Temporal trends in concentrations of DBCP and nitrate in groundwater in the eastern San Joaquin Valley,California, USA

Temporal monitoring of the pesticide 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) and nitrate and indicators of mean groundwater age were used to evaluate the transport and fate of agricultural chemicals in groundwater and to predict the long-term effects in the regional aquifer system in the eastern San Joaquin Valley, California. Twenty monitoring wells were installed on a transect along an approximate groundwater flow path. Concentrations of DBCP and nitrate in the wells were compared to concentrations in regional areal monitoring networks. DBCP persists at concentrations above the US Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum contaminant level (MCL) at depths of nearly 40 m below the water table, more than 25 years after it was banned. Nitrate concentrations above the MCL reached depths of more than 20 m below the water table. Because of the intensive pumping and irrigation recharge, vertical flow paths are dominant. High concentrations (above MCLs) in the shallow part of the regional aquifer system will likely move deeper in the system, affecting both domestic and public-supply wells. The large fraction of old water (unaffected by agricultural chemicals) in deep monitoring wells suggests that it could take decades for concentrations to reach MCLs in deep, long-screened public-supply wells, however.     

An aquifer vulnerability assessment of the Benin Formation aquifer,Calabar, southeastern Nigeria,using DRASTIC and GIS approach

An aquifer vulnerability of the Benin Formation aquifer (Calabar, southern Nigeria) has been assessed using a combination of DRASTIC index and GIS technology. The assessment was necessitated by the fact that uncontrolled disposal of domestic, industrial and agricultural wastes have caused groundwater contamination. Therefore, prevention of contamination, monitoring and management of the aquifer was urgently required to increase the efficient use of the current water supplies. The DRASTIC method uses seven parameters (depth to groundwater table, net recharge, aquifer media, soil media, topography, influence of vadose zone and hydraulic conductivity), which were used to produce vulnerability maps. The drastic vulnerability index ranged between 124 and 170. The vulnerability map shows that the aquifer is highly vulnerable in southeastern parts of the area covering about 22 %. The medium vulnerability area covers about 56.8 % of Calabar extending from the southwest to northern parts. 21.2 % of the area covering the central and northern parts the area lies within the low vulnerability zone. The present industrial and activities are located in the eastern and western parts, which falls within the low-medium vulnerability areas. Documented nitrate concentration in hand-dug wells and boreholes are in agreement with vulnerability zones. Sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the sensitivity of each parameter between map layers such that subjectivity can be reduced to an extent and new weights computed for each DRASTIC parameter. As management options sensitive areas, especially in the southern parts of Calabar area, should be protected from future development.     

Analysis of temporal and spatial variations in groundwater nitrate and development of its pollution plume: a case study in Karaj aquifer

Considering the importance of groundwater resources in water-supply demands in arid and semiarid areas such as Iran, it is essential to investigate the risk of groundwater pollution. Nitrate is one of the main pollutants that penetrate into the groundwater from various sources such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and domestic and industrial sewage. Unfortunately currently, nitrate contamination of the aquifers is a serious problem in Iran. The Karaj aquifer is not exempted, and the nitrate pollution zone, with concentrations far beyond the permitted limit (50 mg/L), expands fast. In this paper, the long-term groundwater-quality data (from 2000 to 2013) collected from Alborz Province Water and Wastewater Company were analyzed using ArcGIS10 and statistical software, and the spatial and temporal patterns of nitrate pollution in drinking-water wells in the Karaj plain and effective parameters (such as depth to groundwater level, hydraulic gradient, land use, precipitation, and urban, agricultural and industrial wastewater) were investigated. The authors also investigated the status of nitrate concentration variation using the concepts of geostatistics, based on determinations from 62 to 194 surveyed wells with a suitable distribution across the plain. With respect to the relationship between quality parameters, hydrogeological status of the aquifer and land usage, causes of the increase in the concentration of nitrate in the water and its trend were investigated as well. Results revealed that the nitrate levels in the northern portion of the study area were the highest with maximum concentrations of 181.7 mg/L from 2000 to 2013. Based on nitrate concentration distribution maps, the levels of nitrate increased from 2006 onwards to 26–100 mg/L. Unfortunately from 2008 to 2012, a pollution zone with a nitrate water concentration of 101–150 mg/L has been observed and even a concentration of 180 mg/L has been determined. In 2000, the entire aquifer area has been drinkable but with the increase in nitrate concentration, the area with undrinkable water has expanded to 21% in 2003, 24% in 2005, 33% in 2007, 39% in 2009, 43% in 2011 and 44% in 2013. The results of this study could provide valuable information with on the status of nitrate water concentrations in the Karaj plain which demands proper strategies and qualitative approaches in the future.     

