Use of mineral/solution equilibrium calculations to assess the potential for carnotite precipitation from groundwater in the Texas Panhandle,USA

This study investigated the potential for the uranium mineral carnotite (K₂(UO₂)₂(VO₄)₂·3H₂O) to precipitate from evaporating groundwater in the Texas Panhandle region of the United States. The evolution of groundwater chemistry during evaporation was modeled with the USGS geochemical code PHREEQC using water-quality data from 100 groundwater wells downloaded from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) database. While most modeled groundwater compositions precipitated calcite upon evaporation, not all groundwater became saturated with respect to carnotite with the system open to CO₂. Thus, the formation of calcite is not a necessary condition for carnotite to form. Rather, the determining factor in achieving carnotite saturation was the evolution of groundwater chemistry during evaporation following calcite precipitation. Modeling in this study showed that if the initial major-ion groundwater composition was dominated by calcium-magnesium-sulfate (>70 precent Ca + Mg and >50 percent SO₄ + Cl) or calcium-magnesium-bicarbonate (>70 percent Ca + Mg and <70 percent HCO₃ + CO₃) and following the precipitation of calcite, the concentration of calcium was greater than the carbonate alkalinity (2mCa⁺² > mHCO₃⁻ + 2mCO₃⁻²) carnotite saturation was achieved. If, however, the initial major-ion groundwater composition is sodium-bicarbonate (varying amounts of Na, 40–100 percent Na), calcium-sodium-sulfate, or calcium-magnesium-bicarbonate composition (>70 percent HCO₃ + CO₃) and following the precipitation of calcite, the concentration of calcium was less than the carbonate alkalinity (2mCa⁺² < mHCO₃^- + 2mCO₃⁻²) carnotite saturation was not achieved. In systems open to CO_2, carnotite saturation occurred in most samples in evaporation amounts ranging from 95 percent to 99 percent with the partial pressure of CO₂ ranging from 10^−3.5 to 10^−2.5 atm. Carnotite saturation occurred in a few samples in evaporation amounts ranging from 98 percent to 99 percent with the partial pressure of CO₂ equal to 10^−2.0 atm. Carnotite saturation did not occur in any groundwater with the system closed to CO₂.     

北方某经济开发区地下水污染调查评价

本文应用污染指数法,对北方某经济开发区及周边地下水水质进行了污染评价,结果表明研究区地下水水质以轻污染和中污染为主,局部地区出现较重污染,主要指标为硝酸盐氮、三氯甲烷和三氯乙烯。通过对工业废水、再生水、河水水质的检测,发现研究区地表水水质与污水处理厂再生水排放密切相关,地下水污染很可能与开发区企业排污有关。由于开发区所处位置的环境敏感性和脆弱性,建议今后在开发区及附近继续开展相关研究,进一步查明地下水的硝酸盐氮及有机污染物来源、污染途径,建立完善的监测体系,以便及时切断污染源,保障城市及当地供水安全。     

辽宁省地下水动态成因类型分析

根据辽宁省2006—2010年地下水水位实际监测数据,分析地下水水位动态变化规律、形成原因及发展趋势,再结合地下水动态变化的自然与人为影响控制因素,以及地下水的补给、径流、排泄条件等,将辽宁省地下水动态成因类型划分为:气候型、开采型、灌溉型、水文型和径流型,经过较为全面系统的统计分析计算,绘制出地下水动态变化历时曲线,对五种地下水动态成因类型分别予以较为详细的综合分析研究,总结出辽宁省地下水动态变化规律特征。     

Numerical simulation of groundwater and early warnings from the simulated dynamic evolution trend in the plain area of Shenyang,Liaoning Province (P.R. China)

Groundwater level is the most direct factor reflecting whether groundwater is in a virtuous cycle. It is the most important benchmark for deciding whether a balance can be struck between groundwater discharge and recharge and whether groundwater exploitation will trigger problems pertinent to environment, ecology and environmental geology. According to the borehole and long-term monitoring wells data in the plain area of Shenyang, a numerical groundwater model is established and used to identify and verify the hydrogeological parameters and balanced items of groundwater. Then the concept of red line levels, the control levels of groundwater is proposed, the dynamic evolution trend of groundwater under different scenarios is analyzed and predicted and groundwater alerts are given when groundwater tables are not between the lower limit and the upper limit. Results indicated: (1) The results of identification and verification period fitted well, and the calculation accuracy of balanced items was high; (2) with the implementation of shutting wells, groundwater levels in urban areas of Shenyang would exceed the upper limit water level after 2020 and incur some secondary disasters; (3) under the recommended scenario of water resources allocation, early-warnings for groundwater tables outside the range would occur in the year of 2020, 2023, 2025 respectively for successive wet, normal and dry years. It was imperative to reopen some groundwater sources and enhance real-time supervision and early-warning to prevent the occurrence of potential problems.     

Simulation of groundwater level recovery in abandoned mines,Fengfeng coalfield,China

Abandoned mines are of high potential risk as they could be a large underground storage of pollutants(heavy metals and organic wastes, etc.). Various physical, chemical and biological reactions would take place when groundwater flows into underground spaces, which makes abandoned mine a huge potential hazard to groundwater environment. The recovery of groundwater level is one of the key elements controlling the reactions and causing such hazards. This paper simulated groundwater level recovery processes in the abandoned mines, Fengfeng coalfield by using the computer program FEFLOW. The paper integrated the pipe flow model, "three zones" model and groundwater inrush(discharge) model in the simulation of groundwater in the complex laneway-aquifer system. Groundwater flow in the laneway systems was considered pipe flow and described in Bernoulli equation. The water-bearing medium(coal seam roof) overlying the laneway systems was divided into "three zones" composed of the caving zone, fissure zone and bending zone based on the disruption degrees of previous mining. Groundwater in the Ordovician limestone aquifer(bottom of coal seam) flowing into laneway systems was considered a major inrush/recharge source, and its flow rate was calculated by an inrush(discharge) model which was newly developed in this study and incorporated into FEFLOW. The results showed that it would take approximately 95 days for groundwater in abandoned mines to recover to regional groundwater level elevation, and the total amount of water filling up would be about 1.41195×10~7 m~3, which is consistent with the actual data. The study could be of theoretical and practical significance to mitigate abandoned mines' hazards and improve mine groundwater utilization.     

