Groundwater quality changes in peri-urban areas of the Walloon region of Belgium

This study was conducted to evaluate seasonal groundwater quality due to groundwater pumping and hydrochemical characteristics with groundwater level fluctuations in an agricultural area in Korea. Groundwater levels were observed for about one year using automatic monitoring sensors, and groundwater uses were estimated based on the monitoring data. Groundwater use in the area is closely related to irrigation for rice farming, and rising groundwater levels occur during the pumping, which may be caused by the irrigation water of rice paddies. Hydrochemical analysis results for two separate times (17 July and 1 October 2019) show that the dissolved components in groundwater decreased overall due to dilution, especially at wells in the alluvial aquifer and shallow depth. More than 50% of the samples were classified as CaHCO3 water type, and changes in water type occurred depending on the well location. Water quality changes were small at most wells, but changes at some wells were evident. In addition, the groundwater quality was confirmed to have the effect of saltwater supplied during the 2018 drought by comparison with seawater. According to principal component analysis (PCA), the water quality from July to October was confirmed to have changed due to dilution, and the effect was strong at shallow wells. In the study areas where rice paddy farming is active in summer, irrigation water may be one of the important factors changing the groundwater quality. These results provide a qualitative and quantitative basis for groundwater quality change in agricultural areas, particularly rice paddies areas, along with groundwater level and usage.

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Nitrogen Mass Balance and Pressure Impact Model Applied to an Urban Aquifer

Water ◽

10.3390/w12041171 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 1171 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mitja Janža ◽

Joerg Prestor ◽

Simona Pestotnik ◽

Brigita Jamnik

Keyword(s):

Groundwater Quality ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Transport Model ◽

Nitrate Concentration ◽

Impact Model ◽

Sewer System ◽

Management Measures ◽

Pressure Impact ◽

The Impact ◽

The City

The assurance of drinking water supply is one of the biggest emerging global challenges, especially in urban areas. In this respect, groundwater and its management in the urban environment are gaining importance. This paper presents the modeling of nitrogen load from the leaky sewer system and from agriculture and the impact of this pressure on the groundwater quality (nitrate concentration) in the urban aquifer located beneath the City of Ljubljana. The estimated total nitrogen load in the model area of 58 km2 is 334 ton/year, 38% arising from the leaky sewer system and 62% from agriculture. This load was used as input into the groundwater solute transport model to simulate the distribution of nitrate concentration in the aquifer. The modeled nitrate concentrations at the observation locations were found to be on average slightly lower (2.7 mg/L) than observed, and in general reflected the observed contamination pattern. The ability of the presented model to relate and quantify the impact of pressures from different contamination sources on groundwater quality can be beneficially used for the planning and optimization of groundwater management measures for the improvement of groundwater quality.

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How much do we know about the groundwater quality and its impact on Brazilian society today?

Acta Limnologica Brasiliensia ◽

10.1590/s2179-975x4419 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 31 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ricardo Hirata ◽

Alexandra Vieira Suhogusoff

Keyword(s):

Groundwater Quality ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Hydrological Cycle ◽

Annual Average ◽

The Past ◽

Chlorinated Organic ◽

Essential Resource ◽

Iron Manganese ◽

Solid Waste Facilities ◽

Society Today

Abstract Groundwater is an essential resource for society and the environment in Brazil. More than 557 m3/s (17.5 km3/y) are extracted through 2.5 million wells to meet demand in cities and the countryside, generating an economy of R$ 56 billion per year (US$ 14 billion/year). The aquifer has a remarkable function in the hydrological cycle because its large storage regulates the perenniality of rivers, lakes and preserves mangroves, marshes, and vegetation in dry periods. Aquifer discharges maintain between 24% (annual average) and 49% (dry season) of the flow of these surface water bodies. Although studies on groundwater quality are still restricted, it is known that most aquifers still preserve their excellent natural quality. Nevertheless, over the past years, there has been a growing increase in cases of contamination associated with: (i) natural geochemical anomalies (iron, manganese, and fluorine, secondarily, chromium, and barium, and rarely arsenic) due to the dissolution of specific minerals; and (ii) human contaminant activities, related to urban areas without sewage network, or with industrial activities, storage of hazardous products, and solid waste facilities. Among the anthropic compounds commonly handled, the most problematic are the chlorinated organic solvents and heavy metals, and in non-sewage areas, nitrate. The precarious knowledge of aquifer-quality, especially in cities, demonstrates the need to invest in regular and systematic hydrogeological research and mapping projects that drive to the improvement of the practices on aquifer quality protection.

