Tracers Detect Aquifer Contamination

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Enfield, Carl

1995-01-01

The EPA's National Laboratory (NRMRL) at Ada, OK, along with the University of Florida and the University of Texas, have developed a tracer procedure to detect the amount of contamination in aquifer formations...

The in-situ decontamination of sand and gravel aquifers by chemically enhanced solubilization of multiple-compound DNAPLs with surfactant solutions. Phase 1: Laboratory and pilot field-scale testing. Phase 2: Solubilization test and partitioning interwell tracer tests. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

Laboratory, numerical simulation, and field studies have been conducted to assess the potential use of micellar-surfactant solutions to solubilize chlorinated solvents contaminating sand and gravel aquifers. Ninety-nine surfactants were screened for their ability to solubilize trichloroethene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), and carbon tetrachloride (CTET). The field test was conducted in the alluvial aquifer which is located 20 to 30 meters beneath a vapor degreasing operation at Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. This aquifer has become contaminated with TCE due to leakage of perhaps 40,000 liters of TCE, which has generated a plume of dissolved TCE extending throughout an area of approximately 3 km 2 in the aquifer. Most of the TCE is believed to be present in the overlying lacustrine deposits and in the aquifer itself as a dense, non-aqueous phase liquid, or DNAPL. The objective of the field test was to assess the efficacy of the surfactant for in situ TCE solubilization. Although the test demonstrated that sorbitan monooleate was unsuitable as a solubilizer in this aquifer, the single-well test was demonstrated to be a viable method for the in situ testing of surfactants or cosolvents prior to proceeding to full-scale remediation

The in-situ decontamination of sand and gravel aquifers by chemically enhanced solubilization of multiple-compound DNAPLs with surfactant solutions: Phase 1 -- Laboratory and pilot field-scale testing and Phase 2 -- Solubilization test and partitioning and interwell tracer tests. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-10-24

Laboratory, numerical simulation, and field studies have been conducted to assess the potential use of micellar-surfactant solutions to solubilize chlorinated solvents contaminating sand and gravel aquifers. Ninety-nine surfactants were screened for their ability to solubilize trichloroethene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), and carbon tetrachloride (CTET). The field test was conducted in the alluvial aquifer which is located 20 to 30 meters beneath a vapor degreasing operation at Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. This aquifer has become contaminated with TCE due to leakage of perhaps 40,000 liters of TCE, which has generated a plume of dissolved TCE extending throughout an area of approximately 3 km{sup 2} in the aquifer. Most of the TCE is believed to be present in the overlying lacustrine deposits and in the aquifer itself as a dense, non-aqueous phase liquid, or DNAPL. The objective of the field test was to assess the efficacy of the surfactant for in situ TCE solubilization. Although the test demonstrated that sorbitan monooleate was unsuitable as a solubilizer in this aquifer, the single-well test was demonstrated to be a viable method for the in situ testing of surfactants or cosolvents prior to proceeding to full-scale remediation.

Inverse Porosity-Hydraulic Conductivity Relationship in Sand-and-Gravel Aquifers Determined From Analysis of Geophysical Well Logs: Implications for Transport Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Morin, R. H.

2004-05-01

It is intuitive to think of hydraulic conductivity K as varying directly and monotonically with porosity P in porous media. However, laboratory studies and field observations have documented a possible inverse relationship between these two parameters in unconsolidated deposits under certain grain-size distributions and packing arrangements. This was confirmed at two sites in sand-and-gravel aquifers on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where sets of geophysical well logs were used to examine the interdependence of several aquifer properties. Along with K and P, the resistivity R and the natural-gamma activity G of the surrounding sediments were measured as a function of depth. Qualitative examination of field results from the first site was useful in locating a contaminant plume and inferred an inverse relation between K and P; this was substantiated by a rigorous multivariate analysis of log data collected from the second site where K and P were determined to respond in a bipolar manner among the four independent variables. Along with this result come some implications regarding our conceptual understanding of contaminant transport processes in the shallow subsurface. According to Darcy's law, the interstitial fluid velocity V is proportional to the ratio K/P and, consequently, a general inverse K-P relationship implies that values of V can extend over a much wider range than conventionally assumed. This situation introduces a pronounced flow stratification within these granular deposits that can result in large values of longitudinal dispersivity; faster velocities occur in already fast zones and slower velocities in already slow zones. An inverse K-P relationship presents a new perspective on the physical processes associated with groundwater flow and transport. Although the results of this study apply strictly to the Cape Cod aquifers, they may merit a re-evaluation of modeling approaches undertaken at other locations having similar geologic environments.

Remediation of a contaminated thin aquifer by horizontal wells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Breh, W.; Suttheimer, J.; Hoetzl, H. [Univ. of Karlsruhe (Germany); Frank, K. [GEO-Service GmbH, Rheinmuenster (Germany)

1997-12-31

At an industrial site in Bruchsal (Germany) a huge trichloroethene contamination was found. After common remedial actions proved to be widely ineffective, new investigations led to a highly contaminated thin aquifer above the main aquifer. The investigation and the beginning of the remediation of the thin aquifer by two horizontal wells is described in this paper. Special attention was given to the dependence between precipitation and the flow direction in the thin aquifer and to hydraulic connections between the thin and the main aquifer. Also a short introduction into a new remedial technique by horizontal wells and first results of the test phase of the horizontal wells are given.

Resistivity profiling for mapping gravel layers that may control contaminant migration at the Amargosa Desert Research Site, Nevada

Science.gov (United States)

Lucius, Jeffrey E.; Abraham, Jared D.; Burton, Bethany L.

2008-01-01

Gaseous contaminants, including CFC 113, chloroform, and tritiated compounds, move preferentially in unsaturated subsurface gravel layers away from disposal trenches at a closed low-level radioactive waste-disposal facility in the Amargosa Desert about 17 kilometers south of Beatty, Nevada. Two distinct gravel layers are involved in contaminant transport: a thin, shallow layer between about 0.5 and 2.2 meters below the surface and a layer of variable thickness between about 15 and 30 meters below land surface. From 2003 to 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey used multielectrode DC and AC resistivity surveys to map these gravel layers. Previous core sampling indicates the fine-grained sediments generally have higher water content than the gravel layers or the sediments near the surface. The relatively higher electrical resistivity of the dry gravel layers, compared to that of the surrounding finer sediments, makes the gravel readily mappable using electrical resistivity profiling. The upper gravel layer is not easily distinguished from the very dry, fine-grained deposits at the surface. Two-dimensional resistivity models, however, clearly identify the resistive lower gravel layer, which is continuous near the facility except to the southeast. Multielectrode resistivity surveys provide a practical noninvasive method to image hydrogeologic features in the arid environment of the Amargosa Desert.

Influence of colloids on the attenuation and transport of phosphorus in alluvial gravel aquifer and vadose zone media.

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Liping; Lafogler, Mark; Knorr, Bastian; McGill, Erin; Saunders, Darren; Baumann, Thomas; Abraham, Phillip; Close, Murray

2016-04-15

Phosphorous (P) leaching (e.g., from effluents, fertilizers) and transport in highly permeable subsurface media can be an important pathway that contributes to eutrophication of receiving surface waters as groundwater recharges the base-flow of surface waters. Here we investigated attenuation and transport of orthophosphate-P in gravel aquifer and vadose zone media in the presence and absence of model colloids (Escherichia coli, kaolinite, goethite). Experiments were conducted using repacked aquifer media in a large column (2m long, 0.19m in diameter) and intact cores (0.4m long, 0.24m in diameter) of vadose zone media under typical field flow rates. In the absence of the model colloids, P was readily traveled through the aquifer media with little attenuation (up to 100% recovery) and retardation, and P adsorption was highly reversible. Conversely, addition of the model colloids generally resulted in reduced P concentration and mass recovery (down to 28% recovery), and increased retardation and adsorption irreversibility in both aquifer and vadose zone media. The degree of colloid-assisted P attenuation was most significant in the presence of fine material and Fe-containing colloids at low flow rate but was least significant in the presence of coarse gravels and E. coli at high flow rate. Based on the experimental results, setback distances of 49-53m were estimated to allow a reduction of P concentrations in groundwater to acceptable levels in the receiving water. These estimates were consistent with field observations in the same aquifer media. Colloid-assisted P attenuation can be utilized to develop mitigation strategies to better manage effluent applications in gravelly soils. To efficiently retain P within soil matrix and reduce P leaching to groundwater, it is recommended to select soils that are rich in iron oxides, to periodically disturb soil preferential flow paths by tillage, and to apply a low irrigation rate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights

Distribution of aquifers, liquid-waste impoundments, and municipal water-supply sources, Massachusetts

Science.gov (United States)

Delaney, David F.; Maevsky, Anthony

1980-01-01

Impoundments of liquid waste are potential sources of ground-water contamination in Massachusetts. The map report, at a scale of 1 inch equals 4 miles, shows the idstribution of aquifers and the locations of municipal water-supply sources and known liquid-waste impoundments. Ground water, an important source of municipal water supply, is produced from shallow sand and gravel aquifers that are generally unconfined, less than 200 feet thick, and yield less than 2,000 gallons per minute to individual wells. These aquifers commonly occupy lowlands and stream valleys and are most extensive in eastern Massachusetts. Surface impoundments of liquid waste are commonly located over these aquifers. These impoundments may leak and allow waste to infiltrate underlying aquifers and alter their water quality. (USGS)

Bioremediation of a diesel fuel contaminated aquifer: simulation studies in laboratory aquifer columns

Science.gov (United States)

Hess, A.; Höhener, P.; Hunkeler, D.; Zeyer, J.

1996-08-01

The in situ bioremediation of aquifers contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons is commonly based on the infiltration of groundwater supplemented with oxidants (e.g., O 2, NO 3-) and nutrients (e.g., NH 4+, PO 43-). These additions stimulate the microbial activity in the aquifer and several field studies describing the resulting processes have been published. However, due to the heterogeneity of the subsurface and due to the limited number of observation wells usually available, these field data do not offer a sufficient spatial and temporal resolution. In this study, flow-through columns of 47-cm length equipped with 17 sampling ports were filled with homogeneously contaminated aquifer material from a diesel fuel contaminated in situ bioremediation site. The columns were operated over 96 days at 12°C with artificial groundwater supplemented with O 2, NO 3- and PO 43-. Concentration profiles of O 2, NO 3-, NO 2-, dissolved inorganic and organic carbon (DIC and DOC, respectively), protein, microbial cells and total residual hydrocarbons were measured. Within the first 12 cm, corresponding to a mean groundwater residence time of < 3.6 h, a steep O 2 decrease from 4.6 to < 0.3 mg l -1, denitrification, a production of DIC and DOC, high microbial cell numbers and a high removal of hydrocarbons were observed. Within a distance of 24 to 40.5 cm from the infiltration, O 2 was below 0.1 mg l -1 and a denitrifying activity was found. In the presence and in the absence of O 2, n-alkanes were preferentially degraded compared to branched alkanes. The results demonstrate that: (1) infiltration of aerobic groundwater into columns filled with aquifer material contaminated with hydrocarbons leads to a rapid depletion of O 2; (2) O 2 and NO 3- can serve as oxidants for the mineralization of hydrocarbons; and (3) the modelling of redox processes in aquifers has to consider denitrifying activity in presence of O 2.

Hydrogeology and water quality of sand and gravel aquifers in McHenry County, Illinois, 2009-14, and comparison to conditions in 1979

Science.gov (United States)

Gahala, Amy M.

2017-10-26

, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds. The results were compared to health‑based and aesthetically based standards, which include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Level (EPA MCL), and EPA Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCL), as well as EPA Health-based Standards Drinking Water Advisories. Health‑based standards were exceeded for arsenic in 22 percent, sodium in 20 percent, and nitrates in 2 percent of the monitoring wells sampled. Aesthetically based standards were exceeded for total dissolved solids in 33 percent, chloride in 11 percent, iron in 85 percent, and manganese in 30 percent of the wells sampled. Many of these same constituents, such as arsenic, iron, and manganese, are naturally occurring but become elevated in areas that have anoxic, mixed, and suboxic conditions. Some areas of potential vulnerability to anthropogenic-sourced constituents in the sand and gravel aquifers were evidenced by trace amounts of volatile organic compounds and pesticides detected in water-quality samples from shallow wells (total depth less of than 46 feet below land surface) near urban settings, and by the detection of elevated major ions (chloride, sodium, magnesium, and calcium) associated, in part, with road-salt applications. Source analysis for chloride indicates mixtures of road salt, water softeners, and sewage.Continuously measured specific conductance values were used as a surrogate for continuously measured chloride concentrations in the groundwater. The estimated chloride concentrations generally were highest in spring and lowest in summer, and occasionally peak during spring melt. Overall, the range of concentrations varied depending on the local thickness and hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer.Water levels and water quality from the countywide groundwater monitoring network were compared to water levels and water-quality results in 1979 from a previous U.S. Geological Survey study. Potentiometric surface maps show areas with

Isotope Investigations of Groundwater Movement in a Coarse Gravel Unsaturated Zone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mali, N. [Geological Survey of Slovenia, Department of Hydrogeology, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Kozar-Logar, J. [Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Leis, A. [Institute of Water Resources Management, Hydrogeology and Geophysics, Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Graz (Austria)

2013-07-15

The unsaturated zone above an aquifer serves as a water reservoir which discharges water and possible pollution to the saturated zone. This paper presents the application of oxygen-18 and tritium isotope methods in the study of groundwater transport processes in the unsaturated zone of Selniska Dobrava coarse gravel aquifer. The Selniska Dobrava gravel aquifer is an important water resource for Maribor and its surroundings, therefore the determination of transport processes in the unsaturated zone is important regarding its protection. Groundwater flow characteristics were estimated using isotopes and based on experimental work in a lysimeter. Tritium investigation results were compared with the results of long term oxygen-18 isotope investigation. In this paper the analytical approach, results and interpretation of {delta}{sup 18}O and tritium measurements in the unsaturated zone are presented. (author)

The Development of Treatment Process Technology for Radioactive Gravel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shon, Dong Bin; Kim, Gye Nam; Park, Hye Min; Kim, Ki Hong; Kim, Wan Suk; Lee, Kun Woo; Lee, Ki Won; Moon, Jei Kwon [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2011-10-15

The soil washing method holds great promise for the decontamination of contaminated soil as it is very efficient at removal and is time-effective for a great deal of contaminated soils. In addition, this method compensates for a weak point in that is generates a great deal of uranium-contaminated leachate with a short reaction time. Therefore, the soil washing method technology is a good method to remove the initial radioactive substance. The soil dimension compositions consist of clay with small particle sizes, and gravel of larger particle sizes than clay. Also, large gravel creates several problems. Gravel weakens the intensity of the equipment. In addition, intercept soil is discharged in the equipment. And interfere with the pedal recurrence occurs. Therefore, it is necessary to classify the soil. The gravel particle size ranges from 0.5cm to 7.5cm and the granulated gravel particle size ranges from 7.5cm to 20cm. We suppose that the radioactive concentrations are stronger in soil particles larger than the soil particle size (below a 0.5cm diameter). The purpose of this study is to develop a soil washing system for uranium gravel and to define the most suitable operational conditions for the individual elemental equipment in a soil washing system for decontaminating the radioactive gravel from contaminated soil

Lab-scale investigation on remediation of diesel-contaminated aquifer using microwave energy.

Science.gov (United States)

Falciglia, Pietro P; Maddalena, Riccardo; Mancuso, Giuseppe; Messina, Valeria; Vagliasindi, Federico G A

2016-02-01

Aquifer contamination with diesel fuel is a worldwide environmental problem, and related available remediation technologies may not be adequately efficient, especially for the simultaneous treatment of both solid and water phases. In this paper, a lab-scale 2.45 GHz microwave (MW) treatment of an artificially diesel-contaminated aquifer was applied to investigate the effects of operating power (160, 350 and 500 W) and time on temperature profiles and contaminant removal from both solid and water phases. Results suggest that in diesel-contaminated aquifer MW remediation, power significantly influences the final reachable temperature and, consequently, contaminant removal kinetics. A maximum temperature of about 120 °C was reached at 500 W. Observed temperature values depended on the simultaneous irradiation of both aquifer grains and groundwater. In this case, solid phase heating is limited by the maximum temperature that interstitial water can reach before evaporation. A minimal residual diesel concentration of about 100 mg kg(-1) or 100 mg L(-1) was achieved by applying a power of 500 W for a time of 60 min for the solid or water phase, respectively. Measured residual TPH fractions showed that MW heating resulted in preferential effects of the removal of different TPH molecular weight fractions and that the evaporation-stripping phenomena plays a major role in final contaminant removal processes. The power low kinetic equation shows an excellent fit (r(2) > 0.993) with the solid phase residual concentration observed for all the powers investigated. A maximum diesel removal of 88 or 80% was observed for the MW treatment of the solid or water phase, respectively, highlighting the possibility to successfully and simultaneously remediate both the aquifer phases. Consequently, MW, compared to other biological or chemical-physical treatments, appears to be a better choice for the fast remediation of diesel-contaminated aquifers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier

Obtaining Samples Representative of Contaminant Distribution in an Aquifer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schalla, Ronald; Spane, Frank A.; Narbutovskih, Susan M.; Conley, Scott F.; Webber, William D.

2002-01-01

Historically, groundwater samples collected from monitoring wells have been assumed to provide average indications of contaminant concentrations within the aquifer over the well-screen interval. In-well flow circulation, heterogeneity in the surrounding aquifer, and the sampling method utilized, however, can significantly impact the representativeness of samples as contaminant indicators of actual conditions within the surrounding aquifer. This paper identifies the need and approaches essential for providing cost-effective and technically meaningful groundwater-monitoring results. Proper design of the well screen interval is critical. An accurate understanding of ambient (non-pumping) flow conditions within the monitoring well is essential for determining the contaminant distribution within the aquifer. The ambient in-well flow velocity, flow direction and volumetric flux rate are key to this understanding. Not only do the ambient flow conditions need to be identified for preferential flow zones, but also the probable changes that will be imposed under dynamic conditions that occur during groundwater sampling. Once the in-well flow conditions are understood, effective sampling can be conducted to obtain representative samples for specific depth zones or zones of interest. The question of sample representativeness has become an important issue as waste minimization techniques such as low flow purging and sampling are implemented to combat the increasing cost of well purging and sampling at many hazardous waste sites. Several technical approaches (e.g., well tracer techniques and flowmeter surveys) can be used to determine in-well flow conditions, and these are discussed with respect to both their usefulness and limitations. Proper fluid extraction methods using minimal, (low) volume and no purge sampling methods that are used to obtain representative samples of aquifer conditions are presented

Characterization of aquifer heterogeneity in a complex fluvial hydrogeologic system to evaluate migration in ground water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, F.G.; Pavlik, H.F.

1990-01-01

The hydrogeology and extent of ground water contamination were characterized at a site in northern California. Wood preserving compounds, primarily pentachlorophenol (PCP) and creosote, have been detected in the soil and ground water. A plume of dissolved PCP up to 1.5 miles long has been identified south of the plant. The aquifer consists of a complex multizonal system of permeable gravels and sands composed of units from four geologic formations deposited by the ancestral Feather River. Fluvial channel gravels form the principal aquifer zones and contain overbank clay and silt deposits which locally form clay lenses or more continuous aquitards. The geometric mean horizontal hydraulic conductivities for channel gravels range between 120 to 530 feet/day. Mean vertical aquitard hydraulic conductivity is 0.07 feet/day. Ground water flow is generally southward with a velocity ranging from 470 to 1000 feet/year. The spatial distribution of dissolved PCP in the aquifer documents the interactions between major permeable zones. Hydrostratigraphic evidence pointing to the separation of aquifer zones is supported by the major ion chemistry of ground water. The sodium and calcium-magnesium bicarbonate-rich water present in the upper aquifer zones is significantly different in chemical composition from the predominantly sodium chloride-rich water present in the deeper permeable zone. This indicates that hydrodynamic separation exists between the upper and lower zones of the aquifer, limiting the vertical movement of the PCP plume. A numerical ground water model, based on this conceptual hydrogeologic model, was developed to evaluate groundwater transport pathways and for use in the design of a ground water extraction and treatment system. (9 refs., 7 figs., tab.)

Arsenic, microbes and contaminated aquifers

Science.gov (United States)

Oremland, Ronald S.; Stolz, John F.

2005-01-01

The health of tens of millions of people world-wide is at risk from drinking arsenic-contaminated well water. In most cases this arsenic occurs naturally within the sub-surface aquifers, rather than being derived from identifiable point sources of pollution. The mobilization of arsenic into the aqueous phase is the first crucial step in a process that eventually leads to human arsenicosis. Increasing evidence suggests that this is a microbiological phenomenon.

Intrinsic bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons in a gas condensate-contaminated aquifer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gieg, L.M.; McInerney; Tanner, R.S.; Harris, S.H. Jr.; Sublette, K.L.; Suflita, J.M.; Kolhatkar, R.V.

1999-01-01

A study was designed to determine if the intrinsic bioremediation of gas condensate hydrocarbons represented an important fate process in a shallow aquifer underlying a natural gas production site. For over 4 yr, changes in the groundwater, sediment, and vadose zone chemistry in the contaminated portion of the aquifer were interpreted relative to a background zone. Changes included decreased dissolved oxygen and sulfate levels and increased alkalinity, Fe(II), and methane concentrations in the contaminated groundwater, suggesting that aerobic heterotrophic respiration depleted oxygen reserves leaving anaerobic conditions in the hydrocarbon-impacted subsurface. Dissolved hydrogen levels in the contaminated groundwater indicated that sulfate reduction and methanogenesis were predominant biological processes, corroborating the geochemical findings. Furthermore, 10--1000-fold higher numbers of sulfate reducers and methanogens were enumerated in the contaminated sediment relative to background. Putative metabolites were also detected in the contaminated groundwater, including methylbenzylsuccinic acid, a signature intermediate of anaerobic xylene decay. Laboratory incubations showed that benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and each of the xylene isomers were biodegraded under sulfate-reducing conditions as was toluene under methanogenic conditions. These results coupled with a decrease in hydrocarbon concentrations in contaminated sediment confirm that intrinsic bioremediation contributes to the attenuation of hydrocarbons in this aquifer

Semianalytical solutions for contaminant transport under variable velocity field in a coastal aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Koohbor, Behshad; Fahs, Marwan; Ataie-Ashtiani, Behzad; Simmons, Craig T.; Younes, Anis

2018-05-01

Existing closed-form solutions of contaminant transport problems are limited by the mathematically convenient assumption of uniform flow. These solutions cannot be used to investigate contaminant transport in coastal aquifers where seawater intrusion induces a variable velocity field. An adaptation of the Fourier-Galerkin method is introduced to obtain semi-analytical solutions for contaminant transport in a confined coastal aquifer in which the saltwater wedge is in equilibrium with a freshwater discharge flow. Two scenarios dealing with contaminant leakage from the aquifer top surface and contaminant migration from a source at the landward boundary are considered. Robust implementation of the Fourier-Galerkin method is developed to efficiently solve the coupled flow, salt and contaminant transport equations. Various illustrative examples are generated and the semi-analytical solutions are compared against an in-house numerical code. The Fourier series are used to evaluate relevant metrics characterizing contaminant transport such as the discharge flux to the sea, amount of contaminant persisting in the groundwater and solute flux from the source. These metrics represent quantitative data for numerical code validation and are relevant to understand the effect of seawater intrusion on contaminant transport. It is observed that, for the surface contamination scenario, seawater intrusion limits the spread of the contaminant but intensifies the contaminant discharge to the sea. For the landward contamination scenario, moderate seawater intrusion affects only the spatial distribution of the contaminant plume while extreme seawater intrusion can increase the contaminant discharge to the sea. The developed semi-analytical solution presents an efficient tool for the verification of numerical models. It provides a clear interpretation of the contaminant transport processes in coastal aquifers subject to seawater intrusion. For practical usage in further studies, the full

Sedimentological analysis of a contaminated groundwater aquifer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Towse, D.

1991-01-01

The use of sedimentological reservoir analysis techniques adapted from standard oilfield practice can improve the efficiency and reduce the costs of the evaluation of groundwater aquifers and the design of restoration programs. An evaluation/restoration program at a site in California drilled over 200 test wells in about 750 ac. All wells were logged lithologically and with wireline. The shallow aquifer is a complex braided alluvial floodplain deposit of Late Quaternary age. Analysis demonstrates depositional and erosional responses to periodic hinterland uplifts and to changing climatic conditions. Channel, overbank, lacustrine, and minor deltaic deposits can be recognized. The aquifer architecture has been interpreted to explain the movement of fuel and halogenated hydrocarbon solvents in the sediments and water. Routine engineering geology techniques and hydrologic tests were used to evaluate contamination and to design experimental restoration processes. As demonstrated here, sedimentological techniques show promise in reducing the costs and time required for this type of study. The abundant detailed data will be used in an attempt to develop a microcomputer-based expert system for rapid preliminary analyses of similar aquifers or reservoirs

Protists from a sewage‐contaminated aquifer on cape cod, Massachusetts

Science.gov (United States)

Novarino, Gianfranco; Warren, Alan; Kinner, Nancy E.; Harvey, Ronald W.

1994-01-01

Several species of flagellates (genera Bodo, Cercomonas, Cryptaulax, Cyathomonas, Goniomonas, Spumella) have been identified in cultures from a plume of organic contamination (treated sewage effluent) within an aquifer on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Amoebae and numerous unidentifiable 2‐ to 3‐μm flagellates have also been observed. As a rule, flagellates were associated with solid surfaces, or were capable of temporary surface attachment, corroborating earlier observations from in situ and column transport experiments suggesting that protists in the Massachusetts aquifer have a high propensity for association with sediment grain surfaces. Based on the fact that cultures from the uncontaminated part of the aquifer yielded only a few species of protists, it is hypothesized that the greater abundance and variety of food sources in the contaminant plume is capable of supporting a greater number of protistan species.

The Marlborough Deep Wairau Aquifer sustainability review 2008 : isotopic indicators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgenstern, U.; van der Raaij, R.W.; Trompetter, V.; McBeth, K.

2008-01-01

The Deep Wairau Aquifer (DWA) consists of several relatively thin water bearing layers at depths generally greater than 150 m separated by thick confining layers and was therefore thought to be relatively isolated from surface hydrological processes, with little pumping induced effects on spring flows and shallow aquifers. However, because the DWA partially underlies fully allocated shallower Southern Valleys Aquifers it is critical to understand the dynamics (recharge, flow) of the DWA. Recent aquifer testing revealed that the DWA is hydraulically linked to the Southern Valley Benmorven Aquifer and that most wells penetrating the DWA are hydraulically linked. The aquifers of the Wairau Plain are formed by a series of glacial and alluvial outwash deposits laid down by the Wairau River. Bore logs indicate that the aquifer contains thin water-bearing layers within the mixed strata. These layers come under artesian pressure towards the east. The Wairau Gravels are overlain by a sequence of glacial outwash and fluvial gravels interspersed with marine deposits. Immediately above the Wairau Gravels lies the Speargrass Formation consisting of poorly sorted glacial outwash gravels, sand and clay deposits. This formation has greater permeability than the Wairau Gravels. Above the Speargrass Formation lie highly permeable postglacial fluvial gravels, sand and silt deposits from the Wairau and tributary rivers known as the Rapaura Formation. Towards the coast, the alluvial gravels are overlain by marine and estuarine deposits of sand, silt and clay known as the Dillons Point Formation. Chemistry and isotope samples were analysed over time from various DWA wells to obtain information on changes in source and age of water with continued abstraction. All DWA water samples are tritium-free indicating that there is no young water influx yet intercepted by any of the sampled wells. Radiocarbon repeat measurements indicate that the water source is changing towards older water with

The effect of vadose zone heterogeneities on vapor phase migration and aquifer contamination by volatile organics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seneviratne, A.; Findikakis, A.N. [Bechtel Corporation, San Francisco, CA (United States)

1995-03-01

Organic vapors migrating through the vadose zone and inter-phase transfer can contribute to the contamination of larger portions of aquifers than estimated by accounting only for dissolved phase transport through the saturated zone. Proper understanding of vapor phase migration pathways is important for the characterization of the extent of both vadose zone and the saturated zone contamination. The multiphase simulation code T2VOC is used to numerically investigate the effect of heterogeneties on the vapor phase migration of chlorobenzene at a hypothetical site where a vapor extraction system is used to remove contaminants. Different stratigraphies consisting of alternate layers of high and low permeability materials with soil properties representative of gravel, sandy silt and clays are evaluated. The effect of the extent and continuity of low permeability zones on vapor migration is evaluated. Numerical simulations are carried out for different soil properties and different boundary conditions. T2VOC simulations with zones of higher permeability were made to assess the role of how such zones in providing enhanced migration pathways for organic vapors. Similarly, the effect of the degree of saturation of the porous medium on vapor migration was for a range of saturation values. Increased saturation reduces the pore volume of the medium available for vapor diffusion. Stratigraphic units with higher aqueous saturation can retard the vapor phase migration significantly.

The supposed radioactive contamination of the Puelche aquifer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martini, Leopoldo E.

2005-01-01

The paper attempts to clarify the supposed radioactive contamination of the Puelche Aquifer in the Ezeiza Atomic Center Area, Ezeiza, province of Buenos Aires (Argentina). Reports are listed that show categorically that no anthropogenic uranium contamination is present. As far as the nitrates contamination is concerned, it is not generated by the Ezeiza Atomic Center, because the Center is downward from the contaminated zone. It is possible that the contamination is produced by houses in the area without suitable sewage. In the present case the best contribution to the environmental right, besides the adaptation and the systematization of the different legal instruments, is to found the analysis of the facts on the scientific and technical knowledge. (author) [es

Sustainable Technologies and Social Costs for Eliminating Contamination of an Aquifer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mario Schirmer

2010-07-01

Full Text Available This case study deals with long-term contamination of the Leuna aquifer, which is intended to be restored using sustainable technologies financed by the state. The contamination can only be solved using active rather than passive intervention, because the aquifer has an extraordinarily low natural attenuation capacity for the specific pollutants. Due to the longevity of the contamination source, the groundwater treatment technology that was chosen for the site must operate for a minimum of 20 years but probably much longer. Since the polluter-pay principle cannot be applied, the estimated dynamic primary remediation costs must be accepted as a political or social cost, which must be paid by current and future generations.

Applicability of slug interference testing of hydraulic characterization of contaminated aquifer sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spane, F.A.; Swanson, L.C.

1993-10-01

Aquifer test methods available for characterizing hazardous waste sites are sometimes restricted because of problems with disposal of contaminated groundwater. These problems, in part, have made slug tests a more desirable method of determining hydraulic properties at such sites. However, in higher permeability formations (i.e., transmissivities ≥ 1 x 10 -3 m 2 /s), slug test results often cannot be analyzed and give, at best, only a lower limit for transmissivity. A need clearly exists to develop test methods that can be used to characterize higher permeability aquifers without removing large amounts of contaminated groundwater. One hydrologic test method that appears to hold promise for characterizing such sites is the slug interference test. To assess the applicability of this test method for use in shallow alluvial aquifer systems, slug interference tests have been conducted, along with more traditional aquifer testing methods, at several Hanford multiple-well sites. Transmissivity values estimated from the slug interference tests were comparable (within a factor of 2 to 3) to values calculated using traditional testing methods, and made it possible to calculate the storativity or specific yield for the intervening test formation. The corroboration of test results indicates that slug interference testing is a viable hydraulic characterization method in transmissive alluvial aquifers, and may represent one of the few test methods that can be used in sensitive areas where groundwater is contaminated

Adaptations of indigenous bacteria to fuel contamination in karst aquifers in south-central Kentucky

Science.gov (United States)

Byl, Thomas D.; Metge, David W.; Agymang, Daniel T.; Bradley, Michael W.; Hileman, Gregg; Harvey, Ronald W.

2014-01-01

The karst aquifer systems in southern Kentucky can be dynamic and quick to change. Microorganisms that live in these unpredictable aquifers are constantly faced with environmental changes. Their survival depends upon adaptations to changes in water chemistry, taking advantage of positive stimuli and avoiding negative environmental conditions. The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a study in 2001 to determine the capability of bacteria to adapt in two distinct regions of water quality in a karst aquifer, an area of clean, oxygenated groundwater and an area where the groundwater was oxygen depleted and contaminated by jet fuel. Water samples containing bacteria were collected from one clean well and two jet fuel contaminated wells in a conduit-dominated karst aquifer. Bacterial concentrations, enumerated through direct count, ranged from 500,000 to 2.7 million bacteria per mL in the clean portion of the aquifer, and 200,000 to 3.2 million bacteria per mL in the contaminated portion of the aquifer over a twelve month period. Bacteria from the clean well ranged in size from 0.2 to 2.5 mm, whereas bacteria from one fuel-contaminated well were generally larger, ranging in size from 0.2 to 3.9 mm. Also, bacteria collected from the clean well had a higher density and, consequently, were more inclined to sink than bacteria collected from contaminated wells. Bacteria collected from the clean portion of the karst aquifer were predominantly (,95%) Gram-negative and more likely to have flagella present than bacteria collected from the contaminated wells, which included a substantial fraction (,30%) of Gram-positive varieties. The ability of the bacteria from the clean portion of the karst aquifer to biodegrade benzene and toluene was studied under aerobic and anaerobic conditions in laboratory microcosms. The rate of fuel biodegradation in laboratory studies was approximately 50 times faster under aerobic conditions as compared to anaerobic, sulfur-reducing conditions. The

Contamination in fractured-rock aquifers: Research at the former Naval Air Warfare Center, West Trenton, New Jersey

Science.gov (United States)

Goode, Daniel J.; Tiedeman, Claire; Lacombe, Pierre J.; Imbrigiotta, Thomas E.; Shapiro, Allen M.; Chapelle, Francis H.

2007-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey and cooperators are studying chlorinated solvents in a fractured sedimentary rock aquifer underlying the former Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC), West Trenton, New Jersey. Fractured-rock aquifers are common in many parts of the United States and are highly susceptible to contamination, particularly at industrial sites. Compared to 'unconsolidated' aquifers, there can be much more uncertainty about the direction and rate of contaminant migration and about the processes and factors that control chemical and microbial transformations of contaminants. Research at the NAWC is improving understanding of the transport and fate of chlorinated solvents in fractured-rock aquifers and will compare the effectiveness of different strategies for contaminant remediation.

Effects of Subsurface Microbial Ecology on Geochemical Evolution of a Crude-Oil Contaminated Aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Bekins, B. A.; Cozzarelli, I. M.; Godsy, E. M.; Warren, E.; Hostettler, F. D.

2001-12-01

We have identified several subsurface habitats for microorganisms in a crude oil contaminated located near Bemidji, Minnesota. These aquifer habitats include: 1) the unsaturated zone contaminated by hydrocarbon vapors, 2) the zones containing separate-phase crude oil, and 3) the aqueous-phase contaminant plume. The surficial glacial outwash aquifer was contaminated when a crude oil pipeline burst in 1979. We analyzed sediment samples from the contaminated aquifer for the most probable numbers of aerobes, iron reducers, fermenters, and three types of methanogens. The microbial data were then related to gas, water, and oil chemistry, sediment extractable iron, and permeability. The microbial populations in the various contaminated subsurface habitats each have special characteristics and these affect the aquifer and contaminant chemistry. In the eight-meter-thick, vapor-contaminated vadose zone, a substantial aerobic population has developed that is supported by hydrocarbon vapors and methane. Microbial numbers peak in locations where access to both hydrocarbons and nutrients infiltrating from the surface is maximized. The activity of this population prevents hydrocarbon vapors from reaching the land surface. In the zone where separate-phase crude oil is present, a consortium of methanogens and fermenters dominates the populations both above and below the water table. Moreover, gas concentration data indicate that methane production has been active in the oily zone since at least 1986. Analyses of the extracted separate-phase oil show that substantial degradation of C15 -C35 n-alkanes has occurred since 1983, raising the possibility that significant degradation of C15 and higher n-alkanes has occurred under methanogenic conditions. However, lab and field data suggest that toxic inhibition by crude oil results in fewer acetate-utilizing methanogens within and adjacent to the separate-phase oil. Data from this and other sites indicate that toxic inhibition of

Surfactant-enhanced aquifer remediation at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, R.E.; Londergan, J.T.; Pickens, J.

1995-01-01

Many DOE facilities are situated in areas of sand and gravel which have become polluted with dense, non-aqueous phase liquids or DNAPLs, such as chlorinated solvents, from the various industrial operations at these facilities. The presence of such DNAPLs in sand and gravel aquifers is now recognized as the principal factor in the failure of standard ground-water remediation methods, i.e., open-quotes pump-and-treatclose quotes operations, to decontaminate such systems. The principal objective of this study is to demonstrate that multi-component DNAPLs can be readily solubilized in sand and gravel aquifers by dilute surfactant solutions

Geohydrology of the valley-fill aquifer in the Endicott-Johnson City area, Broome County, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Holecek, Thomas J.; Randall, A.D.; Belli, J.L.; Allen, R.V.

1982-01-01

This report is the tenth in a series of 11 map sets depicting geohydrologic conditions in selected aquifers in upstate New York. Geohydrologic data are compiled on five maps at 1:24,000 scale. Together, the maps provide a comprehensive overview of a major valley-fill aquifer in southwestern Broome County. The maps include surficial geology, geologic sections, aquifer thickness, water-infiltration potential of soil zone, potentiometric-surface altitude, and land use. The valley-fill deposits consist of alluvial silt and sand, glacial outwash (sand and gravel), ice-contact sand and gravel, till, and lacustrine silt and clay. The sand and gravel beds have relatively high permeabilities whereas the till, silt, and clay deposits have relatively low permeabilities. Water-table conditions are found in unconfined sand and gravel, whereas artesian conditions prevail within sand and gravel confined by silty deposits. Recharge occurs over the entire surface of the aquifer, due to permeable land-surface conditions, but is greatest along the margin of the valley, where runoff from the hillsides is concentrated, and near streams. The use of land overlying the aquifer is predominantly commercial and residential with lesser amounts of agricultural and industrial uses. (USGS)

Geohydrology of the valley-fill aquifer in the South Fallsburgh-Woodbourne area, Sullivan County, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, H.R.; Dineen, R.J.; Stelz, W.G.; Belli, J.L.

1982-01-01

This report is the ninth in a series of map sets depicting geohydrologic conditions in selected aquifers in upstate New York. Geohydrologic data are compiled on six maps at 1:24,000 scale. Together the maps provide a comprehensive overview of a major valley-fill aquifer in southeastern Sullivan County. The maps include surficial geology, geologic sections, aquifer thickness, water-infiltration potential of soil zone, potentiometric surface elevations, well yields, and land use. The valley-fill deposits consist of alluvial silt and sand, glacial outwash (sand and gravel), ice-contact sand and gravel, till, and lacustrine silt and clay. The sand and gravel beds have relatively high permeabilities whereas the till, silt, and clay deposits have relatively low permeabilities. Water-table conditions prevail in unconfined sand and gravel whereas artesian conditions prevail within sand and gravel confined by silty deposits. The aquifer is recharged throughout, where the land surface is most permeable and is greatest along the margin of the valley, where runoff from the hillsides is concentrated. The use of land overlying the aquifer is predominantly commercial, agricultural, and residential with lesser industrial uses. (USGS)

Modeling contaminant plumes in fractured limestone aquifers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mosthaf, Klaus; Brauns, Bentje; Fjordbøge, Annika Sidelmann

Determining the fate and transport of contaminant plumes from contaminated sites in limestone aquifers is important because they are a major drinking water resource. This is challenging because they are often heavily fractured and contain chert layers and nodules, resulting in a complex transport...... model. The paper concludes with recommendations on how to identify and employ suitable models to advance the conceptual understanding and as decision support tools for risk assessment and the planning of remedial actions....... behavior. Improved conceptual models are needed for this type of site. Here conceptual models are developed by combining numerical models with field data. Several types of fracture flow and transport models are available for the modeling of contaminant transport in fractured media. These include...... the established approaches of the equivalent porous medium, discrete fracture and dual continuum models. However, these modeling concepts are not well tested for contaminant plume migration in limestone geologies. Our goal was to develop and evaluate approaches for modeling the transport of dissolved contaminant...

Geohydrology of the valley-fill aquifer in the Corning area, Steuben County, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Todd S.; Belli, J.L.; Allen, R.V.

