scholarly journals Wildfire Effects on Groundwater Quality from Springs Connected to Small Public Supply Systems in a Peri-Urban Forest Area (Braga Region, NW Portugal)

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1146
Author(s):  
Catarina Mansilha ◽  
Armindo Melo ◽  
Zita E. Martins ◽  
Isabel M. P. L. V. O. Ferreira ◽  
Ana Maria Pereira ◽  
...  

Peri-urban areas are territories that combine urban and rural features, being particularly vulnerable to wildfire due to the contact between human infrastructures and dense vegetation. Wildfires may cause considerable direct and indirect effects on the local water cycle, but the influence on groundwater quality is still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to characterize the chemistry of several springs connected to small public supply systems in a peri-urban area, following a large wildfire that took place in October 2017. Groundwater samples were collected in four springs that emerged within burned forests, while control samples were from one spring located in an unburned area. Sampling took place from October 2017 until September 2018, starting 15 days after the wildfire occurrence, to evaluate the influence of the time after fire and the effect of precipitation events on groundwater composition. Groundwater samples collected in burned areas presented increased content of sulfate, fluoride and nitrogen and variability in pH values. Iron, manganese and chromium contents also increased during the sampling period. Post-fire concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), mainly the carcinogenic ones, increased especially after intense winter and spring rain events, but the levels did not exceed the guideline values for drinking water.

2000 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.H.G. van Sambeek ◽  
H.G.M. Eggenkamp ◽  
M.J.M. Vissers

AbstractThe Groundwater resources on the Caribbean Islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao are limited and of poor quality. The groundwater of the islands is brackish, due to both seawater mixing and the semi-arid climate of the islands. Two hundred and thirty water samples were collected to relate chemical variations in the groundwater of the three islands to the underlying differences in geology, and to define the natural versus anthropogenic influences. Both the chemical and isotopic (δ180, δD, and δ37Cl) compositions of samples were determined.Several geochemical processes are recognised in the chemistry of the groundwater samples. The most important processes are calcite dissolution, cation exchange, silicate weathering and potassium fixation. In (sub)urban areas anthropogenic influences affect the groundwater quality: high nitrate concentrations were measured. Infiltrating domestic and agricultural (waste)water replenishes the aquifer, and has a desalinization effect on the groundwater quality. This phenomenon is primarily seen on Curaçao, the most populated island.Oxygen and hydrogen isotopie compositions of groundwaters from Curaçao and Bonaire show that the samples are either meteoric water, or are affected by evaporation or seawater mixing. No distinction could be made between the last two processes. Only a few samples were measured for the Cl-isotope composition; all showed that no physical processes have taken place.


Author(s):  
Stefania Stevenazzi

Freshwater resources are threatened worldwide with unknown and unpredictable fate, due to non-stationarity and change of water cycle dynamics, and increasing demand resulting from population growth and economic expansion. Thus, practical actions, strategies and solutions are necessary to ensure the short-term and long-term provision of adequate, affordable, accessible and safe freshwater supply to meet the needs of the growing human population and ecosystems. Since the mid-1950s, Europe is experiencing the phenomenon of urban sprawl, characterized by an unplanned incremental urban development, no more tied with population growth (EEA 2006). Impacts of urban sprawl threaten both the natural and rural environments and the quality of life for people living in cities, with worsening of air quality, and surface- and groundwater quality and quantity. For the protection of groundwater, the European Union issued a series of Directives (Water Framework Directive, 2000/60/EC; Groundwater Directive, 2006/118/EC) that require member states to achieve a good chemical status of their groundwater bodies and the identification of areas where groundwater suffers increasing trends in contaminant concentrations. In order to cope with EU Directives, a time-dependent approach for groundwater vulnerability assessment is developed to account for both the recent status of groundwater contamination and its evolution in the Po Plain area of Lombardy Region (northern Italy). Such approach takes the advantages of a Bayesian spatial statistical method to assess groundwater vulnerability and satellite scatterometer data to delineate urban areas and monitor their evolution. The proposed approach can determine potential impacts of contamination events on groundwater quality, if policies are maintained at the status quo or if new measures are implemented for safeguarding groundwater resources.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shankar Karuppannan ◽  
Nafyad Serre Kawo

