Groundwater vulnerability assessment using GIS-based DRASTIC models in shallow aquifer of Gabes North (South East Tunisia)

Chandoul, Ibtissem Riahi; Bouaziz, Samir; Dhia, Hamed Ben

doi:10.1007/s12517-014-1702-6

Cited by 27 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Seawater desalination assures fresh water availability (GEREP-Environment, 2007) without compromising the aquifers, which are rare in this region (e.g. Ben Alaya et al, 2014;Chandoul et al, 2015). Desalination produces brackish water, which is discharged into the sea (GEREP-Environment, 2007) and therefore, is impacting the environment (Einav et al, 2003) by significantly decreasing the salinity, leading to a reduction in seagrass habitat (i.e., P. oceanica) (Fernández-Torquemada and Sánchez-Lizaso, 2005;Gacia et al, 2007).…”

Section: Djerba Island and Skhiramentioning

confidence: 99%

Foraminiferal-based biotic indices to assess the ecological quality status of the Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia): Present limitations and future perspectives

Kateb

Stalder

Martínez-Colón

et al. 2020

Ecological Indicators

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Biotic indices are tools to assess the ecological status of marine systems, and can be based on different metrics (such as ecological groups, specific diversity). The present study applies five biotic indices based on living (stained) benthic foraminiferal assemblages to assess ecological conditions in a wide area of the Mediterranean Sea in the heavily polluted Gulf of Gabes and along the western and eastern coasts of the Djerba Island, with the eastern coast considered as "pristine". The applied indices are based on epiphytic foraminifera e.g., the "long versus short life span" index (I LS) and the modified FoRAM-Index (FI'), benthic foraminiferal assemblage composition and diversity, e.g., the Tolerant Species index (TS std), the Foram Stress Index (FSI), the diversity Index (exp(H' bc)) and the newly developed Foram-AZTI Marine Biotic Index (Foram-AMBI). This latter index was tested using species of benthic foraminifera presently assigned to ecological groups in the Mediterranean Sea. All indices confirm good ecological conditions eastern of Djerba. The FI' and I LS , % TS std , FSI, indicate a severe anthropogenic impact especially in the central part of the Gulf of Gabes, next to the phosphate industry of Skhira and along the western coast of Djerba Island and confirm direct observations and geochemical data. The indices based on epiphytic foraminifera seem to better reflect actual environmental conditions in the investigated region because of the extended Posidonia oceanica meadow in the area. The exp(H' bc) reflects lower degrees of pollution. The application of the Foram-AMBI index presents limitations that prevent its current use. It strongly underestimates the pollution impact along the Tunisian coast, and additional work is needed to increase the number of species attributed to ecological groups and to possibly modify the coefficients to be used in its equation.

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Section: Djerba Island and Skhiramentioning

confidence: 99%

Foraminiferal-based biotic indices to assess the ecological quality status of the Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia): Present limitations and future perspectives

Kateb

Stalder

Martínez-Colón

et al. 2020

Ecological Indicators

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“…This economic revolution requires highly important hydric potentialities and, thereby, generates negative effects on the environment and groundwater [8]. The safeguarding of this precious resource from contamination has become indispensable to preserve the economic, environmental, and social welfare in the region [9]. Moreover, the identification of areas of greater vulnerability contributes to preventing contamination, guiding subsequent water managers to remedy problems of water quality and supply.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, the identification of areas of greater vulnerability contributes to preventing contamination, guiding subsequent water managers to remedy problems of water quality and supply. Several assessment methods have been developed to evaluate the groundwater vulnerability to contamination such as DRASTIC [4], GOD [11], and SI [9]. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the vulnerability and pollution risk of the free aquifer in the Oued Souf region using these parametric methods (DRASTIC, GOD, and SI) combined with the hydrogeological data from a geographic information system (GIS).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contribution of a Geographic Information System to Assess the Vulnerability to Groundwater Pollution of the Free Water Table from the Oued Souf Region (South-East Algeria)