1982-01-01

This report is the seventh in a series of 11 map sets depicting geohydrologic conditions in selected aquifers in upstate New York. Geohydrologic data are compiled on six maps at 1:24,000 scale. Together, the maps provide a comprehensive overview of a major valley-fill aquifer in southeastern Steuben County. The maps include surficial geology, geologic sections, water-infiltration potential of soil zone, aquifer thickness, potentiometric-surface elevations, and land use. The valley-fill deposits consist of alluvial silt, sand, and gravel, glacial-outwash (sand and gravel), till, and lacustrine silt and clay. The sand and gravel beds have relatively high permeabilities, whereas the till and silt deposits have relatively low permeabilities. Water-table conditions prevail in unconfined sand and gravel along the valley margin. Artesian conditions are found locally in sand and gravel confined under silt and clay in the middle of the valley. Recharge occurs nearly everywhere on the valley floor, but principally along the margin of the valley, where highly permeable land surface conditions exist, and runoff from the hillsides is concentrated. The use of land overlying the aquifer is a mixture of residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial uses. (USGS)

Geohydrology of the valley-fill aquifer in the Jamestown area, Chautauqua County, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, H.R.; Stelz, W.G.; Belli, J.L.; Allen, R.V.

1982-01-01

This report is the sixth in a series of 11 map sets depicting geohydrologic conditions in selected aquifers in upstate New York. Geohydrologic data are compiled on six maps at 1:24,000 scale. Together, the maps provide a comprehensive overview of a major valley-fill aquifer in southeastern Chautauqua County. The maps include surficial geology, geologic sections, water-infiltration potential of soil zone, aquifer thickness, potentiometric-surface elevations and land use. The valley-fill deposits consist of alluvial silt and sand, glacial-outwash (sand and gravel), ice-contact sand and gravel, till, and lacustrine silt and clay. The sand and gravel beds have relatively high permeabilities whereas the till, silt and clay deposits have relatively low permeabilities. Water-table conditions prevail in u nconfined sand and gravel beds along the valley margin. Artesian conditions prevail in confined sand and gravel buried under silt and clay in the middle of the valley. Recharge occurs mainly along the margin of the valley, where the land surface is highly permeable and runoff from the hillsides is concentrated. The use of land overlying the aquifer is predominantly agricultural and residential with lesser amounts of commercial and industrial uses. (USGS)

Global aquifers dominated by fossil groundwaters but wells vulnerable to modern contamination

Science.gov (United States)

Jasechko, Scott; Perrone, Debra; Befus, Kevin M.; Bayani Cardenas, M.; Ferguson, Grant; Gleeson, Tom; Luijendijk, Elco; McDonnell, Jeffrey J.; Taylor, Richard G.; Wada, Yoshihide; Kirchner, James W.

2017-06-01

The vulnerability of groundwater to contamination is closely related to its age. Groundwaters that infiltrated prior to the Holocene have been documented in many aquifers and are widely assumed to be unaffected by modern contamination. However, the global prevalence of these `fossil' groundwaters and their vulnerability to modern-era pollutants remain unclear. Here we analyse groundwater carbon isotope data (12C, 13C, 14C) from 6,455 wells around the globe. We show that fossil groundwaters comprise a large share (42-85%) of total aquifer storage in the upper 1 km of the crust, and the majority of waters pumped from wells deeper than 250 m. However, half of the wells in our study that are dominated by fossil groundwater also contain detectable levels of tritium, indicating the presence of much younger, decadal-age waters and suggesting that contemporary contaminants may be able to reach deep wells that tap fossil aquifers. We conclude that water quality risk should be considered along with sustainable use when managing fossil groundwater resources.

New methodology to investigate potential contaminant mass fluxes at the stream-aquifer interface by combining integral pumping tests and streambed temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalbus, E.; Schmidt, C.; Bayer-Raich, M.; Leschik, S.; Reinstorf, F.; Balcke, G.U.; Schirmer, M.

2007-01-01

The spatial pattern and magnitude of mass fluxes at the stream-aquifer interface have important implications for the fate and transport of contaminants in river basins. Integral pumping tests were performed to quantify average concentrations of chlorinated benzenes in an unconfined aquifer partially penetrated by a stream. Four pumping wells were operated simultaneously for a time period of 5 days and sampled for contaminant concentrations. Streambed temperatures were mapped at multiple depths along a 60 m long stream reach to identify the spatial patterns of groundwater discharge and to quantify water fluxes at the stream-aquifer interface. The combined interpretation of the results showed average potential contaminant mass fluxes from the aquifer to the stream of 272 μg m -2 d -1 MCB and 71 μg m -2 d -1 DCB, respectively. This methodology combines a large-scale assessment of aquifer contamination with a high-resolution survey of groundwater discharge zones to estimate contaminant mass fluxes between aquifer and stream. - We provide a new methodology to quantify the potential contaminant mass flux from an aquifer to a stream

Potential yields of wells in unconsolidated aquifers in upstate New York-- Adirondack sheet

Science.gov (United States)

Bugliosi, Edward F.; Trudell, Ruth A.; Casey, George D.

1988-01-01

This map shows the location and potential well yield from unconsolidated aquifers in the Adirondack region at a 1:250,000 scale. It also delineates segments of aquifers that are heavily used by community water systems and designated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as ' Primary Water Supply ' aquifers and cites published reports that give detailed information on each area. Most aquifers were deposited in low-lying areas such as valleys or plains during deglaciation of the region. Thick, permeable, well-sorted sand and gravel deposits generally yield large quantities of water, greater than 100 gal/min. Thin sand, sand and gravel deposits, or thicker gravel units have a large content of silt and fine sand, yield moderate amounts of water, 10 to 100 gal/min. Wells dug in till and those drilled in bedrock commonly yield less than 10 gal/min. (USGS)

Quality of Nevada's aquifers and their susceptibility to contamination, 1990-2004

Science.gov (United States)

Lopes, Thomas J.

2006-01-01

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: In 1999, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency introduced a rule to protect the quality of ground water in areas other than source-water protection areas. These other sensitive ground-water areas (OSGWA) are areas that are not currently but could eventually be used as a source of drinking water. To help determine whether a well is in an OSGWA, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection needs statewide information on the susceptibility and vulnerability of Nevada's aquifer systems to contamination. This report presents an evaluation of the quality of ground water and susceptibility of Nevada's aquifer systems to anthropogenic contamination. Chemical tracers and statistical methods were used to assess the susceptibility of aquifer systems in Nevada. Chemical tracers included nitrate, pesticides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), dissolved gases, and isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen. Ground-water samples were collected from 133 wells during August 2002 through October 2003. Logistic regression was done to estimate the probability of detecting nitrate above concentrations typically found in undeveloped areas. Nitrate is one of the most common anthropogenic contaminants that degrades ground-water quality, is commonly measured and is persistent, except in reducing conditions. These characteristics make nitrate a good indicator of aquifer susceptibility. Water-quality data for 5,528 wells were compiled into a database. The area around each well was characterized using information on explanatory variables that could be related to nitrate concentrations. Data also were used to characterize the quality of ground water in Nevada, including dissolved solids, nitrate, pesticide, and VOC concentrations.

Determination of timescales of nitrate contamination by groundwater age models in a complex aquifer system

Science.gov (United States)

Koh, E. H.; Lee, E.; Kaown, D.; Lee, K. K.; Green, C. T.

2017-12-01

Timing and magnitudes of nitrate contamination are determined by various factors like contaminant loading, recharge characteristics and geologic system. Information of an elapsed time since recharged water traveling to a certain outlet location, which is defined as groundwater age, can provide indirect interpretation related to the hydrologic characteristics of the aquifer system. There are three major methods (apparent ages, lumped parameter model, and numerical model) to date groundwater ages, which differently characterize groundwater mixing resulted by various groundwater flow pathways in a heterogeneous aquifer system. Therefore, in this study, we compared the three age models in a complex aquifer system by using observed age tracer data and reconstructed history of nitrate contamination by long-term source loading. The 3H-3He and CFC-12 apparent ages, which did not consider the groundwater mixing, estimated the most delayed response time and a highest period of the nitrate loading had not reached yet. However, the lumped parameter model could generate more recent loading response than the apparent ages and the peak loading period influenced the water quality. The numerical model could delineate various groundwater mixing components and its different impacts on nitrate dynamics in the complex aquifer system. The different age estimation methods lead to variations in the estimated contaminant loading history, in which the discrepancy in the age estimation was dominantly observed in the complex aquifer system.

Geohydrology of the valley-fill aquifer in the Ramapo and Mahwah rivers area, Rockland County, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Richard Bridge; Cadwell, D.H.; Stelz, W.G.; Belli, J.L.

1982-01-01

This report is the eighth in a series of 11 map sets depicting geohydrologic conditions in selected aquifers in upstate New York. Geohydrologic data are compiled on six maps at 1:24,000 scale. Together, the maps provide a comprehensive overview of a major valley-fill aquifer in southeastern Rockland County. The maps include surficial geology, geologic sections, water-infiltration potential of soil zone, aquifer thickness, water-table elevations, well yields, and land use. The valley-fill deposits consists of alluvial silt and sand, glacial outwash (sand and gravel), ice-contact sand and gravel, till, and lacustrine silt and clay. The sand and gravel beds have relatively high permeabilities, whereas the till, silt, and clay deposits have relatively low permeabilities. Water-table conditions prevail in unconfined sand and gravel along the Ramapo River valley and much of the Mahwah River valley. Artesian conditions prevail in confined sand and gravel buried under silt and clay and till in parts of the Mahway valley. The aquifer is recharged throughout, where the land surface is most permeable and is greatest along the margin of the valley, where runoff from the hillsides is concentrated. The use of land overlying the aquifer is predominantly commercial, agricultural and residential, with lesser industrial uses. (USGS)

Delineation of the extent of milling-related contamination in a naturally contaminated aquifer system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Downs, William F.; Storms, Erik F.

1992-01-01

Uranium mill tailings from the Susquehanna-Western mill near Falls City, Texas, were pumped to tailings ponds located in abandoned open pit uranium mines. The ores from these mines were oxidized. Uranium and the associated hazardous constituents were present in these ores as relatively soluble secondary minerals. Because the tailings piles are located on the outcrops of the units designated as the uppermost aquifer, there is no upgradient aquifer from which to establish 'background' water quality. The widespread mineralization in the area naturally imposes a large variability in water quality in these units. It was necessary to demonstrate to State and Federal regulators that selected downgradient wells were beyond the influence of milling operations, and to develop a series of 'indicator parameters' that could be used to differentiate milling contaminated groundwater from that native to the aquifer. (author)

Phylogenetic and functional diversity within toluene-degrading, sulphate-reducing consortia enriched from a contaminated aquifer.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuppardt, Anke; Kleinsteuber, Sabine; Vogt, Carsten; Lüders, Tillmann; Harms, Hauke; Chatzinotas, Antonis

2014-08-01

Three toluene-degrading microbial consortia were enriched under sulphate-reducing conditions from different zones of a benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) plume of two connected contaminated aquifers. Two cultures were obtained from a weakly contaminated zone of the lower aquifer, while one culture originated from the highly contaminated upper aquifer. We hypothesised that the different habitat characteristics are reflected by distinct degrader populations. Degradation of toluene with concomitant production of sulphide was demonstrated in laboratory microcosms and the enrichment cultures were phylogenetically characterised. The benzylsuccinate synthase alpha-subunit (bssA) marker gene, encoding the enzyme initiating anaerobic toluene degradation, was targeted to characterise the catabolic diversity within the enrichment cultures. It was shown that the hydrogeochemical parameters in the different zones of the plume determined the microbial composition of the enrichment cultures. Both enrichment cultures from the weakly contaminated zone were of a very similar composition, dominated by Deltaproteobacteria with the Desulfobulbaceae (a Desulfopila-related phylotype) as key players. Two different bssA sequence types were found, which were both affiliated to genes from sulphate-reducing Deltaproteobacteria. In contrast, the enrichment culture from the highly contaminated zone was dominated by Clostridia with a Desulfosporosinus-related phylotype as presumed key player. A distinct bssA sequence type with high similarity to other recently detected sequences from clostridial toluene degraders was dominant in this culture. This work contributes to our understanding of the niche partitioning between degrader populations in distinct compartments of BTEX-contaminated aquifers.

Potential yields of wells in unconsolidated aquifers in upstate New York-- Niagara sheet

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Todd S.

1988-01-01

This map depicts the locations and potential well yields of unconsolidated aquifers in western New York at a scale of 1:250 ,000. It also delineates segments of aquifers that are used for public water supplies and designated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as ' Primary Water Supply Aquifers. ' The map also lists published reports that give detailed information on each area. Most aquifers were deposited in low areas, such as valleys and plains, during deglaciation of the region. Thick, permeable, well-sorted sand and gravel units yield large quantities of water - more than 100 gal/min - to properly constructed wells. Thin sand units and sand and gravel units and thicker gravel units that have a large content of silt and fine sand yield moderate amounts of water, 10 to 100 gal/min. Dug wells that tap till or lacustrine deposits yield less than 5 gal/min. Well yields from bedrock are not indicated. (USGS)

Potential yields of wells in unconsolidated aquifers in upstate New York--Hudson-Mohawk sheet

Science.gov (United States)

Bugliosi, Edward F.; Trudell, Ruth A.; Casey, George D.

1988-01-01

This map shows the location and potential well yields of unconsolidated aquifers in the Hudson-Mohawk region at a scale of 1:250,000. It also delineates segments of aquifers that are heavily used by community water systems and designated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as ' Primary Water Supply ' aquifers, and cites published reports that give detailed information on each area. Most aquifers were deposited in low-lying areas such as valleys or plains during deglaciations of the region. Thick, permeable, well-sorted sand and gravel deposits generally yield large quantities of water, greater than 100 gal/min. Thin sand, sand and gravel deposits, or thicker gravel units that have a large content of silt and fine sand, yield moderate amounts of water, 10 to 100 gal/min. Wells dug in till and those drilled in bedrock commonly yield less than 10 gal/min. (USGS)

Potential yields of wells in unconsolidated aquifers in upstate New York--lower Hudson sheet

Science.gov (United States)

Bugliosi, Edward F.; Trudell, Ruth A.

1988-01-01

This map shows the location and potential well yields from unconsolidated aquifers in the lower-Hudson region at a 1:250 ,000 scale. It also delineates segments of aquifers that are heavily used by community water systems and designated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as ' Primary water supply ' aquifers and cites published reports that give detailed information on each area. Most aquifers were deposited in low-lying areas such as valleys or plains during deglaciation of the region. Thick, permeable, well-sorted sand and gravel deposits generally yield large quantities of water, more than 100 gal/min. Thin sand, sand and gravel deposits, or thicker gravel units that have a large content of silt and fine sand, yield moderate amounts of water, 10 to 100 gal/min. Wells dug in till and those drilled in bedrock commonly yield less than 10 gal/min. (USGS)

Glacial recharge, salinisation and anthropogenic contamination in the coastal aquifers of Recife (Brazil)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chatton, E., E-mail: eliot.chatton@gmail.com [Géosciences Rennes, Université Rennes 1-CNRS, UMR 6118, adress: 263 av du général Leclerc, Campus de Beaulieu, bat 15, 35042 Rennes Cedex (France); Aquilina, L., E-mail: luc.aquilina@univ-rennes1.fr [Géosciences Rennes, Université Rennes 1-CNRS, UMR 6118, adress: 263 av du général Leclerc, Campus de Beaulieu, bat 15, 35042 Rennes Cedex (France); Pételet-Giraud, E., E-mail: e.petelet@brgm.fr [Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM), adress: 3 avenue Claude-Guillemin, BP 36009, 45060 Orléans Cedex 2 (France); Cary, L., E-mail: l.cary@brgm.fr [Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM), adress: 3 avenue Claude-Guillemin, BP 36009, 45060 Orléans Cedex 2 (France); Bertrand, G., E-mail: guillaume353@gmail.com [Instituto de Geociências, CEPAS (Groundwater Research Center), University of São Paulo, adress: Rua do lago 562, 05508-080 Sao Paulo (Brazil); Labasque, T., E-mail: thierry.labasque@univ-rennes1.fr [Géosciences Rennes, Université Rennes 1-CNRS, UMR 6118, adress: 263 av du général Leclerc, Campus de Beaulieu, bat 15, 35042 Rennes Cedex (France); and others

2016-11-01

Implying large residence times and complex water origins deep coastal aquifers are of particular interest as they are remarkable markers of climate, water use and land use changes. Over the last decades, the Metropolitan Region of Recife (Brazil) went through extensive environmental changes increasing the pressure on water resources and giving rise to numerous environmental consequences on the coastal groundwater systems. We analysed the groundwater of the deep aquifers Cabo and Beberibe that are increasingly exploited. The processes potentially affecting groundwater residence times and flow paths have been studied using a multi-tracer approach (CFCs, SF6, noble gases, 14C, 2H and 18O). The main findings of these investigations show that: (1) Groundwaters of the Cabo and Beberibe aquifers have long residence times and were recharged about 20,000 years ago. (2) Within these old groundwaters we can find palaeo-climate evidences from the last glacial period at the tropics with lower temperatures and dryer conditions than the present climate. (3) Recently, the natural slow dynamic of these groundwater systems was significantly affected by mixing processes with contaminated modern groundwater coming from the shallow unconfined Boa Viagem aquifer. (4) The large exploitation of these aquifers leads to a modification of the flow directions and causes the intrusion through palaeo-channels of saline water probably coming from the Capibaribe River and from the last transgression episodes. These observations indicate that the current exploitation of the Cabo and Beberibe aquifers is unsustainable regarding the long renewal times of these groundwater systems as well as their ongoing contamination and salinisation. The groundwater cycle being much slower than the human development rhythm, it is essential to integrate the magnitude and rapidity of anthropogenic impacts on this extremely slow cycle to the water management concepts. - Highlights: • Study of anthropogenic impacts

Glacial recharge, salinisation and anthropogenic contamination in the coastal aquifers of Recife (Brazil)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chatton, E.; Aquilina, L.; Pételet-Giraud, E.; Cary, L.; Bertrand, G.; Labasque, T.

2016-01-01

Implying large residence times and complex water origins deep coastal aquifers are of particular interest as they are remarkable markers of climate, water use and land use changes. Over the last decades, the Metropolitan Region of Recife (Brazil) went through extensive environmental changes increasing the pressure on water resources and giving rise to numerous environmental consequences on the coastal groundwater systems. We analysed the groundwater of the deep aquifers Cabo and Beberibe that are increasingly exploited. The processes potentially affecting groundwater residence times and flow paths have been studied using a multi-tracer approach (CFCs, SF6, noble gases, 14C, 2H and 18O). The main findings of these investigations show that: (1) Groundwaters of the Cabo and Beberibe aquifers have long residence times and were recharged about 20,000 years ago. (2) Within these old groundwaters we can find palaeo-climate evidences from the last glacial period at the tropics with lower temperatures and dryer conditions than the present climate. (3) Recently, the natural slow dynamic of these groundwater systems was significantly affected by mixing processes with contaminated modern groundwater coming from the shallow unconfined Boa Viagem aquifer. (4) The large exploitation of these aquifers leads to a modification of the flow directions and causes the intrusion through palaeo-channels of saline water probably coming from the Capibaribe River and from the last transgression episodes. These observations indicate that the current exploitation of the Cabo and Beberibe aquifers is unsustainable regarding the long renewal times of these groundwater systems as well as their ongoing contamination and salinisation. The groundwater cycle being much slower than the human development rhythm, it is essential to integrate the magnitude and rapidity of anthropogenic impacts on this extremely slow cycle to the water management concepts. - Highlights: • Study of anthropogenic impacts

Perched aquifers - their potential impact on contaminant transport in the southern High Plains, Texas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mullican, W.F. III; Fryar, A.E.; Johns, N.D.

1993-01-01

Understanding the hydrogeology and hydrochemistry of perched aquifers at potential and known contaminated waste sites has become increasingly important because of the impact these aquifers may have on contaminant transport independent of regional aquifer processes. Investigations of a perched aquifer above the Ogallala aquifer are being conducted in the region of the U.S. Department of Energy's Pantex Plant, a proposed Superfund site, located approximately 20 mi northeast of Amarillo, Texas. Since the early 1950s, a small playa basin located on the Pantex Plant has been used as a waste-water discharge pond with daily discharge rates ranging from 400,000 to 1 million gal. The focus of this investigation is an unconfined, perched aquifer that overlies a thick silty clay sequence within the upper, mostly unsaturated part of the Ogallala Formation (Neogene). In the area of the Pantex Plant, measured depths to the perched aquifer range from 200 to 300 ft below land surface, whereas depth to the regional Ogallala aquifer ranges from 375 to 500 ft. The potentiometric surface of the perched aquifer typically represents groundwater mounds proximal to the playas and thins into trough in the interplaya areas. Hydrologic gradients of the primary mound under investigation are relatively high, ranging from 28 to 45 ft/mi. Calculated transmissivities have a geometric mean of 54 ft 2 /day, with saturated thicknesses ranging from 4 to 1000 ft. Modeling of the perched aquifer was designed to determine how much, if any, discharge to the small playa basin has enhanced recharge to the perched aquifers and increased the vertical and lateral extent of the perched aquifer. Preliminary results indicate that measurements of vertical conductance through the perching silty-clay sequence and recharge rates through playas are critical for calibrating the model. Accurate delineation of rates and flow directions in the perched aquifer is critical to any successful remediation effort

The in-situ decontamination of sand and gravel aquifers by chemically enhanced solubilization of multiple-component DNAPLS with surfactant solutions. Topical report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-01-01

Laboratory, numerical simulation, and field studies have been conducted to assess the potential use of micellar-surfactant solutions to solubilize chlorinated solvents contaminating sand and gravel aquifers. Laboratory studies were conducted at the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY) while numerical simulation and field work were undertaken by INTERA Inc. in collaboration with Martin Marietta Energy Systems Inc. at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) in Kentucky. Ninety-nine surfactants were screened for their ability to solubilize trichloroethene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), and carbon tetrachloride (CTET). Ten of these were capable of solubilizing TCE to concentrations greater than 15,000 mg/L, compared to its aqueous solubility of 1,100 mg/L. Four surfactants were identified as good solubilizers of all three chlorinated solvents. Of these, a secondary alcohol ethoxylate was the first choice for in situ testing because of its excellent solubilizing ability and its low propensity to sorb. However, this surfactant did not meet the Commonwealth of Kentucky`s acceptance criteria. Consequently, it was decided to use a surfactant approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration as a food-grade additive. As a 1% micellar-surfactant solution, this sorbitan monooleate has a solubilization capacity of 16,000 mg TCE/L, but has a higher propensity to sorb to clays than has the alcohol ethoxylate.

Characterization of Predominant Reductants in an Anaerobic Leachate-Contaminated Aquifer by Nitroaromatic Probe Compounds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rügge, Kirsten; Hofstetter, Thomas B.; Haderlein, Stefan B.

1998-01-01

The biogeochemical processes controlling the reductive transformation of contaminants in an anaerobic aquifer were inferred from the relative reactivity patterns of redox-sensitive probe compounds. The fate of five nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) was monitored under different redox conditions in a...... results suggest that Fe(ll) associated with ferric iron minerals is a highly reactive reductant in anaerobic aquifers, which may also determine the fate of other classes of reducible contaminants such as halogenated solvents, azo compounds, sulfoxides, chromate, or arsenate....

Radon distribution in a gasoline-contaminated aquifer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, K.; Kuo, T.; Han, Y.; Chen, C.; Lin, C.; Lee, C.

2007-01-01

Naturally occurring radon-222 gas in groundwater was investigated as a partitioning tracer to detect non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) in a gasoline-contaminated aquifer. The radon-222 activity of groundwater decreased significantly from an average of 7.38+/-1.68BqL -1 measured in monitoring wells located upgradient in the uncontaminated zone to an average of 2.30+/-0.60BqL -1 measured in monitoring wells inside the NAPL source zone. Meanwhile, the radium-226 concentrations measured in aquifer matrix were virtually homogeneous at several locations both upgradient of and inside the NAPL source zone. Furthermore, the NAPL concentration obtained from the Radon Deficit Factor agrees reasonably with the results derived from direct sampling and chemical analysis of soil samples taken from the residual NAPL source zone. The field results of this study confirmed the general applicability of groundwater radon to detect residual NAPL source zone

Subsurface fate and transport of cyanide species at a manufactured-gas plant site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, R.S.; Dzombak, D.A.; Luthy, R.G.; Nakles, D.V.

1999-01-01

Cyanide is present at manufactured-gas plant (MGP) sites in oxide-box residuals, which were often managed on-site as fill during active operations. Cyanide can leach from these materials, causing groundwater contamination. Speciation, fate, and transport of cyanide in a sand-gravel aquifer underlying an MGP site in the upper Midwest region of the US were studied through characterization, monitoring, and modeling of a plume of cyanide-contaminated groundwater emanating from the site. Results indicate that cyanide in the groundwater is primarily in the form of iron-cyanide complexes (>98%), that these complexes are stable under the conditions of the aquifer, and that they are transported as nonreactive solutes in the sand-gravel aquifer material. Weak-acid-dissociable cyanide, which represents a minute fraction of total cyanide in the site groundwater, may undergo chemical-biological degradation in the sand-gravel aquifer. It seems that dilution may be the only natural attenuation mechanism for iron-cyanide complexes in sand-gravel aquifers at MGP sites

Reactive dispersive contaminant transport in coastal aquifers: Numerical simulation of a reactive Henry problem

KAUST Repository

Nick, H.M.

2013-02-01

The reactive mixing between seawater and terrestrial water in coastal aquifers influences the water quality of submarine groundwater discharge. While these waters come into contact at the seawater groundwater interface by density driven flow, their chemical components dilute and react through dispersion. A larger interface and wider mixing zone may provide favorable conditions for the natural attenuation of contaminant plumes. It has been claimed that the extent of this mixing is controlled by both, porous media properties and flow conditions. In this study, the interplay between dispersion and reactive processes in coastal aquifers is investigated by means of numerical experiments. Particularly, the impact of dispersion coefficients, the velocity field induced by density driven flow and chemical component reactivities on reactive transport in such aquifers is studied. To do this, a hybrid finite-element finite-volume method and a reactive simulator are coupled, and model accuracy and applicability are assessed. A simple redox reaction is considered to describe the degradation of a contaminant which requires mixing of the contaminated groundwater and the seawater containing the terminal electron acceptor. The resulting degradation is observed for different scenarios considering different magnitudes of dispersion and chemical reactivity. Three reactive transport regimes are found: reaction controlled, reaction-dispersion controlled and dispersion controlled. Computational results suggest that the chemical components\\' reactivity as well as dispersion coefficients play a significant role on controlling reactive mixing zones and extent of contaminant removal in coastal aquifers. Further, our results confirm that the dilution index is a better alternative to the second central spatial moment of a plume to describe the mixing of reactive solutes in coastal aquifers. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Recharge processes drive sulfate reduction in an alluvial aquifer contaminated with landfill leachate

Science.gov (United States)

Scholl, M.A.; Cozzarelli, I.M.; Christenson, S.C.

2006-01-01

Natural attenuation of contaminants in groundwater depends on an adequate supply of electron acceptors to stimulate biodegradation. In an alluvial aquifer contaminated with leachate from an unlined municipal landfill, the mechanism of recharge infiltration was investigated as a source of electron acceptors. Water samples were collected monthly at closely spaced intervals in the top 2 m of the saturated zone from a leachate-contaminated well and an uncontaminated well, and analyzed for ??18O, ??2H, non-volatile dissolved organic carbon (NVDOC), SO42-, NO3- and Cl-. Monthly recharge amounts were quantified using the offset of the ??18O or ??2H from the local meteoric water line as a parameter to distinguish water types, as evaporation and methanogenesis caused isotopic enrichment in waters from different sources. Presence of dissolved SO42- in the top 1 to 2??m of the saturated zone was associated with recharge; SO42- averaged 2.2??mM, with maximum concentrations of 15??mM. Nitrate was observed near the water table at the contaminated site at concentrations up to 4.6??mM. Temporal monitoring of ??2H and SO42- showed that vertical transport of recharge carried SO42- to depths up to 1.75??m below the water table, supplying an additional electron acceptor to the predominantly methanogenic leachate plume. Measurements of ??34S in SO42- indicated both SO42- reduction and sulfide oxidation were occurring in the aquifer. Depth-integrated net SO42- reduction rates, calculated using the natural Cl- gradient as a conservative tracer, ranged from 7.5 ?? 10- 3 to 0.61??mM??d- 1 (over various depth intervals from 0.45 to 1.75??m). Sulfate reduction occurred at both the contaminated and uncontaminated sites; however, median SO42- reduction rates were higher at the contaminated site. Although estimated SO42- reduction rates are relatively high, significant decreases in NVDOC were not observed at the contaminated site. Organic compounds more labile than the leachate NVDOC may be

Recharge processes drive sulfate reduction in an alluvial aquifer contaminated with landfill leachate.

Science.gov (United States)

Scholl, Martha A; Cozzarelli, Isabelle M; Christenson, Scott C

2006-08-10

Natural attenuation of contaminants in groundwater depends on an adequate supply of electron acceptors to stimulate biodegradation. In an alluvial aquifer contaminated with leachate from an unlined municipal landfill, the mechanism of recharge infiltration was investigated as a source of electron acceptors. Water samples were collected monthly at closely spaced intervals in the top 2 m of the saturated zone from a leachate-contaminated well and an uncontaminated well, and analyzed for delta(18)O, delta(2)H, non-volatile dissolved organic carbon (NVDOC), SO(4)(2-), NO(3)(-) and Cl(-). Monthly recharge amounts were quantified using the offset of the delta(18)O or delta(2)H from the local meteoric water line as a parameter to distinguish water types, as evaporation and methanogenesis caused isotopic enrichment in waters from different sources. Presence of dissolved SO(4)(2-) in the top 1 to 2 m of the saturated zone was associated with recharge; SO(4)(2-) averaged 2.2 mM, with maximum concentrations of 15 mM. Nitrate was observed near the water table at the contaminated site at concentrations up to 4.6 mM. Temporal monitoring of delta(2)H and SO(4)(2-) showed that vertical transport of recharge carried SO(4)(2-) to depths up to 1.75 m below the water table, supplying an additional electron acceptor to the predominantly methanogenic leachate plume. Measurements of delta(34)S in SO(4)(2-) indicated both SO(4)(2-) reduction and sulfide oxidation were occurring in the aquifer. Depth-integrated net SO(4)(2-) reduction rates, calculated using the natural Cl(-) gradient as a conservative tracer, ranged from 7.5x10(-3) to 0.61 mM.d(-1) (over various depth intervals from 0.45 to 1.75 m). Sulfate reduction occurred at both the contaminated and uncontaminated sites; however, median SO(4)(2-) reduction rates were higher at the contaminated site. Although estimated SO(4)(2-) reduction rates are relatively high, significant decreases in NVDOC were not observed at the contaminated

Removal of uranium from gravel using soil washing method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Ilgook; Kim, Kye-Nam; Kim, Seung-Soo; Choi, Jong-Won [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

The development of nuclear technology has led to increasing radioactive waste containing uranium being released and disposed in the nuclear sites. Fine grained soils with a size of less than 4 mm are normally decontaminated using soil washing and electro-kinetic technologies. However, there have been few studies on the decontamination of gravels with a size of more than 4 mm. Therefore, it is necessary to study the decontamination of gravel contaminated with radionuclides. The main objective of the present study on soil washing was to define the optimal condition for acid treatment of uranium-polluted gravel. In this study, soil washing method was applied to remove uranium from gravel. The gravel was crushed and classified as particle sizes. The gravel particles were treated with sulfuric acid in a shaking incubator at 60 .deg. C and 150 rpm for 3 h. The optimal particle size of gravel for soil washing in removal of uranium was between 0.45 and 2.0 mm.

Application of groundwater residence time tracers and broad screening for micro-organic contaminants in the Indo-Gangetic aquifer system

Science.gov (United States)

Lapworth, Dan; Das, Prerona; Mukherjee, Abhijit; Petersen, Jade; Gooddy, Daren; Krishan, Gopal

2017-04-01

Groundwater abstracted from aquifers underlying urban centres across India provide a vital source of domestic water. Abstraction from municipal and private supplies is considerable and growing rapidly with ever increasing demand for water from expanding urban populations. This trend is set to continue. The vulnerability of deeper aquifers (typically >100 m below ground) used for domestic water to contamination migration from often heavily contaminated shallow aquifer systems has not been studies in detail in India. This paper focusses on the occurrence of micro-organic contaminants within sedimentary aquifers beneath urban centres which are intensively pumped for drinking water and domestic use. New preliminary results from a detailed case study undertaken across Varanasi, a city with an estimated population of ca. 1.5 million in Uttar Pradesh. Micro -organic groundwater quality status and evolution with depth is investigated through selection of paired shallow and deep sites across the city. These results are considered within the context of paired groundwater residence time tracers within the top 150m within the sedimentary aquifer system. Groundwater emerging contaminant results are compared with surface water quality from the Ganges which is also used for drinking water supply. Broad screening for >800 micro-organic compounds was undertaken. Age dating tools were employed to constrain and inform a conceptual model of groundwater recharge and contaminant evolution within the sedimentary aquifer system.

Stochastic Management of Non-Point Source Contamination: Joint Impact of Aquifer Heterogeneity and Well Characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Henri, C. V.; Harter, T.

2017-12-01

Agricultural activities are recognized as the preeminent origin of non-point source (NPS) contamination of water bodies through the leakage of nitrate, salt and agrochemicals. A large fraction of world agricultural activities and therefore NPS contamination occurs over unconsolidated alluvial deposit basins offering soil composition and topography favorable to productive farming. These basins represent also important groundwater reservoirs. The over-exploitation of aquifers coupled with groundwater pollution by agriculture-related NPS contaminant has led to a rapid deterioration of the quality of these groundwater basins. The management of groundwater contamination from NPS is challenged by the inherent complexity of aquifers systems. Contaminant transport dynamics are highly uncertain due to the heterogeneity of hydraulic parameters controlling groundwater flow. Well characteristics are also key uncertain elements affecting pollutant transport and NPS management but quantifying uncertainty in NPS management under these conditions is not well documented. Our work focuses on better understanding the joint impact of aquifer heterogeneity and pumping well characteristics (extraction rate and depth) on (1) the transport of contaminants from NPS and (2) the spatio-temporal extension of the capture zone. To do so, we generate a series of geostatistically equivalent 3D heterogeneous aquifers and simulate the flow and non-reactive solute transport from NPS to extraction wells within a stochastic framework. The propagation of the uncertainty on the hydraulic conductivity field is systematically analyzed. A sensitivity analysis of the impact of extraction well characteristics (pumping rate and screen depth) is also conducted. Results highlight the significant role that heterogeneity and well characteristics plays on management metrics. We finally show that, in case of NPS contamination, the joint impact of regional longitudinal and transverse vertical hydraulic gradients and

Anoxic nitrate reduction coupled with iron oxidation and attenuation of dissolved arsenic and phosphate in a sand and gravel aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Richard L.; Kent, Douglas B.; Repert, Deborah A.; Böhlke, J.K.

2017-01-01

Nitrate has become an increasingly abundant potential electron acceptor for Fe(II) oxidation in groundwater, but this redox couple has not been well characterized within aquifer settings. To investigate this reaction and some of its implications for redox-sensitive groundwater contaminants, we conducted an in situ field study in a wastewater-contaminated aquifer on Cape Cod. Long-term (15 year) geochemical monitoring within the contaminant plume indicated interacting zones with variable nitrate-, Fe(II)-, phosphate-, As(V)-, and As(III)-containing groundwater. Nitrate and phosphate were derived predominantly from wastewater disposal, whereas Fe(II), As(III), and As(V) were mobilized from the aquifer sediments. Multiple natural gradient, anoxic tracer tests were conducted in which nitrate and bromide were injected into nitrate-free, Fe(II)-containing groundwater. Prior to injection, aqueous Fe(II) concentrations were approximately 175 μM, but sorbed Fe(II) accounted for greater than 90% of the total reactive Fe(II) in the aquifer. Nitrate reduction was stimulated within 1 m of transport for 100 μM and 1000 μM nitrate additions, initially producing stoichiometric quantities of nitrous oxide (>300 μM N). In subsequent injections at the same site, nitrate was reduced even more rapidly and produced less nitrous oxide, especially over longer transport distances. Fe(II) and nitrate concentrations decreased together and were accompanied by Fe(III) oxyhydroxide precipitation and decreases in dissolved phosphate, As(III), and As(V) concentrations. Nitrate N and O isotope fractionation effects during nitrate reduction were approximately equal (ε15N/ε18O = 1.11) and were similar to those reported for laboratory studies of biological nitrate reduction, including denitrification, but unlike some reported effects on nitrate by denitrification in aquifers. All constituents affected by the in situ tracer experiments returned to pre-injection levels after several

Using enteric pathogens to assess sources of fecal contamination in the Silurian Dolomite Aquifer: Preliminary results

Science.gov (United States)

Muldoon, Maureen A; Borchardt, Mark A.; Spencer, Susan K.; Hunt, Randall J.; Owens, David

2018-01-01

The fractured Silurian dolomite aquifer is an important, but vulnerable, source of drinking water in northeast Wisconsin (Sherrill in Geology and ground water in Door County, Wisconsin, with emphasis on contamination potential in the Silurian dolomite, 1978; Bradbury and Muldoon in Hydrogeology and groundwater monitoring of fractured dolomite in the Upper Door Priority Watershed, Door County, Wisconsin, 1992; Muldoon and Bradbury in Assessing seasonal variations in recharge and water quality in the Silurian aquifer in areas with thicker soil cover. p 45, 2010). Areas underlain by the Silurian dolomite aquifer are extremely vulnerable to groundwater contamination from various land-use activities, especially the disposal of human wastewater and dairy manure. Currently there is no consensus as to which source of wastewater generates the greater impact to the aquifer.

Geohydrology and water quality of the stratified-drift aquifers in Upper Buttermilk Creek and Danby Creek Valleys, Town of Danby, Tompkins County, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Todd S.

2015-11-20

In 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Town of Danby and the Tompkins County Planning Department, began a study of the stratified-drift aquifers in the upper Buttermilk Creek and Danby Creek valleys in the Town of Danby, Tompkins County, New York. In the northern part of the north-draining upper Buttermilk Creek valley, there is only one sand and gravel aquifer, a confined basal unit that overlies bedrock. In the southern part of upper Buttermilk Creek valley, there are as many as four sand and gravel aquifers, two are unconfined and two are confined. In the south-draining Danby Creek valley, there is an unconfined aquifer consisting of outwash and kame sand and gravel (deposited by glacial meltwaters during the late Pleistocene Epoch) and alluvial silt, sand, and gravel (deposited by streams during the Holocene Epoch). In addition, throughout the study area, there are several small local unconfined aquifers where large tributaries deposited alluvial fans in the valley.

Radon measurements over a natural-gas contaminated aquifer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palacios, D.; Fusella, E.; Avila, Y.; Salas, J.; Teixeira, D.; Fernández, G.; Salas, A.; Sajo-Bohus, L.; Greaves, E.; Barros, H.; Bolívar, M.; Regalado, J.

2013-01-01

Radon and thoron concentrations in soil pores in a gas production region of the Anzoategui State, Venezuela, were determined by active and passive methods. In this region, water wells are contaminated by natural gas and gas leaks exist in the nearby river. Based on soil gas Radon data surface hydrocarbon seeps were identified. Radon and thoron concentration maps show anomalously high values near the river gas leaks decreasing in the direction of water wells where natural gas is also detected. The area where the highest concentrations of 222 Rn were detected seems to indicate the surface projection of the aquifer contaminated with natural gas. The Radon/Thoron ratio revealed a micro-localized anomaly, indicating the area where the gas comes from deep layers of the subsoil. The radon map determined by the passive method showed a marked positive anomaly around abandoned gas wells. The high anomalous Radon concentration localized near the trails of ascending gas bubbles at the river indicates the zone trough where natural gases are ascending with greater ease, associated with a deep geological fault, being this the main source of methane penetration into the aquifer. It is suggested that the source of the natural gas may be due to leaks at deep sites along the structure of some of the abandoned wells located at the North-East of the studied area. - Highlights: ► High Radon/Thoron ratios were localized near the natural-gas emanations in a river. ► Natural gases are ascending trough a deep geological fault. ► Apparently, the radon anomaly shows the site where natural gas enters the aquifer. ► Natural gas source may be related to leaks in the structure of abandoned gas wells

Contamination of wells completed in the Roubidoux aquifer by abandoned zinc and lead mines, Ottawa County, Oklahoma

Science.gov (United States)

Christenson, Scott C.

