A modified approach to quantify aquifer vulnerability to pollution towards sustainable groundwater management in Irrigated Indus Basin

Umar, Muhammad; Khan, Shahbaz Nasir; Arshad, Arfan; Aslam, Rana Ammar; Khan, Hafiz Muhammad Safdar; Rashid, Haroon; Pham, Quoc Bao; Nasir, Abdul; Noor, Rabeea; Khedher, Khaled Mohamed; Anh, Duong Tran

doi:10.1007/s11356-021-17882-9

Cited by 18 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Comparison of groundwater quality: The groundwater quality trends observed in this study, including severe microbiological and heavy metal contamination in the major urban centers of Lahore and Rawalpindi, along with high nutrient levels in agricultural areas, align with findings from previous localized assessments. For instance, a 2018 Lahore study reported 25% of groundwater samples having arsenic concentrations above WHO thresholds along with 31% showing coliform counts exceeding drinking water standards [83]. Similar or higher proportions of samples over limits were witnessed in the present statewide analysis.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Integrated Assessment and Geostatistical Evaluation of Groundwater Quality through Water Quality Indices

Naz,

Ahmad,

Aslam

et al. 2023

Water

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This study undertook an assessment of 24 physiochemical parameters at over 1094 sites to compute the water quality index (WQI) across the upper and central Punjab regions of Pakistan. Prior to the WQI calculation, an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was employed to assign specific weights to each water quality parameter. The categorization of WQI into distinct classes was achieved by constructing a pairwise matrix based on their relative importance utilizing Saaty’s scale. Additionally, the groundwater quality status for irrigation and drinking purposes across various zones in the study area was delineated through the integration of WQI and geostatistical methodologies. The findings revealed discernible heavy metal issues in the Lahore division, with emerging microbiological contamination across the entire study region, potentially attributed to untreated industrial effluent discharge and inadequately managed sewerage systems. The computed indices for the Lahore, Sargodha, and Rawalpindi divisions fell within the marginal to unfit categories, indicating water quality concerns. In contrast, the indices for other divisions were in the medium class, suggesting suitability for drinking purposes. Scenario analysis for developing mitigation strategies indicated that primary treatment before wastewater disposal could rehabilitate 9% of the study area, followed by secondary (35%) and tertiary (41%) treatments. Microbiological contamination (27%) emerged as the predominant challenge for water supply agencies. Given the current trajectory of water quality deterioration, access to potable water is poised to become a significant public concern. Consequently, government agencies are urged to implement appropriate measures to enhance overall groundwater quality for sustainable development.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Integrated Assessment and Geostatistical Evaluation of Groundwater Quality through Water Quality Indices

Naz,

Ahmad,

Aslam

et al. 2023

Water

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“…A much higher resolution of water samples is required to fully assess factors influencing the distribution of nitrate concentrations. The resulting groundwater vulnerability zones were verified using the AUC (area under the curve) [59] based on nitrate concentration data for the year 2021. Figure 10 shows the estimated AUC validation curve for the DRASTIC vulnerability map.…”

Section: Categories Min Maxmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vulnerability to Aquifer Pollution in the Mexican Wine Producing Valley of Guadalupe, México

Díaz-Gutiérrez,

Daesslé,

Del-Toro-Guerrero

et al. 2024

Hydrology

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Groundwater pollution is one of the main challenges in our society, especially in semi-arid Mediterranean regions. This issue becomes especially critical in predominantly agricultural areas that lack comprehensive knowledge about the characteristics and functioning of their aquifer system. Vulnerability to groundwater pollution is defined as the sensitivity of the aquifer to being adversely affected by an imposed pollution load. For the Guadalupe aquifer, various indicators including water level depth, level variation, aquifer properties, soil composition, topography, impact on the vadose zone, and hydraulic conductivity were evaluated to establish spatial vulnerability categories ranging from very low to very high. Two pollution vulnerability scenarios (wet and dry) were studied. The results were compared with the analysis of nitrate concentration and distribution (2001, 2020, and 2021) from samples collected in the field. In the Calafia area, which predominantly relies on viticulture, the primary recharge inputs were identified in areas with a high vulnerability to pollution. Surprisingly, these vulnerable areas exhibited lower nitrate concentrations. This scenario underscores the need for effective management measures to safeguard aquifers in agricultural regions.

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“…Once polluted, treatment and regulation of groundwater pose significant challenges. Heavy metals are cumulative and persistent, and once they enter the groundwater body they will remain for a long time and gradually accumulate, leading to groundwater pollution, and contaminated groundwater poses a serious threat to the ecological environment and human health [13]. Firstly, contaminated groundwater affects the source of drinking water and directly jeopardizes human health.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The DRASTIC model has its limitations in assigning weights and ratios to different thematic layers and their subcategories. Different researchers have used other techniques to address these limitations, such as calculating recharge using the SWAT model and modifying the weights and ratios of the layers and their subclasses using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Frequency Ratio (FR) techniques [13]. There are many methods for evaluating the vulnerability of groundwater, such as the iterative index method, fuzzy mathematical comprehensive evaluation method, and numerical simulation method.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The DRASTIC model has been extensively applied in groundwater vulnerability assessments in the United States and the European Union. The notable advantage of this model lies in its simplicity, ease of implementation, and ability to quantitatively analyze hydrogeological factors affecting pollutant transport [13]. In view of the fact that there are few studies on the YRB [31], in order to determine the regional groundwater environment situation, in this work, the DRASTIC evaluation model was adopted, the groundwater vulnerability evalua-tion index system of the YRB was constructed, and a specific study was conducted, which provides a scientific example for other regions to carry out the evaluation of groundwater vulnerability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluation of Groundwater Vulnerability of Yishu River Basin Based on DRASTIC-GIS Model

Hu,

Yang,

et al. 2024

Water

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The evaluation of vulnerability is a crucial aspect in the sustainable development, utilization, and preservation of groundwater resources. This study utilizes a comprehensive approach, integrating systematic analysis of hydrogeological conditions and the utilization of observed and collected data. The evaluation of groundwater vulnerability in the Yishu River Basin (YRB) was conducted by employing the DRASTIC model, along with the zone overlay function of GIS software. Seven evaluation indicators were considered in this assessment. The findings demonstrate that the groundwater vulnerability in the YRB can be categorized into five divisions: excellent, good, medium, poor, and very poor, accounting for 14.5%, 42.3%, 27.9%, 14.0%, and 1.3% respectively. The areas with low vulnerability are predominantly located in the eastern part of the study area, covering the largest proportion of the total area. Conversely, areas with high vulnerability are found alongside both banks of the Shu River, forming narrow strips. Although these areas have smaller overall coverage, they contain dispersed water sources that require careful attention. These research findings provide valuable scientific insights and serve as a reference for urban planning, land use management, and groundwater resource protection in the YRB. The formulation and adoption of targeted protection measures in accordance with different groundwater vulnerability zoning, the formulation of scientific groundwater resource development and utilization programs, and execution of land resource planning are of great significance from the perspective of groundwater resource protection.

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A modified approach to quantify aquifer vulnerability to pollution towards sustainable groundwater management in Irrigated Indus Basin

Cited by 18 publications

References 57 publications

Integrated Assessment and Geostatistical Evaluation of Groundwater Quality through Water Quality Indices

Integrated Assessment and Geostatistical Evaluation of Groundwater Quality through Water Quality Indices

Vulnerability to Aquifer Pollution in the Mexican Wine Producing Valley of Guadalupe, México

Evaluation of Groundwater Vulnerability of Yishu River Basin Based on DRASTIC-GIS Model

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