the oligoclonal profile represented only 3.70%.

Mentha is a plant native to the Mediterranean region and is cultivated throughout the world due to its use in different areas. Mentha Spicata, Mentha Piperita, and Mentha Pulegium are among the most important aromatic plants of this genus. Recent studies have shown that the essential oils of these plants contain components that are active in the oral cavity due to their antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory activities. However, the composition of these essential oils can be modified by environmental factors such as light, precipitation, the growing site, and soil, which might directly influence their activities. The purpose of this study is to physically and chemically characterize the different commercial essential oils of mint: spearmint, peppermint, and pennyroyal in order to determine their quality. These essential oils were collected from different regions in Morocco. The quality of the essential oils was determined by organoleptic properties and analysis of their constituents using thin layer chromatographic (TLC) technique. The results showed variations in the composition of some major components of these essential oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]