Hydrochemistry of groundwaters in a spa area of Korea: an implication for water quality degradation by intensive pumping

A geochemical study was carried out in a small spa area (Onyang Spa, Korea) where intensive pumping of deep thermal groundwater (1 300 000 m³ year⁻¹) is taking place. This has caused the deep fractures to lose their artesian pressure and the upper shallow fractures have been encroached by shallow, cold waters. To quantify the influence of long‐term heavy pumping on the quality of the geothermal water, groundwater sampling and chemical analysis, water‐level measurement, and well loggings were performed for the selected deep thermal wells and shallow cold wells. Chemical analysis results indicate a big contrast in water chemistry and origins between the two water types. Shallow groundwater shows a wider concentration ranges in solutes that are closely related to human activity, illustrating the water's vulnerability to contamination near the land surface. Plots of water chemistry as a function of fluoride reveal that the quality of the thermal water was greatly influenced by the shallow, cold groundwater and that intensive pumping of the deep thermal groundwater has caused the introduction of shallow groundwater into the deeper fractures. Although the deep and the shallow fractures were piezometrically separated to some extent, a mixing model based on fluoride and nitrate indicated that the cold‐water fractions in the thermal wells are up to 50%. This suggests that the thermal water is faced with water quality degradation by the downward flow of the shallow, cold water. Restriction on the total of all the pumpage permits per unit area is suggested to restore the artesian pressure of the deep thermal aquifer and to prevent cold‐water intrusion in the study area. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Long-term disturbance of ground water chemistry following well installation

Ground water samples collected from a multilevel sampler shortly after its construction showed significantly higher alkalinity and concentrations of calcium and magnesium than those from nearby wells installed 10 years earlier. The sampler was drilled using a conventional hollow-stem power auger in a sandy, silicate aquifer lying beneath an isthmus between two lakes in northern Wisconsin. Ground water in the study area is of low ionic strength and its chemistry is dominated by silicate mineral weathering. Periodic sampling over two years following installation of the sampler showed that the higher solute concentrations had subsequently decreased. Oxygen isotope signature and other solute species, such as sulfate and chloride, were comparable to those of older wells and did not show any notable trends over time. Independent variation of other chemical species that cannot be derived from aquifer minerals, and the similarly high concentrations in older wells shortly after their installation, suggest that rapid dissolution of fresh mineral surfaces and hyperfine particles generated during drilling has induced the enhanced concentrations. This observation is consistent with the field equivalent of laboratory mineral dissolution experiments that show initially increased dissolution rates that decay over time. Well installations for geochemical sampling in dominantly silicate material may require longer times to reach an equilibrium state than has been previously thought.     

Identification of groundwater recharge sources and processes in a heterogeneous alluvial aquifer: results from multi‐level monitoring of hydrochemistry and environmental isotopes in a riverside agricultural area in Korea

We evaluated sources and pathways of groundwater recharge for a heterogeneous alluvial aquifer beneath an agricultural field, based on multi‐level monitoring of hydrochemistry and environmental isotopes of a riverside groundwater system at Buyeo, Korea. Two distinct groundwater zones were identified with depth: (1) a shallow oxic groundwater zone, characterized by elevated concentrations of NO₃^? and (2) a deeper (>10–14 m from the ground surface) sub‐oxic groundwater zone with high concentrations of dissolved Fe, silica, and HCO₃^?, but little nitrate. The change of redox zones occurred at a depth where the aquifer sediments change from an upper sandy stratum to a silty stratum with mud caps. The δ¹⁸O and δ²H values of groundwater were also different between the two zones. Hydrochemical and δ¹⁸O? δ²H data of oxic groundwater are similar to those of soil water. This illustrates that recharge of oxic groundwater mainly occurs through direct infiltration of rain and irrigation water in the sandy soil area where vegetable cropping with abundant fertilizer use is predominant. Oxic groundwater is therefore severely contaminated by agrochemical pollutants such as nitrate. In contrast, deeper sub‐oxic groundwater contains only small amounts of dissolved oxygen (DO) and NO₃^?. The ³H contents and elevated silica concentrations in sub‐oxic groundwater indicate a somewhat longer mean residence time of groundwater within this part of the aquifer. Sub‐oxic groundwater was also characterized by higher δ¹⁸O and δ²H values and lower d‐excess values, indicating significant evaporation during recharge. We suggest that recharge of sub‐oxic groundwater occurs in the areas of paddy rice fields where standing irrigation and rain water are affected by strong evaporation, and that reducing conditions develop during subsequent sub‐surface infiltration. This study illustrates the existence of two groundwater bodies with different recharge processes within an alluvial aquifer. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrogeochemical and isotopic study of the Kumho River, Korea: implications for anthropogenic and seasonal effects