1995-01-01

The Roubidoux aquifer in Ottawa County Oklahoma is used extensively as a source of water for public supplies, commerce, industry, and rural water districts. Water in the Roubidoux aquifer in eastern Ottawa County has relatively low dissolved-solids concentrations (less than 200 mg/L) with calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate as the major ions. The Boone Formation is stratigraphically above the Roubidoux aquifer and is the host rock for zinc and lead sulfide ores, with the richest deposits located in the vicinity of the City of Picher. Mining in what became known as the Picher mining district began in the early 1900's and continued until about 1970. The water in the abandoned zinc and lead mines contains high concentrations of calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, sulfate, fluoride, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, and zinc. Water from the abandoned mines is a potential source of contamination to the Roubidoux aquifer and to wells completed in the Roubidoux aquifer. Water samples were collected from wells completed in the Roubidoux aquifer in the Picher mining district and from wells outside the mining district to determine if 10 public supply wells in the mining district are contaminated. The chemical analyses indicate that at least 7 of the 10 public supply wells in the Picher mining district are contaminated by mine water. Application of the Mann-Whitney test indicated that the concentrations of some chemical constituents that are indicators of mine-water contamination are different in water samples from wells in the mining area as compared to wells outside the mining area. Application of the Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed that the concentrations of some chemical constituents that are indicators of mine-water contamination were higher in current (1992-93) data than in historic (1981-83) data, except for pH, which was lower in current than in historic data. pH and sulfate, alkalinity, bicarbonate, magnesium, iron, and tritium concentrations consistently

Biodegradation: Updating the Concepts of Control for Microbial Cleanup in Contaminated Aquifers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meckenstock, Rainer U.; Elsner, Martin; Griebler, Christian

2015-01-01

Biodegradation is one of the most favored and sustainable means of removing organic pollutants from contaminated aquifers but the major steering factors are still surprisingly poorly understood. Growing evidence questions some of the established concepts for control of biodegradation. Here, we...... on the controls of biodegradation in contaminant plumes. These include the plume fringe concept, transport limitations, and transient conditions as currently underestimated processes affecting biodegradation....

Radioactive ground-water contamination from an enriched-uranium cold scrap recovery operation, Wood River Junction, Rhode Island

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryan, B.J.; Kipp, K.L. Jr.

1984-01-01

Liquid wastes from a uranium-bearing cold scrap recovery plant at an industrial site in Wood River Junction, Rhode Island were discharged to the environment through evaporation ponds from 1966 to 1980. Leakage from the polyethylene- and polyvinylchloride-lined ponds resulted in a plume of contaminated ground water that extends from the ponds northwestward to the Pawcatuck River through a highly permeable sand and gravel aquifer of glacial origin. Contaminants include: strontium 90, technetium 99, boron, nitrate and potassium. Water quality data from more than 100 observation wells indicate that the plume of contamination is approximately 700 meters long, 100 meters wide, and is confined to the upper 25 meters of saturated thickness where sediments consist of medium to coarse sand and gravel. No contamination has been detected in fine sands and silts underlying the coarser materials. Piezometric-head and water-quality data from wells screened at multiple depths on both sides of the river indicate that contaminants discharge both to the river and to a swampy area at the west edge of the river. Dilution precludes detection of contaminants once they have entered the river, which has an average flow of 5 cubic meters per second

Septic systems as sources of organic wastewater compounds in domestic drinking water wells in a shallow sand and gravel aquifer.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaider, Laurel A; Ackerman, Janet M; Rudel, Ruthann A

2016-03-15

Domestic drinking water wells serve 44 million people in the US and are common globally. They are often located in areas served by onsite wastewater treatment systems, including septic systems, which can be sources of biological and chemical pollutants to groundwater. In this study we tested 20 domestic drinking water wells in a sand and gravel aquifer on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA, for 117 organic wastewater compounds (OWCs) and for inorganic markers of septic system impact. We detected 27 OWCs, including 12 pharmaceuticals, five per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), four organophosphate flame retardants, and an artificial sweetener (acesulfame). Maximum concentrations of several PFASs and pharmaceuticals were relatively high compared to public drinking water supplies in the US. The number of detected OWCs and total concentrations of pharmaceuticals and of PFASs were positively correlated with nitrate, boron, and acesulfame and negatively correlated with well depth. These wells were all located in areas served exclusively by onsite wastewater treatment systems, which are likely the main source of the OWCs in these wells, although landfill leachate may also be a source. Our results suggest that current regulations to protect domestic wells from pathogens in septic system discharges do not prevent OWCs from reaching domestic wells, and that nitrate, a commonly measured drinking water contaminant, is a useful screening tool for OWCs in domestic wells. Nitrate concentrations of 1mg/L NO3-N, which are tenfold higher than local background and tenfold lower than the US federal drinking water standard, were associated with wastewater impacts from OWCs in this study. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of natural and human factors on groundwater quality of basin-fill aquifers in the southwestern United States-conceptual models for selected contaminants

Science.gov (United States)

Bexfield, Laura M.; Thiros, Susan A.; Anning, David W.; Huntington, Jena M.; McKinney, Tim S.

2011-01-01

As part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, the Southwest Principal Aquifers (SWPA) study is building a better understanding of the factors that affect water quality in basin-fill aquifers in the Southwestern United States. The SWPA study area includes four principal aquifers of the United States: the Basin and Range basin-fill aquifers in California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona; the Rio Grande aquifer system in New Mexico and Colorado; and the California Coastal Basin and Central Valley aquifer systems in California. Similarities in the hydrogeology, land- and water-use practices, and water-quality issues for alluvial basins within the study area allow for regional analysis through synthesis of the baseline knowledge of groundwater-quality conditions in basins previously studied by the NAWQA Program. Resulting improvements in the understanding of the sources, movement, and fate of contaminants are assisting in the development of tools used to assess aquifer susceptibility and vulnerability.This report synthesizes previously published information about the groundwater systems and water quality of 15 information-rich basin-fill aquifers (SWPA case-study basins) into conceptual models of the primary natural and human factors commonly affecting groundwater quality with respect to selected contaminants, thereby helping to build a regional understanding of the susceptibility and vulnerability of basin-fill aquifers to those contaminants. Four relatively common contaminants (dissolved solids, nitrate, arsenic, and uranium) and two contaminant classes (volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and pesticide compounds) were investigated for sources and controls affecting their occurrence and distribution above specified levels of concern in groundwater of the case-study basins. Conceptual models of factors that are important to aquifer vulnerability with respect to those contaminants and contaminant classes were subsequently formed. The

Both Phosphorus Fertilizers and Indigenous Bacteria Enhance Arsenic Release into Groundwater in Arsenic-Contaminated Aquifers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Tzu-Yu; Wei, Chia-Cheng; Huang, Chi-Wei; Chang, Chun-Han; Hsu, Fu-Lan; Liao, Vivian Hsiu-Chuan

2016-03-23

Arsenic (As) is a human carcinogen, and arsenic contamination in groundwater is a worldwide public health concern. Arsenic-affected areas are found in many places but are reported mostly in agricultural farmlands, yet the interaction of fertilizers, microorganisms, and arsenic mobilization in arsenic-contaminated aquifers remains uncharacterized. This study investigates the effects of fertilizers and bacteria on the mobilization of arsenic in two arsenic-contaminated aquifers. We performed microcosm experiments using arsenic-contaminated sediments and amended with inorganic nitrogenous or phosphorus fertilizers for 1 and 4 months under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The results show that microcosms amended with 100 mg/L phosphorus fertilizers (dipotassium phosphate), but not nitrogenous fertilizers (ammonium sulfate), significantly increase aqueous As(III) release in arsenic-contaminated sediments under anaerobic condition. We also show that concentrations of iron, manganese, potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium are increased in the aqueous phase and that the addition of dipotassium phosphate causes a further increase in aqueous iron, potassium, and sodium, suggesting that multiple metal elements may take part in the arsenic release process. Furthermore, microbial analysis indicates that the dominant microbial phylum is shifted from α-proteobacteria to β- and γ-proteobacteria when the As(III) is increased and phosphate is added in the aquifer. Our results provide evidence that both phosphorus fertilizers and microorganisms can mediate the release of arsenic to groundwater in arsenic-contaminated sediments under anaerobic condition. Our study suggests that agricultural activity such as the use of fertilizers and monitoring phosphate concentration in groundwater should be taken into consideration for the management of arsenic in groundwater.

The influence of topology on hydraulic conductivity in a sand-and-gravel aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Morin, Roger H.; LeBlanc, Denis R.; Troutman, Brent M.

2010-01-01

A field experiment consisting of geophysical logging and tracer testing was conducted in a single well that penetrated a sand-and-gravel aquifer at the U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology research site on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Geophysical logs and flowmeter/pumping measurements were obtained to estimate vertical profiles of porosity ϕ, hydraulic conductivity K, temperature, and bulk electrical conductivity under background, freshwater conditions. Saline-tracer fluid was then injected into the well for 2 h and its radial migration into the surrounding deposits was monitored by recording an electromagnetic-induction log every 10 min. The field data are analyzed and interpreted primarily through the use of Archie's (1942) law to investigate the role of topological factors such as pore geometry and connectivity, and grain size and packing configuration in regulating fluid flow through these coarse-grained materials. The logs reveal no significant correlation between K and ϕ, and imply that groundwater models that link these two properties may not be useful at this site. Rather, it is the distribution and connectivity of the fluid phase as defined by formation factor F, cementation index m, and tortuosity α that primarily control the hydraulic conductivity. Results show that F correlates well with K, thereby indicating that induction logs provide qualitative information on the distribution of hydraulic conductivity. A comparison of α, which incorporates porosity data, with K produces only a slightly better correlation and further emphasizes the weak influence of the bulk value of ϕ on K.

Evaluation of Different Modeling Approaches to Simulate Contaminant Transport in a Fractured Limestone Aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Mosthaf, K.; Rosenberg, L.; Balbarini, N.; Broholm, M. M.; Bjerg, P. L.; Binning, P. J.

2014-12-01

It is important to understand the fate and transport of contaminants in limestone aquifers because they are a major drinking water resource. This is challenging because they are highly heterogeneous; with micro-porous grains, flint inclusions, and being heavily fractured. Several modeling approaches have been developed to describe contaminant transport in fractured media, such as the discrete fracture (with various fracture geometries), equivalent porous media (with and without anisotropy), and dual porosity models. However, these modeling concepts are not well tested for limestone geologies. Given available field data and model purpose, this paper therefore aims to develop, examine and compare modeling approaches for transport of contaminants in fractured limestone aquifers. The model comparison was conducted for a contaminated site in Denmark, where a plume of a dissolved contaminant (PCE) has migrated through a fractured limestone aquifer. Multilevel monitoring wells have been installed at the site and available data includes information on spill history, extent of contamination, geology and hydrogeology. To describe the geology and fracture network, data from borehole logs was combined with an analysis of heterogeneities and fractures from a nearby excavation (analog site). Methods for translating the geological information and fracture mapping into each of the model concepts were examined. Each model was compared with available field data, considering both model fit and measures of model suitability. An analysis of model parameter identifiability and sensitivity is presented. Results show that there is considerable difference between modeling approaches, and that it is important to identify the right one for the actual scale and model purpose. A challenge in the use of field data is the determination of relevant hydraulic properties and interpretation of aqueous and solid phase contaminant concentration sampling data. Traditional water sampling has a bias

Chemical and microbiological monitoring of a sole-source aquifer intended for artificial recharge, Nassau County, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, Brian G.; Mallard, Gail E.

1980-01-01

In late 1980, approximately 4 million gallons per day of highly treated wastewater will be used to recharge the groundwater reservoir in central Nassau County through a system of 10 recharge basins and 5 shallow injection wells. To evaluate the impact of large-scale recharge with reclaimed water on groundwater quality, the U.S. Geological Survey has collected hydrologic and water-quality data from a 1-square-mile area around the recharge site to provide a basis for future comparison. Extensive chemical and microbiological analyses are being made on samples from 48 wells screened in the upper glacial (water-table) aquifer and the upper part of the underlying Magothy (public-supply) aquifer. Preliminary results indicate that water from the upper glacial aquifer contains significant concentrations of nitrate and low-molecular-weight chlorinated hydrocarbons and detectable concentrations of organochlorine insecticides and polychlorinated biphenyls. At present, no fecal contamination is evident in either aquifer in the area studied. In the few samples containing fecal indicator bacteria, the numbers were low. Nonpoint sources provide significant loads of organic and inorganic compounds; major sources include cesspool and septic-tank effluent, cesspool and septic-tank cleaners and other over-the-counter domestic organic solvents, fertilizers, insecticides for termite and other pest control, and stormwater runoff to recharge basins. The water-table aquifer is composed mainly of stratified, well-sorted sand and gravel and, as a result, is highly permeable. In the 1-square-mile area studied, some contaminants seem to have traveled 200 feet downward to the bottom of the water-table aquifer and into the upper part of the public-supply aquifer. (USGS)

The impact of low-temperature seasonal aquifer thermal energy storage (SATES) systems on chlorinated solvent contaminated groundwater: Modeling of spreading and degradation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zuurbier, K.G.; Hartog, N.; Valstar, J.; Post, V.E.A.; Breukelen, B.M. van

2013-01-01

Groundwater systems are increasingly used for seasonal aquifer thermal energy storage (SATES) for periodic heating and cooling of buildings. Its use is hampered in contaminated aquifers because of the potential environmental risks associated with the spreading of contaminated groundwater, but

Preliminary delineation and description of the regional aquifers of Tennessee : the Central Basin system

Science.gov (United States)

Brahana, J.V.; Bradley, M.W.

1986-01-01

A sand and gravel aquifer about 65 feet thick underlies Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northeastern lower Michigan. The water table ranges in depth from 10 feet to 25 feet below land surface. Mathematical models indicate that ground-water flow ranges from 0.8 feet per day in the eastern part of the Base to 0.3 feet per day in the western part. Trichlorethylene leaked from a buried storage tank in the southeastern part of the Base and moved northeastward in a plume, contaminating Base water-supply wells. Concentrations exceed 1,000 micrograms per liter in the most highly contaminated part of the plume. Purge pumping removed some of the trichloroethylene and seems to have arrested its eastward movement. Pumping of additional purge wells could increase the rate of removal. (USGS)

Integrated Assessment of Shallow-Aquifer Vulnerability to Multiple Contaminants and Drinking-Water Exposure Pathways in Holliston, Massachusetts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Birgit Claus Henn

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Half of U.S. drinking water comes from aquifers, and very shallow ones (<20 feet to water table are especially vulnerable to anthropogenic contamination. We present the case of Holliston, a Boston, Massachusetts suburb that draws its drinking water from very shallow aquifers, and where metals and solvents have been reported in groundwater. Community concerns focus on water discolored by naturally occurring manganese (Mn, despite reports stating regulatory aesthetic compliance. Epidemiologic studies suggest Mn is a potentially toxic element (PTE for children exposed by the drinking-water pathway at levels near the regulatory aesthetic level. We designed an integrated, community-based project: five sites were profiled for contaminant releases; service areas for wells were modeled; and the capture zone for one vulnerable well was estimated. Manganese, mercury, and trichloroethylene are among 20 contaminants of interest. Findings show that past and/or current exposures to multiple contaminants in drinking water are plausible, satisfying the criteria for complete exposure pathways. This case questions the adequacy of aquifer protection and monitoring regulations, and highlights the need for integrated assessment of multiple contaminants, associated exposures and health risks. It posits that community-researcher partnerships are essential for understanding and solving complex problems.

Assessing the Vulnerability of Public-Supply Wells to Contamination: Floridan Aquifer System Near Tampa, Florida

Science.gov (United States)

Jagucki, Martha L.; Katz, Brian G.; Crandall, Christy A.; Eberts, Sandra M.

2009-01-01

This fact sheet highlights findings from the vulnerability study of a public-supply well in Temple Terrace, Florida, northeast of Tampa. The well selected for study typically produces water at the rate of 700 gallons per minute from the Upper Floridan aquifer. Water samples were collected at the public-supply well and at monitoring wells installed in or near the simulated zone of contribution to the supply well. Samples of untreated water from the public-supply wellhead contained the undesirable constituents nitrate, arsenic, uranium, radon-222, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and pesticides, although all were detected at concentrations less than established drinking-water standards, where such standards exist. Overall, study findings point to four primary factors that affect the movement and fate of contaminants and the vulnerability of the public-supply well in Temple Terrace: (1) groundwater age (how long ago water entered, or recharged, the aquifer); (2) short-circuiting of contaminated water through sinkholes; (3) natural geochemical processes within the aquifer; and (4) pumping stress. Although the public-supply well is completed in the Upper Floridan aquifer, it produces water with concentrations of nitrate, VOCs, and the natural contaminant radon that are intermediate between the typical composition of water from the Upper Floridan aquifer and that of the overlying surficial aquifer system. Mixing calculations show that the water produced by the public-supply well could consist of upwards of 50 percent water from the surficial aquifer system mixed with water from the Upper Floridan aquifer. Anthropogenically affected water from the surficial aquifer system travels rapidly to depth through sinkholes that must be directly connected to the cavernous zone intersected by the public-supply well (and several other production wells in the region). Such solution features serve as fast pathways to the well and circumvent the natural attenuation of nitrate and

Contaminants of emerging concern in ambient groundwater in urbanized areas of Minnesota, 2009-12

Science.gov (United States)

Erickson, Melinda L.; Langer, Susan K.; Roth, Jason L.; Kroening, Sharon E.

2014-01-01

A study of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in ambient groundwater in urbanized areas of Minnesota was completed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. For this study, water samples were collected from November 2009 through June 2012 from 118 wells located in different land-use settings. The sampled wells primarily were screened in vulnerable sand and gravel aquifers (surficial and buried glacial aquifers) or vulnerable bedrock aquifers such as the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer. Sampled well depths ranged from 9 to 285 feet below land surface. Water samples were collected by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency staff. The water samples were analyzed at U.S. Geological Survey laboratories for steroidal hormones, human-use pharmaceutical compounds, human- and animal-use antibiotics, and a broad suite of organic chemicals associated with wastewater. Reported detections were censored and not counted as detections in the data analyses if the chemical was detected in a laboratory or field blank at a similar concentration.

Development of Decontamination Process for Soil Contaminated Uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Gye-Nam; Kim, Seung-Soo; Park, Uk-Rang; Han, Gyu-Seong; Moon, Jei-Kwon

2014-01-01

Various experiments with full-scaled electrokinetic equipment, soil washing equipment, and gravel washing equipment were performed to remove 238 U from contaminated soils of below 0.4 Bq/g. The repetition number and the removal efficiencies of the soil and gravel washing equipment were evaluated. The decontamination periods by the soil and gravel electrokinetic equipment were evaluated. Finally, a work process of full-scaled decontamination equipment was developed. Contaminated soils were classified into soils and gravels using a 8.0 cm sieve. Soils were sent to the soil washing equipment, while gravels were sent to the gravel washing equipment. Soils sent to the soil washing equipment were sent to the soil electrokinetic equipment after soil washing. A repetition number of soil washing was two times. The washed gravels were sent to the gravel electrokinetic equipment. Gravel contaminated with a high concentration requires crushing after gravel washing

Development of Decontamination Process for Soil Contaminated Uranium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Gye-Nam; Kim, Seung-Soo; Park, Uk-Rang; Han, Gyu-Seong; Moon, Jei-Kwon [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

Various experiments with full-scaled electrokinetic equipment, soil washing equipment, and gravel washing equipment were performed to remove {sup 238}U from contaminated soils of below 0.4 Bq/g. The repetition number and the removal efficiencies of the soil and gravel washing equipment were evaluated. The decontamination periods by the soil and gravel electrokinetic equipment were evaluated. Finally, a work process of full-scaled decontamination equipment was developed. Contaminated soils were classified into soils and gravels using a 8.0 cm sieve. Soils were sent to the soil washing equipment, while gravels were sent to the gravel washing equipment. Soils sent to the soil washing equipment were sent to the soil electrokinetic equipment after soil washing. A repetition number of soil washing was two times. The washed gravels were sent to the gravel electrokinetic equipment. Gravel contaminated with a high concentration requires crushing after gravel washing.

Evaluation of modeling approaches to simulate contaminant transport in a fractured limestone aquifer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mosthaf, Klaus; Fjordbøge, Annika Sidelmann; Broholm, Mette Martina

in fractured limestone aquifers. The model comparison is conducted for a contaminated site in Denmark, where a plume of dissolved PCE has migrated through a fractured limestone aquifer. Field data includes information on spill history, distribution of the contaminant (multilevel sampling), geology...... and hydrogeology. To describe the geology and fracture system, data from borehole logs and cores was combined with an analysis of heterogeneities and fractures from a nearby excavation and pump test data. We present how field data is integrated into the different model concepts. A challenge in the use of field...... and remediation strategies. Each model is compared with field data, considering both model fit and model suitability. Results show a considerable difference between the approaches, and that it is important to select the right one for the actual modeling purpose. The comparison with data showed how much...

Hydrophysical logging: A new wellbore technology for hydrogeologic and contaminant characterization of aquifers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pedler, W.H.; Williams, L.L.; Head, C.L.

1992-01-01

In the continuing search for improved groundwater characterization technologies, a new wellbore fluid logging method has recently been developed to provide accurate and cost effective hydrogeologic and contaminant characterization of bedrock aquifers. This new technique, termed hydrophysical logging, provides critical information for contaminated site characterization and water supply studies and, in addition, offers advantages compared to existing industry standards for aquifer characterization. Hydrophysical logging is based on measuring induced electrical conductivity changes in the fluid column of a wellbore by employing advanced downhole water quality instrumentation specifically developed for the dynamic borehole environment. Hydrophysical logging contemporaneously identifies the locations of water bearing intervals, the interval-specific inflow rate during pumping, and in-situ hydrochemistry of the formation waters associated with each producing interval. In addition, by employing a discrete point downhole fluid sampler during hydrophysical logging, this technique provides evaluation of contaminant concentrations and migration of contaminants vertically within the borehole. Recently, hydrophysical logging was applied in a deep bedrock wellbore at an industrial site in New Hampshire contaminated with dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs). The results of the hydrophysical logging, conducted as part of a hydrogeologic site investigation and feasibility study, facilitated investigation of the site by providing information which indicated that the contamination had not penetrated into deeper bedrock fractures at concentrations of concern. This information was used to focus the pending Remedial Action Plan and to provide a more cost-effective remedial design

Contamination Control of Freeze Shoe Coring System for Collection of Aquifer Sands

Science.gov (United States)

Homola, K.; van Geen, A.; Spivack, A. J.; Grzybowski, B.; Schlottenmier, D.

2017-12-01

We have developed and tested an original device, the freeze-shoe coring system, designed to recover undisturbed samples of water contained in sand-dominated aquifers. Aquifer sands are notoriously difficult to collect together with porewater from coincident depths, as high hydraulic permeability leads to water drainage and mixing during retrieval. Two existing corer designs were reconfigured to incorporate the freeze-shoe system; a Hydraulic Piston (HPC) and a Rotary (RC) Corer. Once deployed, liquid CO­2 contained in an interior tank is channeled to coils at the core head where it changes phase, rapidly cooling the deepest portion of the core. The resulting frozen core material impedes water loss during recovery. We conducted contamination tests to examine the integrity of cores retrieved during a March 2017 yard test deployment. Perfluorocarbon tracer (PFC) was added to the drill fluid and recovered cores were subsampled to capture the distribution of PFC throughout the core length and interior. Samples were collected from two HPC and one RC core and analyzed for PFC concentrations. The lowest porewater contamination, around 0.01% invasive fluid, occurs in the center of both HPC cores. The greatest contamination (up to 10%) occurs at the disturbed edges where core material contacts drill fluid. There was lower contamination in the core interior than top, bottom, and edges, as well as significantly lower contamination in HPC cores that those recovered with the RC. These results confirm that the freeze-shoe system, proposed for field test deployments in West Bengal, India, can successfully collect intact porewater and sediment material with minimal if any contamination from drill fluid.

Sulfur cycling in contaminated aquifers: What can we learn from oxygen isotopes in sulfate? (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Knoeller, K.; Vogt, C.; Hoth, N.

2009-12-01

Bacterial reduction of dissolved sulfate (BSR) is a key process determining the natural attenuation in many contaminated aquifers. For example, in groundwater bodies affected by acid mine drainage (AMD) BSR reduces the contaminant load by producing alkalinity and facilitating a sustainable fixation of sulfur in the sediment. In aquifers contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons sulfate may act as a terminal electron acceptor for the anaerobic oxidation of the organic contaminants to carbon dioxide and water. Due to the isotope selectivity of sulfate reducing bacteria, BSR shows the most pronounced isotope fractionation within the sulfur cycle. While sulfur displays a straightforward kinetic enrichment in the residual sulfate described by the enrichment factor epsilon (ɛ), the mechanism of oxygen isotope fractionation is still being discussed controversially. Nevertheless, it is agreed on that oxygen isotope exchange between ambient water and residual sulfate occurs during BSR in natural environments. With respect to this potential isotope exchange, the fractionation parameter theta (θ) is introduced instead of the kinetic enrichment factor epsilon (ɛ). The dual isotope system considering both sulfate-sulfur and sulfate-oxygen isotope fractionation and the respective fractionation parameters ɛ and θ provides an excellent tool for the recognition and quantification of BSR. Beyond that, the dual isotope approach may help identify and estimate interfering sulfur transformations such as re-oxidation and disproportionation processes which is especially vital for the understanding of the overall natural attenuation potential of the investigated aquifers. We present two examples from different field studies showing the benefits of applying the combination of sulfur and oxygen isotopes in dissolved sulfate to reveal the details of the sulfur cycle. The first case study is concerned with the evaluation of the potential for BSR in an AMD-affected aquifer close to an

Microbial ecology of a crude oil contaminated aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Bekins, B.A.; Cozzarelli, I.M.; Warren, E.; Godsy, E.M.

2002-01-01

Detailed microbial analyses of a glacial outwash aquifer contaminated by crude oil provide insights into the pattern of microbial succession from iron reducing to methanogenic in the anaerobic portion of the contaminant plume. We analysed sediments from this area for populations of aerobes, iron reducers, fermenters and methanogens, using the most probable number method. On the basis of the microbial data the anaerobic area can be divided into distinct physiological zones dominated by either iron-reducers or a consortium of fermenters and methanogens. Chemistry and permeability data show that methanogenic conditions develop first in areas of high hydrocarbon flux. Thus, we find methanogens both in high permeability horizons and also where separate-phase crude oil is present in either the saturated or unsaturated zone. Microbial numbers peak at the top of the separate-phase oil suggesting that growth is most rapid in locations with access to both hydrocarbons and nutrients infiltrating from the surface.

Assessing the vulnerability of public-supply wells to contamination--Glacial aquifer system in Woodbury, Connecticut

Science.gov (United States)

Jagucki, Martha L.; Brown, Craig J.; Starn, J. Jeffrey; Eberts, Sandra M.

2010-01-01

This fact sheet highlights findings from the vulnerability study of a public-supply well in Woodbury, Connecticut. The well typically produces water at the rate of 72 gallons per minute from the glacial aquifer system in the Pomperaug River Basin. Water samples were collected at the public-supply well and at monitoring wells installed in or near the simulated zone of contribution to the supply well. Samples of untreated water from the public-supply wellhead contained several types of undesirable constituents, including 11 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrate, pesticides, uranium, and radon. Most of these constituents were detected at concentrations below drinking-water standards, where such standards exist. Only concentrations of the VOC trichlorethylene exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 5 micrograms per liter (ug/L) established by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for drinking water. Radon concentrations exceeded a proposed-but not finalized-MCL of 300 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). Overall, the study findings point to four main factors that affect the movement and fate of contaminants and the vulnerability of the public-supply well in Woodbury: (1) groundwater age (how long ago water entered, or recharged, the aquifer); (2) the percentage of recharge received through urban areas; (3) the percentage of recharge received through dry wells and their proximity to the public-supply well; and (4) natural geochemical processes occurring within the aquifer system; that is, processes that affect the amounts and distribution of chemical substances in aquifer sediments and groundwater. A computer-model simulation of groundwater flow to the public-supply well was used to estimate the age of water particles entering the well along the length of the well screen. About 90 percent of the simulated flow to the well consists of water that entered the aquifer 9 or fewer years ago. Such young water is vulnerable to contaminants resulting from human activities

Denitrification and dilution along fracture flowpaths influence the recovery of a bedrock aquifer from nitrate contamination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jonathan J.; Comstock, Jeff; Ryan, Peter; Heindel, Craig; Koenigsberger, Stephan

2016-01-01

In 2000, elevated nitrate concentrations ranging from 12 to 34 mg/L NO_3−N were discovered in groundwater from numerous domestic bedrock wells adjacent to a large dairy farm in central Vermont. Long-term plots and contours of nitrate vs. time for bedrock wells showed “little/no”, “moderate”, and “large” change patterns that were spatially separable. The metasedimentary bedrock aquifer is strongly anisotropic and groundwater flow is controlled by fractures, bedding/foliation, and basins and ridges in the bedrock surface. Integration of the nitrate concentration vs. time data and the physical and chemical aquifer characterization suggest two nitrate sources: a point source emanating from a waste ravine and a non-point source that encompasses the surrounding fields. Once removed, the point source of NO_3 (manure deposited in a ravine) was exhausted and NO_3 dropped from 34 mg/L to 10 mg/L. Our multidisciplinary methods of aquifer characterization are applicable to groundwater contamination in any complexly-deformed and metamorphosed bedrock aquifer. - Highlights: • Bedrock wells contaminated with nitrates at a dairy farm in Vermont, U.S.A. • Nitrate concentration vs. time patterns for wells were spatially separable. • Multidisciplinary aquifer characterization used physical and chemical methods. • Denitrification dominant over dilution along fracture flowpaths • Conceptual model shows exhaustion of a nitrate point-source over 12 years.

Potential Risks of Freshwater Aquifer Contamination with Geosequestration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jackson, Robert

2013-09-30

Substantial leakage of CO{sub 2} from deep geological strata to shallow potable aquifers is likely to be rare, but chemical detection of potential leakage nonetheless remains an integral component of any safe carbon capture and storage system. CO{sub 2} that infiltrates an unconfined freshwater aquifer will have an immediate impact on water chemistry by lowering pH in most cases and by altering the concentration of total dissolved solids. Chemical signatures in affected waters provide an important opportunity for early detection of leaks. In the presence of CO{sub 2}, trace elements such as Mn, Fe, and Ca can increase by an order of magnitude or more above control concentrations within 100 days. Therefore, these and other elements should be monitored along with pH as geochemical markers of potential CO{sub 2} leaks. Dissolved inorganic carbon and alkalinity can also be rapidly responsive to CO{sub 2} and are stable indicators of a leak. Importantly, such changes may be detectable long before direct changes in CO{sub 2} are observed. The experimental results also suggest that the relative severity of the impact of leaks on overlying drinking-water aquifers should be considered in the selection of CO{sub 2} sequestration sites. One primary selection criteria should be metal and metalloid availability, such as uranium and arsenic abundance, to carefully monitor chemical species that could trigger changes above maximum contaminant levels (MCLs). Overall, the risks of leakage from underground CO{sub 2} storage are real but appear to be manageable if systems are closely monitored.

Using artificial sweeteners to identify contamination sources and infiltration zones in a coupled river-aquifer system

Science.gov (United States)

Bichler, Andrea; Muellegger, Christian; Hofmann, Thilo

2014-05-01

In shallow or unconfined aquifers the infiltration of contaminated river water might be a major threat to groundwater quality. Thus, the identification of possible contamination sources in coupled surface- and groundwater systems is of paramount importance to ensure water quality. Micropollutants like artificial sweeteners are promising markers for domestic waste water in natural water bodies. Compounds, such as artificial sweeteners, might enter the aquatic environment via discharge of waste water treatment plants, leaky sewer systems or septic tanks and are ubiquitously found in waste water receiving waters. The hereby presented field study aims at the (1) identification of contamination sources and (2) delineation of infiltration zones in a connected river-aquifer system. River bank filtrate in the groundwater body was assessed qualitatively and quantitatively using a combined approach of hydrochemical analysis and artificial sweeteners (acesulfame ACE) as waste water markers. The investigated aquifer lies within a mesoscale alpine head water catchment and is used for drinking water production. It is hypothesized that a large proportion of the groundwater flux originates from bank filtrate of a nearby losing stream. Water sampling campaigns in March and July 2012 confirmed the occurrence of artificial sweeteners at the investigated site. The municipal waste water treatment plant was identified as point-source for ACE in the river network. In the aquifer ACE was present in more than 80% of the monitoring wells. In addition, water samples were classified according to their hydrochemical composition, identifying two predominant types of water in the aquifer: (1) groundwater influenced by bank filtrate and (2) groundwater originating from local recharge. In combination with ACE concentrations a third type of water could be discriminated: (3) groundwater influence by bank filtrate but infiltrated prior to the waste water treatment plant. Moreover, the presence of ACE

Case studies of groundwater- surface water interactions and scale relationships in small alluvial aquifers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Love, Dave; de Hamer, Wouter; Owen, Richard J.S.; Booij, Martijn J.; Uhlenbrook, Stefan; Hoekstra, Arjen Ysbert; van der Zaag, Pieter

2007-01-01

An alluvial aquifer can be described as a groundwater system, generally unconfined, that is hosted in laterally discontinuous layers of gravel, sand, silt and clay, deposited by a river in a river channel, banks or flood plain. In semi-arid regions, streams that are associated with alluvial aquifers

Hydrogeology of Two Areas of the Tug Hill Glacial-Drift Aquifer, Oswego County, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Todd S.; Bugliosi, Edward F.; Hetcher-Aguila, Kari K.; Eckhardt, David A.

2007-01-01

Two water-production systems, one for the Village of Pulaski and the other for the Villages of Sandy Creek and Lacona in Oswego County, New York, withdraw water from the Tug Hill glacial-drift aquifer, a regional sand and gravel aquifer along the western flank of the Tug Hill Plateau, and provide the sole source of water for these villages. As a result of concerns about contamination of the aquifer, two studies were conducted during 2001 to 2004, one for each water-production system, to refine the understanding of ground-water flow surrounding these water-production systems. Also, these studies were conducted to determine the cause of the discrepancy between ground-water ages estimated from previously constructed numerical ground-water-flow models for the Pulaski and Sandy Creek/Lacona well fields and the apparent ground-water ages determined using concentrations of tritium and chlorofluorocarbons. The Village of Pulaski withdrew 650,000 gallons per day in 2000 from four shallow, large-diameter, dug wells finished in glaciolacustrine deposits consisting of sand with some gravelly lenses 3 miles east of the village. Four 2-inch diameter test wells were installed upgradient from each production well, hydraulic heads were measured, and water samples collected and analyzed for physical properties, inorganic constituents, nutrients, bacteria, tritium, dissolved gases, and chlorofluorocarbons. Recharge to the Tug Hill glacial-drift aquifer is from precipitation directly over the aquifer and from upland sources in the eastern part of the recharge area, including (1) unchannelized runoff from till and bedrock hills east of the aquifer, (2) seepage to the aquifer from streams that drain the Tug Hill Plateau, (3) ground-water inflow from the till and bedrock on the adjoining Tug Hill Plateau. Water-quality data collected from four piezometers near the production wells in November 2003 indicated that the water is a calcium-bicarbonate type with iron concentrations that

Modeling the potential impact of seasonal and inactive multi-aquifer wells on contaminant movement to public water-supply wells

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, R.L.; Clark, B.R.; Landon, M.K.; Kauffman, L.J.; Eberts, S.M.

2011-01-01

Wells screened across multiple aquifers can provide pathways for the movement of surprisingly large volumes of groundwater to confined aquifers used for public water supply (PWS). Using a simple numerical model, we examine the impact of several pumping scenarios on leakage from an unconfined aquifer to a confined aquifer and conclude that a single inactive multi-aquifer well can contribute nearly 10% of total PWS well flow over a wide range of pumping rates. This leakage can occur even when the multi-aquifer well is more than a kilometer from the PWS well. The contribution from multi-aquifer wells may be greater under conditions where seasonal pumping (e.g., irrigation) creates large, widespread downward hydraulic gradients between aquifers. Under those conditions, water can continue to leak down a multi-aquifer well from an unconfined aquifer to a confined aquifer even when those multi-aquifer wells are actively pumped. An important implication is that, if an unconfined aquifer is contaminated, multi-aquifer wells can increase the vulnerability of a confined-aquifer PWS well.

Characteristics of Southern California coastal aquifer systems

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, B.D.; Hanson, R.T.; Reichard, E.G.; Johnson, T.A.

2009-01-01

Most groundwater produced within coastal Southern California occurs within three main types of siliciclastic basins: (1) deep (>600 m), elongate basins of the Transverse Ranges Physiographic Province, where basin axes and related fluvial systems strike parallel to tectonic structure, (2) deep (>6000 m), broad basins of the Los Angeles and Orange County coastal plains in the northern part of the Peninsular Ranges Physiographic Province, where fluvial systems cut across tectonic structure at high angles, and (3) shallow (75-350 m), relatively narrow fluvial valleys of the generally mountainous southern part of the Peninsular Ranges Physiographic Province in San Diego County. Groundwater pumped for agricultural, industrial, municipal, and private use from coastal aquifers within these basins increased with population growth since the mid-1850s. Despite a significant influx of imported water into the region in recent times, groundwater, although reduced as a component of total consumption, still constitutes a significant component of water supply. Historically, overdraft from the aquifers has caused land surface subsidence, flow between water basins with related migration of groundwater contaminants, as well as seawater intrusion into many shallow coastal aquifers. Although these effects have impacted water quality, most basins, particularly those with deeper aquifer systems, meet or exceed state and national primary and secondary drinking water standards. Municipalities, academicians, and local water and governmental agencies have studied the stratigraphy of these basins intensely since the early 1900s with the goals of understanding and better managing the important groundwater resource. Lack of a coordinated effort, due in part to jurisdictional issues, combined with the application of lithostratigraphic correlation techniques (based primarily on well cuttings coupled with limited borehole geophysics) have produced an often confusing, and occasionally conflicting

Effects of gravel mulch on emergence of galleta grass seedlings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkel, V.K.; Medrano, J.C.; Stanley, C.; Walo, M.D.

1993-03-01

The Department of Energy Nevada Operations Office, Technology Development and Program Management Division, has identified the need to clean up several sites on the Nevada Test Site and Tonopah Test Range contaminated with surface plutonium. An important objective of the project identified as the Plutonium In Soils Integrated Demonstration is to develop technologies to stabilize and restore the disturbed sites after decontamination. Revegetation of these contaminated sites will be difficult due to their location in the arid Mojave and Great Basin Deserts. The major factors which will affect successful plant establishment and growth at these sites are limited and sporadic precipitation, limited soil water, extreme air and soil temperatures, limited topsoil, and herbivory . Research has shown that providing microsites for seed via mulching can aid in plant emergence and establishment. Since many of the soils at the sites slated for plutonium decontamination have a large percentage of gravel in the upper 10 cm of soil, the use of gravel as mulch could provide microsites for seed and stabilize soils during subsequent revegetation of the sites. In July 1992, EG ampersand G/EM Environmental Sciences Department initiated a greenhouse study to examine the possible benefits of gravel mulch. The specific objectives of this greenhouse study were to: (1) determine the effects seedling emergence and soil water, and (2) determine effects of irrigation rates on seedling emergence for gravel mulches and other conventional seedbed preparation techniques. A secondary objective was to determine the depth of gravel mulch that was optimal for seedling emergence. Results from this greenhouse study will assist in formulating specific reclamation plans for sites chosen for cleanup

Uranium contamination in the Great Miami Aquifer at the Fernald Environmental Management Project, Fernald, Ohio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sidle, W.C.