Assessment of groundwater quality is vital for the sustainable use of the resources for domestic and agricultural purposes. In this study spatial variation of physicochemical parameters were analyzed for Northeast Adama Town. Water Quality Index (WQI) and irrigation indices were used to determine the suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation purposes, respectively. Further, the physical-chemical results were compared with the Ethiopian standards and the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for drinking and public health. Using GIS interpolation methods in Arc GIS 10.3.1, spatial distribution maps of pH, TDS, EC, Cl−, HCO32−, SO42−, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and K+, RSC, SAR, Na% were prepared. Results indicated that except ASTU well 2, all samples are below the desirable limits of WHO. The WQI results indicated that 85% of samples and 15% of samples were in good and poor categories, respectively. Irrigation indices show that the most groundwater samples have excellent water classes, indicating that they are suitable for irrigation purposes.


1992 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Ripl

Abstract Densely populated urban areas, which have developed over the last century, depend heavily on centralized water supply, sewage treatment plants, and hydroelectric or thermal power generation with vast demand of cooling water. Considerable areas have been drained or sealed, and the short-circuited water cycle has been distorted. Large rivers have been converted to shipping canals with the permanent risk of accidental pollution. Technical means such as sewage treatment, air filters, emission control and lake and soil restoration measures have contributed to correct the environmental damage. However, a balance sheet for irreversible matter losses (mainly base cation charges) from the urbanized areas and the surrounding landscape into the sea shows ever-increasing trends. These losses are destabilizing the ecosystems. In this paper, management of the water cycle in urban areas, together with the coupled matter cycles, is discussed. Particular reference is given to Metropolitan Berlin, with a network of shipping canals, which move biologically treated waste, containing base cations and nutrients to the surrounding rural areas. This could create manageable productive wetlands and re-establish soil fertility. At the same time, the natural cooling system close to the urban areas will be improved by providing more areas with permanent vegetation. In addition, reduction of the present large oscillations of the groundwater table, resulting from groundwater pumping and its recharge with less polluted surface water, is contemplated. The widely used shoreline infiltration of the Havel River should then be eliminated and the severe damage of the littoral vegetation in large sections of the Havel River system be avoided.


2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 2411-2428
Author(s):  
Robin K. Weatherl ◽  
Maria J. Henao Salgado ◽  
Maximilian Ramgraber ◽  
Christian Moeck ◽  
Mario Schirmer

AbstractLand-use changes often have significant impact on the water cycle, including changing groundwater/surface-water interactions, modifying groundwater recharge zones, and increasing risk of contamination. Surface runoff in particular is significantly impacted by land cover. As surface runoff can act as a carrier for contaminants found at the surface, it is important to characterize runoff dynamics in anthropogenic environments. In this study, the relationship between surface runoff and groundwater recharge in urban areas is explored using a top-down water balance approach. Two empirical models were used to estimate runoff: (1) an updated, advanced method based on curve number, followed by (2) bivariate hydrograph separation. Modifications were added to each method in an attempt to better capture continuous soil-moisture processes and explicitly account for runoff from impervious surfaces. Differences between the resulting runoff estimates shed light on the complexity of the rainfall–runoff relationship, and highlight the importance of understanding soil-moisture dynamics and their control on hydro(geo)logical responses. These results were then used as input in a water balance to calculate groundwater recharge. Two approaches were used to assess the accuracy of these groundwater balance estimates: (1) comparison to calculations of groundwater recharge using the calibrated conceptual HBV Light model, and (2) comparison to groundwater recharge estimates from physically similar catchments in Switzerland that are found in the literature. In all cases, recharge is estimated at approximately 40–45% of annual precipitation. These conditions were found to closely echo those results from Swiss catchments of similar characteristics.


Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitja Janža ◽  
Joerg Prestor ◽  
Simona Pestotnik ◽  
Brigita Jamnik

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.