Impacts of a large Sahelian city on groundwater hydrodynamics and quality: example of Niamey (Niger)

The management of groundwater resources is very important in the semiarid Sahel region, which is experiencing rapid urban development. Impacts of urbanization on groundwater resources were investigated in the unconfined aquifer of the Continental Terminal beneath the city of Niamey, Niger, using water level and chemical data. Hydrodynamic and chemical changes are best described by a combination of factors including the historical development of the city, current land use, water-table depth and topography. Seasonal groundwater recharge occurs with high spatial variability, as indicated by water-level monitoring in all wells, but there was no interannual trend over the 5-year study period. Groundwater salinity shows high spatial variability and a minor rising trend. The highest salinity is in the old city centre, with Na–NO₃ dominant, and it increases seasonally with recharge. Salinity is much lower and more variable in the suburbs (Ca–HCO₃, Ca–NO₃, and Na–NO₃ dominant). Nitrate is the main ionic contaminant and is seasonally or permanently above the international guidelines for drinking water quality in 36 % of sampled wells, with a peak value of 112 mg L^?1 NO₃–N (8 meq L^?1). Comparison of urban and rural sites indicates a long-term increase in groundwater recharge and nitrate enrichment in the urban area with serious implications for groundwater management in the region.     

Analysis of geological structure and anthropological factors affecting arsenic distribution in the Lahore aquifer,Pakistan

This study investigated the potential factors affecting arsenic concentration in the groundwater system of Lahore, Pakistan. The effects of several factors such as population density (PD), pumping rate (PR), impermeable land use (LU), surface elevation (SE), and water-table elevation (WL) on arsenic concentration were studied in 101 union councils of Lahore. Forty single and multi-factor models were established using geographic information system (GIS) techniques to develop an arsenic contamination map and to investigate the most effective combinations among factors. Additionally, statistical tests were used to evaluate arsenic concentration between classes of the same single factor. The arsenic concentration in the Lahore aquifer varied from 0.001 to 0.143 mg L^?1. The highest arsenic concentrations were detected in the Walled City and the town of Shahdara. Among the 40 raster models, groundwater arsenic concentration showed the best matching frequency with single-factor models for PD (50.70 %) and SE (47 %). Thus, PD and SE were used to develop an arsenic distribution raster map, and they were also used to study the effect of aquifer depth on arsenic concentration. PD was found to have hidden latent variables such as PR and LU. The shallow aquifer depth was negatively correlated with arsenic concentration (r?=??0.23) and positively with PR (r?=?0.15). Therefore, when there was high PR in wells with smaller aquifer depth, the arsenic concentration was high. The existing water treatment and alternative water resources are good options, which should be developed to deal with Lahore wells contaminated with arsenic at high concentrations.     

Identifying vulnerable areas of aquifer under future climate change (case study: Hamadan aquifer,West Iran)

Groundwater is the main source of water in arid and semi-arid regions, so it is very important to recognize vulnerable parts of aquifer under future climate change conditions. In this research, 16 climate models were evaluated based on weighting approach. HADCM3 and CGCM2.3.2a models were selected for temperature and precipitation prediction, respectively. LARS-WG was used for downscaling AOGCMs outputs. Results show that temperature increase by 1.4 °C and precipitation changes between +10 and ?6 % under B1 and A2 emission scenario, respectively. Runoff volumes will decrease by ?39 % under A2 emission scenario whereas runoff volume will increase by +12 % under B1 emission scenario. Simulation of groundwater head variation by MODFLOW software indicates higher groundwater depletion rate under A2 scenario compared to B1 scenario. Groundwater model outputs indicate that the most vulnerable part of the aquifer is located in the southwest region. Large number of extraction wells and low aquifer transmissivity are the reasons for high vulnerability of the region.     