1996-01-01

Ground-water investigations at a former US Department of Energy nuclear weapons complex near Fernald, in southwestern Ohio, included the delineation of uranium contamination above the USEPA proposed drinking water standard of 20 microg/l. Contamination occurs in a buried valley and has migrated >1.5 km south-southeast of the facility boundary. Flooring of the plume(s) appears to be ≅ 32 m below the water table of the Great Miami Aquifer. U 6+ predominates in the modeled U-O 2 -CO 2 -H 2 O system and U retardation decreases at depth. U 234 /U 238 disequilibria analyses complement hydrogeologic studies which suggest that U leakage through the clayey till cap is less significant than the predominant transport pathway of infiltration via drainage channels incised into the aquifer

Assessment of microbial in situ activity in contaminated aquifers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaestner, M. [UFZ-Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Department Bioremediation, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig (Germany); Fischer, A.; Nijenhuis, I.; Stelzer, N.; Bombach, P.; Richnow, H.H. [UFZ-Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Department Isotopenbiogeochemie, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig (Germany); Geyer, R. [UFZ-Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Department Umweltmikrobiologie, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig (Germany); Tebbe, C.C. [Institut fuer Agraroekologie, Bundesforschungsanstalt fuer Landwirtschaft (FAL), D-38116 Braunschweig (Germany)

2006-06-15

Microbial ecologists and environmental engineers share the interest in identifying the key microorganisms responsible for compound turnover in the environment and in estimating the respective transformation rates. For the successful application of Natural Attenuation processes, a reliable assessment of the in situ turnover of a contaminant in an aquifer is essential. Here, we review and present new details of two recently developed approaches concerning the assessment of in situ biodegradation: (i) determination of biodegradation caused by microbial metabolism in a contamination plume by stable isotope fractionation analysis (SIFA) and (ii) determination of the actual degradation under the respective environmental conditions in the aquifer by using in situ microcosms (BACTRAPS registered) amended with {sup 13}C-labeled substrates as tracer compounds. Based on stable isotope fractionation analysis, the degradation occurring under anoxic biogeochemical conditions at a respective site can be calculated for the entire plume. This has been shown for benzene and toluene at the Zeitz site and partly for chlorobenzene at the Bitterfeld site. By use of the in situ microcosm approach with {sup 13}C-labeled compounds, the microbial in situ degradation under strictly anaerobic conditions could be proven for benzene and toluene in Zeitz and for chlorobenzene in Bitterfeld. The transformation of {sup 13}C-carbon of the labeled substrate into microbial fatty acids confirmed the assimilation of the pollutant resulting in the formation of biomass. In addition, metabolites such as benzylsuccinic acid were found in the toluene-amended microcosms indicating anaerobic degradation of toluene. This result corresponds to the geochemical conditions found at the field site and therefore, the microcosm approach with {sup 13}C-labeled compounds can be used to assign the predominant in situ degradation pathways in a contaminated aquifer. Since fatty acids profiles alone are often too

Consequences of preferential flow in cracking clay soils for contamination-risk of shallow aquifers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oostindie, K.; Bronswijk, J.J.B.

1995-01-01

A method is presented to asses the contamination risk of aquifers covered with cracking clay soils, with special emphasis on preferential flow through shrinkage cracks. A water extraction area was divided into units with homogeneous soil types and hydrological conditions. For each unit, a

Simulation of ground-water flow in the St. Peter aquifer in an area contaminated by coal-tar derivatives, St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Water Resources Investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lorenz, D.L.; Stark, J.R.

1990-01-01

A model constructed to simulate ground-water flow in part of the Prairie du Chien-Jordan and St. Peter aquifers, St. Louis Park, Minnesota, was used to test hypotheses about the movement of ground water contaminated with coal-tar derivatives and to simulate alternatives for reducing the downgradient movement of contamination in the St. Peter aquifer. The model, constructed for a previous study, was applied to simulate the effects of current ground-water withdrawals on the potentiometric surface of the St. Peter aquifer. Model simulations predict that the multiaquifer wells have the potential to limit downgradient migration of contaminants in the St. Peter aquifer caused by cones of depression created around the multiaquifer wells. Differences in vertical leakage to the St. Peter aquifer may exist in areas of bedrock valleys. Model simulations indicate that these differences are not likely to affect significantly the general patterns of ground-water flow

Thermally enhanced bioremediation of a gasoline-contaminated aquifer using toluene oxidizing bacteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deeb, R.; Alvarez-Cohen, L.

1994-01-01

The combined application of steam injection and vacuum extraction has proved to be very effective for the in situ remediation of a gasoline contaminated aquifer. It is expected that the steam treated zone with its near-sterile nature, increased temperature, and decreased level of contaminant concentration will provide a superior environment for enhanced bioremediation, and will favor the survival of an introduced microbial culture for the destruction of residual gasoline hydrocarbons and especially BTEX compounds (Benzene, Toluene, Ethyl benzene, and Xylene). A mixed microbial culture seeded from the pre-steamed aquifer material was enriched in a laboratory chemostat on toluene, a major gasoline aromatic. Studies were conducted to determine the optimal conditions for microbial growth and activity. Growth rate studies conducted at different temperatures revealed that cell growth was optimal at 35 C, a temperature at which the aquifer can be maintained using the existing steam injection wells. The enriched culture was shown to degrade all BTEX compounds successfully both individually and in mixtures. Substrate toxicity was observed for some of the gasoline aromatics but at concentration levels well above those found in groundwater. When cells were exposed to mixtures of BTEX compounds, the biodegradation of xylene, the most recalcitrant aromatic among BTEX compounds, was stimulated. When cells were exposed to gasoline, BTEX degradation proceeded with no apparent inhibition by gasoline aliphatics; little aliphatic degradation took place, however, suggesting the absence of monooxygenase enzymes in the mixed culture. In mixtures of both toluene and propane enriched cultures, only dioxygenase activity was observed

Generalized hydrogeologic framework and groundwater budget for a groundwater availability study for the glacial aquifer system of the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Reeves, Howard W.; Bayless, E. Randall; Dudley, Robert W.; Feinstein, Daniel T.; Fienen, Michael N.; Hoard, Christopher J.; Hodgkins, Glenn A.; Qi, Sharon L.; Roth, Jason L.; Trost, Jared J.

2017-12-14

The glacial aquifer system groundwater availability study seeks to quantify (1) the status of groundwater resources in the glacial aquifer system, (2) how these resources have changed over time, and (3) likely system response to future changes in anthropogenic and environmental conditions. The glacial aquifer system extends from Maine to Alaska, although the focus of this report is the part of the system in the conterminous United States east of the Rocky Mountains. The glacial sand and gravel principal aquifer is the largest source of public and self-supplied industrial supply for any principal aquifer and also is an important source for irrigation supply. Despite its importance for water supply, water levels in the glacial aquifer system are generally stable varying with climate and only locally from pumping. The hydrogeologic framework developed for this study includes the information from waterwell records and classification of material types from surficial geologic maps into likely aquifers dominated by sand and gravel deposits. Generalized groundwater budgets across the study area highlight the variation in recharge and discharge primarily driven by climate.

Fingerprinting groundwater pollution in catchments with contrasting contaminant sources using microorganic compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Stuart, Marianne E; Lapworth, Dan J; Thomas, Jenny; Edwards, Laura

2014-01-15

Evaluating the occurrence of microorganics helps to understand sources and processes which may be controlling the transport and fate of emerging contaminants (ECs). A study was carried out at the contrasting instrumented environmental observatory sites at Oxford, on the peri-urban floodplain gravel aquifer of the River Thames and Boxford, in the rural valley of the River Lambourn on the chalk aquifer, in Southern England to explore the use of ECs to fingerprint contaminant sources and flow pathways in groundwater. At Oxford compounds were typical of a local waste tip plume (not only plasticisers and solvents but also barbiturates and N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET)) and of the urban area (plasticisers and mood-enhancing drugs such as carbamazepine). At Boxford the results were different with widespread occurrence of agricultural pesticides, their metabolites and the solvent trichloroethene, as well as plasticisers, caffeine, butylated food additives, DEET, parabens and trace polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Groups of compounds used in pharmaceuticals and personal care products of different provenance in the environment could be distinguished, i) historical household and medical waste, ii) long-term household usage persistent in groundwater and iii) current usage and contamination from surface water. Co-contaminant and degradation products can also indicate the likely source of contaminants. A cocktail of contaminants can be used as tracers to provide information on catchment pathways and groundwater/surface water interactions. A prominent feature in this study is the attenuation of many EC compounds in the hyporheic zone. © 2013.

Saltwater Intrusion Appraisal of Shallow Aquifer in Burutu Area of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ADOWIE PERE

is not caused by saltwater intrusion rather by iron which cannot be separately distinguished from groundwater by ... The sand and gravels forms the aquifer in the. Formation and are .... K.S; Soulios, G; Pliakas, F; Tsokas, G ( 2016). Seawater ...

Septic systems as sources of organic wastewater compounds in domestic drinking water wells in a shallow sand and gravel aquifer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schaider, Laurel A., E-mail: schaider@silentspring.org; Ackerman, Janet M.; Rudel, Ruthann A.

2016-03-15

Domestic drinking water wells serve 44 million people in the US and are common globally. They are often located in areas served by onsite wastewater treatment systems, including septic systems, which can be sources of biological and chemical pollutants to groundwater. In this study we tested 20 domestic drinking water wells in a sand and gravel aquifer on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA, for 117 organic wastewater compounds (OWCs) and for inorganic markers of septic system impact. We detected 27 OWCs, including 12 pharmaceuticals, five per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), four organophosphate flame retardants, and an artificial sweetener (acesulfame). Maximum concentrations of several PFASs and pharmaceuticals were relatively high compared to public drinking water supplies in the US. The number of detected OWCs and total concentrations of pharmaceuticals and of PFASs were positively correlated with nitrate, boron, and acesulfame and negatively correlated with well depth. These wells were all located in areas served exclusively by onsite wastewater treatment systems, which are likely the main source of the OWCs in these wells, although landfill leachate may also be a source. Our results suggest that current regulations to protect domestic wells from pathogens in septic system discharges do not prevent OWCs from reaching domestic wells, and that nitrate, a commonly measured drinking water contaminant, is a useful screening tool for OWCs in domestic wells. Nitrate concentrations of 1 mg/L NO{sub 3}-N, which are tenfold higher than local background and tenfold lower than the US federal drinking water standard, were associated with wastewater impacts from OWCs in this study. - Highlights: • We tested 20 domestic drinking water wells for 117 organic wastewater compounds. • PFASs, pharmaceuticals, and an artificial sweetener were most frequently detected. • Nitrate, boron, and well depth were all correlated with PFASs and pharmaceuticals. • Acesulfame

Septic systems as sources of organic wastewater compounds in domestic drinking water wells in a shallow sand and gravel aquifer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaider, Laurel A.; Ackerman, Janet M.; Rudel, Ruthann A.

2016-01-01

Domestic drinking water wells serve 44 million people in the US and are common globally. They are often located in areas served by onsite wastewater treatment systems, including septic systems, which can be sources of biological and chemical pollutants to groundwater. In this study we tested 20 domestic drinking water wells in a sand and gravel aquifer on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA, for 117 organic wastewater compounds (OWCs) and for inorganic markers of septic system impact. We detected 27 OWCs, including 12 pharmaceuticals, five per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), four organophosphate flame retardants, and an artificial sweetener (acesulfame). Maximum concentrations of several PFASs and pharmaceuticals were relatively high compared to public drinking water supplies in the US. The number of detected OWCs and total concentrations of pharmaceuticals and of PFASs were positively correlated with nitrate, boron, and acesulfame and negatively correlated with well depth. These wells were all located in areas served exclusively by onsite wastewater treatment systems, which are likely the main source of the OWCs in these wells, although landfill leachate may also be a source. Our results suggest that current regulations to protect domestic wells from pathogens in septic system discharges do not prevent OWCs from reaching domestic wells, and that nitrate, a commonly measured drinking water contaminant, is a useful screening tool for OWCs in domestic wells. Nitrate concentrations of 1 mg/L NO_3-N, which are tenfold higher than local background and tenfold lower than the US federal drinking water standard, were associated with wastewater impacts from OWCs in this study. - Highlights: • We tested 20 domestic drinking water wells for 117 organic wastewater compounds. • PFASs, pharmaceuticals, and an artificial sweetener were most frequently detected. • Nitrate, boron, and well depth were all correlated with PFASs and pharmaceuticals. • Acesulfame (artificial

A convenient method for estimating the contaminated zone of a subsurface aquifer resulting from radioactive waste disposal into ground

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukui, Masami; Katsurayama, Kousuke; Uchida, Shigeo.

1981-01-01

Studies were conducted to estimate the contamination spread resulting from the radioactive waste disposal into a subsurface aquifer. A general equation, expressing the contaminated zone as a function of radioactive decay, the physical and chemical parameters of soil is presented. A distribution coefficient was also formulated which can be used to judge the suitability of a site for waste disposal. Moreover, a method for predicting contaminant concentration in groundwater at a site boundary is suggested for a heterogeneous media where the subsurface aquifer has different values of porosity, density, flow velocity, distribution coefficient and so on. A general equation was also developed to predict the distribution of radionuclides resulting from the disposal of a solid waste material. The distributions of contamination was evaluated for 90 Sr and 239 Pu which obey a linear adsorption model and a first order kinetics respectively. These equations appear to have practical utility for easily estimating groundwater contamination. (author)

Nitrate Contamination of Deep Aquifers in the Salinas Valley, California

Science.gov (United States)

Moran, J. E.; Esser, B. K.; Hillegonds, D. J.; Holtz, M.; Roberts, S. K.; Singleton, M. J.; Visser, A.; Kulongoski, J. T.; Belitz, K.

2011-12-01

The Salinas Valley, known as 'the salad bowl of the world', has been an agricultural center for more than 100 years. Irrigated row crops such as lettuce and strawberries dominate both land use and water use. Groundwater is the exclusive supply for both irrigation and drinking water. Some irrigation wells and most public water supply wells in the Salinas Valley are constructed to draw water from deep portions of the aquifer system, where contamination by nitrate is less likely than in the shallow portions of the aquifer system. However, a number of wells with top perforations greater than 75 m deep, screened below confining or semi-confining units, have nitrate concentrations greater than the Maximum Contaminant Limit (MCL) of 45 mg/L as NO3-. This study uses nitrate concentrations from several hundred irrigation, drinking water, and monitoring wells (Monterey County Water Resources Agency, 1997), along with tritium-helium groundwater ages acquired at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory through the State of California Groundwater Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) program (reported in Kulongoski et al., 2007 and in Moran et al., in press), to identify nitrate 'hot spots' in the deep aquifer and to examine possible modes of nitrate transport to the deep aquifer. In addition, observed apparent groundwater ages are compared with the results of transport simulations that use particle tracking and a stochastic-geostatistical framework to incorporate aquifer heterogeneity to determine the distribution of travel times from the water table to each well (Fogg et al., 1999). The combined evidence from nitrate, tritium, tritiogenic 3He, and radiogenic 4He concentrations, reveals complex recharge and flow to the capture zone of the deep drinking water wells. Widespread groundwater pumping for irrigation accelerates vertical groundwater flow such that high nitrate groundwater reaches some deep drinking water wells. Deeper portions of the wells often draw in water that recharged

Multi-isotope (carbon and chlorine) analysis for fingerprinting and site characterization at a fractured bedrock aquifer contaminated by chlorinated ethenes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palau, Jordi, E-mail: jordi.palau@unine.ch [Departament de Cristal.lografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès, s/n 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Marchesi, Massimo [Departament de Cristal.lografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès, s/n 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 (Canada); Chambon, Julie C.C. [Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby (Denmark); Aravena, Ramon [Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 (Canada); Canals, Àngels [Departament de Cristal.lografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès, s/n 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Binning, Philip J.; Bjerg, Poul L. [Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby (Denmark); Otero, Neus; Soler, Albert [Departament de Cristal.lografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès, s/n 08028 Barcelona (Spain)

2014-03-01

The use of compound specific multi-isotope approach (C and Cl) in the characterization of a chlorinated ethenes contaminated fractured aquifer allows the identification of several sources and contaminant plumes, as well as the occurrence of biodegradation and mixing processes. The study site is located in Spain with contamination resulting in groundwater concentrations of up to 50 mg/L of trichloroethene (TCE), the most abundant chlorinated ethene, and 7 mg/L of tetrachloroethene (PCE). The potential sources of contamination including abandoned barrels, an underground tank, and a disposal lagoon, showed a wide range in δ{sup 13}C values from − 15.6 to − 40.5‰ for TCE and from − 18.5 to − 32.4‰ for PCE, allowing the use of isotope fingerprinting for tracing of the origin and migration of these contaminants in the aquifer. In contrast, there is no difference between the δ{sup 37}Cl values for TCE in the contaminant sources, ranging from + 0.53 to + 0.66‰. Variations of δ{sup 37}Cl and δ{sup 13}C in the different contaminant plumes were used to investigate the role of biodegradation in groundwater. Moreover, the isotopic data were incorporated into a reactive transport model for determination of whether the isotope pattern observed downstream from the tank's source could be explained by the simultaneous effect of mixing and biodegradation. The results demonstrate that a multi-isotope approach is a valuable tool for characterization of complex sites such as fractured bedrock aquifer contaminated by multiple sources, providing important information which can be used by consultants and site managers to prioritize and design more successful remediation strategies. - Highlights: • Origin and fate of CAHs in groundwater by means of multi CSIA ({sup 13}C,{sup 35}Cl) survey • Innovative/new approach tested in a fractured bedrock site • Differentiation of distinct CAH sources • Biodegradation and source mixing recognition in the aquifer.

Multi-isotope (carbon and chlorine) analysis for fingerprinting and site characterization at a fractured bedrock aquifer contaminated by chlorinated ethenes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palau, Jordi; Marchesi, Massimo; Chambon, Julie C.C.; Aravena, Ramon; Canals, Àngels; Binning, Philip J.; Bjerg, Poul L.; Otero, Neus; Soler, Albert

2014-01-01

The use of compound specific multi-isotope approach (C and Cl) in the characterization of a chlorinated ethenes contaminated fractured aquifer allows the identification of several sources and contaminant plumes, as well as the occurrence of biodegradation and mixing processes. The study site is located in Spain with contamination resulting in groundwater concentrations of up to 50 mg/L of trichloroethene (TCE), the most abundant chlorinated ethene, and 7 mg/L of tetrachloroethene (PCE). The potential sources of contamination including abandoned barrels, an underground tank, and a disposal lagoon, showed a wide range in δ 13 C values from − 15.6 to − 40.5‰ for TCE and from − 18.5 to − 32.4‰ for PCE, allowing the use of isotope fingerprinting for tracing of the origin and migration of these contaminants in the aquifer. In contrast, there is no difference between the δ 37 Cl values for TCE in the contaminant sources, ranging from + 0.53 to + 0.66‰. Variations of δ 37 Cl and δ 13 C in the different contaminant plumes were used to investigate the role of biodegradation in groundwater. Moreover, the isotopic data were incorporated into a reactive transport model for determination of whether the isotope pattern observed downstream from the tank's source could be explained by the simultaneous effect of mixing and biodegradation. The results demonstrate that a multi-isotope approach is a valuable tool for characterization of complex sites such as fractured bedrock aquifer contaminated by multiple sources, providing important information which can be used by consultants and site managers to prioritize and design more successful remediation strategies. - Highlights: • Origin and fate of CAHs in groundwater by means of multi CSIA ( 13 C, 35 Cl) survey • Innovative/new approach tested in a fractured bedrock site • Differentiation of distinct CAH sources • Biodegradation and source mixing recognition in the aquifer

Comparison of different modeling approaches to simulate contaminant transport in a fractured limestone aquifer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mosthaf, Klaus; Rosenberg, L.; Balbarini, Nicola

. Given available field data and model purpose, this paper therefore aims to develop, examine and compare modeling approaches for transport of contaminants in fractured limestone aquifers. The model comparison was conducted for a contaminated site in Denmark, where a plume of a dissolved contaminant (PCE...... was combined with an analysis of heterogeneities and fractures from a nearby excavation (analog site). Methods for translating the geological information and fracture mapping into each of the model concepts were examined. Each model was compared with available field data, considering both model fit...... of field data is the determination of relevant hydraulic properties and interpretation of aqueous and solid phase contaminant concentration sampling data. Traditional water sampling has a bias towards fracture sampling, however concentrations in the limestone matrix are needed for assessing contaminant...

Preliminary Study Contamination of Organochlorine Pesticide (Heptachlor) and Heavy Metal (Arsenic) in Shallow Groundwater Aquifer of Semarang Coastal Areas

Science.gov (United States)

Rochaddi, Baskoro; Adhi Suryono, Chrisna; Atmodjo, Warsito; Satriadi, Alfi

2018-02-01

The present study was conducted to assess the level of pesticide and heavy metal contamination in shallow aquifer of Semarang coastal areas. Results indicated that Heptachlor and Arsenic were detected in the water samples in the range 0.023-0.055 μg L-1 and 0,03-1,63 μg L-1, respectively. Compared to the standard limits of the organochlorine contents in the water sample by World Health Organization (WHO) limits and Indonesian Drinking and Domestic Water Quality Standard for Ground Water (IWQS), groundwater of Semarang Coastal Areas was contaminated with pesticide and heavy metal. This study has proven the presence of organochlorine and heavy metal contamination of some shallow aquifer supplies in the coastal areas of Semarang.

Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls in the Housatonic River and adjacent aquifer, Massachusetts

Science.gov (United States)

Gay, Frederick B.; Frimpter, Michael H.

1985-01-01

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) are sorbed to the fine-grained stream-bottom sediments along the Housatonic River from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, southward to the Massachusetts-Connecticut boundary. The highest PCB concentrations, up to 140,000 micrograms per kilogram, were found in samples of bottom material from a reach of the river between Pittsfield and Woods Pond Dam in Lee, Massachusetts. Sediments in Woods Pond have been estimated to contain about 11,000 pounds of PCB's. Approximately 490 pounds per year of PCB's have also been estimated to move past the Housatonic River gaging station at Great Barrington. The distribution of hydraulic heads, water temperatures, and concentrations of dissolved oxygen, ammonia, nitrate, iron, and manganese in ground water shows that industrial water-supply wells in a sand and gravel aquifer adjacent to a stretch of the river called Woods Pond have been inducing ground-water recharge through the PCB-contaminated bottom sediments of the pond since late 1956. These data indicate that, at one location along the shore of the pond, the upper 40 feet of the aquifer contains water derived from induced infiltration. However, this induced recharge has not moved PCB's from the bottom sediments into a vertical section of the aquifer located 5 feet downgradient from the edge of Woods Pond. Samples taken at selected intervals in this section showed that no PCB's sorbed to the aquifer material or dissolved in the ground water within the detection limits of the chemical analyses.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH) of microorganisms in hydrocarbon contaminated aquifer sediment samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Tischer, Karolin; Zeder, Michael; Klug, Rebecca; Pernthaler, Jakob; Schattenhofer, Martha; Harms, Hauke; Wendeberg, Annelie

2012-12-01

Groundwater ecosystems are the most important sources of drinking water worldwide but they are threatened by contamination and overexploitation. Petroleum spills account for the most common source of contamination and the high carbon load results in anoxia and steep geochemical gradients. Microbes play a major role in the transformation of petroleum hydrocarbons into less toxic substances. To investigate microbial populations at the single cell level, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is now a well-established technique. Recently, however, catalyzed reporter deposition (CARD)-FISH has been introduced for the detection of microbes from oligotrophic environments. Nevertheless, petroleum contaminated aquifers present a worst case scenario for FISH techniques due to the combination of high background fluorescence of hydrocarbons and the presence of small microbial cells caused by the low turnover rates characteristic of groundwater ecosystems. It is therefore not surprising that studies of microorganisms from such sites are mostly based on cultivation techniques, fingerprinting, and amplicon sequencing. However, to reveal the population dynamics and interspecies relationships of the key participants of contaminant degradation, FISH is an indispensable tool. In this study, a protocol for FISH was developed in combination with cell quantification using an automated counting microscope. The protocol includes the separation and purification of microbial cells from sediment particles, cell permeabilization and, finally, CARD-FISH in a microwave oven. As a proof of principle, the distribution of Archaea and Bacteria was shown in 60 sediment samples taken across the contaminant plume of an aquifer (Leuna, Germany), which has been heavily contaminated with several ten-thousand tonnes of petroleum hydrocarbons since World War II. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Identification of critical contaminants in wastewater effluent for managed aquifer recharge.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Jie; Van Dyke, Michele I; Huck, Peter M

2017-04-01

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) using highly treated effluent from municipal wastewater treatment plants has been recognized as a promising strategy for indirect potable water reuse. Treated wastewater effluent can contain a number of residual contaminants that could have adverse effects on human health, and some jurisdictions have regulations in place to govern these. For those that do not, but where reuse may be under consideration, it is of crucial importance to develop a strategy for identifying priority contaminants, which can then be used to understand the water treatment technologies that might be required. In this study, a multi-criteria approach to identify critical contaminants in wastewater effluent for MAR was developed and applied using a case study site located in southern Ontario, Canada. An important aspect of this approach was the selection of representative compounds for each group of contaminants, based on potential for occurrence in wastewater and expected health or environmental impacts. Due to a lack of MAR regulations in Canada, the study first proposed potential recharge water quality targets. Predominant contaminants, potential additional contaminants, and potential emerging contaminants, which together comprise critical contaminants for MAR with reclaimed water, were then selected based on the case study wastewater effluent monitoring data and literature data. This paper proposes an approach for critical contaminant selection, which will be helpful to guide future implementation of MAR projects using wastewater treatment plant effluents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geohydrologic units and water-level conditions in the Terrace alluvial aquifer and Paluxy Aquifer, May 1993 and February 1994, near Air Force Plant 4, Fort Worth area, Texas

Science.gov (United States)

Rivers, Glen A.; Baker, Ernest T.; Coplin, L.S.

1996-01-01

The terrace alluvial aquifer underlying Air Force Plant 4 and the adjacent Naval Air Station (formerly Carswell Air Force Base) in the Fort Worth area, Texas, is contaminated locally with organic and metal compounds. Residents south and west of Air Force Plant 4 and the Naval Air Station are concerned that contaminants might enter the underlying Paluxy aquifer, which provides water to the city of White Settlement, south of Air Force Plant 4, and to residents west of Air Force Plant 4. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has qualified Air Force Plant 4 for Superfund cleanup. The pertinent geologic units include -A~rom oldest to youngest the Glen Rose, Paluxy, and Walnut Formations, Goodland Limestone, and terrace alluvial deposits. Except for the Glen Rose Formation, all units crop out at or near Air Force Plant 4 and the Naval Air Station. The terrace alluvial deposits, which nearly everywhere form the land surface, range from 0 to about 60 feet thick. These deposits comprise a mostly unconsolidated mixture of gravel, sand, silt, and clay. Mudstone and sandstone of the Paluxy Formation crop out north, west, and southwest of Lake Worth and total between about 130 and about 175 feet thick. The terrace alluvial deposits and the Paluxy Formation comprise the terrace alluvial aquifer and the Paluxy aquifer, respectively. These aquifers are separated by the Goodland-Walnut confining unit, composed of the Goodland Limestone and (or) Walnut Formation. Below the Paluxy aquifer, the Glen Rose Formation forms the Glen Rose confining unit. Water-level measurements during May 1993 and February 1994 from wells in the terrace alluvial aquifer indicate that, regionally, ground water flows toward the east-southeast beneath Air Force Plant 4 and the Naval Air Station. Locally, water appears to flow outward from ground-water mounds maintained by the localized infiltration of precipitation and reportedly by leaking water pipes and sanitary and (or) storm sewer lines beneath the

Mobilization of arsenic and other naturally occurring contaminants in groundwater of the Main Ethiopian Rift aquifers.

Science.gov (United States)

Rango, Tewodros; Vengosh, Avner; Dwyer, Gary; Bianchini, Gianluca

2013-10-01

This study investigates the mechanisms of arsenic (As) and other naturally occurring contaminants (F(-), U, V, B, and Mo) mobilization from Quaternary sedimentary aquifers of the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) and their enrichment in the local groundwater. The study is based on systematic measurements of major and trace elements as well as stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in groundwater, coupled with geochemical and mineralogical analyses of the aquifer rocks. The Rift Valley aquifer is composed of rhyolitic volcanics and Quaternary lacustrine sediments. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) results revealed that MER rhyolites (ash, tuff, pumice and ignimbrite) and sediments contain on average 72 wt. % and 65 wt. % SiO2, respectively. Petrographic studies of the rhyolites indicate predominance of volcanic glass, sanidine, pyroxene, Fe-oxides and plagioclase. The As content in the lacustrine sediments (mean = 6.6 mg/kg) was higher than that of the rhyolites (mean: 2.5 mg/kg). The lacustrine aquifers of the Ziway-Shala basin in the northern part of MER were identified as high As risk zones, where mean As concentration in groundwater was 22.4 ± 33.5 (range of 0.60-190 μg/L) and 54% of samples had As above the WHO drinking water guideline value of 10 μg/L. Field As speciation measurements showed that most of the groundwater samples contain predominantly (~80%) arsenate-As(V) over arsenite-As(III) species. The As speciation together with field data of redox potential (mean Eh = +73 ± 65 mV) and dissolved-O2 (6.6 ± 2.2 mg/L) suggest that the aquifer is predominantly oxidative. Water-rock interactions, including the dissolution of volcanic glass produces groundwater with near-neutral to alkaline pH (range 6.9-8.9), predominance of Na-HCO3 ions, and high concentration of SiO2 (mean: 85.8 ± 11.3 mg/L). The groundwater data show high positive correlation of As with Na, HCO3, U, B, V, and Mo (R(2) > 0.5; p groundwater indicates that Fe-oxides and oxyhydroxides minerals were saturated

Hydrogeology, water quality, and potential for contamination of the Upper Floridan aquifer in the Silver Springs ground-water basin, central Marion County, Florida

Science.gov (United States)

Phelps, G.G.

1994-01-01

The Upper Floridan aquifer, composed of a thick sequence of very porous limestone and dolomite, is the principal source of water supply in the Silver Springs ground-water basin of central Marion County, Florida. The karstic nature of the local geology makes the aquifer susceptible to contaminants from the land surface. Contaminants can enter the aquifer by seepage through surficial deposits and through sinkholes and drainage wells. Potential contaminants include agricultural chemicals, landfill leachates and petroleum products from leaking storage tanks and accidental spills. More than 560 sites of potential contamination sources were identified in the basin in 1990. Detailed investigation of four sites were used to define hydrologic conditions at representative sites. Ground-water flow velocities determined from dye trace studies ranged from about 1 foot per hour under natural flow conditions to about 10 feet per hour under pumping conditions, which is considerably higher than velocities estimated using Darcy's equation for steady-state flow in a porous medium. Water entering the aquifer through drainage wells contained bacteria, elevated concentrations of nutrients, manganese and zinc, and in places, low concentrations of organic compounds. On the basis of results from the sampling of 34 wells in 1989 and 1990, and from the sampling of water entering the Upper Floridan aquifer through drainage wells, there has been no widespread degradation of water quality in the study area. In an area of karst, particularly one in which fracture flow is significant, evaluating the effects from contaminants is difficult and special care is required when interpolating hydrogeologic data from regional studies to a specific. (USGS)

Molecular analysis of microbial community structures in pristine and contaminated aquifers--Field and laboratory microcosm experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Y.; Zwolinski, M.D.; Schreiber, M.E.; Bahr, J.M.; Sewell, G.W.; Hickey, W.J.

1999-01-01

Molecular Analysis of Microbial Community Structures in Pristine and Contaminated Aquifers: Field and Laboratory Microcosm Experimentsvar callbackToken='531E8ACDB6C8511'; var subCode='asmjournal_sub'; var OAS_sitepage = 'aem.asm.org'; This study used phylogenetic probes in hybridization analysis to (i) determine in situ microbial community structures in regions of a shallow sand aquifer that were oxygen depleted and fuel contaminated (FC) or aerobic and noncontaminated (NC) and (ii) examine alterations in microbial community structures resulting from exposure to toluene and/or electron acceptor supplementation (nitrate). The latter objective was addressed by using the NC and FC aquifer materials for anaerobic microcosm studies in which phylogenetic probe analysis was complemented by microbial activity assays. Domain probe analysis of the aquifer samples showed that the communities were predominantlyBacteria; Eucarya and Archaea were not detectable. At the phylum and subclass levels, the FC and NC aquifer material had similar relative abundance distributions of 43 to 65% β- and γ-Proteobacteria (B+G), 31 to 35% α-Proteobacteria (ALF), 15 to 18% sulfate-reducing bacteria, and 5 to 10% high G+C gram positive bacteria. Compared to that of the NC region, the community structure of the FC material differed mainly in an increased abundance of B+G relative to that of ALF. The microcosm communities were like those of the field samples in that they were predominantly Bacteria (83 to 101%) and lacked detectable Archaea but differed in that a small fraction (2 to 8%) of Eucarya was detected regardless of the treatment applied. The latter result was hypothesized to reflect enrichment of anaerobic protozoa. Addition of nitrate and/or toluene stimulated microbial activity in the microcosms, but only supplementation of toluene alone significantly altered community structures. For the NC material, the dominant subclass shifted from B+G to ALF, while in the FC microcosms 55 to 65

Summary of Available Hydrogeologic Data for the Northeast Portion of the Alluvial Aquifer at Louisville, Kentucky

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Unthank, Michael D; Nelson, Jr., Hugh L

2006-01-01

The hydrogeologic characteristics of the unconsolidated glacial outwash sand and gravel deposits that compose the northeast portion of the alluvial aquifer at Louisville, Kentucky, indicate a prolific...

Effective range of chlorine transport in an aquifer during disinfection of wells: From laboratory experiments to field application

Science.gov (United States)

Paufler, S.; Grischek, T.; Adomat, Y.; Herlitzius, J.; Hiller, K.; Metelica, Y.

2018-04-01

Microbiological contamination usually leads to erratic operation of drinking water wells and disinfection is required after disasters and sometimes to restore proper well performance for aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) and subsurface iron removal (SIR) wells. This study focused on estimating the fate of chlorine around an infiltration well and improving the knowledge about processes that control the physical extent of the disinfected/affected radius. Closed bottle batch tests revealed low chlorine consumption rates for filter gravel and sand (0.005 mg/g/d) and higher rates for clay (0.030 mg/g/d) as well as natural aquifer material (0.054 mg/g/d). Smaller grain sizes disinfection ability at grain sizes >1 mm, but results in more effective disinfection for very fine material disinfection zone at the example well seems to extend to maximum 3.5 m into the aquifer. Excessive chlorine dosage of >10 mg/l would not further extend the disinfected radius. A preferable way to increase the range of chlorine application is to increase the total infiltrated volume and time. Three approaches are proposed for adapting lab results to actual infiltration wells, that are in principle applicable to any other site.

Post monitoring of a cyclodextrin remeditated chlorinated solvent contaminated aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Blanford, W. J.

2006-12-01

Hydroxypropyl-â-cyclodextrin (HPâCD) has been tested successfully in the laboratory and in the field for enhanced flushing of low-polarity contaminants from aquifers. The cyclodextrin molecule forms a toroidal structure, which has a hydrophobic cavity. Within this cavity, organic compounds of appropriate shape and size can form inclusion complexes, which is the basis for the use of cyclodextrin in groundwater remediation. The hydrophilic exterior of the molecule makes cyclodextrin highly water-soluble. The solubility of cyclodextrins can be further enhanced by adding functional groups, such as hydroxypropyl groups, to the cyclodextrin core. The aqueous solubility of HPâCD exceeds 950 g/L. These high solubilities are advantageous for field applications because they permit relatively high concentrations of the flushing agent. In order for cyclodextrin to become a feasible remediative alternative, it must be demonstrate a short term resistance to biodegradation during field application, but ultimately biodegrade so as not to pose a long term presence in the aquifer. The potential for degradation of cyclodextrin as well as changes in the chlorinated solvents and groundwater geochemistry were examined during the post monitoring of a field demonstration in a shallow aquifer at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base in Virginia. It was found that a portion of the cyclodextrin remaining in the aquifer after the cessation of field activities biodegraded during the 425 days of post monitoring. This degradation also led to the degradation of the chlorinated solvents trichloroethylene and 1,1-trichloroethane through both biological and chemical processes. The aquifer remained anaerobic with average dissolved oxygen levels below 0.5 mg/L. Dissolved nitrate and sulfate concentrations within the cyclodextrin plume decreased due their being used as terminal electron acceptors during the degradation of the cyclodextrin. The concentrations of total iron at the field site showed no

Key players and team play: anaerobic microbial communities in hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifers.

Science.gov (United States)

Kleinsteuber, Sabine; Schleinitz, Kathleen M; Vogt, Carsten

2012-05-01

Biodegradation of anthropogenic pollutants in shallow aquifers is an important microbial ecosystem service which is mainly brought about by indigenous anaerobic microorganisms. For the management of contaminated sites, risk assessment and control of natural attenuation, the assessment of in situ biodegradation and the underlying microbial processes is essential. The development of novel molecular methods, "omics" approaches, and high-throughput techniques has revealed new insight into complex microbial communities and their functions in anoxic environmental systems. This review summarizes recent advances in the application of molecular methods to study anaerobic microbial communities in contaminated terrestrial subsurface ecosystems. We focus on current approaches to analyze composition, dynamics, and functional diversity of subsurface communities, to link identity to activity and metabolic function, and to identify the ecophysiological role of not yet cultured microbes and syntrophic consortia. We discuss recent molecular surveys of contaminated sites from an ecological viewpoint regarding degrader ecotypes, abiotic factors shaping anaerobic communities, and biotic interactions underpinning the importance of microbial cooperation for microbial ecosystem services such as contaminant degradation.

Evaluation of the fate of arsenic-contaminated groundwater at different aquifers of Thar coalfield Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Jamshed; Kazi, Tasneem G; Baig, Jameel A; Afridi, Hassan I; Arain, Mariam S; Ullah, Naeem; Brahman, Kapil D; Arain, Sadaf S; Panhwar, Abdul H

2015-12-01

In present study, the ground water at different aquifers was evaluated for physicochemical parameters, iron, total arsenic, total inorganic arsenic and arsenic species (arsenite and arsenate). The samples of groundwater were collected at different depths, first aquifer (AQ1) 50-60 m, second aquifer (AQ2) 100-120 m, and third aquifer (AQ3) 200-250 m of Thar coalfield, Pakistan. Total inorganic arsenic was determined by solid phase extraction using titanium dioxide as an adsorbent. The arsenite was determined by cloud point extraction using ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate as a chelating reagent, and resulted complex was extracted by Triton X-114. The resulted data of groundwater were reported in terms of basic statistical parameters, principal component, and cluster analysis. The resulted data indicated that physicochemical parameters of groundwater of different aquifers were exceeded the World Health Organization provisional guideline for drinking water except pH and SO4(2-). The positive correlation was observed between arsenic species and physicochemical parameters of groundwater except F(-) and K(+), which might be caused by geochemical minerals. Results of cluster analysis indicated that groundwater samples of AQ1 was highly contaminated with arsenic species as compared to AQ2 and AQ3 (p > 0.05).

Assessments of aquifer sensitivity on Navajo Nation and adjacent lands and ground-water vulnerability to pesticide contamination on the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah

Science.gov (United States)

Blanchard, Paul J.

2002-01-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requested that the Navajo Nation conduct an assessment of aquifer sensitivity on Navajo Nation lands and an assessment of ground-water vulnerability to pesticide contamination on the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project. Navajo Nation lands include about 17,000 square miles in northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah. The Navajo Indian Irrigation Project in northwestern New Mexico is the largest area of agriculture on the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Indian Irrigation Project began operation in 1976; presently (2001) about 62,000 acres are available for irrigated agriculture. Numerous pesticides have been used on the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project during its operation. Aquifer sensitivity is defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as 'The relative ease with which a contaminant [pesticide] applied on or near a land surface can migrate to the aquifer of interest. Aquifer sensitivity is a function of the intrinsic characteristics of the geologic material in question, any underlying saturated materials, and the overlying unsaturated zone. Sensitivity is not dependent on agronomic practices or pesticide characteristics.' Ground-water vulnerability is defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as 'The relative ease with which a contaminant [pesticide] applied on or near a land surface can migrate to the aquifer of interest under a given set of agronomic management practices, pesticide characteristics, and aquifer sensitivity conditions.' The results of the aquifer sensitivity assessment on Navajo Nation and adjacent lands indicated relative sensitivity within the boundaries of the study area. About 22 percent of the study area was not an area of recharge to bedrock aquifers or an area of unconsolidated deposits and was thus assessed to have an insignificant potential for contamination. About 72 percent of the Navajo Nation study area was assessed to be in the categories of most potential

The Effects of Surfactants on the Desorption of Organic Contaminants from Aquifer Materials

Science.gov (United States)

1989-08-01

costs for remediating a contaminated aquifer can be reduced by 50-80 percent using this system. A preflush of 0.1-1.0 percent concentration potassium ...use of polymers such as polyacrylic acid and polyacrylamide as sacrificial adsorbates to decrease the adsorption of a mixed nonionic and anionic...cribed by Chapman (1965) in Methods of Soils Analysis was used to determine the masses of extractable sodium, potassium , calcium and mag- nesium

contaminant migration in a sand aquifer near an inactive uranium tailings impoundment, Elliot Lake, Ontario

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morin, K.A.; Cherry, J.A.

