Groundwater Risk Intensity Assessment. Application to Carbonate Aquifers of the Western Mediterranean (Southern Spain)

Abstract

In this work, the groundwater contamination risk is evaluated as a measure of protection for groundwater bodies intended for human consumption. For this purpose, intrinsic vulnerability maps and hazard maps of anthropogenic activities in the studied region have been taken into account. This region is constituted by carbonate aquifers that supply water to various populations. The methodology employed to determine the contamination risk was adapted from the COST Action 620 which was developed with the aim of protecting karst aquifer water. The vulnerability obtained through the PI method was modified to the COP method for the purpose of this study. The results obtained after evaluating the groundwater contamination risk show a predominance of the very low and low classes that cover more than 80 % of the study area. These areas coincide with outcrops of low permeability materials and an absence of pressures. Only 4 % of the region presents a high to very high risk of contamination which is located in areas of very high vulnerability and low to moderate pressures. These results are supported by chemical analyses of water sampled from a groundwater quality control network. Contamination risk studies are an important tool for the integrated management of groundwater and for designing protection measures. These protection measures should be incorporated into the territorial land use planning; furthermore they should define a possible plan of land uses and activities as well as establish limitations and prohibitions of impacting land uses and activities.

Groundwater Pollution Risk Analysis in Wonosari Basin and Gunungsewu Karst Transition Zone, Gunungkidul, Indonesia

“…The reduction factor (Rf = 0 to 1) is used to evaluate the likelihood of contamination. Rf is always set at the highest value (1) unless any measures to reduce contaminant discharge into the environment exist [11]. In the event of contamination, Rf < 1 minimizes the risk value.…”

“…Field survey found that these industries repurpose or process the by-products and residues into animal feed and have industrial wastewater treatment plants, which were used as the basis for Rf selection. Furthermore, livestock and agricultural activities also generate contaminants that can harm groundwater quality [11]. Primary sources include paddy fields with no measures to reduce pollution (Rf = 1), which can be differentiated into irrigated rice fields (Qn = 1.2), rainfed rice fields (Qn = 1), and dryland farms (Qn = 0.8).…”

Integrating hydrogeological and second-order geo-electric indices in groundwater vulnerability mapping: A case study of alluvial environments

“…The conceptual framework in groundwater vulnerability assessment is necessary to characterize the safe and unsafe zones in groundwater resources for proper management and monitoring of groundwater with safety according to requirements of the Water Framework Directive (Jiménez-Madrid et al 2010). One of the approaches for vulnerability evaluations is the AVI ( Van Stempvoort et al 1992).…”

A Novel Approach to Harmonize Vulnerability Assessment in Carbonate and Detrital Aquifers at Basin Scale

“…Specific approaches, such as the COP (C: Concentration of flow; O: Overlying layers above water table; P: precipitation) method [10], have been developed specifically to assess groundwater vulnerability in carbonate (karstic) aquifers. The COP method has been extensively applied in different research studies to this type of aquifer [16][17][18][19][20][21].…”