Variability of Intrinsic Groundwater Vulnerability to Pollution in River Valley due to Groundwater Depth and Recharge Changes

Abstract

Groundwater management can be effectively implemented by assessment of groundwater vulnerability to pollution. The research was carried out in the Vistula River valley (Poland) in an area of shallow groundwater occurrence, defined as a Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystem area. The goal of this study was to identify the average, maximum, and minimum depths of the groundwater table for variant assessment of groundwater vulnerability to contamination. The variants correspond to the average vulnerability, the vulnerability during hydrogeological drought, and the vulnerability during the flood risk period. Theoretical and effective weights of vulnerability parameters were calculated using the DRASTIC method. Vulnerability maps constructed for the various vulnerability variants and by using different parameter weights show the spatial variability of the individual vulnerability classes. Due to the specifics of this protected area, the expected dependency between vulnerability index and chloride concentrations in the monitoring points was not found. Comparison showed strong dependency of water chemistry and the value of recharge, lithology of aquifer, and unsaturated zone. The research results confirm the need for variant vulnerability assessment to protect against floods or predict the effects of climate change.

A Narrative Review of Groundwater and Soil Pollution

“…The analytical solution of the one-dimensional model of the transport and transformation of pollutants in groundwater has reached new heights. In light of the complexity and variability of groundwater data monitoring, stochastic models for pollutant migration and transformation have been intensively studied (22). Regarding the water movement of the migration carrier, it has been designed to consider both movable and immovable water bodies.…”

Groundwater vulnerability to pollution in degraded coal mining areas: modifying the DRASTIC method using the factor of exploitation impact on land surface

“…Vulnerability assessment is a universal tool used for verifying the degree of groundwater contamination, often discussed in the literature from the end of the 1960s when Margat (1968) defined vulnerability to pollution, till present (e.g. Machiwal et al 2018, Krogulec 2006, 2013, Krogulec et al 2019. Groundwater vulnerability defines the risk of the migration of contaminants from the land surface to the subsurface aquifer.…”

Temporal and Spatial Diversity of Renewable Groundwater Resources in the River Valley

“…The amount of renewable resources was calculated on a model for three variants, as the average, the lowest and the highest rate for the period 1999-2013 in both a hydrogeological valley unit and geomorphological units located within it. B-groundwater monitoring points (adapted from [35,36]).…”

“…The values of average annual infiltration recharge method for 1999-2013 was 96-98 mm/year for GDEs [40]. [35,36]).…”

“…Location of the study area: (A)-on the background of Major Groundwater Reservoir no. 222; (B)-groundwater monitoring points (adapted from[35,36]).…”