1982-01-01

An investigation of the movement of contaminated groundwater from inactive uranium tailings through a sand aquifer is being conducted at the Nordic Main tailings impoundment near Elliot Lake, Ontario. During 1979 and 1980, multilevel bundle-type piezometers were installed at several locations around the edge of the tailings impoundment. Chemical analysis of water samples from the bundle piezometers indicate that a major contaminant plume extends outward through a sand aquifer from the southeastern part of the Nordic Main impoundment dam. In the vincinity of the contaminant plume, the sand aquifer varies in thickness from about 9 to 15 m. The plume has two distinct segments, referred to as the inner core and the outer zone. The inner core, which has a pH of 4.3-5.0 and extends about 15 m from the foot of the tailings dam, contains several grams per litre of iron and sulfate, and tens of pCi/L of 226 Ra and 210 Pb. Water levels in piezometers within the inner core show that groundwater is moving horizontally, away from the tailings impoundment, with a velocity of up to several hundred metres per year. The outer zone, which extends a few hundred metres downgradient from the dam, is characterized by hundreds to thousands of milligrams per litre of iron and sulfate, less than 15pCi/L of 226 Ra, and a pH greater than 5.7. Comparison of 1979 and 1980 data shows that the front of the inner core is advancing a few metres per year, which is less than a few percent of the groundwater velocity. This retardation of movement of the inner core is caused by neutralization of the acidic water as a result of dissolution of calcium carbonate in the sand. With the rise in pH, precipitation of iron carbonate and possibly some iron hydroxide occurs and the contaminants of main concern such as 226 Ra, 210 Pb, and uranium are removed from solution by adsorption or coprecipitation

Groundwaters of Florence (Italy): Trace element distribution and vulnerability of the aquifers

Science.gov (United States)

Bencini, A.; Ercolanelli, R.; Sbaragli, A.; Verrucchi, C.

1993-11-01

Geochemical and hydrogeological research has been carried out on 109 wells in the alluvial plain of Florence, in order to evaluate conductivity and main chemistry of ground waters, the pattern of some possible pollutant chemical species (Fe, Mn, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, NO2, NO3), and the vulnerability of the aquifers. The plain is made up of Plio-Quaternary alluvial and lacustrine sediments for a maximum thickness of 600 m. Silts and clays, sometimes with lenses of sandy gravels, are dominant, while considerable deposits of sands, pebbles, and gravels occur along the course of the Arno river and its tributary streams, and represent the most important aquifer of the plain. The groundwaters analyzed belong to this aquifer or to the smaller ones, hosted in the gravel lenses. Most waters show conductivity values around 1000 1200 μS, and almost all of them have an alkaline-earth-bicarbonate chemical character; these features are consistent with the mainly calcareous lithology of the aquifers. In the western areas a higher salt content of the groundwaters is evident, probably related to the presence of industrial activities which use water desalinators. Heavy metal and NO2, NO3 analyses point out that no important pollution phenomena affect the groundwaters; all the mean values of the chemical considered species are below the maximum admissible concentration (MAC) fixed by the European Community for drinkable waters. Nevertheless, some anomalies of NO2, NO3, Fe, Mn, and Zn are present in the plain. Apart from Mn, which seems to be released by certain calcareous gravels, the other anomalies have a local influence, since they disappear even in the nearest wells. The most plausible causes can be recognized in losses of the sewage system (NO2=3 4 mg/t); use of nitrate compounds in agriculture (NO3=60 70 mg/l); oxidation of well pipes (Fe ≈ 20 mg/l; Zn ≈ 6 mg/l). As regards Cr, Cu, and Pb, all the observations are below the MAC; therefore, the median values of bacteria oxidation

Contamination risk and drinking water protection for a large-scale managed aquifer recharge site in a semi-arid karst region, Jordan

Science.gov (United States)

Xanke, Julian; Liesch, Tanja; Goeppert, Nadine; Klinger, Jochen; Gassen, Niklas; Goldscheider, Nico

2017-09-01

Karst aquifers in semi-arid regions are particularly threatened by surface contamination, especially during winter seasons when extremely variable rainfall of high intensities prevails. An additional challenge is posed when managed recharge of storm water is applied, since karst aquifers display a high spatial variability of hydraulic properties. In these cases, adapted protection concepts are required to address the interaction of surface water and groundwater. In this study a combined protection approach for the surface catchment of the managed aquifer recharge site at the Wala reservoir in Jordan and the downstream Hidan wellfield, which are both subject to frequent bacteriological contamination, is developed. The variability of groundwater quality was evaluated by correlating contamination events to rainfall, and to recharge from the reservoir. Both trigger increased wadi flow downstream of the reservoir by surface runoff generation and groundwater seepage, respectively. A tracer test verified the major pathway of the surface flow into the underground by infiltrating from pools along Wadi Wala. An intrinsic karst vulnerability and risk map was adapted to the regional characteristics and developed to account for the catchment separation by the Wala Dam and the interaction of surface water and groundwater. Implementation of the proposed protection zones for the wellfield and the reservoir is highly recommended, since the results suggest an extreme contamination risk resulting from livestock farming, arable agriculture and human occupation along the wadi. The applied methods can be transferred to other managed aquifer recharge sites in similar karstic environments of semi-arid regions.

Factors affecting public-supply well vulnerability in two karst aquifers.

Science.gov (United States)

Musgrove, MaryLynn; Katz, Brian G; Fahlquist, Lynne S; Crandall, Christy A; Lindgren, Richard J

2014-09-01

Karst aquifers occur in a range of climatic and geologic settings. Nonetheless, they are commonly characterized by their vulnerability to water-quality impairment. Two karst aquifers, the Edwards aquifer in south-central Texas and the Upper Floridan aquifer in western Florida, were investigated to assess factors that control the movement of contaminants to public-supply wells (PSWs). The geochemistry of samples from a selected PSW or wellfield in each aquifer was compared with that from nearby monitoring wells and regional PSWs. Geochemistry results were integrated with age tracers, flow modeling, and depth-dependent data to refine aquifer conceptual models and to identify factors that affect contaminant movement to PSWs. The oxic Edwards aquifer is vertically well mixed at the selected PSW/wellfield, although regionally the aquifer is geochemically variable downdip. The mostly anoxic Upper Floridan aquifer is affected by denitrification and also is geochemically variable with depth. In spite of considerable differences in geology and hydrogeology, the two aquifers are similarly vulnerable to anthropogenic contamination. Vulnerability in studied PSWs in both aquifers is strongly influenced by rapid karst flowpaths and the dominance of young (aquifers (nitrate, atrazine, deethylatrazine, tetrachloroethene, and chloroform). Specific consideration of water-quality protection efforts, well construction and placement, and aquifer response times to land-use changes and contaminant loading are discussed, with implications for karst groundwater management. © 2014 The Authors. Groundwater published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of National Ground Water Association.

Effect of nitrate addition on biorestoration of fuel-contaminated aquifer: Field demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutchins, S.R.; Downs, W.C.; Wilson, J.T.; Smith, G.B.; Kovacs, D.A.

1991-01-01

A spill of JP-4 jet fuel at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Traverse City, Michigan, contaminated a water-table aquifer. An infiltration gallery (30 ft X 30 ft) was installed above a section of the aquifer containing 700 gal JP-4. Purge wells recirculated three million gallons of ground water per week through the infiltration gallery at a rate designed to raise the water table above the contaminated interval. Ground water containing ambient concentrations was first recirculated for 40 days. Concentrations of benzene in monitoring wells beneath the infiltration gallery were reduced from 760 to <1 micrograms/1. Concentrations of toluene, ethylbenzene, m,p-xylene, and o-xylene were reduced from 4500 to 17,840 to 44,2600 to 490, and 1400 to 260 micrograms/1, respectively. Average core concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m,p-xylene, and o-xylene were reduced from 0.84 to 0.032, 33 to 0.13, 18 to 0.36, 58 to 7.4, and 26 to 3.2 mg/kg, respectively. Ground water amended with nitrate (10 mg/1 nitrate-nitrogen) and nutrients was then recirculated for 76 days. Final core concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m,p-xylene and o-xylene were 0.017, 0.036, 0.019, 0.059, and 0.27 mg/kg, respectively. Final aqueous concentrations were <1 micrograms/1 for benzene and toluene, 6 micrograms/1 for ethylbenzene, and 20 to 40 micrograms/1 for the xylene isomers, in good agreement with predicted values based on residual fuel content and partitioning theory. Although alkylbenzene concentrations have been substantially reduced, the test plot is still contaminated with the weathered fuel. Based on stoichiometry, approximately 10 times more nitrate was consumed than could be accounted for by BTX degradation alone, indicating that other compounds were also degraded under denitrifying conditions

Microbial community composition during anaerobic mineralization of tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) in fuel-contaminated aquifer material.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Na; Finneran, Kevin T

2011-04-01

Anaerobic mineralization of tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) were studied in sediment incubations prepared with fuel-contaminated aquifer material. Microbial community compositions in all incubations were characterized by amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA). The aquifer material mineralized 42.3±9.9% of [U-(14)C]-TBA to 14CO2 without electron acceptor amendment. Fe(III), sulfate, and Fe(III) plus anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate addition also promoted U-[14C]-TBA mineralization at levels similar to those of the unamended controls. Nitrate actually inhibited TBA mineralization relative to unamended controls. In contrast to TBA, [U-(14)C]-MTBE was not significantly mineralized in 400 days regardless of electron acceptor amendment. Microbial community analysis indicated that the abundance of one dominant clone group correlated closely with anaerobic TBA mineralization. The clone was phylogenetically distinct from known aerobic TBA-degrading microorganisms, Fe(III)- or sulfate-reducing bacteria. It was most closely associated with organisms belonging to the alphaproteobacteria. Microbial communities were different in MTBE and TBA amended incubations. Shannon indices and Simpson indices (statistical community comparison tools) both demonstrated that microbial community diversity decreased in incubations actively mineralizing TBA, with distinct "dominant" clones developing. These data contribute to our understanding of anaerobic microbial transformation of fuel oxygenates in contaminated aquifer material and the organisms that may catalyze the reactions.

Denitrification and dilution along fracture flowpaths influence the recovery of a bedrock aquifer from nitrate contamination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jonathan J., E-mail: jon.kim@vermont.gov [Vermont Geological Survey, 1 National Life Drive, Main 2, Montpelier, VT 05620 (United States); Comstock, Jeff [Vermont Agency of Agriculture, 116 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05620 (United States); Ryan, Peter [Dept. of Geology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753 (United States); Heindel, Craig [Waite-Heindel Environmental Management, 7 Kilburn Street, Suite 301, Burlington, VT 05401 (United States); Koenigsberger, Stephan [Dept. of Geology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753 (United States)

2016-11-01

In 2000, elevated nitrate concentrations ranging from 12 to 34 mg/L NO{sub 3}−N were discovered in groundwater from numerous domestic bedrock wells adjacent to a large dairy farm in central Vermont. Long-term plots and contours of nitrate vs. time for bedrock wells showed “little/no”, “moderate”, and “large” change patterns that were spatially separable. The metasedimentary bedrock aquifer is strongly anisotropic and groundwater flow is controlled by fractures, bedding/foliation, and basins and ridges in the bedrock surface. Integration of the nitrate concentration vs. time data and the physical and chemical aquifer characterization suggest two nitrate sources: a point source emanating from a waste ravine and a non-point source that encompasses the surrounding fields. Once removed, the point source of NO{sub 3} (manure deposited in a ravine) was exhausted and NO{sub 3} dropped from 34 mg/L to < 10 mg/L after ~ 10 years; however, persistence of NO{sub 3} in the 3 to 8 mg/L range (background) reflects the long term flux of nitrates from nutrients applied to the farm fields surrounding the ravine over the years predating and including this study. Inferred groundwater flow rates from the waste ravine to either moderate change wells in basin 2 or to the shallow bedrock zone beneath the large change wells are 0.05 m/day, well within published bedrock aquifer flow rates. Enrichment of {sup 15}N and {sup 18}O in nitrate is consistent with lithotrophic denitrification of NO{sub 3} in the presence of dissolved Mn and Fe. Once the ravine point-source was removed, denitrification and dilution collectively were responsible for the down-gradient decrease of nitrate in this bedrock aquifer. Denitrification was most influential when NO{sub 3}−N was > 10 mg/L. Our multidisciplinary methods of aquifer characterization are applicable to groundwater contamination in any complexly-deformed and metamorphosed bedrock aquifer. - Highlights: • Bedrock wells contaminated

The dispersal of contaminants in heterogeneous aquifers: a review of methods of estimating scale dependent parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farmer, C.L.

1986-02-01

The design and assessment of underground waste disposal options requires modelling the dispersal of contaminants within aquifers. The logical structure of the development and application of disposal models is discussed. In particular we examine the validity and interpretation of the gradient diffusion model. The effective dispersion parameters in such a model seem to depend upon the scale on which they are measured. This phenomenon is analysed and methods for modelling scale dependent parameters are reviewed. Specific recommendations regarding the modelling of contaminant dispersal are provided. (author)

Laboratory evidence for short and long-term damage to pink salmon incubating in oiled gravel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heintz, R.; Rice, S.; Wiedmer, M.

1995-01-01

Pink salmon, incubating in gravel contaminated with crude oil, demonstrated immediate and delayed responses in the laboratory at doses consistent with the concentrations observed in oiled streams in Prince William Sound. The authors incubated pink salmon embryos in a simulated intertidal environment with gravel contaminated by oil from the Exxon Valdez. During the incubation and emergence periods the authors quantified dose-response curves for characters affected directly by the oil. After emergence, fish were coded wire tagged and released, or cultured in netpens. Delayed responses have been observed among the cultured fish, and further observations will be made when coded wire tagged fish return in September 1995. The experiments have demonstrated that eggs need not contact oiled gravel to experience increased mortality, and doses as low as 17 ppb tPAH in water can have delayed effects on growth. A comparison of sediment tPAH concentrations from streams in Prince William Sound with these laboratory data suggests that many 1989 brood pink salmon were exposed to deleterious quantities of oil

Contamination of ground water, surface water, and soil, and evaluation of selected ground-water pumping alternatives in the Canal Creek area of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland

Science.gov (United States)

Lorah, Michelle M.; Clark, Jeffrey S.

1996-01-01

Chemical manufacturing, munitions filling, and other military-support activities have resulted in the contamination of ground water, surface water, and soil in the Canal Creek area of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Chlorinated volatile organic compounds, including 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane and trichloroethylene, are widespread ground-water contaminants in two aquifers that are composed of unconsolidated sand and gravel. Distribution and fate of chlorinated organic compounds in the ground water has been affected by the movement and dissolution of solvents in their dense immiscible phase and by microbial degradation under anaerobic conditions. Detection of volatile organic contaminants in adjacent surface water indicates that shallow contaminated ground water discharges to surface water. Semivolatile organic compounds, especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, are the most prevalent organic contaminants in soils. Various trace elements, such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and zinc, were found in elevated concentrations in ground water, surface water, and soil. Simulations with a ground-water-flow model and particle tracker postprocessor show that, without remedial pumpage, the contaminants will eventually migrate to Canal Creek and Gunpowder River. Simulations indicate that remedial pumpage of 2.0 million gallons per day from existing wells is needed to capture all particles originating in the contaminant plumes. Simulated pumpage from offsite wells screened in a lower confined aquifer does not affect the flow of contaminated ground water in the Canal Creek area.

Radionuclides, Heavy Metals and Fluoride Contamination in Al Bahira Aquifer, Youssoufia Area, Morocco

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agma, T. T; Bouchaou, L.; Ettayfi, N.; Lgourna, Z.; Boutaleb, S. [Ibn Zohr University, Applied Geology and Geo-Environment Laboratory, Cite Dakhla, Agadir 80060 (Morocco); Warner, N.; Vengosh, A. [Duke University, Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Durham, NC 27708 (United States)

2013-07-15

This study investigates the geochemistry and quantity of trace metals and naturally occurring radionuclides (Ra, U) in the shallow groundwater in the western part of the Al Bahira aquifer (Phosphate Plateau) located in west central Morocco. Groundwater is characterized by a wide salinity range (TDS of 540 to 9286 mg/l) and shows systematic linear relationships between the major dissolved constituents. These relationships suggest that the mixing of a single saline source and fresh water controls the quality of groundwater. Fluoride, uranium, selenium, and arsenic concentrations are also correlated with salinity. The activity concentrations of Radium-226 exceed the US-EPA drinking water standard. Radium-226 activity in the groundwater is not directly related to salinity and might be affected by other factors such as water temperature. The low ratios of the short lived Ra-224 to Ra-223 ({approx}2) indicate that Ra was derived from a uranium rich source with a low Th/U ratio in the rock source, which is consistent with the Urich lithology of the aquifer (e.g., phosphate rocks). The high levels of contaminants found in the shallow groundwater samples have important health implications for the local population, as shallow groundwater is used for drinking water in the rural communities northwest of Marrakech and these contaminants pose potential serious health problems (e.g., dental fluorosis, kidney disease, and bone cancer). (author)

Characterizing pharmaceutical, personal care product, and hormone contamination in a karst aquifer of southwestern Illinois, USA, using water quality and stream flow parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Dodgen, L K; Kelly, W R; Panno, S V; Taylor, S J; Armstrong, D L; Wiles, K N; Zhang, Y; Zheng, W

2017-02-01

Karst aquifers are drinking water sources for 25% of the global population. However, the unique geology of karst areas facilitates rapid transfer of surficial chemicals to groundwater, potentially contaminating drinking water. Contamination of karst aquifers by nitrate, chloride, and bacteria have been previously observed, but little knowledge is available on the presence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), such as pharmaceuticals. Over a 17-month period, 58 water samples were collected from 13 sites in the Salem Plateau, a karst region in southwestern Illinois, United States. Water was analyzed for 12 pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), 7 natural and synthetic hormones, and 49 typical water quality parameters (e.g., nutrients and bacteria). Hormones were detected in only 23% of samples, with concentrations of 2.2-9.1ng/L. In contrast, PPCPs were quantified in 89% of groundwater samples. The two most commonly detected PPCPs were the antimicrobial triclocarban, in 81% of samples, and the cardiovascular drug gemfibrozil, in 57%. Analytical results were combined with data of local stream flow, weather, and land use to 1) characterize the extent of aquifer contamination by CECs, 2) cluster sites with similar PPCP contamination profiles, and 3) develop models to describe PPCP contamination. Median detection in karst groundwater was 3 PPCPs at a summed concentration of 4.6ng/L. Sites clustered into 3 subsets with unique contamination models. PPCP contamination in Cluster I sites was related to stream height, manganese, boron, and heterotrophic bacteria. Cluster II sites were characterized by groundwater temperature, specific conductivity, sodium, and calcium. Cluster III sites were characterized by dissolved oxygen and barium. Across all sites, no single or small set of water quality factors was significantly predictive of PPCP contamination, although gemfibrozil concentrations were strongly related to the sum of PPCPs in karst groundwater

Determining shallow aquifer vulnerability by the DRASTIC model ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Shallow aquifer vulnerability has been assessed using GIS-based DRASTIC model by incorporating the major geological and hydrogeological factors that affect and control the groundwater contamination in a granitic terrain. It provides a relative indication of aquifer vulnerability to the contamination. Further, it has been ...

Hydro-geological properties of the Savian aquifer in the county Obrenovac

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stojadinović Dušan D.

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a description of hydrogeological researches of alluvial layers of the Sava River in the area of the source "Vić Bare" near Obrenovac. This source supplies groundwater to that town. The depth of these layers amounts to 25 m. With regard to collecting capacity, the most significant are gravel-sand sediments of high filtration properties. Their average depth amounts to about 13 m with the underlying layer made of Pleistocene clays. Compact aquifer is formed within these sediments and it refills partly from the Sava River at places where river cuts its channel into the gravel-sand layer. The analysis of the groundwater regime in the riparian area points out that groundwater levels follow stages of the Sava River. Such an influence lessens with the distance. Established hydraulic connection between the river and the aquifer enables its permanent replenishment. On the other hand, due to certain pollutions this river flow might bring along, it represents a potential danger. Those pollutions could enter water-bearing layer of the aquifer as well as the exploitation well of the source. Such presumptions have been confirmed in the experiment of pollution transport carried out in the water-bearing layer. Unabsorbable chloride was used as a tracer whose movement velocity through exploitation well proved that there were real possibilities of intrusion of aggressive pollutants into the water-bearing layer and into the aquifer as well. Therefore, the protection of the source must be in the function of the protection of surface waters.

VULNERABILITY AND RISK OF CONTAMINATION KARSTIC AQUIFERS

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Yameli Aguilar

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Karstic systems occupy nearly 20% of the surface of the earth and are inhabited by numerous human communities. Karstic aquifers are the most exposed to pollution from human activities. Pollution of karstic aquifers is a severe environmental problem worldwide.  In order to face the vulnerability of karstic aquifers to pollution, researchers have created a diversity of study approaches and models, each one having their own strengths and weaknesses depending on the discipline from which they were originated, thus requiring a thorough discussion within the required multidisciplinary character. The objective of this article was to analyze the theoretical and methodological approaches applied to the pollution of karstic aquifers. The European hydrogeological, land evaluation, hydropedological and a geographic approach were analyzed. The relevance of a geomorphological analysis as a cartographic basis for the analysis of vulnerability and risks were emphasized. From the analysis of models, approaches and methodologies discussed the following recommendation is made: to form an interdisciplinary work team, to elaborate a conceptual model according to the site and the working scale and to e, apply and validate the model.

EPA Region 1 Sole Source Aquifers

Science.gov (United States)

This coverage contains boundaries of EPA-approved sole source aquifers. Sole source aquifers are defined as an aquifer designated as the sole or principal source of drinking water for a given aquifer service area; that is, an aquifer which is needed to supply 50% or more of the drinking water for the area and for which there are no reasonable alternative sources should the aquifer become contaminated.The aquifers were defined by a EPA hydrogeologist. Aquifer boundaries were then drafted by EPA onto 1:24000 USGS quadrangles. For the coastal sole source aquifers the shoreline as it appeared on the quadrangle was used as a boundary. Delineated boundaries were then digitized into ARC/INFO.

The Monticello, Utah, uranium mill tailings site: A case history

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korte, N.E.; Kearl, P.M.; Sewell, J.M.; Fleischhauer, H.L.; Abramiuk, I.N.

1984-01-01

A multidisciplinary study was conducted to characterize the potential for contamination from the inactive millsite in Monticello, Utah. Emphasis was given to site geology, hydrology, and geochemistry for two reasons: (1) a perennial stream flows through the tailings area, and (2) a culinary aquifer is overlain by an alluvial aquifer contaminated by the tailings area. Study results indicate that surface-water contamination attributable to the piles exists for approximately 6 km downstream from the site. Contamination also exists in the alluvial aquifer underlying the millsite. Hydrologic studies indicate an active alluvial system, with recharge to the gravels by infiltration through the trailings. Fortunately, water-level and water-quality data, together with the results of a 51-hour pump test, indicate that the Dakota Formation is an effective aquitard, restricting the downward movement of contaminated water to the underlying culinary aquifer

Molecular Analysis of Microbial Community Structures in Pristine and Contaminated Aquifers: Field and Laboratory Microcosm Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Y.; Zwolinski, M. D.; Schreiber, M. E.; Bahr, J. M.; Sewell, G. W.; Hickey, W. J.

1999-01-01

This study used phylogenetic probes in hybridization analysis to (i) determine in situ microbial community structures in regions of a shallow sand aquifer that were oxygen depleted and fuel contaminated (FC) or aerobic and noncontaminated (NC) and (ii) examine alterations in microbial community structures resulting from exposure to toluene and/or electron acceptor supplementation (nitrate). The latter objective was addressed by using the NC and FC aquifer materials for anaerobic microcosm studies in which phylogenetic probe analysis was complemented by microbial activity assays. Domain probe analysis of the aquifer samples showed that the communities were predominantly Bacteria; Eucarya and Archaea were not detectable. At the phylum and subclass levels, the FC and NC aquifer material had similar relative abundance distributions of 43 to 65% β- and γ-Proteobacteria (B+G), 31 to 35% α-Proteobacteria (ALF), 15 to 18% sulfate-reducing bacteria, and 5 to 10% high G+C gram positive bacteria. Compared to that of the NC region, the community structure of the FC material differed mainly in an increased abundance of B+G relative to that of ALF. The microcosm communities were like those of the field samples in that they were predominantly Bacteria (83 to 101%) and lacked detectable Archaea but differed in that a small fraction (2 to 8%) of Eucarya was detected regardless of the treatment applied. The latter result was hypothesized to reflect enrichment of anaerobic protozoa. Addition of nitrate and/or toluene stimulated microbial activity in the microcosms, but only supplementation of toluene alone significantly altered community structures. For the NC material, the dominant subclass shifted from B+G to ALF, while in the FC microcosms 55 to 65% of the Bacteria community was no longer identifiable by the phylum or subclass probes used. The latter result suggested that toluene exposure fostered the proliferation of phylotype(s) that were otherwise minor constituents of the

Preliminary survey of the vulnerability to the contamination of the aquifers of Morondava river catchments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Randrianasolo, A.F.

2004-01-01

The objective of this work is to make a preliminary survey of the vulnerability to the contamination of the aquifers of Morondava river catchments. The methods used are the geological and hydrogeological surveys, the hydrochemistry and isotopic techniques. This survey allows us to have an overview of the chemical features of groundwaters, conditions of recharge, and especially to determine the potential and active zone of nitrate pollution. Two field works have been carried out within the frame of MAG/8/003 project. The first one is focused on groundwater sampling and surface water sampling, and the second one is based on the geological and hydrogeological surveys. The samples were sent for isotope ( 18 O, 2 H, 15 N, 87 Sr, 3 H) and chemical analysis to the I.A.E.A laboratories. The survey gave the following conclusions: the groundwaters are affected by evaporation before or during infiltration and saline intrusion. The region of Morondava is submitted to a regime of simple oceanic precipitation (excess in deuterium). The boreholes waters is of sodic-bicarbonate chemical type, whereas well waters belong to the calcic-bicarbonate. The superficial aquifers (subsurface water) trapped by the wells are more vulnerable than deep aquifers (homogeneous aquifers) trapped by boreholes. These hypotheses are proven by geological and hydrogeological investigations, by the groundwaters nitrate analyses results, and are confirmed by radioactive isotope. [fr

Groundwater vulnerability mapping of Qatar aquifers

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Baalousha, Husam Musa

2016-12-01

Qatar is one of the most arid countries in the world with limited water resources. With little rainfall and no surface water, groundwater is the only natural source of fresh water in the country. Whilst the country relies mainly on desalination of seawater to secure water supply, groundwater has extensively been used for irrigation over the last three decades, which caused adverse environmental impact. Vulnerability assessment is a widely used tool for groundwater protection and land-use management. Aquifers in Qatar are carbonate with lots of fractures, depressions and cavities. Karst aquifers are generally more vulnerable to contamination than other aquifers as any anthropogenic-sourced contaminant, especially above a highly fractured zone, can infiltrate quickly into the aquifer and spread over a wide area. The vulnerability assessment method presented in this study is based on two approaches: DRASTIC and EPIK, within the framework of Geographical Information System (GIS). Results of this study show that DRASTIC vulnerability method suits Qatar hydrogeological settings more than EPIK. The produced vulnerability map using DRASTIC shows coastal and karst areas have the highest vulnerability class. The southern part of the country is located in the low vulnerability class due to occurrence of shale formation within aquifer media, which averts downward movement of contaminants.

Modelling contaminant transport in saturated aquifers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lakshminarayana, V.; Nayak, T.R.

1990-01-01

With the increase in population and industrialization the problem of pollution of groundwater has become critical. The present study deals with modelling of pollutant transport through saturated aquifers. Using this model it is possible to predict the concentration distribution, spatial as well as temporal, in the aquifer. The paper also deals with one of the methods of controlling the pollutant movement, namely by pumping wells. A simulation model is developed to determine the number, location and rate of pumping of a number of wells near the source of pollution so that the concentration is within acceptable limits at the point of interest. (Author) (18 refs., 14 figs., tab.)

Viral and bacterial contamination in a sedimentary aquifer in Uruguay: evaluation of coliforms as regional indicators of viral contamination.

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Gamazo, Pablo; Colina, Rodney; Victoria, Matias; Alvareda, Elena; Burutatran, Luciana; Ramos, Julian; Olivera, María; Soler, Joan

2015-04-01

In many areas of Uruguay groundwater is the only source of water for human consumption and for industrial-agricultural economic activities. Traditionally considered as a safe source, groundwater is commonly used without any treatment. The Uruguayan law requires bacteriological (fecal) analysis for most water uses, but virological analyses are not mentioned in the legislation. In the Salto district, where groundwater is used for human consumption and for agricultural activities, bacterial contamination has been detected in several wells but no viruses analysis have been performed. The Republic University (UDELAR), with the support of the National Agency for Research and Innovation (ANII), is studying the incidence of virus and fecal bacteria in groundwater on an intensive agriculture area of the Salto district. An initial screening campaign of 44 wells was performed in which, besides total and fecal coliforms, rotavirus and adenovirus were detected. A subgroup of the screening wells (15) where selected for bimonthly sampling during a year. In accordance with literature results, single well data analysis shows that coliform and viral contamination can be considered as independent variables. However, when spatial data is integrated, coliform and viral contamination show linear correlation. In this work we present the survey results, we analyse the temporal incidence of variables like precipitation, temperature and chemical composition in well contamination and we discuss the value of coliforms as global indicator of viral contamination for the Salto aquifer.

Assessing the Vulnerability of Public-Supply Wells to Contamination: Central Valley Aquifer System near Modesto, California

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Jagucki, Martha L.; Jurgens, Bryant C.; Burow, Karen R.; Eberts, Sandra M.

2009-01-01

This fact sheet highlights findings from the vulnerability study of a public-supply well in Modesto, California. The well selected for study pumps on average about 1,600 gallons per minute from the Central Valley aquifer system during peak summer demand. Water samples were collected at the public-supply well and at monitoring wells installed in the Modesto vicinity. Samples from the public-supply wellhead contained the undesirable constituents uranium, nitrate, arsenic, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and pesticides, although none were present at concentrations exceeding drinking-water standards. Of these contaminants, uranium and nitrate pose the most significant water-quality risk to the public-supply well because human activities have caused concentrations in groundwater to increase over time. Overall, study findings point to four primary factors that affect the movement and (or) fate of contaminants and the vulnerability of the public-supply well in Modesto: (1) groundwater age (how long ago water entered, or recharged, the aquifer); (2) irrigation and agricultural and municipal pumping that drives contaminants downward into the primary production zone of the aquifer; (3) short-circuiting of contaminated water down the public-supply well during the low-pumping season; and (4) natural geochemical conditions of the aquifer. A local-scale computer model of groundwater flow and transport to the public-supply well was constructed to simulate long-term nitrate and uranium concentrations reaching the well. With regard to nitrate, two conflicting processes influence concentrations in the area contributing recharge to the well: (1) Beneath land that is being farmed or has recently been farmed (within the last 10 to 20 years), downward-moving irrigation waters contain elevated nitrate concentrations; yet (2) the proportion of agricultural land has decreased and the proportion of urban land has increased since 1960. Urban land use is associated with low nitrate

Determination of hydrogeological conditions in large unconfined aquifer: A case study in central Drava plain (NE Slovenia)

Science.gov (United States)

Keršmanc, Teja; Brenčič, Mihael

2016-04-01

In several countries, many unregulated landfills exits which releasing harmful contaminations to the underlying aquifer. The Kidričevo industrial complex is located in southeastern part of Drava plain in NW Slovenia. In the past during the production of alumina and aluminum approximately 11.2 million tons of wastes were deposit directly on the ground on two landfills covering an area of 61 hectares. Hydrogeological studies were intended to better characterized conditions bellow the landfill. Geological and hydrogeological conditions of Quaternary unconfined aquifer were analyzed with lithological characterization of well logs and cutting debris and XRF diffraction of silty sediments on 9 boreholes. Hydrogeological conditions: hydraulic permeability aquifer was determined with hydraulic tests and laboratory grain size analyses where empirical USBR and Hazen methods were applied. Dynamics of groundwater was determined by groundwater contour maps and groundwater level fluctuations. The impact of landfill was among chemical analyses of groundwater characterised by electrical conductivity measurements and XRF spectrometry of sand sediments. The heterogeneous Quaternary aquifer composed mainly of gravel and sand, is between 38 m and 47.5 m thick. Average hydraulic permeability of aquifer is within the decade 10-3 m/s. Average hydraulic permeability estimated on grain size curves is 6.29*10-3 m/s, and for the pumping tests is 4.0*10-3 m/s. General direction of groundwater flow is from west to east. During high water status the groundwater flow slightly changes flow direction to the southwest and when pumping station in Kidričevo (NW of landfill) is active groundwater flows to northeast. Landfills have significant impact on groundwater quality.

Assessing the vulnerability of public-supply wells to contamination: Rio Grande aquifer system in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Jagucki, Martha L.; Bexfield, Laura M.; Heywood, Charles E.; Eberts, Sandra M.

2012-01-01

This fact sheet highlights findings from the vulnerability study of a public-supply well in Albuquerque, New Mexico (hereafter referred to as “the study well”). The study well produces about 3,000 gallons of water per minute from the Rio Grande aquifer system. Water samples were collected at the study well, at two other nearby public-supply wells, and at monitoring wells installed in or near the simulated zone of contribution to the study well. Untreated water samples from the study well contained arsenic at concentrations exceeding the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 10 micrograms per liter (µg/L) established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for drinking water. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrate also were detected, although at concentrations at least an order of magnitude less than established drinking-water standards, where such standards exist. Overall, study findings point to four primary influences on the movement and (or) fate of contaminants and the vulnerability of the public-supply well in Albuquerque: (1) groundwater age (how long ago water entered, or recharged, the aquifer), (2) groundwater development (introduction of manmade recharge and discharge sources), (3) natural geochemical conditions of the aquifer, and (4) seasonal pumping stresses. Concentrations of the isotope carbon-14 indicate that groundwater from most sampled wells in the local study area is predominantly water that entered, or recharged, the aquifer more than 6,000 years ago. However, the additional presence of the age tracer tritium in several groundwater samples at concentrations above 0.3 tritium units indicates that young (post-1950) recharge is reaching the aquifer across broad areas beneath Albuquerque. This young recharge is mixing with the thousands-of-years-old water, is migrating to depths as great as 245 feet below the water table, and is traveling to some (but not all) of the public-supply wells sampled. Most groundwater samples containing a

Phytoremediation potential of willow tress for aquifers contaminated with ethanol-blended gasoline

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corseuil, H.X. [Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia Sanitaria e Ambiental; Moreno, F.N. [Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina, Palhoca (Brazil). Centro de Ciencias Agrarias e das Engenharias

2001-07-01

Ethanol-blended gasoline has been used in Brazil for 20 years and, probably, is going to be more widely used in North America due to the MtBE environmental effects on groundwater. The potential impacts caused by the presence of ethanol in UST spills are related to the co-solvency effect and the preferential degradation of ethanol over the BTEX compounds. These interactions may increase the length of dissolved hydrocarbon plumes and the costs associated with site remediation. This study investigates the advantages of phytoremediation to overcome the problems associated with the presence of ethanol in groundwater contaminated with gasoline-ethanol mixtures. Experiments were performed under lab conditions with cuttings of Willow tree (Salix babylonica) cultivated hydroponically. Results showed that the cuttings were able to reduce ethanol and benzene concentrations by more than 99% in less than a week. The uptake of both contaminants was confirmed by blank controls and was significantly related to cuttings transpiration capacity. Sorption onto roots biomass also markedly affected the behavior of contaminants in solution. Experiments to evaluate plants' toxicity to ethanol indicated that plants were only affected when aqueous ethanol concentration reached 2000mgl{sup -1}. Results suggest that phytoremediation can be a good complement to intrinsic remediation in shallow aquifer sites contaminated with ethanol-blended gasoline spills. (Author)

Vulnerability of a public supply well in a karstic aquifer to contamination.

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, B G; McBride, W S; Hunt, A G; Crandall, C A; Metz, P A; Eberts, S M; Berndt, M P

2009-01-01

To assess the vulnerability of ground water to contamination in the karstic Upper Floridan aquifer (UFA), age-dating tracers and selected anthropogenic and naturally occurring compounds were analyzed in multiple water samples from a public supply well (PSW) near Tampa, Florida. Samples also were collected from 28 monitoring wells in the UFA and the overlying surficial aquifer system (SAS) and intermediate confining unit located within the contributing recharge area to the PSW. Age tracer and geochemical data from the earlier stage of the study (2003 through 2005) were combined with new data (2006) on concentrations of sulfur hexafluoride (SF(6)), tritium ((3)H), and helium-3, which were consistent with binary mixtures of water for the PSW dominated by young water (less than 7 years). Water samples from the SAS also indicated mostly young water (less than 7 years); however, most water samples from monitoring wells in the UFA had lower SF(6) and (3)H concentrations than the PSW and SAS, indicating mixtures containing high proportions of older water (more than 60 years). Vulnerability of the PSW to contamination was indicated by predominantly young water and elevated nitrate-N and volatile organic compound concentrations that were similar to those in the SAS. Elevated arsenic (As) concentrations (3 to 19 microg/L) and higher As(V)/As(III) ratios in the PSW than in water from UFA monitoring wells indicate that oxic water from the SAS likely mobilizes As from pyrite in the UFA matrix. Young water found in the PSW also was present in UFA monitoring wells that tap a highly transmissive zone (43- to 53-m depth) in the UFA.

Metagenome-based metabolic reconstruction reveals the ecophysiological function of Epsilonproteobacteria in a hydrocarbon-contaminated sulfidic aquifer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Hardy Keller

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The population genome of an uncultured bacterium assigned to the Campylobacterales (Epsilonproteobacteria was reconstructed from a metagenome dataset obtained by whole-genome shotgun pyrosequencing. Genomic DNA was extracted from a sulfate-reducing, m-xylene-mineralizing enrichment culture isolated from groundwater of a benzene-contaminated sulfidic aquifer. The identical epsilonproteobacterial phylotype has previously been detected in toluene- or benzene-mineralizing, sulfate-reducing consortia enriched from the same site. Previous stable isotope probing experiments with 13C6-labeled benzene suggested that this phylotype assimilates benzene-derived carbon in a syntrophic benzene-mineralizing consortium that uses sulfate as terminal electron acceptor. However, the type of energy metabolism and the ecophysiological function of this epsilonproteobacterium within aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading consortia and in the sulfidic aquifer are poorly understood.Annotation of the epsilonproteobacterial population genome suggests that the bacterium plays a key role in sulfur cycling as indicated by the presence of a sqr gene encoding a sulfide quinone oxidoreductase and psr genes encoding a polysulfide reductase. It may gain energy by using sulfide or hydrogen/formate as electron donors. Polysulfide, fumarate, as well as oxygen are potential electron acceptors. Auto- or mixotrophic carbon metabolism seems plausible since a complete reductive citric acid cycle was detected. Thus the bacterium can thrive in pristine groundwater as well as in hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifers. In hydrocarbon-contaminated sulfidic habitats, the epsilonproteobacterium may generate energy by coupling the oxidation of hydrogen or formate and highly abundant sulfide with the reduction of fumarate and/or polysulfide, accompanied by efficient assimilation of acetate produced during fermentation or incomplete oxidation of hydrocarbons. The highly efficient assimilation of acetate was

Metagenome-Based Metabolic Reconstruction Reveals the Ecophysiological Function of Epsilonproteobacteria in a Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Sulfidic Aquifer.

