The Ougnat Massif of the eastern Anti-Atlas (Morocco) hosts barite and sulfide vein-type deposits of vital economic importance. With over 150 mineralized structures reported in the Ougnat Massif, the ore-bearing ones are predominantly composed of barite, quartz, calcite, and minor portions of sulfides. The mineralized veins are driven by NW-SE and NE-SW to E-W oblique-slip opening faults that cross both the Precambrian basement and its Paleozoic cover. The mineralized structures occur as lenses and sigmoidal veins that follow stepped tension fracture sets oblique to the fault planes. These geometries and kinematic indicators of these structures point to a predominantly normal-sinistral opening in a brittle-ductile tectonic setting. The S isotopic compositions of barite from the Ougnat Massif (+10.8 to +19.5‰) fall mostly within the range of δ³⁴S values of Late Triassic to Jurassic seawater, thus suggesting that some of the SO²⁻ in barite comes from seawater sulfate. This range of δ³⁴S values also corresponds approximately to the hydrothermal barite context. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of barite, which range from 0.710772 to 0.710816, lie between the radiogenic strontium isotopic compositions of deposition by hydrothermal solutions, and also coincide with the non-radiogenic isotopic signature of Triassic to Jurassic seawater. Based on a fluid inclusions study, the ore-forming fluids were a mixture of two or more fluids. A deep hot fluid with an average temperature of 368 °C leached the granodiorites and volcanic-sedimentary complex of the Ouarzazate Group. This fluid provided the hydrothermal system with most of the Ba, radiogenic Sr, and some of the dissolved S. A second, shallow fluid with an average temperature of 242 °C was derived from Late Triassic to Jurassic seawater. The barite mineralization of the Ougnat Massif constitutes a typical example of vein-type mineralization that occurred along the northern margin of the West African Craton and regionally tied to the central Atlantic opening.

An environmental assessment study was conducted in the industrial area of Skikda in the Northeast of Algeria which involved physicochemical parameters, heavy metal concentrations, and stable isotopes of surface water, groundwater, and soil. The results revealed high concentrations of Cd, Ni, Fe, Cu, As, Cr, Pb, Co, and Mn in groundwater. The southern part exhibited the lowest heavy metal concentrations, while the industrial zone in the North contained the highest levels. Therefore, the industrial area showed significant pollution in groundwater by Cr, Pb, and As with respectively 0.5, 0.69, and 0.44 mg/l, surpassing the respective WHO(World Health Organization) standards of 0.05, 0.01, and 0.01 mg/l. Spatial analysis showed that the industrial area presents higher concentrations of As, Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, and Fe which demonstrated similar trends in spatial distribution, their concentrations increasing within the industrial zone. However, the western part had no significant pollution sources except for a public landfill and SONATRACH industrial complex, high concentrations of Co and Mn in the south and the west parts were observed. Mean concentration in soils indicated that Cd is ranged between35.32 to 95.12 ppm, for Fe between 145.1 and 702 ppm, As varies between 1.03 and 81.85 ppm, and Zn between 50 and 520.32 ppm and considered as dominant metals. However, Mn, Co and Cr were lower respectively with 1.97, 12.11 and 7.25 ppm. Cd and As were most influenced by the polluting companies, while Cr was mainly influenced by natural factors, such as pH and soil type. Based on the contamination degree index, the soil pollution levels of Cd, Pb, and As were classified as extremely contaminated. The statistical analysis indicated substantial anthropogenic contributions to groundwater contamination concentrated in the industrial area. The groundwater exhibits a range of δ18O and δ2H values, varying from 2.45 to -5.33‰ and 19.82 to -1.67‰ vs. the V-SMOW (Vienna-Standard Mean Ocean Water) standard, respectively. The mean isotopic composition is -2.50‰ for δ18O, -19.32‰ for δ2H, with a mean deuterium excess of 6.45. These values align with the Meteoric Water Line observed in the western Mediterranean region. It indicates a hydrological connection between recharge and groundwater which suggests a significant interaction between groundwater and surface water. Due to their proximity to the river and the shallow aquifer, the downstream area is more vulnerable to surface pollution. Furthermore, the young groundwater in the downstream can be attributed to the rapid recharge and replenishment of the aquifer caused by rainfall and quick infiltration and sustained by the shallow aquifer depth and sandy soil. Consequently, the rainwater and industrial wastes lead to faster pollutant infiltration. Anthropogenic sources, including industrial effluents from smelting, refining, manufacturing, steel and textile industries, electroplating, nickel-cadmium battery production, welding, PVC product and paint pigment manufacturing, were identified as major contributors to heavy metal pollution.