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Changes of Groundwater Quality in the Sorrounding Pollution Sources Due to Earthquake Dissaster

Forum Geografi ◽

10.23917/forgeo.v20i2.1813 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Sudarmadji Sudarmadji

Keyword(s):

Groundwater Quality ◽

Groundwater Level ◽

Local Community ◽

Pollution Sources ◽

Quality Changes ◽

Underground Structures ◽

Domestic Water ◽

Septic Tanks ◽

Groundwater Supply ◽

Dug Well

Groundwater is the main domestic water supply of the population of the Yogyakarta Special Region, both in the urban and as well as in the rural area due to its quantity and quality advantages. The rapid population growth has caused an increase of groundwater demand, consequently it is facing some problems to the sustainability of groundwater supply. Lowering of groundwater level has been observed in some places, as well as the degradation of groundwater quality. Earthquake which stroke Yogyakarta on 27 May 2006, damaged buildings and other infrastructures in the area, including roads and bridges. It might also damage the underground structures such as septic tanks, and pipes underneath the earth surface. It might cause cracking of the geologic structures. Furthermore, the damage of underneath infrastructures might create groundwater quality changes in the area. Some complains of local community on lowering and increasing groundwater level and groundwater quality changes were noted. Field observation and investigation were conducted, including collection of groundwater samples close to (the) pollution sources. Laboratory analyses indicated that some parameters increased to exceed the drinking water quality standards. The high content of Coli form bacteria possibly was caused by contamination of nearby septic tanks or other pollution sources to the observed groundwater in the dug well.

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Groundwater-Related Issues of Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) Systems: Assessment, Good Practices and Proposals from the European Experience

Water ◽

10.3390/w11081573 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 1573 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Casasso ◽

Sethi

Keyword(s):

Groundwater Quality ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Plant Density ◽

Heat Pumps ◽

Pollutant Emissions ◽

Groundwater Temperature ◽

Ground Source Heat Pumps ◽

Best Available Techniques ◽

Ground Source ◽

High Plant Density

Ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) gained increasing interest owing to benefits such as low heating and cooling costs, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and no pollutant emissions on site. However, GSHPs may have various possible interactions with underground and groundwater, which, despite the extremely rare occurrence of relevant damages, has raised concerns on their sustainability. Possible criticalities for their installation are (hydro)geological features (artesian aquifers, swelling or soluble layers, landslide-prone areas), human activities (mines, quarries, landfills, contaminated sites), and groundwater quality. Thermal alterations due to the operation of GSHPs may have an impact on groundwater chemistry and on the efficiency of neighboring installations. So far, scientific studies excluded appraisable geochemical alterations within typical ranges of GSHPs (±6 K on the initial groundwater temperature); such alterations, however, may occur for aquifer thermal energy storage over 40 °C. Thermal interferences among neighboring installations may be severe in urban areas with a high plant density, thus highlighting the need for their proper management. These issues are presented here and framed from a groundwater quality protection perspective, providing the basis for a discussion on critical aspects to be tackled in the planning, authorization, installation, and operation phase. GSHPs turn out to be safe and sustainable if care is taken in such phases, and the best available techniques are adopted.

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Urbanisation effects on groundwater chemical quality: findings focusing on the nitrate problem from 2 African cities reliant on on-site sanitation

Journal of Water and Health ◽

10.2166/wh.2007.040 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 441-454 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Aidan A. Cronin ◽

Alfred W. Hoadley ◽

James Gibson ◽

Ned Breslin ◽

Fatoumata Kouonto Komou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Groundwater Quality ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Groundwater Resources ◽

Health Benefit ◽

Chloride Content ◽

Subsurface Water ◽

African Cities ◽

Disposal Option ◽

The Impact

By 2010 Africa's urban population will have grown to over 420 million with on-site sanitation the predominant excreta disposal option. The use of on-site sanitation has important public health benefits but can result in large faecally derived loadings of nitrogen and chloride to groundwater resources. Nitrate is of particular concern, with elevated concentrations linked to potentially serious health problems. N and Cl can derive from natural sources so it is important to quantify the additional impact of human activities. Several authors have used empirical relationships between nitrate and chloride concentrations to assess the extent to which excreta influences groundwater quality. However, these relationships have assumed fixed loadings from excreta. Relationships between N and Cl have been extended here by adding country-specific estimates of average annual per capita nitrogen and chloride content of, and loading from, excreta. The results are compared with groundwater monitoring results from two very different mid-sized African cities (Timbuktu, Mali and Lichinga, Mozambique) where the vast majority of residents use on-site sanitation and are dependent on the subsurface water for drinking purposes. The results illustrate the impact of urbanisation on groundwater quality. They are compared with data from other African cities to allow the calculation of a general nitrate and chloride relationship for unsewered African urban areas. Potential interventions to help arrest rising nitrate levels and so provide a public health benefit are also examined.

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Experimental Results Regarding the Groundwater Quality in Bacau City, Romania

Revista de Chimie ◽

10.37358/rc.19.9.7553 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 70 (9) ◽

pp. 3378-3382

Author(s):

Oana Tirtoaca (Irimia) ◽

Mirela Panainte Lehadus ◽

Valentin Nedeff ◽

Ion Sandu ◽

Claudia Tomozei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Groundwater Quality ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Human Consumption ◽

Chemical Parameters ◽

Limit Values ◽

Safety And Health ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

Sampling Points ◽

Admissible Limit

The state of groundwater in terms of quality and quantity are a fundamental importance in urban areas. This paper aims to identify qualitative status of groundwater in Bacau city. To determine groundwater quality in Bacau city were taken samples from ten sources. Physico-chemical parameters chosen for making determinations are represented by ammonium, magnesium, manganese, nitrite and total nitrogen. After performing of measurements, it was observe that the admissible limit values of water quality parameters were exceeded in all ten sampling points. It has been established so that any source of groundwater in Bacau is not recommend for human consumption. In this regard, it is recommended to order measures by the competent authorities for the safety and health of the population.

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