The impacts of geochemistry and agricultural activities on groundwater quality in the Soutpansberg fractured aquifers

The potential effect of manure management from livestock production on groundwater quality is an issue of concern. Groundwater sampling from a regional transect in southern Alberta, Canada, was conducted to determine changes in groundwater quality with time. The study area has extensive irrigation and a high density of confined feeding operations. Nitrate-N (NO3−-N) and chloride (Cl−) concentration data from 23 groundwater-study wells were evaluated from 1994 to 2014. Twelve of these wells were water-table wells and 11 were piezometers. Of the 23 wells, 14 had significant temporal trends (increasing or decreasing) for NO3−-N and/or Cl− concentrations. On a regional basis, NO3−-N increased slightly with time while Cl− changed very little, suggesting that the effects of agricultural activities on regional groundwater quality have generally remained constant. However, concentration changes occurred on a smaller scale. Shallow groundwater in coarse-textured soils is at a relatively higher risk of contamination than groundwater in fine-textured soils, especially in locations where intensive agricultural activities occur.

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Groundwater quality assessment of protected aquatic eco-systems in cross-border areas of Serbia and Croatia

Journal of the Serbian Chemical Society ◽

10.2298/jsc210923107o ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 107-107

Author(s):

Boris Obrovski ◽

Ivana Mihajlovic ◽

Mirjana Vojinovic-Miloradov ◽

Maja Sremacki ◽

Ivan Spanik ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Groundwater Quality ◽

Protected Area ◽

Statistical Data ◽

Monitoring Program ◽

Agricultural Activities ◽

Chemical Parameters ◽

Cross Border ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

Seasonal Monitoring ◽

The Impact

Research results define basis for specific monitoring programs of gro-undwater quality in wetland eco-systems in Serbia and Croatia. The main pur-pose of the research was to determine the impact of nonpoint diffuse source pollution on the groundwater quality, as well as seasonal variations on the con-centration levels of selected physico-chemical parameters. Statistical analyses, PCA, HCA, ANOVA and t-test, encompass 18 monitored parameters in ground-water. Statistical data indicated that protected area in Serbia has a significantly higher load of pollution from agricultural activities compared to Wetlands Tompojevci. The highest load in groundwater was detected from total nitrogen, ammonia and nitrogen anions, indicating contamination of groundwater by nitrogen-based fertilizers. The results obtained within the two-year seasonal monitoring program, from 2018 to 2020, are highly essential for achieving a comprehensive database that could be used as platform for high-quality groundwater management in selected protected areas with the aim of minimizing environmental pollution.

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The synergistic role of agricultural activities in groundwater quality in ultramafic environments: the case of the Psachna basin, central Euboea, Greece

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment ◽

10.1007/s10661-019-7430-3 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 191 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Panagiotis Papazotos ◽

Eleni Vasileiou ◽

Maria Perraki

Keyword(s):

Groundwater Quality ◽

Agricultural Activities

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Groundwater quality variations in Precambrian hard rock aquifers: a case study from Kerala, India

Applied Water Science ◽

10.1007/s13201-019-1084-8 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

P. Nandakumaran ◽

K. Balakrishnan

Keyword(s):

Groundwater Quality ◽

Analytical Data ◽

Principal Component ◽

Anthropogenic Sources ◽

Exchange Reactions ◽

Rock Interaction ◽

Fractured Aquifers ◽

Groundwater Samples ◽

Hard Rock Aquifers ◽

Hydrochemical Composition

Abstract Analytical data of groundwater samples collected from weathered and deep fractured zones in the Precambrian charnockite aquifers in Kerala, India, have been studied to understand their hydrochemical variations and reasons thereof. Concentrations of the majority of the constituents analyzed were found to increase with increasing depth of aquifers, with the exception of nitrate. Studies indicate that various processes such as ion exchange reactions, carbonate weathering and silicate weathering are active in both the aquifers which influence the hydrochemical composition of groundwater in them. The prevailing groundwater quality in the aquifers is dependent on the dominance of each process in relation to others. Principal component analysis of the data suggests that contamination from anthropogenic sources has a major role in determining the hydrochemical characteristics of groundwater in the weathered zone unlike in the case of fractured aquifers where water–rock interaction is the major factor responsible. The study also indicates limited hydraulic connection between the weathered and fractured aquifers at the local scale.

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