Groundwater quality: global challenges, emerging threats and novel approaches

Abstract

Improving our understanding of groundwater quality threats to human health and the environment is essential to protect and manage groundwater resources effectively. This essay highlights some global groundwater quality challenges, describes key contaminant groups and threats of emerging concern, including antimicrobial resistance, and discusses novel approaches to assessing groundwater quality. Groundwater quality monitoring needs to improve significantly in order to effectively identify and mitigate threats to groundwater from historical, current and future pollution.

Topical Collection: International Year of Groundwater—managing future societal and environmental challenges

“…Human pressures are still affecting groundwater quality, causing pollution in highly urbanized systems, in agricultural and livestock areas, and also in less populated areas, where the limitations of remedial infrastructure and pollution prevention are a threat to groundwater resources (Misstear et al 2022;this issue). Modern lifestyle has created a new generation of pollutants (emerging contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals, metabolites, personal care products, perand polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), micro-and nanoplastics), the occurrence of which are still underestimated due to a lack of analytical techniques and policy restrictions (Lapworth et al 2022;this issue). At the same time, the spread of "classical" contaminants in groundwater has not stopped, due to food production requirements.…”

Microbiological and Physicochemical Quality of Groundwater and Risk Factors for Its Pollution in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

“…Our procedure involved physical inspection of the boreholes, followed by inspection of the surrounding environment and recording their risk factors (Table 1). The parameters measured were: (1) infiltration of rainwater into soil (IRS), (2) access of animals to the borehole (AAB), (3) presence of a vegetable garden within 15 m (PVG), (4) sludge spreading within 15 m (SS), (5) garbage heap within 15 m (GH), (6) old and rusty pipes (POR), (7)…”

“…In many areas in Africa, groundwater is the major source of drinking water for people, as groundwater is considered to be free from impurities and less susceptible to contamination, and more resilient to climate variability compared to surface water bodies [5][6][7]. However, groundwater quality is impacted by climate, slope, drainage conditions, water-rock interactions, and anthropogenic activities [8,9].…”