Assessing seasonal variations and aquifer vulnerability in coastal aquifers of semi-arid regions using a multi-tracer isotopic approach: the case of Grombalia (Tunisia)

The Grombalia aquifer (NE Tunisia) is an example of an important source of water supply for regional and national development, where the weak controls over abstraction, fertilizer application and waste disposal, coupled with limited knowledge of aquifer dynamics, is causing aquifer over-exploitation and water quality degradation. Assessing the key role of groundwater in water-resources security is therefore of paramount importance to support new actions to preserve water quality and quantity in the long-run. This study presents one of the first investigations targeted at a complete assessment of aquifer dynamics in the Grombalia aquifer. A multi-tracer hydrogeochemical and isotopic (δ²H, δ¹⁸O and ³H) approach was used to study the influence of seasonal variation on piezometric levels, chemical and isotopic compositions, and groundwater recharge. A total of 116 samples were collected from private wells and boreholes during three periods in a 1 year monitoring campaign (February–March 2014, September 2014 and February 2015). Results revealed the overall unsuitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation purposes (NO₃?>?50 mg/L in 51% of the wells; EC >1,000 μS/cm in 99% of the wells). Isotopic balance coupled to piezometric investigation indicated the contribution of the shallow aquifer to deep groundwater recharge. The study also revealed the weakness of ‘business as usual’ management practices, highlighting possible solutions to tackle water-related challenges in the Grombalia region, where climate change, population growth and intensive agricultural activities have generated a large gap between demand and available water reserves, hence becoming a possible driver for social insecurity.     

Degradation of groundwater quality in coastal aquifer of Sabratah area,NW Libya

Overextraction of groundwater is widely occurring along the coast where good quality groundwater is at risk, due to urbanization, tourist development and intensive agriculture. The Sabratah area at the northern central part of Jifarah Plain, Northwest Libya, is a typical area where the contamination of the aquifer in the form of saltwater intrusion, gypsum/anhydrite dissolution and high nitrate concentrations is very developed. Fifty groundwater samples were collected from the study area and analysed for certain parameters that indicate salinization and pollution of the aquifer. The results demonstrate high values of the parameters electrical conductivity, sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride and sulphate which can be attributed to seawater intrusion. The intensive extraction of groundwater from the aquifer reduces freshwater outflow to the sea, creates drawdown cones and lowering of the water table to as much as 30 m below mean sea level. Irrigation with nitrogen fertilizers and domestic sewage and movement of contaminants in areas of high hydraulic gradients within the drawdown cones probably are responsible for the high nitrate concentration towards the south of the region. Seawater intrusion and deep salt water upconing result in general high SO₄ ^2? concentrations in groundwater near the shoreline, where localized SO₄ ^2? anomalies are also due to the dissolution of sebkha deposits for few wells in the nearby sebkhas. Upstream, the increase in SO₄ ^2? concentrations in the south is ascribed to the dissolution of gypsum at depth in the upper aquifer.     

Nitrate contamination in groundwater in the Sidi Aïch–Gafsa oases region, Southern Tunisia

Groundwater pumped from the semi-confined Complex Terminal (CT) aquifer is an important production factor in irrigated oases agriculture in southern Tunisia. A rise in the groundwater salinity has been observed as a consequence of increasing abstraction from the aquifer during the last few decades. All sources of contamination were investigated using hydrochemical data available from the 1990s. Water samples were taken from wells tapping both the CT and the shallow aquifers and analyzed with regard to chemistry tracers. Hydrochemical and water quality data obtained through a sampling period (December 2010) and analysis program indicate that nitrate pollution can be a serious problem affecting groundwater due to the use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers–pesticides in agriculture. The concentration of nitrate in an groundwater-irrigated area in Gafsa oases basin was studied, where abstraction from an unconfined CT aquifer has increased threefold over 25 years to 34 million m³/year; groundwater levels are falling at up to 0.7 m/year; and groundwater is increasingly mineralised (TDS increase from 500 to 4,000 mg/L), with nitrate concentrations ranging from 16 to 320 mg/L.     