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, Andreas H; Schleinitz, Kathleen M; Starke, Robert; Bertilsson, Stefan; Vogt, Carsten; Kleinsteuber, Sabine

2015-01-01

The population genome of an uncultured bacterium assigned to the Campylobacterales (Epsilonproteobacteria) was reconstructed from a metagenome dataset obtained by whole-genome shotgun pyrosequencing. Genomic DNA was extracted from a sulfate-reducing, m-xylene-mineralizing enrichment culture isolated from groundwater of a benzene-contaminated sulfidic aquifer. The identical epsilonproteobacterial phylotype has previously been detected in toluene- or benzene-mineralizing, sulfate-reducing consortia enriched from the same site. Previous stable isotope probing (SIP) experiments with (13)C6-labeled benzene suggested that this phylotype assimilates benzene-derived carbon in a syntrophic benzene-mineralizing consortium that uses sulfate as terminal electron acceptor. However, the type of energy metabolism and the ecophysiological function of this epsilonproteobacterium within aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading consortia and in the sulfidic aquifer are poorly understood. Annotation of the epsilonproteobacterial population genome suggests that the bacterium plays a key role in sulfur cycling as indicated by the presence of an sqr gene encoding a sulfide quinone oxidoreductase and psr genes encoding a polysulfide reductase. It may gain energy by using sulfide or hydrogen/formate as electron donors. Polysulfide, fumarate, as well as oxygen are potential electron acceptors. Auto- or mixotrophic carbon metabolism seems plausible since a complete reductive citric acid cycle was detected. Thus the bacterium can thrive in pristine groundwater as well as in hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifers. In hydrocarbon-contaminated sulfidic habitats, the epsilonproteobacterium may generate energy by coupling the oxidation of hydrogen or formate and highly abundant sulfide with the reduction of fumarate and/or polysulfide, accompanied by efficient assimilation of acetate produced during fermentation or incomplete oxidation of hydrocarbons. The highly efficient assimilation of acetate was recently

Impacts of physical and chemical aquifer heterogeneity on basin-scale solute transport: Vulnerability of deep groundwater to arsenic contamination in Bangladesh

Science.gov (United States)

Michael, Holly A.; Khan, Mahfuzur R.

2016-12-01

Aquifer heterogeneity presents a primary challenge in predicting the movement of solutes in groundwater systems. The problem is particularly difficult on very large scales, across which permeability, chemical properties, and pumping rates may vary by many orders of magnitude and data are often sparse. An example is the fluvio-deltaic aquifer system of Bangladesh, where naturally-occurring arsenic (As) exists over tens of thousands of square kilometers in shallow groundwater. Millions of people in As-affected regions rely on deep (≥150 m) groundwater as a safe source of drinking water. The sustainability of this resource has been evaluated with models using effective properties appropriate for a basin-scale contamination problem, but the extent to which preferential flow affects the timescale of downward migration of As-contaminated shallow groundwater is unknown. Here we embed detailed, heterogeneous representations of hydraulic conductivity (K), pumping rates, and sorptive properties (Kd) within a basin-scale numerical groundwater flow and solute transport model to evaluate their effects on vulnerability and deviations from simulations with homogeneous representations in two areas with different flow systems. Advective particle tracking shows that heterogeneity in K does not affect average travel times from shallow zones to 150 m depth, but the travel times of the fastest 10% of particles decreases by a factor of ∼2. Pumping distributions do not strongly affect travel times if irrigation remains shallow, but increases in the deep pumping rate substantially reduce travel times. Simulation of advective-dispersive transport with sorption shows that deep groundwater is protected from contamination over a sustainable timeframe (>1000 y) if the spatial distribution of Kd is uniform. However, if only low-K sediments sorb As, 30% of the aquifer is not protected. Results indicate that sustainable management strategies in the Bengal Basin should consider impacts of both

Evaluating two infiltration gallery designs for managed aquifer recharge using secondary treated wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Bekele, Elise; Toze, Simon; Patterson, Bradley; Fegg, Wolfgang; Shackleton, Mark; Higginson, Simon

2013-03-15

As managed aquifer recharge (MAR) becomes increasingly considered for augmenting water-sensitive urban areas, fundamental knowledge of the achievable scale, longevity and maintenance requirements of different options will become paramount. This paper reports on a 39 month pilot scale MAR scheme that infiltrated secondary treated wastewater through unsaturated sand into a limestone and sand aquifer. Two types of infiltration gallery were constructed to compare their hydraulic performance, one using crushed, graded gravel, the other using an engineered leach drain system (Atlantis Leach System(®)). Both galleries received 25 kL of nutrient-rich, secondary treated wastewater per day. The Atlantis gallery successfully infiltrated 17 ML of treated wastewater over three years. The slotted distribution pipe in the gravel gallery became clogged with plant roots after operating for one year. The infiltration capacity of the gravel gallery could not be restored despite high pressure cleaning, thus it was replaced with an Atlantis system. Reduction in the infiltration capacity of the Atlantis system was only observed when inflow was increased by about 3 fold for two months. The performance of the Atlantis system suggests it is superior to the gravel gallery, requiring less maintenance within at least the time frame of this study. The results from a bromide tracer test revealed a minimum transport time of 3.7 days for the recharged water to reach the water table below 9 m of sand and limestone. This set a limit on the time available for attenuation by natural treatment within the unsaturated zone before it recharged groundwater. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the mechanisms controlling the mobilization of arsenic in the arsenic contaminated shallow alluvial aquifer in the blackfoot disease endemic area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao, Vivian Hsiu-Chuan; Chu, Yu-Ju; Su, Yu-Chen; Lin, Po-Cheng; Hwang, Yaw-Huei; Liu, Chen-Wuing; Liao, Chung-Min; Chang, Fi-John; Yu, Chan-Wei

2011-01-01

Highlights: ► Sedimentary microcosm showed simultaneous microbial reduction of Fe(III) and As(V). ► Addition of acetate caused a further increase in aqueous Fe(II) but not arsenic. ► An As(V)-reducing bacterium (ARS-3) native to aquifer sediments was isolated. ► ARS-3 showed microbial reduction of As(V) to As(III) in pore water in this aquifer. - Abstract: High levels of arsenic in groundwater and drinking water represent a major health problem worldwide. Drinking arsenic-contaminated groundwater is a likely cause of blackfoot disease (BFD) in Taiwan, but mechanisms controlling the mobilization of arsenic present at elevated concentrations within aquifers remain understudied. Microcosm experiments using sediments from arsenic contaminated shallow alluvial aquifers in the blackfoot disease endemic area showed simultaneous microbial reduction of Fe(III) and As(V). Significant soluble Fe(II) (0.23 ± 0.03 mM) in pore waters and mobilization of As(III) (206.7 ± 21.2 nM) occurred during the first week. Aqueous Fe(II) and As(III) respectively reached concentrations of 0.27 ± 0.01 mM and 571.4 ± 63.3 nM after 8 weeks. We also showed that the addition of acetate caused a further increase in aqueous Fe(II) but the dissolved arsenic did not increase. We further isolated an As(V)-reducing bacterium native to aquifer sediments which showed that the direct enzymatic reduction of As(V) to the potentially more-soluble As(III) in pore water is possible in this aquifer. Our results provide evidence that microorganisms can mediate the release of sedimentary arsenic to groundwater in this region and the capacity for arsenic release was not limited by the availability of electron donors in the sediments.

Assessing the mechanisms controlling the mobilization of arsenic in the arsenic contaminated shallow alluvial aquifer in the blackfoot disease endemic area

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liao, Vivian Hsiu-Chuan, E-mail: vivianliao@ntu.edu.tw [Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, 1 Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Chu, Yu-Ju; Su, Yu-Chen; Lin, Po-Cheng [Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, 1 Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Hwang, Yaw-Huei [Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, 17 Xu-Zhou Road, Taipei 100, Taiwan (China); Liu, Chen-Wuing; Liao, Chung-Min; Chang, Fi-John; Yu, Chan-Wei [Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, 1 Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China)

2011-12-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Sedimentary microcosm showed simultaneous microbial reduction of Fe(III) and As(V). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Addition of acetate caused a further increase in aqueous Fe(II) but not arsenic. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer An As(V)-reducing bacterium (ARS-3) native to aquifer sediments was isolated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer ARS-3 showed microbial reduction of As(V) to As(III) in pore water in this aquifer. - Abstract: High levels of arsenic in groundwater and drinking water represent a major health problem worldwide. Drinking arsenic-contaminated groundwater is a likely cause of blackfoot disease (BFD) in Taiwan, but mechanisms controlling the mobilization of arsenic present at elevated concentrations within aquifers remain understudied. Microcosm experiments using sediments from arsenic contaminated shallow alluvial aquifers in the blackfoot disease endemic area showed simultaneous microbial reduction of Fe(III) and As(V). Significant soluble Fe(II) (0.23 {+-} 0.03 mM) in pore waters and mobilization of As(III) (206.7 {+-} 21.2 nM) occurred during the first week. Aqueous Fe(II) and As(III) respectively reached concentrations of 0.27 {+-} 0.01 mM and 571.4 {+-} 63.3 nM after 8 weeks. We also showed that the addition of acetate caused a further increase in aqueous Fe(II) but the dissolved arsenic did not increase. We further isolated an As(V)-reducing bacterium native to aquifer sediments which showed that the direct enzymatic reduction of As(V) to the potentially more-soluble As(III) in pore water is possible in this aquifer. Our results provide evidence that microorganisms can mediate the release of sedimentary arsenic to groundwater in this region and the capacity for arsenic release was not limited by the availability of electron donors in the sediments.

Engineered and subsequent intrinsic in situ bioremediation of a diesel fuel contaminated aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Hunkeler, Daniel; Höhener, Patrick; Zeyer, Josef

2002-12-01

A diesel fuel contaminated aquifer in Menziken, Switzerland was treated for 4.5 years by injecting aerated groundwater, supplemented with KNO 3 and NH 4H 2PO 4 to stimulate indigenous populations of petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) degrading microorganisms. After dissolved PHC concentrations had stabilized at a low level, engineered in situ bioremediation was terminated. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of intrinsic in situ bioremediation as a follow-up measure to remove PHC remaining in the aquifer after terminating engineered in situ bioremediation. In the first 7 months of intrinsic in situ bioremediation, redox conditions in the source area became more reducing as indicated by lower concentrations of SO 42- and higher concentrations of Fe(II) and CH 4. In the core of the source area, strongly reducing conditions prevailed during the remaining study period (3 years) and dissolved PHC concentrations were higher than during engineered in situ bioremediation. This suggests that biodegradation in the core zone was limited by the availability of oxidants. In lateral zones of the source area, however, gradually more oxidized conditions were reestablished again, suggesting that PHC availability increasingly limited biodegradation. The total DIC production rate in the aquifer decreased within 2 years to about 25% of that during engineered in situ bioremediation and remained at that level. Stable carbon isotope analysis confirmed that the produced DIC mainly originated from PHC mineralization. The total rate of DIC and CH 4 production in the source area was more than 300 times larger than the rate of PHC elution. This indicates that biodegradation coupled to consumption of naturally occurring oxidants was an important process for removal of PHC which remained in the aquifer after terminating engineered measures.

Effect of Short-Circuit Pathways on Water Quality in Selected Confined Aquifers (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

McMahon, P. B.

2010-12-01

Confined aquifers in the United States generally contain fewer anthropogenic contaminants than unconfined aquifers because confined aquifers often contain water recharged prior to substantial human development and redox conditions are more reducing, which favors degradation of common contaminants like nitrate and chlorinated solvents. Groundwater in a confined part of the High Plains aquifer near York, Nebraska had an adjusted radiocarbon age of about 2,000 years, and groundwater in a confined part of the Floridan aquifer near Tampa, Florida had apparent ages greater than 60 years on the basis of tritium measurements. Yet compounds introduced more recently into the environment (anthropogenic nitrate and volatile organic compounds) were detected in selected public-supply wells completed in both aquifers. Depth-dependent measurements of flow and chemistry in the pumping supply wells, groundwater age dating, numerical modeling of groundwater flow, and other monitoring data indicated that the confined aquifers sampled by the supply wells were connected to contaminated unconfined aquifers by short-circuit pathways. In the High Plains aquifer, the primary pathways appeared to be inactive irrigation wells screened in both the unconfined and confined aquifers. In the Floridan aquifer, the primary pathways were karst sinkholes and conduits. Heavy pumping in both confined systems exacerbated the problem by reducing the potentiometric surface and increasing groundwater velocities, thus enhancing downward gradients and reducing reaction times for processes like denitrification. From a broader perspective, several confined aquifers in the U.S. have experienced large declines in their potentiometric surfaces because of groundwater pumping and this could increase the potential for contamination in those aquifers, particularly where short-circuit pathways connect them to shallower, contaminated sources of water, such as was observed in York and Tampa.

Mapping Aquifer Systems with Airborne Electromagnetics in the Central Valley of California

Science.gov (United States)

Knight, R. J.; Smith, R.; Asch, T. H.; Abraham, J.; Cannia, J.; Fogg, G. E.; Viezzoli, A.

2016-12-01

The Central Valley of California is an important agricultural region struggling to meet the need for irrigation water. Recent periods of drought have significantly reduced the delivery of surface water, resulting in extensive pumping of groundwater. This has exacerbated an already serious problem in the Central Valley, where a number of areas have experienced declining water levels for several decades leading to ongoing concerns about depletion of aquifers and impacts on ecosystems, as well as subsidence of the ground surface. The overdraft has been so significant, that there are now approximately140 million acre-feet (MAF) of unused groundwater storage in the Central Valley, storage that could be used to complement the 42 MAF of surface storage. The alluvial sedimentary geology of the Central Valley is typically composed of more than 50 to 70 percent fine-grained deposits dominated by silt and clay beds. These fine grained deposits can block potential recharge, and are associated with the large amount of observed subsidence. Fortunately, the geologic processes that formed the region created networks of sand and gravel which provide both a supply of water and pathways for recharge from the surface to the aquifers. The challenge is to find these sand and gravel deposits and thus identify optimal locations for surface spreading techniques so that recharge could be dramatically increased, and re-pressurization of the confined aquifer networks could be accomplished. We have acquired 100 line kilometers of airborne electromagnetic data over an area in the San Joaquin Valley, imaging the subsurface hydrostratigraphy to a depth of 500 m with spatial resolution on the order of meters to tens of meters. Following inversion of the data to obtain resistivity models along the flight lines, we used lithology logs in the area to transform the models to images displaying the distribution of sand and gravel, clay, and mixed fine and coarse materials. The quality of the data and

Geohydrology of the stratified-drift aquifer system in the lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough, Tompkins County, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Todd S.; Karig, Daniel E.

2010-01-01

In 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Tompkins County Planning Department began a series of studies of the stratified-drift aquifers in Tompkins County to provide geohydrologic data for planners to develop a strategy to manage and protect their water resources. This aquifer study in lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough is the second in a series of aquifer studies in Tompkins County. The study area is within the northern area of the Appalachian Plateau and extends about 9 miles from the boundary between Tompkins County and Tioga County in the south to just south of the City of Ithaca in the north. In lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough, confined sand and gravel aquifers comprise the major water-bearing units while less extensive unconfined units form minor aquifers. About 600 people who live in lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough rely on groundwater from the stratified-drift aquifer system. In addition, water is used by non-permanent residents such as staff at commercial facilities. The estimated total groundwater withdrawn for domestic use is about 45,000 gallons per day (gal/d) or 0.07 cubic foot per second (ft3/s) based on an average water use of 75 gal/d per person for self-supplied water systems in New York. Scouring of bedrock in the preglacial lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek valleys by glaciers and subglacial meltwaters truncated hillside spurs, formed U-shaped, transverse valley profiles, smoothed valley walls, and deepened the valleys by as much as 300 feet (ft), forming a continuous trough. The unconsolidated deposits in the study area consist mostly of glacial drift, both unstratified drift (till) and stratified drift (laminated lake, deltaic, and glaciofluvial sediments), as well as some post-glacial stratified sediments (lake-bottom sediments that were deposited in reservoirs, peat and muck that were deposited in wetlands, and alluvium deposited by streams). Multiple advances and

An evaluation of aquifer intercommunication between the unconfined and Rattlesnake Ridge aquifers on the Hanford Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jensen, E.J.

1987-10-01

During 1986, Pacific Northwest Laboratory conducted a study of a portion of the Rattlesnake Ridge aquifer (confined aquifer) that lies beneath the B Pond - Gable Mountain Pond area of the Hanford Site. The purpose was to determine the extent of intercommunication between the unconfined aquifer and the uppermost regionally extensive confined aquifer, referred to as the Rattlesnake Ridge aquifer. Hydraulic head data and chemical data were collected from the ground water in the study area during December 1986. The hydraulic head data were used to determine the effects caused by water discharged to the ground from B Pond on both the water table of the unconfined aquifer and the potentiometric surface of the confined aquifer. The chemical data were collected to determine the extent of chemical constituents migrating from the unconfined aquifer to the confined aquifer. Analysis of chemical constituents in the Rattlesnake Ridge aquifer demonstrated that communication between the unconfined and confined aquifers had occurred. However, the levels of contaminants found in the Rattlesnake Ridge aquifer during this study were below the DOE Derived Concentration Guides

Investigating the Sources of Nitrogen Contamination in the Shallow Aquifer of Jakarta using a Newly Developed Distributed River-Aquifer Flow and Transport Model

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, D.; Burlando, P.; Liong, S. Y.

2015-12-01

Recent observations in the shallow aquifer of Jakarta show a rise in nitrate (NO3-) levels. Groundwater is extensively used in the city to compensate for the limited public water supply network and therefore the risk to public health from a rise in NO3- concentration is high. NO3- has been identified as a cofactor for methemoglobinemia in infants, a disease which can lead to death in extreme cases. The NO3- levels detected are still below regulatory limits for drinking purposes but strategies are necessary to contain the growing problem. To this end, the main sources and pathways of inorganic compounds containing nitrogen (N) - i.e. nitrate, nitrite (NO2-) and ammonium (NH4+) - were investigated. We combined 3 years of field measurements in the Ciliwung River, the major river flowing through Jakarta, with a distributed river-aquifer interaction model to characterize the N-cycle in both systems and quantify the contribution of river infiltration in the overall groundwater N budget. The computed infiltration fluxes were compared to estimates of leaks from poorly maintained septic tanks, which are extensively used in the city, to identify the main source of groundwater contamination. Observations show a strong and interdependent spatial and seasonal variability in the levels of NO3-, NO2- and NH4+ in the river, which is caused by changes in nitrification/denitrification rates due to variations in dissolved oxygen concentrations. Simulation results suggest that such dynamics in the river cause river to aquifer contamination patterns to likewise change over space and time, which leads to heterogeneous vulnerability distributions. The estimated contribution of river-N infiltration to the observed NO3- groundwater levels is small if compared to that originating from all leaking septic tanks inside Jakarta. However, in the vicinity of the Ciliwung, river to groundwater N-loading can play an important role in the local NO3- groundwater levels because it is highly

Quaternary stratigraphy, sediment characteristics and geochemistry of arsenic-contaminated alluvial aquifers in the Ganges-Brahmaputra floodplain in central Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Shamsudduha, M; Uddin, A; Saunders, J A; Lee, M-K

2008-07-29

This study focuses on the Quaternary stratigraphy, sediment composition, mineralogy, and geochemistry of arsenic (As)-contaminated alluvial aquifers in the Ganges-Brahmaputra floodplain in the central Bangladesh. Arsenic concentrations in 85 tubewells in Manikganj area, 70 km northwest of Dhaka City, range from 0.25 microg/L to 191 microg/L with a mean concentration of 33 microg/L. Groundwater is mainly Ca-HCO(3) type with high concentrations of dissolved As, Fe, and Mn, but low level of SO(4). The uppermost aquifer occurs between 10 m and 80 m below the surface that has a mean arsenic concentration of 35 microg/L. Deeper aquifer (>100 m depth) has a mean arsenic concentration of 18 microg/L. Sediments in the upper aquifer are mostly gray to dark-gray, whereas sediments in the deep aquifer are mostly yellowing-gray to brown. Quartz, feldspar, mica, hornblende, garnet, kyanite, tourmaline, magnetite, ilmenite are the major minerals in sediments from both aquifers. Biotite and potassium feldspar are dominant in shallow aquifer, although plagioclase feldspar and garnet are abundant in deep aquifer sediments. Sediment composition suggests a mixed provenance with sediment supplies from both orogenic belts and cratons. High arsenic concentrations in sediments are found within the upper 50 m in drilled core samples. Statistical analysis shows that As, Fe, Mn, Ca, and P are strongly correlated in sediments. Concentrations of Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn, and Bi also show strong correlations with arsenic in the Manikganj sediment cores. Authigenic goethite concretions, possibly formed by bacteria, are found in the shallow sediments, which contain arsenic of a concentration as high as 8.8 mg/kg. High arsenic concentrations in aquifers are associated with fine-grained sediments that were derived mostly from the recycled orogens and relatively rapidly deposited mainly by meandering channels during the Early to Middle Holocene rising sea-level conditions.

Hydrogeology and water quality of the Nanticoke Creek stratified-drift aquifer, near Endicott, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Kreitinger, Elizabeth A.; Kappel, William M.

2014-01-01

The Village of Endicott, New York, is seeking an alternate source of public drinking water with the potential to supplement their current supply, which requires treatment due to legacy contamination. The southerly-draining Nanticoke Creek valley, located north of the village, was identified as a potential water source and the local stratified-drift (valley fill) aquifer was investigated to determine its hydrogeologic and water-quality characteristics. Nanticoke Creek and its aquifer extend from the hamlet of Glen Aubrey, N.Y., to the village of Endicott, a distance of about 15 miles, where it joins the Susquehanna River and its aquifer. The glacial sediments that comprise the stratified-drift aquifer vary in thickness and are generally underlain by glacial till over Devonian-aged shale and siltstone. Groundwater is more plentiful in the northern part of the aquifer where sand and gravel deposits are generally more permeable than in the southern part of the aquifer where less-permeable unconsolidated deposits are found. Generally there is enough groundwater to supply most homeowner wells and in some cases, supply small public-water systems such as schools, mobile-home parks, and small commercial/industrial facilities. The aquifer is recharged by precipitation, runoff, and tributary streams. Most tributary streams flowing across alluvial deposits lose water to the aquifer as they flow off of their bedrock-lined channels and into the more permeable alluvial deposits at the edges of the valley. The quality of both surface water and groundwater is generally good. Some water wells do have water-quality issues related to natural constituents (manganese and iron) and several homeowners noted either the smell and (or) taste of hydrogen sulfide in their drinking water. Dissolved methane concentrations from five drinking-water wells were well below the potentially explosive value of 28 milligrams per liter. Samples from surface and groundwater met nearly all State and Federal

Controls on the abruptness of gravel-sand transitions

Science.gov (United States)

Venditti, J. G.; Church, M. A.; Lamb, M. P.; Domarad, N.; Rennie, C. D.

2014-12-01

As gravel-bedded rivers fine downstream, they characteristically exhibit an abrupt transition from gravel- to sand-bed. This is the only abrupt transition in grain-size that occurs in the fluvial system and has attracted considerable attention. A number of competing theories have been proposed to account for the abruptness of the transition, including base-level control, attrition of ~10mm gravel to produce sand, and sediment sorting processes. The prevailing theory for the emergence of abrupt transitions is size selective sorting of bimodal sediment wherein gravel deposits due to downstream declining shear stress, fining the bedload until a sand-bed emerges. We explored this hypothesis by examining grain-size, shear stress, gravel mobility and sand suspension thresholds through the gravel-sand transition (GST) of the Fraser River, British Columbia. The Fraser GST is an arrested gravel wedge with patches of gravel downstream of the wedge forming a diffuse extension. There is an abrupt change in bed slope through the transition that leads to an abrupt change in shear stress. The GST, bed-slope change and backwater caused by the ocean are all coincident spatially, which enhances the sharpness of the GST. Interestingly, the bimodal reach of the river occurs downstream of the GST and exhibits no downstream gradients in shear stress, suspended sediment flux, gravel mobility or sand suspension thresholds. This calls into question the prevailing theory for the emergence of an abrupt GST by size selective sorting. We provide evidence, both empirical and theoretical, that suggests the emergence of an abrupt GST is caused by rapid deposition of sand when fine gravel deposits. We argue that the emergence of gravel-sand transitions is a consequence of gravel-bedded rivers adopting a steeper slope than sand-bedded rivers. The abruptness arises because the bed slope required to convey the gravel load fixes the distal location of a terminal gravel wedge, and once the river has

Assessing the mechanisms controlling the mobilization of arsenic in the arsenic contaminated shallow alluvial aquifer in the blackfoot disease endemic area.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Vivian Hsiu-Chuan; Chu, Yu-Ju; Su, Yu-Chen; Lin, Po-Cheng; Hwang, Yaw-Huei; Liu, Chen-Wuing; Liao, Chung-Min; Chang, Fi-John; Yu, Chan-Wei

2011-12-15

High levels of arsenic in groundwater and drinking water represent a major health problem worldwide. Drinking arsenic-contaminated groundwater is a likely cause of blackfoot disease (BFD) in Taiwan, but mechanisms controlling the mobilization of arsenic present at elevated concentrations within aquifers remain understudied. Microcosm experiments using sediments from arsenic contaminated shallow alluvial aquifers in the blackfoot disease endemic area showed simultaneous microbial reduction of Fe(III) and As(V). Significant soluble Fe(II) (0.23±0.03 mM) in pore waters and mobilization of As(III) (206.7±21.2 nM) occurred during the first week. Aqueous Fe(II) and As(III) respectively reached concentrations of 0.27±0.01 mM and 571.4±63.3 nM after 8 weeks. We also showed that the addition of acetate caused a further increase in aqueous Fe(II) but the dissolved arsenic did not increase. We further isolated an As(V)-reducing bacterium native to aquifer sediments which showed that the direct enzymatic reduction of As(V) to the potentially more-soluble As(III) in pore water is possible in this aquifer. Our results provide evidence that microorganisms can mediate the release of sedimentary arsenic to groundwater in this region and the capacity for arsenic release was not limited by the availability of electron donors in the sediments. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrogeology, water quality, and microbial assessment of a coastal alluvial aquifer in western Saudi Arabia: potential use of coastal wadi aquifers for desalination water supplies [Hydrogéologie, qualité de l’eau et évaluation microbienne d’un aquifère côtier alluvial dans l’Ouest de l’Arabie Saoudite: utilisation potentielle des aquifères côtiers des oueds pour l’alimentation en eau après désalinisation] [Hidrogeologia, qualidade da água e avaliação microbiológica de um aquífero costeiro no oeste da Arábia Saudita: uso potencial de aquíferos de wadi costeiros para dessalinização de águas destinadas a abastecimento] [Hidrogeología, calidad de agua y evaluación microbiana de un acuífero costero aluvial en Arabia Saudita occidental: uso potencial de acuíferos costeros uadis para la desalinización de los abastecimientos de agua

KAUST Repository

Missimer, Thomas M.; Hoppe-Jones, Christiane; Jadoon, Khan; Li, Dong; Almashharawi, Samir

2014-01-01

into two sand-and-gravel aquifers at the coast, each with high productivity (transmissivity = 42,000 m2/day). This aquifer system becomes confined near the coast and contains hypersaline water. The hydrogeology of Wadi Wasimi shows that two

Pebble breakage in gravel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuitz, C.

2012-01-01

The spatial clustering of broken pebbles in gravel layers of a Miocene sedimentary succession was investigated. Field observations suggested that the occurrence of broken pebbles could be related with gravel hosted shear deformation bands, which were the result of extensional regional deformation. Several different methods were used in this work to elucidate these observations. These methods include basic field work, measurements of physical pebble and gravel properties and, the application of different numerical modelling schemes. In particular, the finite element method in 2D and the discrete element method in 2D and 3D were used in order to quantify mechanisms of pebble deformation. The main objective of this work was to identify potential mechanisms that control particle breakage in fluvial gravel, which could explain the clustered spatial distribution of broken pebbles. The results of 2D finite element stress analysis indicated that the breakage load of differently located and oriented diametrical loading axes on a pebble varies and, that the weakest loading configuration coincides with the smallest principal axis of the pebble. The 3D discrete element method was applied to study the contact load distribution on pebbles in gravel deposits and the influence of different degrees of particle imbrication and orientation. The results showed that an increase of the number of imbricated particles leads to a significant load transfer from the rim to the centre of the oblate sides of the ellipsoidal particles. The findings of these pebble-scale investigations provided the basis for outcropscale modelling, where simulated gravel layers were subjected to layer-parallel extension. These outcrop-scale models revealed the existence of a particle breakage enhancing mechanism that becomes active during early stages of shear band formation. The interaction of such shear bands with the less deformed host material results in particle stress concentrations and subsequently

Ground-water flow in the surficial aquifer system and potential movement of contaminants from selected waste-disposal sites at Cecil Field Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida

Science.gov (United States)

Halford, K.J.

1998-01-01

As part of the Installation Restoration Program, Cecil Field Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida, is considering remedialaction alternatives to control the possible movement of contaminants from sites that may discharge to the surface. This requires a quantifiable understanding of ground-water flow through the surficial aquifer system and how the system will respond to any future stresses. The geologic units of interest in the study area consist of sediments of Holocene to Miocene age that extend from land surface to the base of the Hawthorn Group. The hydrogeology within the study area was determined from gamma-ray and geologists? logs. Ground-water flow through the surficial aquifer system was simulated with a seven-layer, finite-difference model that extended vertically from the water table to the top of the Upper Floridan aquifer. Results from the calibrated model were based on a long-term recharge rate of 6 inches per year, which fell in the range of 4 to 10 inches per year, estimated using stream hydrograph separation methods. More than 80 percent of ground-water flow circulates within the surficial-sand aquifer, which indicates that most contaminant movement also can be expected to move through the surficial-sand aquifer alone. The surficial-sand aquifer is the uppermost unit of the surficial aquifer system. Particle-tracking results showed that the distances of most flow paths were 1,500 feet or less from a given site to its discharge point. For an assumed effective porosity of 20 percent, typical traveltimes are 40 years or less. At all of the sites investigated, particles released 10 feet below the water table had shorter traveltimes than those released 40 feet below the water table. Traveltimes from contaminated sites to their point of discharge ranged from 2 to 300 years. The contributing areas of the domestic supply wells are not very extensive. The shortest traveltimes for particles to reach the domestic supply wells from their respective

Assessment of Intrinsic Vulnerability to Contamination for the Alluvial Aquifer in El-Fayoum Depression Using the Drastic Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, M.A.

2012-01-01

Intrinsic vulnerability assessment to delineate areas that are more susceptible to contamination from anthropogenic sources has become an important element for sensible resource management and land use planning. The vulnerability for the alluvial aquifer in El-Fayoum depression was assessed by applying the Drastic model as well as utilizing sensitivity analyses to evaluate the reliability of this model. This method uses seven parameters including climatic, geological, and hydrogeological conditions controlling the seepage of pollutant substances to groundwater. Vulnerability maps were produced by applying the Generic and Agricultural models according to the Drastic charter. The resulting agricultural Drastic vulnerability map indicates that 23.3%, 22.7% and 12.4% of El-Fayoum depression is under low, low-moderate and moderately high vulnerability of groundwater contamination, respectively, while 41.6% of the area of study can be designated as an area of moderate vulnerability of groundwater contamination. Resulting maps revealed that the potential for polluting groundwater with agricultural chemicals is greater than with Generic Drastic index pollutants. Depth to water table parameter inflicted the largest impact on the intrinsic vulnerability of the alluvial aquifer in El-Fayoum depression. Both the map removal and single-parameter sensitivity analyses indicated that the vulnerability index is the least sensitive to the removal of the recharge and hydraulic conductivity parameters but is highly sensitive to the removal of depth to water parameter.

Engineered in situ bioremediation of a petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer: assessment of mineralization based on alkalinity, inorganic carbon and stable carbon isotope balances

Science.gov (United States)

Hunkeler, Daniel; Höhener, Patrick; Bernasconi, Stefano; Zeyer, Josef

1999-04-01

A concept is proposed to assess in situ petroleum hydrocarbon mineralization by combining data on oxidant consumption, production of reduced species, CH 4, alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) with measurements of stable isotope ratios. The concept was applied to a diesel fuel contaminated aquifer in Menziken, Switzerland, which was treated by engineered in situ bioremediation. In the contaminated aquifer, added oxidants (O 2 and NO 3-) were consumed, elevated concentrations of Fe(II), Mn(II), CH 4, alkalinity and DIC were detected and the DIC was generally depleted in 13C compared to the background. The DIC production was larger than expected based on the consumption of dissolved oxidants and the production of reduced species. Stable carbon isotope balances revealed that the DIC production in the aquifer originated mainly from microbial petroleum hydrocarbon mineralization, and that geochemical reactions such as carbonate dissolution produced little DIC. This suggests that petroleum hydrocarbon mineralization can be underestimated if it is determined based on concentrations of dissolved oxidants and reduced species.

In situ treatment of cyanide-contaminated groundwater by iron cyanide precipitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, R.S.; Dzombak, D.A.; Luthy, R.G.; Smith, J.R.

1999-01-01

Groundwater contamination with cyanide is common at many former or active industrial sites. Metal-cyanide complexes typically dominate aqueous speciation of cyanide in groundwater systems, with iron-cyanide complexes often most abundant. Typically, metal-cyanide complexes behave as nonadsorbing solutes in sand-gravel aquifer systems in the neutral pH range, rendering cyanide relatively mobile in groundwater systems. Groundwater pump-and-treat systems have often been used to manage cyanide contamination in groundwater. This study examined the feasibility of using in situ precipitation of iron cyanide in a reactive barrier to attenuate the movement of cyanide in groundwater. Laboratory column experiments were performed in which cyanide solutions were passed through mixtures of sand and elemental iron filings. Removal of dissolved cyanide was evaluated in a variety of cyanide-containing influents under various flow rates and sand-to-iron weight ratios. Long-term column tests performed with various cyanide-containing influents under both oxic and anoxic conditions, at neutral pH and at flow rates typical of sand-gravel porous media, yielded effluent concentrations of total cyanide as low as 0.5 mg/L. Effluent cyanide concentrations achieved were close to the solubilities of Turnbull's blue-hydrous ferric oxide solid solutions, indicating co-precipitation of the two solids. Maximum cyanide removal efficiency was achieved with approximately 10% by weight of iron in the sand-iron mixtures; higher iron contents did not increase removal efficiency significantly. Results obtained indicate that in situ precipitation is a promising passive treatment approach for cyanide in groundwater

Characterization of the vadose zone above a shallow aquifer contaminated with gas condensate hydrocarbons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sublette, K.; Duncan, K.; Thoma, G.; Todd, T.

2002-01-01

A gas production site in the Denver Basin near Ft. Lupton, Colorado has leaked gas condensate hydrocarbons from an underground concrete tank used to store produced water. The leak has contaminated a shallow aquifer. Although the source of pollution has been removed, a plume of hydrocarbon contamination still remains for nearly 46 m from the original source. An extensive monitoring program was conducted in 1993 of the groundwater and saturated sediments. The objective was to determine if intrinsic aerobic or anaerobic bioremediation of hydrocarbons occurred at the site at a rate that would support remediation. Geochemical indicators of hydrogen biodegradation by microorganisms in the saturated zone included oxygen depletion, increased alkalinity, sulfate depletion, methane production and Fe2+ production associated with hydrogen contamination. The presence of sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogens was also much higher in the contaminated sediments. Degraded hydrocarbon metabolites were found in contaminated groundwater. An extensive characterization of the vadose zone was conducted in which the vadose zone was sample in increments of 15 cm from the surface to the water table at contaminated and non contaminated sites. The samples were tested for individual C3+ hydrocarbons, methane, CO2, total organic carbon, total inorganic carbon, and total petroleum hydrocarbons. The vadose zone consisted of an active and aerobic bioreactor fueled by condensate hydrocarbons transported into the unsaturated zone by evaporation of hydrocarbons at the water table. It was concluded that the unsaturated zone makes an important contribution to the natural attenuation of gas condensate hydrocarbons in the area. 17 refs., 2 tabs., 28 figs

Factors affecting the distribution of hydrocarbon contaminants and hydrogeochemical parameters in a shallow sand aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jin-Yong; Cheon, Jeong-Yong; Lee, Kang-Kun; Lee, Seok-Young; Lee, Min-Hyo

2001-07-01

The distributions of hydrocarbon contaminants and hydrogeochemical parameters were investigated in a shallow sand aquifer highly contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons leaked from solvent storage tanks. For these purposes, a variety of field investigations and studies were performed, which included installation of over 100 groundwater monitoring wells and piezometers at various depths, soil logging and analyses during well and piezometer installation, chemical analysis of groundwater, pump tests, and slug tests. Continuous water level monitoring at three selected wells using automatic data-logger and manual measuring at other wells were also conducted. Based on analyses of the various investigations and tests, a number of factors were identified to explain the distribution of the hydrocarbon contaminants and hydrogeochemical parameters. These factors include indigenous biodegradation, hydrostratigraphy, preliminary pump-and-treat remedy, recharge by rainfall, and subsequent water level fluctuation. The permeable sandy layer, in which the mean water table elevation is maintained, provided a dominant pathway for contaminant transport. The preliminary pump-and-treat action accelerated the movement of the hydrocarbon contaminants and affected the redox evolution pattern. Seasonal recharge by rain, together with indigenous biodegradation, played an important role in the natural attenuation of the petroleum hydrocarbons via mixing/dilution and biodegradation. The water level fluctuations redistributed the hydrocarbon contaminants by partitioning them into the soil and groundwater. The identified factors are not independent but closely inter-correlated.

Long-term groundwater contamination after source removal—The role of sorbed carbon and nitrogen on the rate of reoxygenation of a treated-wastewater plume on Cape Cod, MA, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Richard L.; Repert, Deborah A.; Barber, Larry B.; LeBlanc, Denis R.

2013-01-01

The consequences of groundwater contamination can remain long after a contaminant source has been removed. Documentation of natural aquifer recoveries and empirical tools to predict recovery time frames and associated geochemical changes are generally lacking. This study characterized the long-term natural attenuation of a groundwater contaminant plume in a sand and gravel aquifer on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, after the removal of the treated-wastewater source. Although concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and other soluble constituents have decreased substantially in the 15 years since the source was removed, the core of the plume remains anoxic and has sharp redox gradients and elevated concentrations of nitrate and ammonium. Aquifer sediment was collected from near the former disposal site at several points in time and space along a 0.5-km-long transect extending downgradient from the disposal site and analyses of the sediment was correlated with changes in plume composition. Total sediment carbon content was generally low (rates in laboratory incubations, which ranged from 11.6 to 44.7 nmol (g dry wt)− 1 day− 1. Total water extractable organic carbon was groundwater velocity. This suggests that the total sorbed carbon pool is large relative to the rate of oxygen entrainment and will be impacting groundwater geochemistry for many decades. This has implications for long-term oxidation of reduced constituents, such as ammonium, that are being transported downgradient away from the infiltration beds toward surface and coastal discharge zones.

Multi-isotope (carbon and chlorine) analysis for fingerprinting and site characterization at a fractured bedrock aquifer contaminated by chlorinated ethenes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Palau, Jordi; Marchesi, Massimo; Chambon, Julie Claire Claudia

2014-01-01

is located in Spain with contamination resulting in groundwater concentrations of up to 50 mg/L of trichloroethene (TCE), the most abundant chlorinated ethene, and 7 mg/L of tetrachloroethene (PCE). The potential sources of contamination including abandoned barrels, an underground tank, and a disposal lagoon......, showed a wide range in δ13C values from − 15.6 to − 40.5‰ for TCE and from − 18.5 to − 32.4‰ for PCE, allowing the use of isotope fingerprinting for tracing of the origin and migration of these contaminants in the aquifer. In contrast, there is no difference between the δ37Cl values for TCE...

Single-well reactive tracer test and stable isotope analysis for determination of microbial activity in a fast hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burbery, L.; Cassiani, G.; Andreotti, G.; Ricchiuto, T.; Semple, K.T.