The geochemical and isotopic compositions of river water are controlled by different factors. The seasonal and spatial variations in the geochemical composition, δD, δ¹⁸O, and δ¹⁵N–NO₃ of the Kumho River were investigated to reveal the geochemical processes occurring at different seasons. The Kumho River, which runs through different geologic terrains with different land use characteristics, is the largest tributary of the Nakdong River, the longest river in South Korea. The data varied significantly according to the land use and the season. Each monitoring station showed the lowest concentrations of various ions during July, the rainy season, due to the increase of precipitation rate. The ionic concentrations gradually increased downstream by the mineral weathering and anthropogenic activity. At the upper regions of the river, Ca and HCO₃, which are closely associated with mineral weathering, were the most dominant cation and anion, respectively. The relatively high Si concentration of the headwater samples, caused by the weathering of volcanic rocks, also showed the importance of weathering in the upper regions mainly composed of volcanic rocks. The downstream regions of the Kumho River are mainly influenced by sedimentary rocks. At the lower reaches of the river, especially near the industrial complexes in Daegu, the third largest city in Korea, Na, Cl, and SO₄ became the dominant ions, indicating that the anthropogenic pollution became more important in regulating the chemical composition of the river. The increasing (Ca + Mg + Na + K)/HCO₃ ratio downstream also indicates that the anthropogenic effects became more important as the river flows downstream. The isotopic compositions of δD and δ¹⁸O indicate that the river waters were significantly affected by evaporation during May and July, but the evaporation effect was relatively low during October. The isotopic composition of δ¹⁵N–NO₃ increased downstream, also confirming that anthropogenic effects became more significant at the lower reach of the river and near Daegu.     

Radiocesium reaction with illite and organic matter in marine sediment

The mineralogical effect on the (137)Cs reaction with marine sediment has not been systematically studied yet, even though illite has been known to adsorb Cs preferentially on its frayed edge sites in a low Cs concentration. Ninety-three marine sediment samples were collected near Yangnam, Korea for quantitative X-ray-diffraction (XRD), gamma-ray, and total organic carbon (TOC) analysis. Illite content was in the range of 0-23 wt.% and those of (137)Cs and TOC were minimum detectable activity (MDA) approximately 7.19 Bq/kg-dry and approximately 3.32%, respectively. The illite content in the marine sediment showed a good relationship with the (137)Cs content (R(2)=0.69), but with an increase in the illite content, the relationship became less linear. This trend can be clearly shown in two groups of samples with different size fractions (< and >5Mdvarphi). For the samples of larger particle sizes (low contents of illite), the relationship is linear, but for the samples of the smaller particle sizes (high illite content) it is less linear with a decreased slope, indicating that increase in illite content does not significantly contribute to the fixation of (137)Cs in marine sediment. Rather, the TOC has a more linear relationship with (137)Cs content with no slope change in all particle size ranges. This may indicate that humic materials in marine sediment block the access of (137)Cs to the frayed edge site and reduces the adsorption of (137)Cs on illite and that the organic materials in marine sediment play more important roles in adsorbing Cs than illite.     