Spatial characteristics of water quality,stable isotopes and tritium associated with groundwater flow in the Hutuo River alluvial fan plain of the North China Plain

The groundwater flow system and the flow velocity in the alluvial fan plain of the Hutuo River, China, have been studied, with an emphasis on relating geochemical characteristics and isotopes factors. Seven stretches of one river, six springs and 31 wells, with depths ranging from 0 m (river waters) to 150 m, were surveyed. The groundwater has a vertical two-layer structure with a boundary at about 80–100 m depth, yielding an upper and a lower groundwater layer. The δ¹⁸O and δD values range from ?10.56 to ?7.05‰ and ?81.83 to ?59‰, respectively. The groundwater has been recharged by precipitation, and has not been subjected to significant evaporation during infiltration into the aquifer in the upper layer. Using a tritium model, the groundwater flow in the alluvial fan plain showed horizontal flow velocity to be greater than vertical velocity. Groundwater in the upper layer is characterized by Ca–HCO₃ type. From the spatial distribution characteristics of the stable isotope and chemical composition of the groundwater, agricultural irrigation was considered to have an influence on the aquifer by causing excessive groundwater abstraction and irrigation return.     

Well site conditions associated with nitrate contamination in a multilayer semiconfined aquifer of Buenos Aires,Argentina

A stepwise logistic regression (LR) model was generated to evaluate the association between contamination of groundwater by nitrates with several risk factors such as soil types, farm facilities and practises, and well characteristics. The odds ratio was calculated to estimate the degree of impact that the associated variables had on the risk of contamination in a semiconfined multilayer aquifer underlying rural areas of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Duplicate farm groundwater samples (n = 160) were taken and nitrate was analyzed. Data, involving various farm factors, was gathered via two questionnaires concerning farm’s general and productive aspects, and well characteristics. Statistical tests were run between nitrates and each variable present in the survey. A 96.25% of the samples presented detectable nitrate levels, 40.91% of which had more than 45 ppm nitrates. The final LR model involved five of the variables under study: well age, soil permeability, depth of water table, location, and distance from well to contamination sources. Cross validation proved to be a good estimator of nitrate water contamination. Suspicions about how these characteristics influence groundwater contamination by nitrates were confirmed, and as these five factors represent a higher risk for this type of aquifer, their proper management may contribute to a better resource protection.     

Sources of dissolved oxygen in monitoring and pumping wells

Groundwater monitoring and pumping wells set in anoxic aquifers require attention to keep the groundwater free of dissolved oxygen (DO). In properly constructed monitoring or pumping wells, two processes can however still introduce oxygen to anoxic groundwater: (1) permeation of oxygen through polymer materials such as silicone, PVC, HDPE or Teflon, and (2) thermally driven convection, which can occur in all types of piezometers or wells, regardless of construction material, when the water table or pressure head is close (<10 m) to the land surface. Here, field measurements (temperature and DO well loggings) from a monitoring well in Bilthoven, the Netherlands, are combined with analytical and numerical modelling to investigate the role of both processes on oxygenation of anoxic groundwater in wells. The results of numerical and analytical modeling show that both permeation and convection can introduce oxygen into anoxic wells to near saturation concentrations. In the field data gathered, convection is primarily responsible for oxygen intrusion up to a depth of around 12 m. Oxygen intrusion through convection and permeation in monitoring and pumping wells may influence groundwater sampling and analyses, and may contribute to well clogging, depending on site conditions. The combination of field and modelling provides new insights into these processes, which can be used for both groundwater sampling and pumping well design.     