In order to qualify and quantify the impact of sediment contamination in hydric settings by metallic trace elements (MTE) emanating from the controlled dump of Fez city (northern Morocco), leachate and sediment sample analyses were carried out. The leachates collected from the 24 sites are characterised by a pH between 6.91 and 8, a COD varying between 430.7 and 7962 mg/L, an NTK content up to 1955 mg/L, with an average of 1514 mg/L, and a nitrate concentration reaching 46 mg/L in some samples, which exceeds the standards for discharges into the natural environment. The chromium content emanating mainly from household waste varies between 1.69 and 4.90 mg/L. The MTE content (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and Fe) of the different leachates varies from one basin to another. The sediments downstream of the dump along the sampling profile show pH values between 7.34 and 8.21 (compared to 7.96–8.82 for the reference samples), and electrical conductivity values fluctuate between 1.21 ms/cm and 5.37 ms/cm for the contaminated sediments (compared to 0.8 ms/cm for the reference sediment). The analysis of metallic trace elements in the sediments by ICP-AES shows that their content varies slightly from one sampling point to another. Furthermore, they do not vary considerably from the surface (0 cm) to the depth (20 cm). The average values of metallic element concentrations are 45.83 ± 2.14 mg/Kg for Cu, 4.40 ± 0.07 mg/Kg for Cd, 43.76 ± 3.40 mg/Kg for Cr, 72.99 ± 1.85 mg/Kg for Ni, 21.71 ± 6.55 mg/Kg for Pb and 102.02 ± 7.28 mg/kg for Zn. In effect, the negative environmental impact of Fez controlled dumping site is ostensibly underlined both by (i) the pollution load index values, which indicate a strong and progressive deterioration along the thalweg, and (ii) the statistical analysis (PCA), which reveals a common origin of the deduced pollutants through the strong correlation between the majority of the analysed elements.

The Nimba Range and its western extension are located in the Nimba region on the borders of the Republic of Guinea, Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire. It is a mountainous region made up of metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks. Metavolcanic rocks are gneisses, granites, amphibolites and quartzites, which constitute the lower part of Archean age. The upper part consists of Proterozoic rocks of metasedimentary origin. It contains important deposits of itabirites which occupy the top of the mountains and hills of the region. The petrographic study of the banded iron formations reveals the existence of silicate banded iron formations (SIF) and oxidized banded iron formations (OIF). The results of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and metallogenic analyzes show the presence of iron minerals (magnetites, hematites, pyrites, goethites, martites and siderites). These analyzes also reveal the presence of the metamorphic index minerals associated with the banded iron formations, hence the existence of several types of ferriferous formations (silicate (SIF) and oxidized (OIF) banded iron formations). Overall, there is an increase in the degree of regional metamorphism from east to west of the Nimba region. The geochemical analysis of the banded iron formations reveals that with the exception of Na₂O, all the major elements have a negative linear correlation although dispersed with Fe₂O₃. This correlation is explained by a decrease in quartz, garnet, micas (muscovite and biotite), amphibole, pyroxene, plagioclase, titanium and phosphorus contents. Conversely, there is an increase in iron ore content: magnetites, pyrites, hematites, goethite. But the alkali content remains constant in these banded iron formations. Then, the lower the Fe₂O₃ content, the higher the FeO content, while those of SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ are constant in all of these formations in the Nimba region except in the chlorite banded iron formation where both are anticorelated. Finally, the ratio SiO₂ / Fe₂O₃ vs MgO + CaO + MnO / Fe₂O₃ of the banded iron formations of the Nimba region compared to the same formations of the whole world allows to give them Proterozoic age. Some itabirites have high levels of magnetite, hematite, and goethite (same feature as itabirites of Lac supérieur and Pic de fon) and only chlorite itabirite has a low to medium Mg-Si-BIF content.