2004-01-01

Single-well reactive tracer tests, such as the push-pull test are useful tools for characterising in-situ bioattenuation processes in contaminated aquifers. However, the analytical models that are used to interpret push-pull data may be over-simplified, and potentially overlook important processes responsible for the frequent discrepancy between predicted and observed results obtained from push-pull tests. In this study, the limitations underlying the push-pull test methodology were investigated and were supported with results from a push-pull test conducted in a sulphate-reducing aquifer contaminated by crude oil. Poor ( 20% mass recoveries were achieved. Push-pull test data collected from sulphate-reducing aquifers indicate that the assumption of a well-mixed batch reactor system is incorrect and that reaction rates obtained from push-pull tests in such systems may be affected by the extraction regime implemented. Evidence of microbial respiration of the reactive tracer was provided by stable sulphur isotope analysis, from which an isotope fractionation factor of +9.9±8.1%o was estimated. The stable isotope data support the argument that reaction rates calculated using push-pull tests are not uniformly distributed in space and time and are likely to be influenced by heterogeneities in the flow field. - Reaction rates calculated by push-pull tests are not uniformly distributed in time and space

Risk-Based Management of Contaminated Groundwater: The Role of Geologic Heterogeneity, Exposure and Cancer Risk in Determining the Performance of Aquifer Remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maxwell, R.M.; Carle, S.F.; Tompson, A.F.B.

2000-01-01

The effectiveness of aquifer remediation is typically expressed in terms of a reduction in contaminant concentrations relative to a regulated maximum contaminant level (MCL), and is usually confined by sparse monitoring data and/or simple model calculations. Here, the effectiveness of remediation is examined from a risk-based perspective that goes beyond the traditional MCL concept. A methodology is employed to evaluate the health risk to individuals exposed to contaminated household water that is produced from groundwater. This approach explicitly accounts for differences in risk arising from variability in individual physiology and water use, the uncertainty in estimating chemical carcinogenesis for different individuals, and the uncertainties and variability in contaminant concentrations within groundwater. A hypothetical contamination scenario is developed as a case study in a saturated, alluvial aquifer underlying a real Superfund site. A baseline (unremediated) human exposure and health risk scenario, as induced by contaminated groundwater pumped from this site, is predicted and compared with a similar estimate based upon pump-and-treat exposure intervention. The predicted reduction in risk in the remediation scenario is not an equitable one-that is, it is not uniform to all individuals within a population and varies according to the level of uncertainty in prediction. The importance of understanding the detailed hydrogeologic connections that are established in the heterogeneous geologic regime between the contaminated source, municipal receptors, and remediation wells, and its relationship to this uncertainty is demonstrated. Using two alternative pumping rates, we develop cost-benefit curves based upon reduced exposure and risk to different individuals within the population, under the presence of uncertainty

Numerical simulation of seasonal heat storage in a contaminated shallow aquifer - Temperature influence on flow, transport and reaction processes

Science.gov (United States)

Popp, Steffi; Beyer, Christof; Dahmke, Andreas; Bauer, Sebastian

2015-04-01

The energy market in Germany currently faces a rapid transition from nuclear power and fossil fuels towards an increased production of energy from renewable resources like wind or solar power. In this context, seasonal heat storage in the shallow subsurface is becoming more and more important, particularly in urban regions with high population densities and thus high energy and heat demand. Besides the effects of increased or decreased groundwater and sediment temperatures on local and large-scale groundwater flow, transport, geochemistry and microbiology, an influence on subsurface contaminations, which may be present in the urban surbsurface, can be expected. Currently, concerns about negative impacts of temperature changes on groundwater quality are the main barrier for the approval of heat storage at or close to contaminated sites. The possible impacts of heat storage on subsurface contamination, however, have not been investigated in detail yet. Therefore, this work investigates the effects of a shallow seasonal heat storage on subsurface groundwater flow, transport and reaction processes in the presence of an organic contamination using numerical scenario simulations. A shallow groundwater aquifer is assumed, which consists of Pleistoscene sandy sediments typical for Northern Germany. The seasonal heat storage in these scenarios is performed through arrays of borehole heat exchangers (BHE), where different setups with 6 and 72 BHE, and temperatures during storage between 2°C and 70°C are analyzed. The developing heat plume in the aquifer interacts with a residual phase of a trichloroethene (TCE) contamination. The plume of dissolved TCE emitted from this source zone is degraded by reductive dechlorination through microbes present in the aquifer, which degrade TCE under anaerobic redox conditions to the degradation products dichloroethene, vinyl chloride and ethene. The temperature dependence of the microbial degradation activity of each degradation step is

Susceptibility to saline contamination of coastal confined aquifer of the Uraba banana axis with hydrogeochemical and isotopic techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paredes Zuniga, Vanessa

2010-01-01

The project has covered an area of study of 8916 km 2 is located in the Northwestern part of the Department of Antioquia, Colombia. Interest area is geologically constituted by tertiary sedimentary rocks (T1 and T2) and alluvial deposits (Quaternary). Hydrogeological units, potentially better use of groundwater, have been established for the unit T2 (confined aquifer) and quaternary deposits.) The area has been of 2600 mm/year to 3600 mm/year of average rainfall. The susceptibility to saline contamination has been determined of coastal aquifer of the Uraba banana axis. Hydrochemical and geological information, geophysics, hydraulic and hydrochemical is used improving existing conceptual hydrogeological model. A hydrochemical characterization has been performed to evaluate the processes of salinity in the confined aquifer. The integration of geological information, geophysical and hydrogeological has been methodology used to validate the hydraulic characteristics of the aquifer, its geometry and operation, updating the conceptual hydrogeological model. The use of complementary tools been able to determine and identify processes that may affect natural physico-chemical characteristics of groundwater. The results have showed that salinization processes present in the coastal aquifer of Uraba Banana Axis could be linked to water-rock interaction, to mixtures with water have become saline as a result of transgression - regression processes in the former study. The hydrogeochemical techniques have become a complementary tool to the hydrogeology allowing respond the questions were presented in complex systems, such as the case of coastal aquifers, where sanitation is usually associated with saline intrusion processes and can also be obeying the conjunction with other hydroclimatological and hydrodynamic aspects. (author) [es

Aerobic biodegradation potential of subsurface microorganisms from a jet fuel-contaminated aquifer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aelion, C.M.; Bradley, P.M.

1991-01-01

Current efforts to remediate subsurface contamination have spurred research in the application of in situ bioremediation. In 1975, a leak of 83,000 gallons (314,189 liters) of jet fuel (JP-4) contaminated a shallow water-table aquifer near North Charleston, S.C. Laboratory experiments were conducted with contaminated sediments to assess the aerobic biodegradation potential of the in situ microbial community. Sediments were incubated with 14 C-labeled organic compounds, and the evolution of 14 CO 2 was measured over time. Gas chromatographic analyses were used to monitor CO 2 production and O 2 consumption under aerobic conditions. Results indicated that the microbes from contaminated sediments remained active despite the potentially toxic effects of JP-4. 14 CO 2 was measured from [ 14 C]glucose respiration in unamended and nitrate-amended samples after 1 day of incubation. Total [ 14 C]glucose metabolism was greater in 1 mM nitrate-amended than in unamended samples because of increased cellular incorporation of 14 C label. [ 14 C]benzene and [ 14 C]toluene were not significantly respired after 3 months of incubation. With the addition of 1 mM NO 3 , CO 2 production measured by gas chromatographic analysis increased linearly during 2 months of incubation at a rte of 0.099 μmol g -1 (dry weight) day -1 while oxygen concentration decreased at a rate of 0.124 μmol g -1 (dry weight) day -1 . With no added nitrate, CO 2 production was not different from that in metabolically inhibited control vials. The results suggest that the in situ microbial community is active despite the JP-4 jet fuel contamination and that biodegradation may be compound specific. Also, the community is strongly nitrogen limited, and nitrogen additions may be required to significantly enhance hydrocarbon biodegradation

Estimating the fates of organic contaminants in an aquifer using QSAR.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Seung Joo; Fox, Peter

2013-01-01

The quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) model, BIOWIN, was modified to more accurately estimate the fates of organic contaminants in an aquifer. The predictions from BIOWIN were modified to include oxidation and sorption effects. The predictive model therefore included the effects of sorption, biodegradation, and oxidation. A total of 35 organic compounds were used to validate the predictive model. The majority of the ratios of predicted half-life to measured half-life were within a factor of 2 and no ratio values were greater than a factor of 5. In addition, the accuracy of estimating the persistence of organic compounds in the sub-surface was superior when modified by the relative fraction adsorbed to the solid phase, 1/Rf, to that when modified by the remaining fraction of a given compound adsorbed to a solid, 1 - fs.

Extent and Durability of Contamination of Groundwater and Water Works With The Pesticide Metabolite Bam (2,6 -dichlorbenzamide) Evaluated For Representative Aquifers In Denmark

Science.gov (United States)

Jørgensen, Peter R.; Clausen, Liselotte; Larsen, Flemming

The pesticide metabolite BAM (2,6-dichlorbenzamide) is the most frequently found pesticide contaminant in Danish groundwater. In 1999 BAM was found in 26% of Danish water supply wells and the drinking water standard (0.1 µg/L) was exceeded in 11% of the wells. BAM is a metabolite from the active ingredient dichlobenil (DCB), which was used for non-agricultural total weed protection during 1966 ­ 1997. By using the numerical codes FRAC3Dvs and MODFLOW/MT3D it is the aim of the study to evaluate the extent and durability of the BAM pollution in Danish groundwater and to recommend planning strategies to avoid or minimize BAM in future water supply. The modeling was based on the total amount sold of the DCB (29.000 ton/year) combined with data for sorption and degradation of the DCB and BAM measured from comprehensive laboratory experiments with soil material representing root zone and main aquifer soil types in Denmark. As a main result the laboratory experiments revealed that BAM was only very slowly degraded in the root zone, while no degradation was observed in the sub-soil environments. Combining these model in-put data with representative data for the main aquifer types and overriding fractured clay aquitards, the modeling indicates that more than 99% of infiltrated dichlobenile has been transformed to its metabolite BAM (approximately 500 tons in total), and that currently (year 2001) approximately 100% of this compound appears widely in the groundwater and/or in the above aquitards. The modeling shows that the BAM pollution will appear in the groundwater with a high frequency in extensive parts of Denmark during the following 20 years to more than 100 years. The highest current BAM concentrations, but however also the shortest durability of the BAM pollution, will occur in contaminated aquifers, which are not covered with clay layers. Short durability in such areas is furthermore dependent on the lack of further up-stream BAM sources. The modeling moreover

Gravel roads management : volume 1, gravel roads management.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

This report establishes procedures for managing dirt and gravel roads, with a primary focus on smaller agencies, such as Wyoming counties, that must manage their roads with very limited resources. The report strives, first, to guide and assist smalle...

Three-dimensional analysis of future groundwater flow conditions and contaminant plume transport in the Hanford Site unconfined aquifer system: FY 1996 and 1997 status report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cole, C.R.; Wurstner, S.K.; Williams, M.D.; Thorne, P.D.; Bergeron, M.P.

1997-12-01

A three-dimensional numerical model of groundwater flow and transport, based on the Coupled Fluid Energy, and Solute Transport (CFEST) code, was developed for the Hanford Site to support the Hanford Groundwater Project (HGWP), managed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The model was developed to increase the understanding and better forecast the migration of several contaminant plumes being monitored by the HGWP, and to support the Hanford Site Composite Analysis for low-level waste disposal in the 200-Area Plateau. Recent modeling efforts have focused on continued refinement of an initial version of the three-dimensional model developed in 1995 and its application to simulate future transport of selected contaminant plumes in the aquifer system. This version of the model was updated using a more current version of the CFEST code called CFEST96. Prior to conducting simulations of contaminant transport with the three-dimensional model, a previous steady-state, two-dimensional model of the unconfined aquifer system was recalibrated to 1979 water-table conditions with a statistical inverse method implemented in the CFEST-INV computer code. The results of the recalibration were used to refine the three-dimensional conceptual model and to calibrate it with a conceptualization that preserves the two-dimensional hydraulic properties and knowledge of the aquifer`s three-dimensional properties for the same 1979 water-table conditions. The transient behavior of the three-dimensional flow model was also calibrated by adjusting model storage properties (specific yield) until transient water-table predictions approximated observed water-table elevations between 1979 and 1996.

Natural sulphate contamination in the multi aquifer system in Santiago del Estero city, Argentine; Contaminacion natural por sulfatos en el sistema multiacuifero de la ciudad de Santiago del Estero, Argentina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin, A. P.; Palazzo, R.

2009-07-01

The study observed a complex of figures and graphics that reveal the progressive pollution in the pumping wells. Also, it is made a detailed and current review of the underground physics-chemistry evolution, which results justify the importance of finding a real solution to the degradations problem of the aquifers in Santiago del Estero. for that reason, it is strictly necessary to build a total of eleven wells in the recharges zone, so five of them will be diggings 70 m in the gravel wedge (aquifer II) and six wells of 150 m of depth in the margins of the river Dulce. On the other hand, the studies carried out in the area indicate that all the wells will obtain water directly from the river to a direct recharge, so 81% of its flow will be absorb from the river and the rest, 19 % would be taken from the aquifer. This reason will avoid the progressive advance of the saline wedge and there wont harm the chemical quality of the recharge area. The batteries of the wells will supply 1.500.000 L/hour to the interconnected system on the top most potable conditions. (Author) 14 refs.

Ground-water contamination at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan

Science.gov (United States)

Stark, J.R.; Cummings, T.R.; Twenter, F.R.

1983-01-01

A sand and gravel aquifer of glacial origin underlies Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northeastern lower Michigan. The aquifer overlies a thick clay layer at an average depth of 65 feet. The water table is about 10 feet below land surface in the western part of the Base and about 25 feet below land surface in the eastern part. A ground-water divide cuts diagonally across the Base from northwest to southeast. South of the divide, ground water flows to the Au Sable River; north of the divide, it flows to Van Etten Creek and Van Etten Lake. Mathematical models were used to aid in calculating rates of groundwater flow. Rates range from about 0.8 feet per day in the eastern part of the Base to about 0.3 feet per day in the western part. Models also were used as an aid in making decisions regarding purging of contaminated water from the aquifer. In 1977, trichloroethylene was detected in the Air Force Base water-supply system. It had leaked from a buried storage tank near Building 43 in the southeastern part of the Base and moved northeastward under the influence of the natural ground-water gradient and the pumping of Base water-supply wells. In the most highly contaminated part of the plume, concentrations are greater than 1,000 micrograms per liter. Current purge pumping is removing some of the trichloroethylene, and seems to have arrested its eastward movement. Pumping of additional purge wells could increase the rate of removal. Trichloroethylene has also been detected in ground water in the vicinity of the Base alert apron, where a plume from an unknown source extends northeastward off Base. A smaller, less well-defined area of contamination also occurs just north of the larger plume. Trichloroethylene, identified near the waste-treatment plant, seepage lagoons, and the northern landfill area, is related to activities and operations in these areas. Dichloroethylene and trichloroethylene occur in significant quantities westward of Building 43, upgradient from the major

Effect of gravel on hydraulic conductivity of compacted soil liners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shelley, T.L.; Daniel, D.E.

1993-01-01

How much gravel should be allowed in low-hydraulic-conductivity, compacted soil liners? To address this question, two clayey soils are uniformly mixed with varying percentages of gravel that, by itself, has a hydraulic conductivity of 170 cm/s. Soil/gravel mixtures are compacted and then permeated. Hydraulic conductivity of the compacted gravel/soil mixtures is less than 1 x 10 -7 cm/s for gravel contents as high as 50-60%. For gravel contents ≤ 60%, gravel content is not important: all test specimens have a low hydraulic conductivity. For gravel contents > 50-60%, the clayey soils does not fill voids between gravel particles, and high hydraulic conductivity results. The water content of the nongravel fraction is found to be a useful indicator of proper moisture conditions during compaction. From these experiments in which molding water content and compactive energy are carefully controlled, and gravel is uniformly mixed with the soil, it is concluded that the maximum allowable gravel content is approximately 50%

GeoChip-based analysis of microbial functional gene diversity in a landfill leachate-contaminated aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Zhenmei; He, Zhili; Parisi, Victoria A.; Kang, Sanghoon; Deng, Ye; Van Nostrand, Joy D.; Masoner, Jason R.; Cozzarelli, Isabelle M.; Suflita, Joseph M.; Zhou, Jizhong

2012-01-01

The functional gene diversity and structure of microbial communities in a shallow landfill leachate-contaminated aquifer were assessed using a comprehensive functional gene array (GeoChip 3.0). Water samples were obtained from eight wells at the same aquifer depth immediately below a municipal landfill or along the predominant downgradient groundwater flowpath. Functional gene richness and diversity immediately below the landfill and the closest well were considerably lower than those in downgradient wells. Mantel tests and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) suggested that various geochemical parameters had a significant impact on the subsurface microbial community structure. That is, leachate from the unlined landfill impacted the diversity, composition, structure, and functional potential of groundwater microbial communities as a function of groundwater pH, and concentrations of sulfate, ammonia, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Historical geochemical records indicate that all sampled wells chronically received leachate, and the increase in microbial diversity as a function of distance from the landfill is consistent with mitigation of the impact of leachate on the groundwater system by natural attenuation mechanisms.

Evaluation of ethyl tert-butyl ether biodegradation in a contaminated aquifer by compound-specific isotope analysis and in situ microcosms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bombach, Petra, E-mail: petra.bombach@ufz.de [UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig (Germany); Isodetect GmbH Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5b, D-04103 Leipzig (Germany); Nägele, Norbert [Kuvier the Biotech Company S.L., Ctra. N-I, p.k. 234–P.E. INBISA 23" a, E-09001 Burgos (Spain); Rosell, Mònica [UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig (Germany); Grup de Mineralogia Aplicada i Medi Ambient, Departament de Cristallografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Richnow, Hans H. [UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig (Germany); Fischer, Anko [Isodetect GmbH Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5b, D-04103 Leipzig (Germany)

2015-04-09

Highlights: • In situ biodegradation of ETBE was investigated in a fuel contaminated aquifer. • Degradation was studied by CSIA and in situ microcosms in combination with TLFA-SIP. • ETBE was degraded when ETBE was the main groundwater contaminant. • ETBE was also degraded in the presence of BTEX and MTBE. • Hydrochemical analysis indicated aerobic and anaerobic ETBE biodegradation. - Abstract: Ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) is an upcoming groundwater pollutant in Europe whose environmental fate has been less investigated, thus far. In the present study, we investigated the in situ biodegradation of ETBE in a fuel-contaminated aquifer using compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA), and in situ microcosms in combination with total lipid fatty acid (TLFA)-stable isotope probing (SIP). In a first field investigation, CSIA revealed insignificant carbon isotope fractionation, but low hydrogen isotope fractionation of up to +14‰ along the prevailing anoxic ETBE plume suggesting biodegradation of ETBE. Ten months later, oxygen injection was conducted to enhance the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons (PH) at the field site. Within the framework of this remediation measure, in situ microcosms loaded with [{sup 13}C{sub 6}]-ETBE (BACTRAP{sup ®}s) were exposed for 119 days in selected groundwater wells to assess the biodegradation of ETBE by TLFA-SIP under the following conditions: (i) ETBE as main contaminant; (ii) ETBE as main contaminant subjected to oxygen injection; (iii) ETBE plus other PH; (iv) ETBE plus other PH subjected to oxygen injection. Under all conditions investigated, significant {sup 13}C-incorporation into microbial total lipid fatty acids extracted from the in situ microcosms was found, providing clear evidence of ETBE biodegradation.

Evaluation of ethyl tert-butyl ether biodegradation in a contaminated aquifer by compound-specific isotope analysis and in situ microcosms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bombach, Petra; a, E-09001 Burgos (Spain))" data-affiliation=" (Kuvier the Biotech Company S.L., Ctra. N-I, p.k. 234–P.E. INBISA 23a, E-09001 Burgos (Spain))" >Nägele, Norbert; Rosell, Mònica; Richnow, Hans H.; Fischer, Anko

2015-01-01

Highlights: • In situ biodegradation of ETBE was investigated in a fuel contaminated aquifer. • Degradation was studied by CSIA and in situ microcosms in combination with TLFA-SIP. • ETBE was degraded when ETBE was the main groundwater contaminant. • ETBE was also degraded in the presence of BTEX and MTBE. • Hydrochemical analysis indicated aerobic and anaerobic ETBE biodegradation. - Abstract: Ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) is an upcoming groundwater pollutant in Europe whose environmental fate has been less investigated, thus far. In the present study, we investigated the in situ biodegradation of ETBE in a fuel-contaminated aquifer using compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA), and in situ microcosms in combination with total lipid fatty acid (TLFA)-stable isotope probing (SIP). In a first field investigation, CSIA revealed insignificant carbon isotope fractionation, but low hydrogen isotope fractionation of up to +14‰ along the prevailing anoxic ETBE plume suggesting biodegradation of ETBE. Ten months later, oxygen injection was conducted to enhance the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons (PH) at the field site. Within the framework of this remediation measure, in situ microcosms loaded with [ 13 C 6 ]-ETBE (BACTRAP ® s) were exposed for 119 days in selected groundwater wells to assess the biodegradation of ETBE by TLFA-SIP under the following conditions: (i) ETBE as main contaminant; (ii) ETBE as main contaminant subjected to oxygen injection; (iii) ETBE plus other PH; (iv) ETBE plus other PH subjected to oxygen injection. Under all conditions investigated, significant 13 C-incorporation into microbial total lipid fatty acids extracted from the in situ microcosms was found, providing clear evidence of ETBE biodegradation

Factors Affecting Public-Supply Well Vulnerability in Two Karst Aquifers

OpenAIRE

Musgrove, MaryLynn; Katz, Brian G; Fahlquist, Lynne S; Crandall, Christy A; Lindgren, Richard J

2014-01-01

Karst aquifers occur in a range of climatic and geologic settings. Nonetheless, they are commonly characterized by their vulnerability to water-quality impairment. Two karst aquifers, the Edwards aquifer in south-central Texas and the Upper Floridan aquifer in western Florida, were investigated to assess factors that control the movement of contaminants to public-supply wells (PSWs). The geochemistry of samples from a selected PSW or wellfield in each aquifer was compared with that from nearb...

Aquifer Sampling Tube Completion Report: 100 Area and Hanford Townsite Shorelines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, R.E.; Borghese, J.V.; Erb, D.B.

1998-02-01

Groundwater contamination is known or suspected along the Hanford Site shoreline of the Columbia River adjacent to the retired reactor areas. Along the shoreline away from the reactor areas, where contamination is presumed to be absent, monitoring sites are frequently widely spaced or unavailable to confirm the presumption. Previous characterizations of contamination near the river have relied on data from a limited number of near-river wells, contaminant plume migration predictions, and river bank seepage sampling to anticipate shoreline conditions. In recent years, new methods have been developed to obtain groundwater samples from the aquifer near the groundwater/river water interface. These methods include using (1) divers to obtain samples of pore water from riverbed sediment and (2) sampling tubes that are driven into the aquifer at the shoreline. The latter method also permits sampling the aquifer at multiple depths, which helps to determine the thickness of the potentially contaminated groundwater layer that discharges into the river

Ecological significance of riverine gravel bars in regulated river reaches below dams

Science.gov (United States)

Ock, G.; Takemon, Y.; Sumi, T.; Kondolf, G. M.

2012-12-01

A gravel bar has been recognized as ecologically significant in that they provide simplified habitat with topographical, hydrological and thermo-chemical diversity, while enhancing material exchanges as interfaces laterally between aquatic and terrestrial habitats, and vertically between surface and subsurface waters. During past several decades, regulated rivers below dams have been loss of a number of the geomorphological features due to sediment starvation by upstream dams, accompanied by a subsequent degradation of their ecological functions. Despite a growing concern for gravel bar management recognizing its importance in recovering riverine ecosystem services, the ecological roles of gravel bars have not been assessed enough from the empirical perspectives of habitat diversity and organic matter interactions. In this study, we investigate the 'natural filtering effects' for reducing lentic plankton and contaminants associated with self-purification, and 'physicochemical habitat complexity' of gravel bars, focusing on reach-scaled gravel bars in rivers located in three different countries; First is the Uji River in central Japan, where there has been a loss of gravel bars in the downstream reaches since an upstream dam was constructed in 1965; second is the Tagliamento River in northeast Italy, which shows morphologically intact braided bar channels by natural flooding events and sediment supply; third is the Trinity River in the United States (located in northern California), the site of ongoing restoration efforts for creating new gravel bars through gravel augmentation and channel rehabilitation activities. We traced the downstream changes in particulate organic matter (POM) trophic sources (composed of allochthonous terrestrial inputs, autochthonous instream production and lentic plankton from dam outflows) in order to evaluate the roles of the geomorphological features in tailwater ecosystem food-resources shifting. We calculated suspended POM

Can coarse surface layers in gravel-bedded rivers be mobilized by finer gravel bedload?

Science.gov (United States)

Venditti, J. G.; Dietrich, W. E.; Nelson, P. A.; Wydzga, M. A.; Fadde, J.; Sklar, L.

2005-12-01

In response to reductions in sediment supply, gravel-bed rivers undergo a coarsening of the sediments that comprise the river's bed and, over some longer time scale, a river's grade may also be reduced as sediments are depleted from upstream reaches. Coarse, degraded river reaches are commonly observed downstream of dams across the Western United States. Following dam closure, these riverbeds become immobile under the altered flow and sediment supply regimes, leading to a reduction in the available salmon spawning and rearing habitat. Gravel augmentation to these streams is now common practice. This augmentation is typically seen as resurfacing the static coarse bed. As an alternative, we propose that the addition of appropriately finer gravels to these channels may be capable of mobilizing an otherwise immobile coarse surface layer, creating the potential to release fine material trapped beneath the surface. A series of laboratory experiments are being undertaken to test this hypothesis in a 30 m long and 0.86 m wide gravel-bedded flume channel using a constant discharge and a unimodal bed sediment with a median grain size of 8 mm and no sand present. The channel width-to-depth ratio of ~4 suppresses the development of lateral topography and allows us to focus on grain-to-grain interactions. Experiments proceed by maintaining a constant sediment feed until an equilibrium grade and transport rate are established, starving the flume of sediment for at least 24 hours, and then adding narrowly graded gravel over a period of one to two hours at a rate that is ~4x the bedload rate observed prior to terminating the sediment supply. The bed prior to sediment addition has an armor median grain size that is typically twice that of the subsurface and feed size distribution. The volume and median grain size of the resulting pulses are varied. Pulses move downstream rapidly with well-defined fronts in the form of bedload sheets and cause peaks in the sediment flux

The use of nitrate isotopes to identify contamination sources in the Bou-Areg aquifer (Morocco)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Re, Viviana [Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Dorsoduro 2137, Venice, 30123 (Italy); Sacchi, Elisa [University of Pavia, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Via Ferrata 1, Pavia, 27100 (Italy); Allais, Enrico [ISO4 s.n.c., Via Ferrata 1, Pavia, 27100 (Italy)

2013-07-01

The Bou-Areg coastal aquifer (Morocco) is affected by high nitrate levels in groundwater, with possible consequences for the natural environment and human health. The use of environmental tracers, including δ{sup 15}NNO{sub 3} and δ{sup 18}ONO{sub 3}, allowed identifying the main sources of nitrate contamination in groundwater samples collected in 2010. These are manure and septic effluents, especially in urban areas, and synthetic fertilizers in agricultural areas. This work represents a preliminary step for a more detailed nitrate vulnerability assessment to support groundwater management and protection in the studied region. (authors)

Modeling subsurface contamination at Fernald

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, B.W.; Flinn, J.C.; Ruwe, P.R.

1994-01-01

The Department of Energy's Fernald site is located about 20 miles northwest of Cincinnati. Fernald produced refined uranium metal products from ores between 1953 and 1989. The pure uranium was sent to other DOE sites in South Carolina, Tennessee, Colorado,and Washington in support of the nation's strategic defense programs. Over the years of large-scale uranium production, contamination of the site's soil and groundwater occurred.The contamination is of particular concern because the Fernald site is located over the Great Miami Aquifer, a designated sole-source drinking water aquifer. Contamination of the aquifer with uranium was found beneath the site, and migration of the contamination had occurred well beyond the site's southern boundary. As a result, Fernald was placed on the National Priorities (CERCLA/Superfund) List in 1989. Uranium production at the site ended in 1989,and Fernald's mission has been changed to one of environmental restoration. This paper presents information about computerized modeling of subsurface contamination used for the environmental restoration project at Fernald

Ground-water levels in aquifers used for residential supply, Campton Township, Kane County, Illinois

Science.gov (United States)

Kay, Robert T.; Kraske, Kurt A.

1996-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Campton Township Board of Trustees, measured water levels in the aquifers used for residential supply in Campton Township, Kane County, Illinois. Aquifers used for residential supply are the shallow and deep aquifers in the glacial drift, composed of unconsolidated sand and gravels; the Alexandrian-Maquoketa aquifer, composed of dolomite and shale of the Alexandrian Series and the Maquoketa Group; the Galena-Platteville aquifer, composed of dolomite of the Platteville and Galena Groups; and the Ancell aquifer, composed of sandstones of the Glenwood Formation and the St. Peter Sanstone. Water-level altitudes in the shallow drift aquifers generally follow surface topography. Analysis of water-level data does not clearly indicate overutilization of these aquifers. Water-level altitudes in the deep drift aquifers decrease from west to east. Comparison of historical depth to water measurements with current (1995) measurements indicates large decreases in water levels in some areas. The deep drift aquifers may be overutilized at these locations. Water-level altitudes in the Alexandrian-Maquoketa aquifer generally decrease from west to east. The potentiometric surface of the aquifer follows the bedrock-surface topography in some locations. Localized low water-level altitudes and large decreases in water levels indicate the Alexandrian-Maquoketa aquifer is overutilized in several areas. Water-level altitudes in the wells finished in the Galena- Platteville aquifer vary by more than 300 feet. Large decreases in water levels in wells finished in the Galena-Platteville aquifer indicate the Galena-Platteville and Alexandrian-Maquoketa aquifers are overutilized in the northern part of the township. Water-level altitudes in the wells finished in the Ancell aquifer are also highly variable. There is no indication that the Ancell aquifer is overutilized.

Gravel Roads: Maintenance and Design Manual

Science.gov (United States)

This manual was developed with a major emphasis on the maintenance of gravel roads, including some basic design elements. The purpose of the manual is to provide clear and helpful information for doing a better job of maintaining gravel roads.

Abrasion-set limits on Himalayan gravel flux.

Science.gov (United States)

Dingle, Elizabeth H; Attal, Mikaël; Sinclair, Hugh D

2017-04-26

Rivers sourced in the Himalayan mountain range carry some of the largest sediment loads on the planet, yet coarse gravel in these rivers vanishes within approximately 10-40 kilometres on entering the Ganga Plain (the part of the North Indian River Plain containing the Ganges River). Understanding the fate of gravel is important for forecasting the response of rivers to large influxes of sediment triggered by earthquakes or storms. Rapid increase in gravel flux and subsequent channel bed aggradation (that is, sediment deposition by a river) following the 1999 Chi-Chi and 2008 Wenchuan earthquakes reduced channel capacity and increased flood inundation. Here we present an analysis of fan geometry, sediment grain size and lithology in the Ganga Basin. We find that the gravel fluxes from rivers draining the central Himalayan mountains, with upstream catchment areas ranging from about 350 to 50,000 square kilometres, are comparable. Our results show that abrasion of gravel during fluvial transport can explain this observation; most of the gravel sourced more than 100 kilometres upstream is converted into sand by the time it reaches the Ganga Plain. These findings indicate that earthquake-induced sediment pulses sourced from the Greater Himalayas, such as that following the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, are unlikely to drive increased gravel aggradation at the mountain front. Instead, we suggest that the sediment influx should result in an elevated sand flux, leading to distinct patterns of aggradation and flood risk in the densely populated, low-relief Ganga Plain.

Hydrogeology and water quality of glacial-drift aquifers in the Bemidji-Bagley area, Beltrami, Clearwater, Cass, and Hubbard counties, Minnesota

Science.gov (United States)

Stark, J.R.; Busch, J.P.; Deters, M.H.

1991-01-01

Unconfined and the upper confined aquifers in glacial drift are the primary sources of water in a 1,600 square-mile area including parts of Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, and Hubbard Counties, Minnesota. The unconfineddrift aquifer consists of coarse sand and gravel in the center of the study area. The total area underlain by the unconfined-drift aquifer is approximately 550 square miles. The unconfined aquifer ranges in thickness from 0 to 130 feet, and is greater than 20 feet thick over an area of 280 square miles. On the basis of scant data, the transmissivity of the unconfined aquifer ranges from less than 70 feet squared per day in the south and west to greater than 8,900 feet squared per day in an area west of Bemidji. Well yields from 10 to 300 gallons per minute are possible in some areas. The unconfined and upper confined-drift aquifers are separated by a fine-grained confining unit of till or lake deposits.

Shrinkage Properties of Cement Stabilized Gravel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Mia Schou Møller; Hansen, Kurt Kielsgaard

2014-01-01

Cement stabilized gravel is an attractive material in road construction because its strength prop-erties are accommodating the increasingly higher requirements to the bearing capacity of a base course. However, reflection cracking of cement stabilized gravel is a major concern. In this pa...

Isotope chemistry of an extensively nitrate-contaminated urban aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Kracht, O.; de Souza, L. C.; de Queiros, M. A.; Stegemann, C.; Hunziker, J.

2003-04-01

The supply of drinking water for the approximately 800.000 inhabitants of the city of Natal (Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil) is strongly dependent on the use of local groundwater from the Barreiras Aquifer. Over 70 % of the public production are served by a system of about 130 tubular wells, that are distributed all over the urban area. Yet, no groundwater protection zones have been declared. In addition, a comparable number of private wells also depend on the cities underground water resources. Depending on the local topography, the groundwater table is located several tens of meters below surface. Useable groundwater occurrences are bound to an up to hundred meters thick series of unconsolidated clastic sediments from the younger tertiary (Barreiras Formation), that is underlain by less permeable cretaceous carbonates. Natals topography is dominated by impressive quaternary dunes formations, that play an important role for the infiltration of rain as the only source of recharge for the local groundwater. During the last decades, an extensive and rapidly growing groundwater-contamination with up to over 100 mg/l nitrate was observed by the local authorities. Hydrochemical data indicate this deterioration to be due to a massive spill of sanitary effluents over septic pits, as only 20 % of the city is yet served by a sewer system. The isotopic composition of Natals groundwater shows only small variations, with an average δ18O value of -2,3 per mill and δ2H value of -10,5 per mill vs. SMOW. Its origin from recent local precipitation is revealed by a good correspondence with the annual weighted means for precipitation in Ceara Mirim (nearest GNIP station, situated 45 km NE of Natal). In contrast, a set of samples from different regional surface waters indicated a strong evaporation trend with systematic enrichment in the oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition. Samples from 33 production wells with a wide variation of nitrate concentrations were investigated for their

Spore-forming, Desulfosporosinus-like sulphate-reducing bacteria from a shallow aquifer contaminated with gasoline.

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, W J; Franzmann, P D; Mee, B J

2000-02-01

Previous studies on the geochemistry of a shallow unconfined aquifer contaminated with hydrocarbons suggested that the degradation of some hydrocarbons was linked to bacterial sulphate reduction. There was attenuation of naphthalene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (TMB), toluene, p-xylene and ethylbenzene in the groundwater with concomitant loss of sulphate. Here, the recovery of eight strains of sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) from the contaminated site is reported. All were straight or curved rod-shaped cells which formed endospores. Amplification and sequencing of the 16S rDNA indicated that the strains were all sulphate reducers of the Gram-positive line of descent, and were most closely related to Desulfosporosinus (previously Desulfotomaculum) orientis DSM 8344 (97-98.9% sequence similarity). The strains clustered in three phylogenetic groups based on 16S rRNA sequences. Whole cell fatty acid compositions were similar to those of D. orientis DSM 8344, and were consistent with previous studies of fatty acids in soil and groundwater from the site. Microcosms containing groundwater from this aquifer indicated a role for sulphate reduction in the degradation of [ring-UL-14C]toluene, but not for the degradation of [UL-14C]benzene which could also be degraded by the microcosms. Adding one of the strains that was isolated from the groundwater (strain T2) to sulphate-enriched microcosms increased the rate of toluene degradation four- to 10-fold but had no effect on the rate of benzene degradation. The addition of molybdate, an inhibitor of sulphate reduction, to the groundwater samples decreased the rate of toluene mineralization. There was no evidence to support the mineralization of [UL-14C]benzene, [ring-UL-14C]toluene or unlabelled m-xylene, p-xylene, ethylbenzene, TMB or naphthalene by any of the strains in pure culture. Growth of all the strains was completely inhibited by 100 micromol l-1 TMB.

Stabilization of gravel deposits using microorganisms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van der Star, W.R.L.; Van Wijngaarden, W.K.; Van Paassen, L.A.; Van Baalen, L.R.; Zwieten, G.

2011-01-01

One of the techniques used for the construction of underground infrastructure is horizontal directional drilling (HDD). This trenchless method is complicated when crossing gravel deposits as a borehole in coarse gravel tends to collapse, causing the drill pipe to get stuck or the failure of

Experimental Study of Irregular Waves on a Gravel Beach

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Nai-Ren; Wu, Yun-Ta; Hwung, Hwung-Hweng; Yang, Ray-Yeng

2017-04-01

In the east coast of Taiwan, the sort grain size more belongs to cobble or gravel, which is physically distinct compared to the sandy beach in the west coast of Taiwan. Although gravel beaches can dissipate more of wave energy, gravel beaches were eroded and coastal road were damaged especially during typhoons. The purpose of this study is to investigate the geomorphological response of gravel beach due to irregular waves. This experiment was carry out in a 21m long, 50 cm wide, 70 cm high wave tank at Tainan Hydraulics Laboratory, National Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan. To simulate of the geometry in the east coast of Taiwan, a physical model with 1/36 scale-down was used, in which the seawall was 10cm built upon a 1:10 slope and gravel grains with D50 being 3.87 mm was nourished in front of the seawall. In terms of typhoon-scale wave condition, irregular waves with scale-down conditions were generated for 600 s for each scenarios and, three different water levels with respect to the gravel beach are designed. Application of laser combined with image processing to produce 3D topographic map, the erosion zone and accretion zone would be found. The resulting morphological change of gravel beach will be measured using an integrated laser and image processing tool to have 3D topographic maps. It is expected to have more understanding about under what conditions the gravel coasts suffer the least damage. In particular, the relation between erosion rates of gravel beach, the angle of gravel slope and the length of the plane on the gravel slope will be achieved

Assessing the vulnerability of public-supply wells to contamination—Edwards aquifer near San Antonio, Texas

Science.gov (United States)

Jagucki, Martha L.; Musgrove, MaryLynn; Lindgren, Richard J.; Fahlquist, Lynne; Eberts, Sandra M.