Impact of agricultural activity and lithology on groundwater quality in the Merdja area, Tebessa, Algeria

This work presents results of the hydrogeological and hydrochemical studies on groundwater samples from the alluvial aquifer of Merdja in Tébessa, located in the Western part of this town. Its groundwater resources are used mainly for crop irrigation in an agriculture dominated area. Hydrochemical and water quality data obtained through a sampling period (December 2008) and analysis program indicate that nitrate pollution can be a serious problem affecting groundwater due to the use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in agriculture. The concentration of nitrate in groundwater ranged from 19 to 281 mg/l. Considerable seasonal fluctuations in groundwater quality were observed as a consequence of agricultural practices and other factors such as annual rainfall distribution and the wadi El Kebir flow regime. The chemical composition of the water is not only influenced by agricultural practices, but also by interaction with the alluvial sediments. The dissolution of evaporites accounts for part of the Na⁺, K⁺, Cl^?, SO ₄ ^2? , Mg²⁺, and Ca²⁺, but other processes, such as calcite precipitation and dedolomitization, also contribute to groundwater chemistry.     

Watershed-scale response of groundwater recharge to inter-annual and inter-decadal variability in precipitation (Alberta,Canada)

Groundwater recharge sets a constraint on aquifer water balance in the context of water management. Historical data on groundwater and other relevant hydrological processes can be used to understand the effects of climatic variability on recharge, but such data sets are rare. The climate of the Canadian prairies is characterized by large inter-annual and inter-decadal variability in precipitation, which provides opportunities to examine the response of groundwater recharge to changes in meteorological conditions. A decadal study was conducted in a small (250 km²) prairie watershed in Alberta, Canada. Relative magnitude of annual recharge, indicated by water-level rise, was significantly correlated with a combination of growing-season precipitation and snowmelt runoff, which drives depression-focussed infiltration of meltwater. Annual precipitation was greater than vapour flux at an experimental site in some years and smaller in other years. On average precipitation minus vapour flux was 10 mm y^?1, which was comparable to the magnitude of watershed-scale groundwater recharge estimated from creek baseflow. Average baseflow showed a distinct shift from a low value (4 mm y^?1) in 1982–1995 to a high value (15 mm y^?1) in 2003–2013, indicating the sensitivity of groundwater recharge to a decadal-scale variability of meteorological conditions.     

Identification of groundwater potential zones within an area with various geomorphological units by using several field parameters and a GIS approach in Kulon Progo Regency, Java, Indonesia

A case study was conducted to find the groundwater potential zones in an area between the Serang and Bogowonto rivers, Kulon Progo Regency, Java, Indonesia. The objectives of this study were to delineate the groundwater potential zone based on a number of groundwater parameters that can be surveyed in the field and to incorporate the geomorphological conditions into these data. The geomorphology interpretation was conducted using the landform approach. This approach begins by preparing supporting data such as an Indonesian Topographic Map containing contour and land use data; a regional geology map containing lithology type and geology structures; and soil, climate, and hydrological data. The determination of the geomorphology unit was conducted manually by the visual interpretation of Digital Landsat ETM⁺ with some image interpretation keys. Four groundwater parameters were surveyed in the field: (a) depth to the water table, (b) water table fluctuation, (c) fluid electrical conductivity to represent groundwater quality, and (d) aquifer thickness. The groundwater potential zones were obtained by overlaying all the groundwater field parameters in terms of weighted overlay methods using the spatial analysis tool in ArcGIS 9.2. During the weighted overlay analysis, rankings were produced for each individual parameter of each groundwater field parameter, and weights were assigned based on the amount of influence they had (i.e., depth to the water table—30 %, water table fluctuation—20 %, aquifer thickness—30 %, and fluid conductivity—20 %). We then found the good, moderate, and poor zones in terms of groundwater potential, which had areas of 5.83, 4.53, and 2.36 km², respectively. Areas with good groundwater potential are located largely within sand dunes, beach ridges, beaches, and fluviomarine plain landforms, which are characterized by a shallow water table, low fluctuation, thick aquifer, and low EC value. Moderate groundwater zones are generally characterized by poor water quality (high EC value), which is found to some degree in the alluvial plain. The regions with poor groundwater potential are spread mainly across the landforms composed of igneous rock (thin aquifers), such as denudational hills, which act as run-off zones due to their steep slope.     