Khelfaoui

Sayad

Attoui

et al. 2021

Civil and Environmental Engineering Reports

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The Oued Souf free aquifer located in the South East of Algeria represents the main water resource used mostly for urban and agricultural activities. The intensive use of chemical fertilizers has led to serious environmental problems such as contamination of the free aquifer in the region. Thus, aquifer vulnerability has been assessed using several different methods (DRASTIC, GOD, and the Susceptibility Index ‘SI’) based on a geographic information system (GIS). For each method, two vulnerability maps have been developed in the years 2002 and 2012. These maps show that the study area is more exposed to urban, and especially agricultural, pollution. Two classes of vulnerability (moderate and high) have been identified by both DRASTIC and GOD methods. A combined analysis reveals that the moderate class showing 48% (for the GOD method), and the high class showing 57% (for the DRASTIC method) are the most dominant. However, the Susceptibility Index method (SI) revealed that the vulnerability varies from moderate to very high-level classes. In 2012, about of 53% of the study area was dominated by moderate vulnerability classes. The high vulnerability class also includes a considerable part of the land (41%) around urban or strongly agricultural areas, while only 6% is under very high vulnerability groundwater contamination. In addition, a marked decrease in the vulnerability level was noticed in 2012 compared to 2002. This decrease is mainly due to the lowering of the water table after the installation of a vertical drainage network to evacuate the surplus water to the depression and Chotts areas in the North of the region. These results provide a guide for decision-makers involved in the protection of groundwater pollution in such a vulnerable area.

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“…The most widely used method for vulnerability evaluation is DRASTIC because of its ease of use, minimal data requirements, and clear exposition of groundwater vulnerability [14]. The method has been widely used for regional vulnerability assessments in many countries such as the USA [15][16], China [17][18], Korea [19], Canada [20], India [21], Turkey [22], Tunisia [23], South Africa [24][25], and the Ivory Coast [26]. DRASTIC, as with other similar index methods, has many disadvantages: 1) so many variables are factored into the fi nal index that critical parameters in groundwater vulnerability may be masked by other parameters that have no bearing on vulnerability for a particular setting [27], 2) the results overestimate the vulnerability of porous media aquifers compared with aquifers in fractured media [28], and 3) the selection of the parameters is based on qualitative judgment and not quantitative studies [29][30].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimizing the DRASTIC Method for Nitrate Pollution in Groundwater Vulnerability Assessments: a Case Study in China

He¹,

Li²,

Li³

et al. 2018

Pol. J. Environ. Stud.

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Groundwater vulnerability assessments, using DRASTIC, are important and useful tools for groundwater pollution prevention and control. The DRASTIC method, however, is not appropriate for accurate specifi c vulnerability assessments where nitrate concentrations are high. A new method has been developed that retains the basic structure of DRASTIC while adding or subtracting parameters, and modifying the parameter ratings and weightings. The resulting DRACILM model was used to assess vulnerability to nitrate pollution in the West Liaohe Plain and as a basis for vulnerability mapping. The accuracy, appropriateness, and reliability of the vulnerability mapping were analyzed using a group of integrated indicators, such as correlation, ANOVA F-statistics, and single-parameter sensitivity analysis. The correlation between vulnerability class and the concentration of NO 3 -N in the DRACILM model improved to 0.649, which was 40.6% higher than that obtained by DRASTIC. The ANOVA F-statistic was 27.71, which indicated a lower overlap between the mean values of nitrates in the different vulnerability classes. The single-parameter sensitivity analysis revealed that land use type exhibited the highest and hydraulic conductivity the lowest effective weighting values. The vulnerability maps by DRACILM model could assist planners and government decision-makers with preliminary investigations into planning water protection projects or establishing management scenarios for water resource quality.

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Groundwater vulnerability assessment using GIS-based DRASTIC models in shallow aquifer of Gabes North (South East Tunisia)

Cited by 27 publications

References 16 publications

Foraminiferal-based biotic indices to assess the ecological quality status of the Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia): Present limitations and future perspectives

Foraminiferal-based biotic indices to assess the ecological quality status of the Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia): Present limitations and future perspectives

Contribution of a Geographic Information System to Assess the Vulnerability to Groundwater Pollution of the Free Water Table from the Oued Souf Region (South-East Algeria)

Optimizing the DRASTIC Method for Nitrate Pollution in Groundwater Vulnerability Assessments: a Case Study in China

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