A DNA tracer used in column tests for hydrogeology applications

Tracing techniques are commonly used to investigate groundwater quality and dynamics, as well as to measure the hydrogeological parameters of aquifers. The last decade has seen a growing interest in environmentally friendly tracers, including single-stranded DNA molecules. In this study, an electrolytic tracer and a synthetic DNA tracer are comparatively evaluated in laboratory scale tests to assess their potential application in field studies aimed at investigating groundwater environments. A real-time quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction assay was developed and optimized to detect and quantify the DNA tracer, while tracer column tests were performed to investigate the DNA tracer behavior and to compare it to the electrolytic tracer. The results show that the DNA tracer has an almost pure convective flow, while the KCl tracer experiences dispersive behavior. The tracing method proposed can be applied in hydrogeological field studies involving calcareous fractured rock systems, with the DNA tracer particularly suitable in tracing karst systems, which are often characterized by several conduits of flow. To test the DNA tracer in operation, a preliminary test was conducted in the field.     

Fertilizers mobilization in alluvial aquifer: laboratory experiments

In alluvial plains, intensive farming with conspicuous use of agrochemicals, can cause land pollution and groundwater contamination. In central Po River plain, paleo-channels are important links between arable lands and the underlaying aquifer, since the latter is often confined by clay sediments that act as a barrier against contaminants migration. Therefore, paleo-channels are recharge zones of particular interest that have to be protected from pollution as they are commonly used for water supply. This paper focuses on fertilizer mobilization next to a sand pit excavated in a paleo-channel near Ferrara (Italy). The problem is approached via batch test leaking and columns elution of alluvial sediments. Results from batch experiments showed fast increase in all major cations and anions, suggesting equilibrium control of dissolution reactions, limited availability of solid phases and geochemical homogeneity of samples. In column experiments, early elution and tailing of all ions breakthrough was recorded due to preferential flow paths. For sediments investigated in this study, dispersion, dilution and chemical reactions can reduce fertilizers at concentration below drinking standards in a reasonable time frame, provided fertilizer loading is halted or, at least, reduced. Thus, the definition of a corridor along paleo-channels is recommended to preserve groundwater quality.     

Large tank experiment on nitrate fate and transport: the role of permeability distribution

A long-term elution experiment to study the saturated transport of pre-accumulated fertilizers by-products, was conducted within a large tank (4 × 8 × 1.4 m) equipped with 26 standard piezometers. Sandy sediments (35 m³), used to fill the tank, were excavated from an unconfined alluvial aquifer near Ferrara (Northern Italy); the field site was connected to a pit lake located in a former agricultural field. To evaluate spatial heterogeneity, the tank’s filling material was characterized via slug tests and grain-size distribution analysis. The investigated sediments were characterized by a large spectrum of textures and a heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity (k) field. Initial tank pore water composition exhibited high concentration of nitrate (NO₃ ⁻) sulfate (SO₄ ²⁻) calcium (Ca²⁺), and magnesium (Mg²⁺), due to fertilizer leaching from the top soil in the field site. The initial spatial distribution of NO₃ ⁻ and SO₄ ²⁻ was heterogeneous and not related to the finer grain-size content (<63 μm). The tank’s material was flushed with purified tap water for 800 days in steady-state conditions; out flowing water was regularly sampled to monitor the migration rate of fertilizer by-products. Complete removal of NO₃ ⁻ and SO₄ ²⁻ took 500 and 600 days, respectively. Results emphasized organic substrate availability and spatial heterogeneities as the most important constraints to denitrification and nitrogen removal, which increase the time required to achieve remediation targets. Finally, the obtained clean-up time was compared with a previous column experiment filled with the same sediments.     

Water-table and discharge changes associated with the 2016–2017 seismic sequence in central Italy: hydrogeological data and a conceptual model for fractured carbonate aquifers

A seismic sequence in central Italy from August 2016 to January 2017 affected groundwater dynamics in fractured carbonate aquifers. Changes in spring discharge, water-table position, and streamflow were recorded for several months following nine Mw 5.0–6.5 seismic events. Data from 22 measurement sites, located within 100 km of the epicentral zones, were analyzed. The intensity of the induced changes were correlated with seismic magnitude and distance to epicenters. The additional post-seismic discharge from rivers and springs was found to be higher than 9 m³/s, totaling more than 0.1 km³ of groundwater release over 6 months. This huge and unexpected contribution increased streamflow in narrow mountainous valleys to previously unmeasured peak values. Analogously to the L’Aquila 2009 post-earthquake phenomenon, these hydrogeological changes might reflect an increase of bulk hydraulic conductivity at the aquifer scale, which would increase hydraulic heads in the discharge zones and lower them in some recharge areas. The observed changes may also be partly due to other mechanisms, such as shaking and/or squeezing effects related to intense subsidence in the core of the affected area, where effects had maximum extent, or breaching of hydraulic barriers.