Reassessing the management of groundwater use from sandy aquifers: acidification and base cation depletion exacerbated by drought and groundwater withdrawal on the Gnangara Mound, Western Australia

The combined effects of low rainfall, groundwater withdrawal in excess of 300 GL/year and reduced recharge in areas covered by pine plantations has caused the water table in a sandy unconfined aquifer on the Gnangara Mound in Western Australia to drop by up to 5 m and aquifer storage to decline by about 500 GL over the last 20 years. Groundwater has become acidic in areas of high drawdown, with pH values typically being less than 5.0 at the water table, and elevated concentrations of SO₄ ^2?, Al, Fe, Zn, Cu, Ni and Pb. Trends of increasing acidity and base cation concentrations in deep water supply wells in the Mirrabooka wellfield indicate that about 0.7 keq/ha/year of base cations are being leached from soil within cones of depression of pumping wells. These results indicate that the assessment of the sustainable yields of aquifers under conditions of low rainfall needs to consider geochemical interactions between groundwater, aquifer sediments, soils and vegetation, and not be just based on aquifer hydraulics and water-balance changes.     

Correlation between nitrate concentration in groundwater and parameters affecting aquifer intrinsic vulnerability

This paper is the result of a study which was carried out in order to verify if the traditional methods to evaluate the intrinsic vulnerability or vulnerability related parameters, are able to clarify the problem of nitrate pollution in groundwater. In particular, the aim was to evaluate limitations and problems connected to aquifer vulnerability methods applied to nitrate contamination prevision in groundwater. The investigation was carried out by comparing NO₃ ⁻ concentrations, measured in March and November 2004 in the shallow aquifer, and the vulnerability classes, obtained by using GOD and TOT methods. Moreover, it deals with a comparison between NO₃ ⁻ concentrations and single parameters (depth to water table, land use and nitrogen input). The study area is the plain sector of Piemonte (Northern Italy), where an unconfined aquifer nitrate contamination exists. In this area the anthropogenic presence is remarkable and the input of N-fertilizers and zootechnical effluents to the soil cause a growing amount of nitrates in groundwater. This approach, used in a large area (about 10,000 km²) and in several monitoring wells (about 500), allowed to compare the efficiency of different vulnerability methods and to verify the importance of every parameter on the nitrate concentrations in the aquifer. Furthermore it allowed to obtain interesting correlations in different hydrogeological situations. Correlations between depth to water table, land use and nitrogen input to the soil with nitrate concentrations in groundwater show unclear situations: in fact these comparisons describe the phenomenon trend and highlight the maximum nitrate concentrations for each circumstance but often show wide ranges of possible nitrate concentrations. The same situation could be observed by comparing vulnerability indexes and nitrate concentrations in groundwater. These results suggest that neither single parameters nor vulnerability methods (GOD and TOT) are able to describe individually the complex phenomena affecting nitrate concentrations in soil, subsoil and groundwater. In particular, the traditional methods for vulnerability analysis do not analyze physical processes in aquifers, such as denitrification and nitrate dilution. According to a recent study in the shallow unconfined aquifer of the Piemonte plain, dilution can be considered as the main cause for nitrate attenuation in groundwater.     

Assessing groundwater vulnerability to nitrate pollution using statistical approaches: a case study of Sidi Bouzid shallow aquifer,Central Tunisia