The accumulation of radiocesium in coarse marine sediment: effects of mineralogy and organic matter

The controlling factors affecting the accumulation of (137)Cs in marine sediment have not been investigated in detail, especially in coarse grained sediment. Eighty eight coarse marine sediment samples near Wuljin, Korea, were characterized by quantitative X-ray-diffraction (XRD), gamma-ray, and total organic carbon (TOC) analysis. Those factors were then compared. The grain size was in the range of -0.48 to 3.6Mdphi corresponding to sand grains. TOC content was in the range of 0.06-1.75%, and the concentration of (137)Cs was 相似文献   

Geochemical characteristics of fluoride in groundwater of Gimcheon, Korea: lithogenic and agricultural origins

The occurrence of fluoride in groundwaters can be influenced by many factors. In Korea, the fluoride-rich groundwaters are normally associated with rock types, especially granite and gneiss. In Gimcheon, high-fluoride groundwaters (up to a maximum of 2.15 mg/L) were observed with bimodal distribution of concentrations. The groundwater in this area showed relatively high concentrations of anthropogenic chemicals such as nitrate, chloride, and sulfate. Statistical analysis showed that fluoride is positively correlated with pH, alkalinity, sodium, and lithium, indicating that the interaction with granite is the main cause enriching its concentration. In Gimcheon, δ¹⁸O data of groundwater showed a negative correlation with nitrate and can be used as an indicator of groundwater age. The four samples of fluoride-rich groundwater were plotted in the light δD and δ¹⁸O region, showing that they were the result of long water–rock reaction. However, other groundwater with a low-fluoride concentration was evenly distributed throughout all δD and δ¹⁸O ranges and did not show a statistically significant correlation with nitrate, indicating possible mixing with another source of fluoride. Considering the influence from the surface on the geochemical characteristics of groundwater in this area, anthropogenic sources including phosphate fertilizer containing fluoride and pesticides may also have partly contributed to the concentrations of fluoride in the low-fluoride groundwater. The scattered distribution of fluoride-rich groundwater and the significant correlation with lithium suggest that pegmatite is the main rock type increasing fluoride concentration in this area.     

Enhanced Benthic Nutrient Flux During Monsoon Periods in a Coastal Lake Formed by Tideland Reclamation

Sediment and water quality were investigated in an artificial coastal lake (Saemangeum Lake, Korea) that was formed by constructing a 33-km long sea-dyke offshore from the mouths of two adjacent rivers, which discharge into the Yellow Sea. Sediment showed drastic increases in fine fraction (silt and clay) after the dyke construction. TN, TP, and OC contents in the sediment showed the similar spatial variation to that of fine fraction. A mixing model indicated benthic fluxes of nutrients such as PO₄, NH₄, and SiO₂, which were considerably elevated during the summer monsoon season. It is revealed that this phenomenon was associated with the development of strong salinity stratification, elevated water temperature, and increased groundwater discharge. However, a change in the sedimentation environment due to dyke construction is suggested as the primary reason for the enhanced benthic fluxes.     

Assessment of groundwater chemistry in a coastal region (Kunsan, Korea) having complex contaminant sources: a stoichiometric approach

Groundwater chemistry in a coastal region (Kunsan, Korea) having complex contaminant sources was investigated. Water analysis data for 197 groundwater samples collected from the uniformly distributed sixty-six wells were used. Chemical analysis results indicate that groundwaters show wide concentration ranges in major inorganic ions, reflecting complex hydrochemical processes. Due to the complexity of groundwater chemistry, the samples were classified into four groups based on Cl and NO₃ concentrations and the processes controlling water chemistry were evaluated based on the reaction stoichiometry. The results explained the importance of mineral weathering, anthropogenic activities (nitrification and oxidation of organic matters), and Cl-salt inputs (seawater, deicer, NaCl, etc.) on groundwater chemistry. It was revealed that mineral dissolution is the major process controlling the water chemistry of the low Cl and NO₃ group (Group 1). Groundwaters high in NO₃ (Groups 2 and 4) are acidic in nature, and their chemistry is largely influenced by nitrification, oxidation of organic matters and mineral dissolution. In the case of chloride rich waters (Group 3), groundwater chemistry is highly influenced by mineral weathering and seawater intrusion associated with cation-exchange reactions.