Energy ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 110 ◽  
pp. 157-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valery A. Stennikov ◽  
Ekaterina E. Iakimetc

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Sepridawati Siregar ◽  
Desi Kiswiranti

AbstrakSungai Klampok mengalir melalui Kecamatan Bergas dan sekelilingnya terdapat beberapa industri sehingga mengakibatkan sungai tersebut tercemar karena menjadi badan penerima air limbah. Akibat penurunan kualitas air Sungai Klampok akan berimbas pada penurunan kualitas air tanah yang digunakan oleh penduduk sekitar sungai tersebut. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui kualitas air tanah yang berada di sekitar Sungai Klampok sebagai akibat adanya pengaruh beban pencemaran oleh air limbah industri berdasarkan Permenkes No. 416/MENKES/PER/IX/1990 tentang persyaratan kualitas air bersih. Lokasi pengambilan sampel air sungai dibagi menjadi 3 stasiun (LK1, LK2 dan LK3) sedangkan untuk sampel airtanah dari rumah-rumah penduduk dilakukan pada 6 titik yaitu 3 titik di daerah utara dari Sungai Klampok (U1,U2, U3) dan 3 titik di daerah selatan dari Sungai Klampok (S1,S2, S3). Pengambilan sampel dilakukan pada musim kemarau. Dari hasil uji kualitas air sungai, pencemaran yang terjadi pada air sungai Klampok masuk dalam kategori tercemar ringan-sedang. Sedangkan hasil uji kualitas air tanah masih berada di bawah baku mutu yang disyaratkan oleh Permenkes No. 416/MENKES/PER/IX/1990, sehingga penurunan kualitas air sungai Klampok tidak mempengaruhi kualitas air tanah di sekitar sungai tersebut. AbstractThe Klampok River flows through the Bergas Subdistrict and there are a number of industries around it, causing the river to become polluted because it becomes the body of the recipient of wastewater. As a result of the decline in the quality of the water in the Klampok River, it will impact on the quality of groundwater used by residents around the river. This study aims to determine the quality of groundwater around the Klampok River as a result of the influence of pollution load by industrial wastewater based on Permenkes No. 416 / MENKES / PER / IX / 1990 concerning requirements for clean water quality. The location of river water sampling is divided into 3 stations (LK1, LK2, and LK3) while for groundwater samples from residential houses is carried out at 6 points, namely 3 points in the northern area of Klampok River (U1, U2, U3) and 3 points in the area south of the Klampok River (S1, S2, S3). Sampling is done in the dry season. From the results of the test of river water quality, pollution that occurs in Klampok river water is categorized as mild-moderate polluted. While the results of groundwater quality testing are still below the quality standards required by Permenkes No. 416 / MENKES / PER / IX / 1990 so that the decline in the water quality of the Klampok river does not affect the quality of groundwater around the river.


Author(s):  
Nguyen Hai Au ◽  
Tran Minh Bao ◽  
Pham Thi Tuyet Nhi ◽  
Tat Hong Minh Vy ◽  
Truong Tan Hien ◽  
...  

Groundwater in Phu My town is exploited essentially in Pleistocene aquifer and, used for many purposes like irrigation, domestic, production and animal husbandry. In this study, Groundwater Quality Index (EWQI) is calculated with Entropy weight method to determine the suitability of groundwater quality in study area. This method demonstrates the objectivity of each parameter calculated based on the degree of variability of each value and depends on the sample data source. The groundwater samples were collected from 17 wells in dry and wet seasons in 2017 with ten water quality parameters (pH, TDS, TH, Cl-, F-, NH4+-N, NO3--N, SO42-, Pb và Fe2+) were selected for analysising. The analysis results indicate groundwater quality is divided into 4 categories in this study area. In particular, over 70% of wells are "very good" water quality in both dry and wet seasons. Only 6% of wells are " water unsuitable for drinking purpose" of the total number of mornitoring wells in the study area.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Hirata ◽  
Alexandra Vieira Suhogusoff

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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