Dynamic assessment of pollution risk of groundwater source area in Northern China

Based on the dynamic analysis and research of pollution risk of groundwater sources, this paper creates the dynamic assessment method of pollution risk of groundwater source area under the theory of “source-pathway-receptor”, and applies this method to one typical fissure karst groundwater source area in northern China. Following the 30-year petroleum pollutant migration simulation and pollution risk assessment of groundwater source area, this study finds that the very high risk zone is mainly located in Q Petrochemical Company and the surrounding area and the area adjacent to River Z. Within this period of thirty years, the pollution risk of groundwater source area has showed a dynamic trend that features an inverted “V” shape. The ratio of very high risk zone to the total area will be 18.1%, 17.47% and 16.62% during the tenth year, the twentieth year and the thirtieth year separately, and will reach the highest level of 19.45% during the fifteenth year. Meanwhile, the vertical migration distance of pollutant centre concentration changed from the surface soil at the outset to the deepest point of about 250 meters underground during the tenth year. The results of this risk assessment indicate the dynamic feature of pollution risk. The dilution, degradation and migration of petroleum pollutants in groundwater system contribute to an ultimate decline in pollution risk.     

山东省三级地下水监测站网建设思考

随着国家地下水监测工程的启动,国土资源部提出了国家、省、市新的三级地下水监测站网建设要求。该文介绍了各级地下水监测站网的基本概念、主要建设内容,各级地下水监测站网建设服务对象、基本要求,细化了各级地下水监测站网建设要求,规范了建设行动。     

Characteristics of karst groundwater system in the northern basin of Laiyuan Spring area

Guided by the theory of groundwater system, based on the groundwater level data from the northern basin of Laiyuan Spring area, the authors took into account factors such as the lithology, geological structure and topography to study the relationship between groundwater recharge, runoff and drainage in this area. It was concluded that the infiltration of atmospheric precipitation is the main source of groundwater supply in this area; the upper layer of the Spring area is distributed with the Cambrian-Lower Ordovician karst water, and the lower layer is filled with the Jixian system karst water. The upper layer of karst water supplies to the lower layer of karst water or the pore water in loose strata through the fault while the lower layer of karst water runs to the three strong runoff belts from the east and west sides of the watershed, southwards into the basin, partially replenishing the pore water in loose strata, or forming fault Springs (e.g. Nanguan Spring, Beihai Spring) when dolomite movement encounters faults. Replenished by atmospheric precipitation and the upper and lower layers of karst waters, the pore water in loose strata joins the groundwater in the southern basin and then flows eastwards, in the end it flows out of the system in Shangfanpu. Through the analyses of groundwater level data and hydrogeological drilling data, based on groundwater D and 18O isotope test results, the karst groundwater circulation system in the northern basin of Laiyuan Spring area is further verified, which provides hydrogeological basis for water resources development and utilization as well as protection in this area.     

Hydrochemical characterization of groundwater in Balad district,Salah Al-Din Governorate,Iraq

The assessment of hydrochemical quality of groundwater is very important to explore its nature and usefulness. In this paper, groundwater quality evaluation is carried out in the Balad district, Salah Al-Din Governorate, Iraq. A total of 28 groundwater samples are collected from shallow tube wells and analyzed for various physicochemical parameters. Groundwater suitability for drinking is evaluated based on the World Health Organization (WHO) and Iraqi standards, and suitability of groundwater for irrigation is assessed based on various hydrochemical parameters. The results reveal that the dominant types of groundwater based on piper diagram are mixed CaMgCl and CaCl. Gibbs ratio indicates that the groundwater in the studied area is affected by the evaporation process. The cation-anion exchange reaction in the studied area demonstrates that 54% of the groundwater samples indicate a direct base (cation-anion) exchange reaction, while 46% of the groundwater samples indicating the chloro-alkaline disequilibrium. Furthermore, generally all of the groundwater samples are unsuitable for drinking and irrigation. Cluster analysis reveals two different groups of similarities between the groundwater samples, reflecting different pollution levels in the studied area.     

Evaluation of groundwater quality and pollution in Daqing Oilfield

Daqing Oilfield is located in the northeast of Songnen Plain in Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province, which is a petrochemical industry gathering place based on petroleum refining, chemical industry, chemical fiber and fertilizer. In recent years, the quantity demand of petroleum and petrochemical production for groundwater in Daqing Oilfield is growing, and it’s of great significance to analyze and study the quality and pollution degree of groundwater for groundwater exploitation, utilization and protection. In this paper, groundwater quality of Daqing Oilfield evaluated by Nemerow Index is poor, and most points are Class IV groundwater; When evaluating groundwater pollution by hierarchical ladder method, the results show that the severe and extremely severe pollution points account for 34.48% in shallow phreatic water and 20% in deep confined water, showing that shallow groundwater is more seriously polluted than the deep. The main components influencing the quality of groundwater in the study area are total hardness, total dissolved solids, Cl-, SO42- and so on, which are affected by both the native environment and human activities; The main pollution components in groundwater are nitrite and nitrate nitrogen which are affected by human activities. Daqing Oilfield groundwater pollution is characterized by inorganic pollution, while organic components related to human activities contribute less to the groundwater pollution currently.