The study region comprises the Sidi Bouzid shallow aquifer, which is located in the western part of Central Tunisia. It is mainly occupied by agricultural land with intensive use of chemical fertilizers especially nitrates. For this reason, nitrate measurement was performed in 38 water samples to evaluate and calibrate the obtained models. Several environmental parameters were analyzed using groundwater nitrate concentrations, and different statistical approaches were applied to assess and validate the groundwater vulnerability to nitrate pollution in the Sidi Bouzid shallow aquifer. Multiple linear regression (MLR), analyses of covariance (ANCOVA), and logistic regression (LR) were carried out for studying the nitrate effects on groundwater pollution. Statistical analyses were used to identify major environmental factors that control the groundwater nitrate concentration in this region. Correlation and statistical analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between the nitrate (dependent variable) and various environmental variables (independent variables). All methods show that “groundwater depth” and “land use” parameters are statistically significant at 95% level of confidence. Groundwater vulnerability map was obtained by overlaying these two thematic layers which were obtained in the GIS environment. It shows that the high vulnerability area coincides with the likelihood that nitrate concentration exceeds 24.5 mg/l in groundwater. The relationship between the groundwater vulnerability classes and the nitrate concentrations provides satisfactory results; it showed an Eta-squared correlation coefficient of 64%. So, the groundwater vulnerability map can be used as a synthetic document for realistic management of groundwater quality.     

Integrated geoelectrical resistivity and hydrogeochemical methods for delineating and mapping heavy metal zone in aquifer system

A novel study on using geoelectrical resistivity, soil property, and hydrogeochemical analysis methods for delineating and mapping of heavy metal in aquifer system is presented in this paper. A total of 47 surveys of geoelectrical resistivity with Wenner configuration were conducted to determine the subsurface and the groundwater characteristics. The groundwater sample from 53 existing wells and 2 new wells has been analyzed to derive their water chemical content. The chemical analysis was done on the soil sample obtained from new two wells and from selected locations. The water and soil chemical analysis results from the new two wells were used as calibration in resistivity interpretation. The occurrence of heavy metal in aquifer system was expected to detect using the geoelectrical resistivity survey for the whole study area. The result of groundwater analysis shows that the groundwater sample contains a relatively low concentration of Fe (<?0.3 mg/L) elongating from the south up to the middle region. While in the middle and the northwestern, Fe concentration is relatively high (around 12 mg/L). Chemical analysis of soil sample shows that in the lower resistivity zone (<?18 Ωm), Al and Fe concentrations are comparatively high with an average of 68,000 and 40,000 mg/kg, respectively. Starting from the middle to the northwestern zone, the resistivity value appears to be low. It is definitely caused by higher Al and Fe concentration within the soil, and it is supported also by lower total anion content in the groundwater. While the resistivity value of more than 40 Ωm in aquifers is obtained in the zone which Fe concentration is relatively lower in the soil but not present in the groundwater. Correlation Fe concentration in the soil and Fe concentration in the groundwater sample shows the trend of positively linear; however, the Al concentration in soil has no correlation with Al content in groundwater. Finally, the probability of high heavy metal zone in the aquifer system is easily delineated by the distribution of geoelectrical resistivity presented in depth slice shapes which extend from the Boundary Range Composite Batholith in the north to the northwest.     

A GIS-based DRASTIC model for assessing groundwater vulnerability in the Ordos Plateau, China

Groundwater plays a key role in arid regions as the majority of water is supplied by it. Groundwater pollution is a major issue, because it is susceptible to contamination from land use and other anthropogenic impacts. A study was carried out to build a vulnerability map for the Ordos Plateau using the DRASTIC model in a GIS environment. The map was designed to show the areas of the highest potential for groundwater pollution based on hydrogeological conditions. Seven environmental parameters, such as depth to water table, net recharge, aquifer media, soil media, topography, impact of the vadose zone media, and hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer, were incorporated into the DRASTIC model and GIS was used to create a groundwater vulnerability map by overlaying the available data. The results of this study show that 24.8 % of the study area has high pollution potential, 24.2 % has moderate pollution potential, 19.7 % has low pollution potential, and the remaining 31.3 % of the area has no risk of groundwater pollution. The regional distribution of nitrate is well correlated with the DRASTIC vulnerability index. In contrast to this, although the DRASTIC model indicated that the western part had no risk, nitrate concentrations were higher in some of these areas. In particular, higher nitrate concentrations were recorded along river valleys and around lakes, such as the Mulin River valley. This is mainly caused by the intensive agricultural development and favorable conditions for recharge along river valleys.