2011-01-01

This fact sheet highlights findings from the vulnerability study of a public-supply well field in San Antonio, Texas. The well field consists of six production wells that tap the Edwards aquifer. Typically, one or two wells are pumped at a time, yielding an average total of 20-21 million gallons per day. Water samples were collected from public-supply wells in the well field and from monitoring wells installed along general directions of flow to the well field. Samples from the well field contained some constituents of concern for drinking-water quality, including nitrate; the pesticide compounds atrazine, deethylatrazine, and simazine; and the volatile organic compounds tetrachloroethene (also called perchloroethene, or PCE), chloroform, bromoform, and dibromochloromethane. These constituents were detected in untreated water at concentrations much less than established drinking-water standards, where such standards exist. Overall, the study findings point to four primary factors that affect the movement and fate of contaminants and the vulnerability of the public-supply well field in San Antonio, Texas: (1) groundwater age (how long ago water entered, or recharged, the aquifer), (2) fast pathways for flow of groundwater through features formed or enlarged by dissolution of bedrock, (3) recharge characteristics of the aquifer, and (4) natural geochemical processes within the aquifer. A computer-model simulation of groundwater flow and transport was used to estimate the traveltime (or age) of water particles entering public-supply well W4 in the well field. Modeled findings show that almost half of the water reaching the public-supply well is less than 2 years old. Such a large percentage of very young water indicates that (1) contaminants entering the aquifer may be transported rapidly to the well, (2) there is limited time for chemical reactions to occur in the aquifer that may attenuate contaminants, and (3) should recharge water become contaminated with

The Role of Attached and Free-Living Bacteria in Biodegradation in Karst Aquifers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Kheder

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Natural attenuation of groundwater contamination occurs at some level for all aquifers impacted with organic contaminants. The issues regarding natural attenuation are whether it takes place at a sufficient rate to be protective of human health and the environment. Implementation of a Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA remedial alternative for groundwater requires parties responsible for the contamination to demonstrate to regulators and the public that MNA is protective at a given site. Analysis of MNA for remediation of karst aquifers is hampered by a lack of understanding of biodegradation in karst environments. The lack of studies examining biodegradation in karst aquifers may in large part be due to the widespread perception that contaminants are rapidly flushed out of karst aquifers resulting in insufficient residence times for contaminants to biodegrade. In highly developed and well-connected conduit systems, the rate of contaminant migration is perceived to be much faster than the rate of biodegradation. This perception of contaminant transport is largely incorrect. Tracer studies for karst aquifers often indicate that these aquifers are characterized by diverse flow regimes and storage capabilities. Additionally, it is also believed that if bioremediation in bedrock aquifers is dependent upon contact between surface-attached bacteria and contaminants, then bioremediation would be limited by the low surface-area-to-volume ratio (SA/V of karst aquifers. A quantitative basis, however, for accepting or rejecting the assumption that attached bacteria dominate the biodegradation process in karst conduits has not been shown. The objective of this research was to determine if free-living karst bacteria from contributed as much to toluene biodegradation as attached bacteria. This is an important area of research. Research indicates bacteria are both attached and free-living in karst aquifers and it is unrealistic to think that only the attached

Water-quality characteristics of quaternary unconsolidated-deposit aquifers and lower tertiary aquifers of the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming and Montana, 1999-2001

Science.gov (United States)

Bartos, Timothy T.; Eddy-Miller, Cheryl A.; Norris, Jody R.; Gamper, Merry E.; Hallberg, Laura L.

2004-01-01

As part of the Yellowstone River Basin National Water Quality Assessment study, ground-water samples were collected from Quaternary unconsolidated-deposit and lower Tertiary aquifers in the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming and Montana from 1999 to 2001. Samples from 54 wells were analyzed for physical characteristics, major ions, trace elements, nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, radionuclides, pesticide compounds, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to evaluate current water-quality conditions in both aquifers. Water-quality samples indicated that waters generally were suitable for most uses, and that natural conditions, rather than the effects of human activities, were more likely to limit uses of the waters. Waters in both types of aquifers generally were highly mineralized, and total dissolved-solids concentrations frequently exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL) of 500 milligrams per liter (mg/L). Because of generally high mineralization, waters from nearly one-half of the samples from Quaternary aquifers and more than one-half of the samples from lower Tertiary aquifers were not classified as fresh (dissolved-solids concentration were not less than 1,000 mg/L). The anions sulfate, fluoride, and chloride were measured in some ground-water samples at concentrations greater than SMCLs. Most waters from the Quaternary aquifers were classified as very hard (hardness greater than 180 mg/L), but hardness varied much more in waters from the lower Tertiary aquifers and ranged from soft (less than 60 mg/L) to very hard (greater than 180 mg/L). Major-ion chemistry varied with dissolved-solids concentrations. In both types of aquifers, the predominant anion changes from bicarbonate to sulfate with increasing dissolved-solids concentrations. Samples from Quaternary aquifers with fresh waters generally were calcium-bicarbonate, calcium-sodium-bicarbonate, and calcium-sodium-sulfate-bicarbonate type waters, whereas

Development and validation of a model of bio-barriers for remediation of Cr(VI) contaminated aquifers using laboratory column experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Shashidhar, T; Bhallamudi, S Murty; Philip, Ligy

2007-07-16

Bench scale transport and biotransformation experiments and mathematical model simulations were carried out to study the effectiveness of bio-barriers for the containment of hexavalent chromium in contaminated confined aquifers. Experimental results showed that a 10cm thick bio-barrier with an initial biomass concentration of 0.205mg/g of soil was able to completely contain a Cr(VI) plume of 25mg/L concentration. It was also observed that pore water velocity and initial biomass concentration are the most significant parameters in the containment of Cr(VI). The mathematical model developed is based on one-dimensional advection-dispersion reaction equations for Cr(VI) and molasses in saturated, homogeneous porous medium. The transport of Cr(VI) and molasses is coupled with adsorption and Monod's inhibition kinetics for immobile bacteria. It was found that, in general, the model was able to simulate the experimental results satisfactorily. However, there was disparity between the numerically simulated and experimental breakthrough curves for Cr(VI) and molasses in cases where there was high clay content and high microbial activity. The mathematical model could contribute towards improved designs of future bio-barriers for the remediation of Cr(VI) contaminated aquifers.

Hydrogeology of the Ramapo River-Woodbury Creek valley-fill aquifer system and adjacent areas in eastern Orange County, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Heisig, Paul M.

2015-01-01

The hydrogeology of the valley-fill aquifer system and surrounding watershed areas was investigated within a 23-mile long, fault-controlled valley in eastern Orange County, New York. Glacial deposits form a divide within the valley that is drained to the north by Woodbury Creek and is drained to the south by the Ramapo River. Surficial geology, extent and saturated thickness of sand and gravel aquifers, extent of confining units, bedrock-surface elevation beneath valleys, major lineaments, and the locations of wells for which records are available were delineated on an interactive map.

Hydrogeological and quantitative groundwater assessment of the Basaltic Aquifer, Northern Harrat Rahat, Saudi Arabia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Shaibani, A.; Abokhodair, Abdulwahab A.; Lloyd, J.W.; Al-Ahmari, A.

2007-01-01

The Northern Harrat Rahat consists of 300m basalt lavas covering some 2000 km2 to the south-east of Al-Madinah in western Saudi Arabia. Like many basalt sequences, the Rahat basalts form an important aquifer and groundwater resource. The aquifer has a saturated thickness of up to 60m and made up of the weathered upper part of underlying basement, pre-basalt sands and gravels and the fractured basalts. Since 1992, groundwater has been abstracted from the aquifer as part of the Al-Madinah water supply. To assess the potential of the aquifer an assessment has been made based on pumping tests of 70 wells. The hydraulic parameters have been shown to be highly variable typical of the fractured domain. The aquifer contains good-quality water in storage, but receives limited recharge. Groundwater temperature anomalies indicate remnant volcanic activity locally. A numerical groundwater model has been constructed, which has been calibrated using limited groundwater head measurements, but with good abstraction records. Prediction of groundwater heads and the examination of several abstraction scenarios indicate that the aquifer can continue to support part of the Al-Madinah demand for the next several years, if certain well distributions are adopted. The predictions also show that the aquifer can only support the total demand of the city for a few days as a contingency resource. (author)

Estimation of hydraulic parameters from an unconfined aquifer test conducted in a glacial outwash deposit, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Science.gov (United States)

Moench, Allen F.; Garabedian, Stephen P.; LeBlanc, Denis R.

2001-01-01

An aquifer test conducted in a sand and gravel, glacial outwash deposit on Cape Cod, Massachusetts was analyzed by means of a model for flow to a partially penetrating well in a homogeneous, anisotropic unconfined aquifer. The model is designed to account for all significant mechanisms expected to influence drawdown in observation piezometers and in the pumped well. In addition to the usual fluid-flow and storage processes, additional processes include effects of storage in the pumped well, storage in observation piezometers, effects of skin at the pumped-well screen, and effects of drainage from the zone above the water table.

Towards an increase of flash flood geomorphic effects due to gravel mining and ground subsidence in Nogalte stream (Murcia, SE Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. A. Ortega-Becerril

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Transition from endorheic alluvial fan environments to well-channelized fluvial systems in natural conditions may occur in response to base-level fluctuations. However, human-induced changes in semi-arid regions can also be responsible for similar unforeseen modifications. Our results confirm that in-channel gravel mining and aquifer overexploitation over the last 50 years in the case study area have changed the natural stability of the Nogalte stream and, as a result, its geomorphic parameters including channel depth and longitudinal profile have begun to adapt to the new situation. Using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR data we obtain maximum values for ground subsidence in the Upper Guadalentín Basin of  ∼ 10 cm yr−1 for the period 2003–2010. In this context of a lowered base level, the river is changing its natural flood model to a more powerful one. A comparison of the 1973 flood event, the most dramatic flood event ever recorded in the area, with the 2012 event, where there was a similar discharge but a sediment load deficit, reveals greater changes and a new flooding pattern and extension. In-channel gravel mining may be responsible for significant local changes in channel incision and profile. This, together with the collateral effects of aquifer overexploitation, can favour increased river velocity and stream power, which intensify the consequences of the flooding. The results obtained here clearly demonstrate an existing transition from the former alluvial pattern to a confined fluvial trend, which may become more pronounced in the future due to the time lag between the drop in aquifer level and ground subsidence, and introduce a new scenario to be taken into consideration in future natural hazard planning in this area.

Compositional Signatures in Acoustic Backscatter Over Vegetated and Unvegetated Mixed Sand-Gravel Riverbeds

Science.gov (United States)

Buscombe, D.; Grams, P. E.; Kaplinski, M. A.

2017-10-01

Multibeam acoustic backscatter has considerable utility for remote characterization of spatially heterogeneous bed sediment composition over vegetated and unvegetated riverbeds of mixed sand and gravel. However, the use of high-frequency, decimeter-resolution acoustic backscatter for sediment classification in shallow water is hampered by significant topographic contamination of the signal. In mixed sand-gravel riverbeds, changes in the abiotic composition of sediment (such as homogeneous sand to homogeneous gravel) tend to occur over larger spatial scales than is characteristic of small-scale bedform topography (ripples, dunes, and bars) or biota (such as vascular plants and periphyton). A two-stage method is proposed to filter out the morphological contributions to acoustic backscatter. First, the residual supragrain-scale topographic effects in acoustic backscatter with small instantaneous insonified areas, caused by ambiguity in the local (beam-to-beam) bed-sonar geometry, are removed. Then, coherent scales between high-resolution topography and backscatter are identified using cospectra, which are used to design a frequency domain filter that decomposes backscatter into the (unwanted) high-pass component associated with bedform topography (ripples, dunes, and sand waves) and vegetation, and the (desired) low-frequency component associated with the composition of sediment patches superimposed on the topography. This process strengthens relationships between backscatter and sediment composition. A probabilistic framework is presented for classifying vegetated and unvegetated substrates based on acoustic backscatter at decimeter resolution. This capability is demonstrated using data collected from diverse settings within a 386 km reach of a canyon river whose bed varies among sand, gravel, cobbles, boulders, and submerged vegetation.

Compositional signatures in acoustic backscatter over vegetated and unvegetated mixed sand-gravel riverbeds

Science.gov (United States)

Buscombe, Daniel; Grams, Paul E.; Kaplinski, Matt A.

2017-01-01

Multibeam acoustic backscatter has considerable utility for remote characterization of spatially heterogeneous bed sediment composition over vegetated and unvegetated riverbeds of mixed sand and gravel. However, the use of high-frequency, decimeter-resolution acoustic backscatter for sediment classification in shallow water is hampered by significant topographic contamination of the signal. In mixed sand-gravel riverbeds, changes in the abiotic composition of sediment (such as homogeneous sand to homogeneous gravel) tend to occur over larger spatial scales than is characteristic of small-scale bedform topography (ripples, dunes, and bars) or biota (such as vascular plants and periphyton). A two-stage method is proposed to filter out the morphological contributions to acoustic backscatter. First, the residual supragrain-scale topographic effects in acoustic backscatter with small instantaneous insonified areas, caused by ambiguity in the local (beam-to-beam) bed-sonar geometry, are removed. Then, coherent scales between high-resolution topography and backscatter are identified using cospectra, which are used to design a frequency domain filter that decomposes backscatter into the (unwanted) high-pass component associated with bedform topography (ripples, dunes, and sand waves) and vegetation, and the (desired) low-frequency component associated with the composition of sediment patches superimposed on the topography. This process strengthens relationships between backscatter and sediment composition. A probabilistic framework is presented for classifying vegetated and unvegetated substrates based on acoustic backscatter at decimeter resolution. This capability is demonstrated using data collected from diverse settings within a 386 km reach of a canyon river whose bed varies among sand, gravel, cobbles, boulders, and submerged vegetation.

Groundwaters of Florence (Italy): Trace element distribution and vulnerability of the aquifers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bencini, A.; Ercolanelli, R.; Sbaragli, A. [Univ. of Florence (Italy)] [and others

1993-11-01

Geochemical and hydrogeological research has been carried out in Florence, to evaluate conductivity and main chemistry of groundwaters, the pattern of some possible pollutant chemical species (Fe, Mn, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, NO{sub 2}, NO{sub 3}), and the vulnerability of the aquifers. The plain is made up of Plio-Quaternary alluvial and lacustrine sediments for a maximum thickness of 600 m. Silts and clays, sometimes with lenses of sandy gravels, are dominant, while considerable deposits of sands, pebbles, and gravels occur along the course of the Arno river and its tributary streams, and represent the most important aquifer of the plain. Most waters show conductivity values around 1000-1200 {mu}S, and almost all of them have an alkaline-earth-bicarbonate chemical character. In western areas higher salt content of the groundwaters is evident. Heavy metal and NO{sub 2}, NO{sub 3} analyses point out that no important pollution phenomena affect the groundwaters; all mean values are below the maximum admissible concentration (MAC) for drinkable waters. Some anomalies of NO{sub 2}, NO{sub 3}, Fe, Mn, and Zn are present. The most plausible causes can be recognized in losses of the sewage system; use of nitrate compounds in agriculture; oxidation of well pipes. All the observations of Cr, Cu, and Pb are below the MAC; the median values of <3, 3.9, and 1.1 {mu}g/l, respectively, could be considered reference concentrations for groundwaters in calcareous lithotypes, under undisturbed natural conditions. Finally, a map of vulnerability shows that the areas near the Arno river are highly vulnerable, for the minimum thickness (or lacking) of sediments covering the aquifer. On the other hand, in the case of pollution, several factors not considered could significantly increase the self-purification capacity of the aquifer, such asdilution of groundwaters, bacteria oxidation of nitrogenous species, and sorption capacity of clay minerals and organic matter. 31 refs., 6 figs., 5 tabs.

Viscoelastic gravel-pack carrier fluid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nehmer, W.L.

1988-01-01

The ability of a fluid to flow adequately into the formation during gravel-pack treatments is critical to achieving a good pack. Recent studies have indicated ''fish-eyes'' and/or ''microgels'' present in many polymer gelled carrier fluids will plug pore throats, leading to impaired leakoff and causing formation damage. Intensive manipulation of the polymer gelled fluid using shear and filter devices will help remove the particles, but it adds to the cost of the treatment in terms of equipment and manpower. Excessive shear will degrade the polymer leading to poor gravel suspension, while too little shear will cause filtration problems. A gelled carried fluid using a viscoelastic surfactant system has been found to leak off very efficiently to the formation, and cause no formation damage, without the use of shear/filter devices. Viscoelastic surfactant-base gelled fluids develop viscosity because of the association of surfactant moloecules into large rod-shaped aggregates. There is no hydration of polymer involved, so fish-eyes and microgels will not be formed in the viscoelastic fluid. A surfactant-base system having a yield point allows the gravel carrying properties to be much better than fluids gelled with conventional polymer systems (hydroxyethylcellulose [HEC]). For example, a gravel carried fluid gelled with 80 lb HEC/1,000 gal has a viscosity of about 400 cp at 170 sec/sup -1/; a viscoelastic surfactant-base system having only one-half the viscosity still flows into cores about four times more efficiently than the HEC-base fluid. The rheology, leakoff, formation damage and mixing properties of a viscoelastic, surfactant-base, gravel-pack carrier fluid are discussed

Gravel Mobility in a High Sand Content Riverbed

Science.gov (United States)

Haschenburger, J. K.

2017-12-01

In sand-gravel channels, sand may modify gravel transport by changing conditions of entrainment and promoting longer displacements or gravel may inhibit sand transport if concentrated into distinct deposits, which restrict sand supply with consequences for migrating bedform size or form. This study reports on gravel mobility in the lower San Antonio River, Texas, where gravel content in the bed material ranges from about 1% to more than 20%. Sediment transport observations were collected at three U.S. Geological Survey gauging stations by deploying a Helley-Smith sampler with a 0.2 mm mesh bag from which transport rates and mobile grain sizes were determined. The flow rates sampled translate into an annual exceedance expectation from 0.2% to 98%. Gravel transport rates are generally two orders of magnitude smaller than the rates of sand transport. However, the finest gravels are transported at rates on the same order of magnitude as the coarsest sands. At all sites, the 2 and 2.8 mm fractions are transported at the lowest flow rate sampled, suggesting mobility for at least 38% to as much as 98% of the year. Fractions as large as 8 mm are mobilized at flow rates that are expected between 25% and 53% of the year. The largest fractions captured in the sampling (16 to 32 mm) require flows closer to bankfull conditions that occur no more than 0.8% of the year. Results document that some gravel sizes can be frequently transported in low gradient riverbeds with high sand content.

Water-quality observations of the San Antonio segment of the Edwards aquifer, Texas, with an emphasis on processes influencing nutrient and pesticide geochemistry and factors affecting aquifer vulnerability, 2010–16

Science.gov (United States)

Opsahl, Stephen P.; Musgrove, MaryLynn; Mahler, Barbara J.; Lambert, Rebecca B.

2018-06-07

As questions regarding the influence of increasing urbanization on water quality in the Edwards aquifer are raised, a better understanding of the sources, fate, and transport of compounds of concern in the aquifer—in particular, nutrients and pesticides—is needed to improve water management decision-making capabilities. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the San Antonio Water System, performed a study from 2010 to 2016 to better understand how water quality changes under a range of hydrologic conditions and in contrasting land-cover settings (rural and urban) in the Edwards aquifer. The study design included continuous hydrologic monitoring, continuous water-quality monitoring, and discrete sample collection for a detailed characterization of water quality at a network of sites throughout the aquifer system. The sites were selected to encompass a “source-to-sink” (that is, from aquifer recharge to aquifer discharge) approach. Network sites were selected to characterize rainfall, recharging surface water, and groundwater; groundwater sites included wells in the unconfined part of the aquifer (unconfined wells) and in the confined part of the aquifer (confined wells) and a major discharging spring. Storm-related samples—including rainfall samples, stormwater-runoff (surface-water) samples, and groundwater samples—were collected to characterize the aquifer response to recharge.Elevated nitrate concentrations relative to national background values and the widespread detection of pesticides indicate that the Edwards aquifer is vulnerable to contamination and that vulnerability is affected by factors such as land cover, aquifer hydrogeology, and changes in hydrologic conditions. Greater vulnerability of groundwater in urban areas relative to rural areas was evident from results for urban groundwater sites, which generally had higher nitrate concentrations, elevated δ15N-nitrate values, a greater diversity of pesticides, and higher pesticide

Upper Basalt-Confined Aquifer System in the Southern Hanford Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thorne, P.

1999-01-01

The 1990 DOE Tiger Team Finding GW/CF-202 found that the hydrogeologic regime at the Hanford Site was inadequately characterized. This finding also identified the need for completing a study of the confined aquifer in the central and southern portions of the Hanford Site. The southern portion of the site is of particular interest because hydraulic-head patterns in the upper basalt-confined aquifer system indicate that groundwater from the Hanford central plateau area, where contaminants have been found in the aquifer, flows southeast toward the southern site boundary. This results in a potential for offsite migration of contaminants through the upper basalt-confined aquifer system. Based on the review presented in this report, available hydrogeologic characterization information for the upper basalt-confined aquifer system in this area is considered adequate to close the action item. Recently drilled offsite wells have provided additional information on the structure of the aquifer system in and near the southern part of the Hanford Site. Information on hydraulic properties, hydrochemistry, hydraulic heads and flow directions for the upper basalt-confined aquifer system has been re-examined and compiled in recent reports including Spane and Raymond (1993), Spane and Vermeul ( 1994), and Spane and Webber (1995)

Gravel roads management : volume 2, gravel roads management : implementation guide.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-01

This report establishes procedures for managing dirt and gravel roads, with a primary focus on smaller agencies, such as Wyoming counties, that must manage their roads with very limited resources. The report strives, first, to guide and assist smalle...

Gravel roads management : volume 3, gravel roads management : programming guide.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

This report establishes procedures for managing dirt and gravel roads, with a primary focus on smaller agencies, such as Wyoming counties, that must manage their roads with very limited resources. The report strives, first, to guide and assist smalle...

Multitracer test for the determination of transport and in-situ degradation of organic micro-contaminants in karst aquifers on the example of caffeine

Science.gov (United States)

Hillebrand, O.; Nödler, K.; Licha, T.; Geyer, T.

2012-04-01

The application of organic micro-contaminants as indicators for contamination sources in aquifers and surface-water bodies has been increasingly discussed in the literature over the last years. One of the proposed substances was caffeine. It served as indicator for wastewater-leakage to various systems. As well, wastewater volumes could be estimated from caffeine concentrations. Although caffeine is known to be degradable, the degradation rates are normally only determined from mass balances or laboratory experiments. Degradation rates obtained from mass balances are relatively uncertain, as the input-function is difficult to be assessed. Laboratory experiments are hardly capable to consider the full complexity of natural systems and can rarely be transferred to those. To solve this problem, in-situ degradation rates of reactive indicators have to be determined. Especially multitracer tests can be used to access compound-specific transport parameters and degradation rates, relative to conservative tracers. A multitracer test with caffeine and uranine has been performed in a karst system (catchment of the Gallusquelle spring, SW Germany). From the breakthrough curves of the tracers, the transport behavior and the in-situ degradation rate of caffeine could be deduced. The tracers were injected into a sinkhole with a linear distance of 3000 m to the spring. The mean residence time of the tracers was found to be 84 h at a flow velocity of 35 m/h. Throughout the whole experiment, the spring discharge was constant at 187 L/s. Uranine served as conservative reference-tracer for the calibration of a one-dimensional transport model with respect to solute-unspecific parameters. Relative to that, the tracer breakthrough curve of caffeine was interpreted. As solute-specific parameters the retardation coefficient as well as degradation rate of caffeine in the investigated karst aquifer could be determined. The results indicate, that caffeine is slightly retarded in the

Hydrochemistry and hydrogeologic conditions within the Hanford Site upper basalt confined aquifer system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spane, F.A. Jr.; Webber, W.D.

1995-09-01

As part of the Hanford Site Ground-Water Surveillance Project, Flow System Characterization Task. Pacific Northwest Laboratory examines the potential for offsite migration of contamination within the upper basalt confined aquifer system for the US Department of Energy (DOE). As part of this activity, groundwater samples were collected over the past 2 years from selected wells completed in the upper Saddle Mountains Basalt. The hydrochemical and isotopic information obtained from these groundwater samples provides hydrologic information concerning the aquifer-flow system. Ideally, when combined with other hydrologic property information, hydrochemical and isotopic data can be used to evaluate the origin and source of groundwater, areal groundwater-flow patterns, residence and groundwater travel time, rock/groundwater reactions, and aquifer intercommunication for the upper basalt confined aquifer system. This report presents the first comprehensive Hanford Site-wide summary of hydrochemical properties for the upper basalt confined aquifer system. This report provides the hydrogeologic characteristics (Section 2.0) and hydrochemical properties (Section 3.0) for groundwater within this system. A detailed description of the range of the identified hydrochemical parameter subgroups for groundwater in the upper basalt confined aquifer system is also presented in Section 3.0. Evidence that is indicative of aquifer contamination/aquifer intercommunication and an assessment of the potential for offsite migration of contaminants in groundwater within the upper basalt aquifer is provided in Section 4.0. The references cited throughout the report are given in Section 5.0. Tables that summarize groundwater sample analysis results for individual test interval/well sites are included in the Appendix

Redox Conditions in Selected Principal Aquifers of the United States

Science.gov (United States)

McMahon, P.B.; Cowdery, T.K.; Chapelle, F.H.; Jurgens, B.C.

2009-01-01

Reduction/oxidation (redox) processes affect the quality of groundwater in all aquifer systems. Redox processes can alternately mobilize or immobilize potentially toxic metals associated with naturally occurring aquifer materials, contribute to the degradation or preservation of anthropogenic contami-nants, and generate undesirable byproducts, such as dissolved manganese (Mn2+), ferrous iron (Fe2+), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and methane (CH4). Determining the kinds of redox processes that occur in an aquifer system, documenting their spatial distribution, and understanding how they affect concentrations of natural or anthropogenic contaminants are central to assessing and predicting the chemical quality of groundwater. This Fact Sheet extends the analysis of U.S. Geological Survey authors to additional principal aquifer systems by applying a framework developed by the USGS to a larger set of water-quality data from the USGS national water databases. For a detailed explanation, see the 'Introduction' in the Fact Sheet.

Determination of dominant biogeochemical processes in a contaminated aquifer-wetland system using multivariate statistical analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Baez-Cazull, S. E.; McGuire, J.T.; Cozzarelli, I.M.; Voytek, M.A.

2008-01-01

Determining the processes governing aqueous biogeochemistry in a wetland hydrologically linked to an underlying contaminated aquifer is challenging due to the complex exchange between the systems and their distinct responses to changes in precipitation, recharge, and biological activities. To evaluate temporal and spatial processes in the wetland-aquifer system, water samples were collected using cm-scale multichambered passive diffusion samplers (peepers) to span the wetland-aquifer interface over a period of 3 yr. Samples were analyzed for major cations and anions, methane, and a suite of organic acids resulting in a large dataset of over 8000 points, which was evaluated using multivariate statistics. Principal component analysis (PCA) was chosen with the purpose of exploring the sources of variation in the dataset to expose related variables and provide insight into the biogeochemical processes that control the water chemistry of the system. Factor scores computed from PCA were mapped by date and depth. Patterns observed suggest that (i) fermentation is the process controlling the greatest variability in the dataset and it peaks in May; (ii) iron and sulfate reduction were the dominant terminal electron-accepting processes in the system and were associated with fermentation but had more complex seasonal variability than fermentation; (iii) methanogenesis was also important and associated with bacterial utilization of minerals as a source of electron acceptors (e.g., barite BaSO4); and (iv) seasonal hydrological patterns (wet and dry periods) control the availability of electron acceptors through the reoxidation of reduced iron-sulfur species enhancing iron and sulfate reduction. Copyright ?? 2008 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

Unconsolidated Aquifers in Tompkins County, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Todd S.

2000-01-01

Unconsolidated aquifers consisting of saturated sand and gravel are capable of supplying large quantities of good-quality water to wells in Tompkins County, but little published geohydrologic inform ation on such aquifers is available. In 1986, the U.S.Geological Survey (USGS) began collecting geohydrologic information and well data to construct an aquifer map showing the extent of unconsolidated aquifers in Tompkins county. Data sources included (1) water-well drillers. logs; (2) highway and other construction test-boring logs; (3) well data gathered by the Tompkins County Department of Health, (4) test-well logs from geohydrologic consultants that conducted projects for site-specific studies, and (5) well data that had been collected during past investigations by the USGS and entered into the National Water Information System (NWIS) database. In 1999, the USGS, in cooperation with the Tompkins County Department of Planning, compiled these data to construct this map. More than 600 well records were entered into the NWIS database in 1999 to supplement the 350 well records already in the database; this provided a total of 950 well records. The data were digitized and imported into a geographic information system (GIS) coverage so that well locations could be plotted on a map, and well data could be tabulated in a digital data base through ARC/INFO software. Data on the surficial geology were used with geohydrologic data from well records and previous studies to delineate the extent of aquifers on this map. This map depicts (1) the extent of unconsolidated aquifers in Tompkins County, and (2) locations of wells whose records were entered into the USGS NWIS database and made into a GIS digital coverage. The hydrologic information presented here is generalized and is not intended for detailed site evaluations. Precise locations of geohydrologic-unit boundaries, and a description of the hydrologic conditions within the units, would require additional detailed, site

Detections of MTBE in surficial and bedrock aquifers in New England

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grady, S.J.

1995-01-01

The gasoline additive methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) was detected in 24% of water samples collected from surficial and bedrock aquifers in areas of New England. MTBE was the most frequently detected volatile organic compound among the 60 volatile chemicals analyzed and was present in 33 of 133 wells sampled from July 1993 through September 1995. The median MTBE concentration measured in ground-water samples was 0.45 microgram per liter and concentrations ranged from 0.2 to 5.8 microgram per liter. The network of wells sampled for MTBE consisted of 103 monitoring wells screened in surficial sand-and-gravel aquifers and 30 domestic-supply wells in fractured crystalline bedrock aquifers. Seventy-seven percent of all MTBE detections were from 26 shallow monitoring wells screened in surficial aquifers. MTBE was detected in42% of monitoring wells in urban areas. In agricultural areas, MTBE was detected i 8% (2 of 24) of wells and was not detected in undeveloped areas. Sixty-two percent of the MTBE detections in surficial aquifers were from wells within 0.25 mile of gasoline stations or underground gasoline storage tanks; all but one of these wells were in Connecticut and Massachusetts, where reformulated gasoline is used. MTBE was detected in 23% of deep domestic-supply wells that tapped fractured bedrock aquifers. MTBE was detected in bedrock wells only in Connecticut and Massachusetts; land use near the wells was suburban to rural, and none of the sampled bedrock wells were within 0.25 mile of a gasoline station

Three-dimensional analysis of future groundwater flow conditions and contaminant plume transport in the Hanford Site unconfined aquifer system: FY 1996 and 1997 status report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cole, C.R.; Wurstner, S.K.; Williams, M.D.; Thorne, P.D.; Bergeron, M.P.

1997-12-01

A three-dimensional numerical model of groundwater flow and transport, based on the Coupled Fluid Energy, and Solute Transport (CFEST) code, was developed for the Hanford Site to support the Hanford Groundwater Project (HGWP), managed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The model was developed to increase the understanding and better forecast the migration of several contaminant plumes being monitored by the HGWP, and to support the Hanford Site Composite Analysis for low-level waste disposal in the 200-Area Plateau. Recent modeling efforts have focused on continued refinement of an initial version of the three-dimensional model developed in 1995 and its application to simulate future transport of selected contaminant plumes in the aquifer system. This version of the model was updated using a more current version of the CFEST code called CFEST96. Prior to conducting simulations of contaminant transport with the three-dimensional model, a previous steady-state, two-dimensional model of the unconfined aquifer system was recalibrated to 1979 water-table conditions with a statistical inverse method implemented in the CFEST-INV computer code. The results of the recalibration were used to refine the three-dimensional conceptual model and to calibrate it with a conceptualization that preserves the two-dimensional hydraulic properties and knowledge of the aquifer's three-dimensional properties for the same 1979 water-table conditions. The transient behavior of the three-dimensional flow model was also calibrated by adjusting model storage properties (specific yield) until transient water-table predictions approximated observed water-table elevations between 1979 and 1996

Attenuation of contaminant plumes in homogeneous aquifers: Sensitivity to source function at moderate to large peclet numbers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selander, W.N.; Lane, F.E.; Rowat, J.H.

1995-05-01

A groundwater mass transfer calculation is an essential part of the performance assessment for radioactive waste disposal facilities. AECL's IRUS (Intrusion Resistant Underground Structure) facility, which is designed for the near-surface disposal of low-level radioactive waste (LLRW), is to be situated in the sandy overburden at AECL's Chalk River Laboratories. Flow in the sandy aquifers at the proposed IRUS site is relatively homogeneous and advection-dominated (large Peclet numbers). Mass transfer along the mean direction of flow from the IRUS site may be described using the one-dimensional advection-dispersion equation, for which a Green's function representation of downstream radionuclide flux is convenient. This report shows that in advection-dominated aquifers, dispersive attenuation of initial contaminant releases depends principally on two time scales: the source duration and the pulse breakthrough time. Numerical investigation shows further that the maximum downstream flux or concentration depends on these time scales in a simple characteristic way that is minimally sensitive to the shape of the initial source pulse. (author). 11 refs., 2 tabs., 3 figs

Performance of high-rate gravel-packed oil wells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Unneland, Trond

2001-05-01

Improved methods for the prediction, evaluation, and monitoring of performance in high-rate cased-hole gravel-packed oil wells are presented in this thesis. The ability to predict well performance prior to the gravel-pack operations, evaluate the results after the operation, and monitor well performance over time has been improved. This lifetime approach to performance analysis of gravel-packed oil wells contributes to increase oil production and field profitability. First, analytical models available for prediction of performance in gravel-packed oil wells are reviewed, with particular emphasis on high-velocity flow effects. From the analysis of field data from three North Sea oil fields, improved and calibrated cased-hole gravel-pack performance prediction models are presented. The recommended model is based on serial flow through formation sand and gravel in the perforation tunnels. In addition, new correlations for high-velocity flow in high-rate gravel-packed oil wells are introduced. Combined, this improves the performance prediction for gravel-packed oil wells, and specific areas can be targeted for optimized well design. Next, limitations in the current methods and alternative methods for evaluation and comparison of well performance are presented. The most widely used parameter, the skin factor, remains a convenient and important parameter. However, using the skin concept in direct comparisons between wells with different reservoir properties may result in misleading or even invalid conclusions. A discussion of the parameters affecting the skin value, with a clarification of limitations, is included. A methodology for evaluation and comparison of gravel-packed well performance is presented, and this includes the use of results from production logs and the use of effective perforation tunnel permeability as a parameter. This contributes to optimized operational procedures from well to well and from field to field. Finally, the data sources available for

Coastal Aquifer Contamination and Geochemical Processes Evaluation in Tugela Catchment, South Africa—Geochemical and Statistical Approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Badana Ntanganedzeni

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Assessment of groundwater quality, contamination sources and geochemical processes in the coastal aquifer of Tugela Catchment, South Africa were carried out by the geochemical and statistical approach using major ion chemistry of 36 groundwater samples. Results suggest that the spatial distribution pattern of EC, TDS, Na, Mg, Cl and SO4 are homogenous and elevated concentrations are observed in the wells in the coastal region and few wells near the Tugela River. Wells located far from the coast are enriched by Ca, HCO3 and CO3. Durov diagrams, Gibbs plots, ionic ratios, chloro alkaline indices (CAI1 and CAI2 and correlation analysis imply that groundwater chemistry in the coastal aquifer of Tugela Catchment is regulated by the ion exchange, mineral dissolution, saline sources, and wastewater infiltration from domestic sewage; septic tank leakage and irrigation return flow. Principle component analysis also ensured the role of saline and anthropogenic sources and carbonates dissolution on water chemistry. Spatial distributions of factor score also justify the above predictions. Groundwater suitability assessment indicates that around 80% and 90% of wells exceeded the drinking water standards recommended by the WHO and South African drinking water standards (SAWQG, respectively. Based on SAR, RSC, PI, and MH classifications, most of the wells are suitable for irrigation in the study region. USSL classification suggests that groundwater is suitable for coarse-textured soils and salt-tolerant crops. The study recommends that a proper management plan is required to protect this coastal aquifer efficiently.

Ground-water quality of the surficial aquifer system and the upper Floridan Aquifer, Ocala National Forest and Lake County, Florida, 1990-99

Science.gov (United States)

Adamski, J.C.; Knowles, Leel

2001-01-01

Data from 217 ground-water samples were statistically analyzed to assess the water quality of the surficial aquifer system and Upper Floridan aquifer in the Ocala National Forest and Lake County, Florida. Samples were collected from 49 wells tapping the surficial aquifer system, 141 wells tapping the Upper Floridan aquifer, and from 27 springs that discharge water from the Upper Floridan aquifer. A total of 136 samples was collected by the U.S. Geological Survey from 1995 through 1999. These data were supplemented with 81 samples collected by the St. Johns River Water Management District and Lake County Water Resources Management from 1990 through 1998. In general, the surficial aquifer system has low concentrations of total dissolved solids (median was 41 milligrams per liter) and major ions. Water quality of the surficial aquifer system, however, is not homogeneous throughout the study area. Concentrations of total dissolved solids, many major ions, and nutrients are greater in samples from Lake County outside the Ocala National Forest than in samples from within the Forest. These results indicate that the surficial aquifer system in Lake County outside the Ocala National Forest probably is being affected by agricultural and (or) urban land-use practices. High concentrations of dissolved oxygen (less than 0.1 to 8.2 milligrams per liter) in the surficial aquifer system underlying the Ocala National Forest indicate that the aquifer is readily recharged by precipitation and is susceptible to surface contamination. Concentrations of total dissolved solids were significantly greater in the Upper Floridan aquifer (median was 182 milligrams per liter) than in the surficial aquifer system. In general, water quality of the Upper Floridan aquifer was homogeneous, primarily being a calcium or calciummagnesium- bicarbonate water type. Near the St. Johns River, the water type of the Upper Floridan aquifer is sodium-chloride, corresponding to an increase in total dissolved

An assessment of subsurface contamination of an urban coastal aquifer due to oil spill.

Science.gov (United States)

Nambi, Indumathi M; Rajasekhar, Bokam; Loganathan, Vijay; RaviKrishna, R

2017-04-01

Incidences of leakages of chemicals from underground oil storage tanks or oil-carrying pipelines have posed huge threat to the coastal aquifers around the world. One such leak was recently identified and notified by the people of Tondiarpet, Chennai, India. The assessment of the contamination level was done by obtaining electrical resistivity maps of the subsurface, drilling of 20 new borewells for soil and water analysis, and testing the water quality of 30 existing borewells. Samples were collected from the borewells, and observations were made that included parameters such as odor, moisture, contamination characteristics, lithology, groundwater level, thickness of the free product that are used to demarcate the extent of soil, and water contamination. Furthermore, a multigas detector was used to detect hydrocarbon presence as soil vapor. Moreover, to capture the transport of dissolved hydrocarbons, 10 samples were collected in the periphery of the study area and were analyzed for the presence of petroleum hydrocarbon and polyaromatic hydrocarbon. Analysis of the data indicated the presence of free-phase hydrocarbon in soil and groundwater close to the junction of Thiruvottiyur high (TH) road (TH) and Varadaja Perumal Koil (VPK) street. Although the contaminant plume is confined to a limited area, it has spread more to the southern and eastern side of the pipeline possibly due to continuous abstraction of groundwater by residential apartments. After cutting a trench along the VPK street and plotting of the plume delineation map, observations indicated that the source of the hydrocarbon leak is present in VPK street close to TH road. A multipronged strategy was suggested targeting the remediation of oil in various phases.

Hydrogeologic framework, arsenic distribution, and groundwater geochemistry of the glacial-sediment aquifer at the Auburn Road landfill superfund site, Londonderry, New Hampshire

Science.gov (United States)

Degnan, James R.; Harte, Philip T.

2013-01-01

been observed in the wetland, streams, and pond downgradient of the landfills. Piezometers were installed in some of these locations to confirm groundwater discharge, measure vertical-flow gradients, and to provide a way to sample the discharging groundwater. Understanding the movement of leachate in groundwater is complicated by the presence of preferential flow paths through aquifer materials with differing hydraulic properties; these preferential flow paths can affect rates of recharge, geochemical conditions, and contaminant fluxes. In areas adjacent to the three capped landfills, infiltration of precipitation containing oxygenated water through permeable deltaic sediments in the former gravel pit area causes increases in dissolved oxygen concentrations and decreases in arsenic concentrations. Layered deltaic sediments produce anisotropic hydraulic characteristics and zones of high hydraulic conductivity. The glacial-sediment aquifer also includes glaciolacustrine sediments that have low permeability and limit infiltration at the surface Discharge of leachate-affected groundwater may be limited in areas of organic muck on the bottom of Whispering Pines Pond because the muck may act as a semiconfining layer. Geophysical survey results were used to identify several areas with continuous beds of muck and an underlying highresistivity layer on top of a layer of low resistivity that may represent leachate-affected groundwater. The high-resistivity layer is likely groundwater associated with oxygenated recharge, which would cause arsenic to adsorb onto aquifer sediments and reduce concentrations of dissolved arsenic in groundwater. Surface and borehole geophysical data collected in 2011 were used to identify potentially high-permeability or contaminated zones in the aquifer (preferential flowpaths) as well as low-permeability zones that may promote contamination through back diffusion. Some groundwater in parts of the glacial-sediment aquifer where the leachate plumes

Influence of humic substances on electrochemical degradation of trichloroethylene in limestone aquifers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajic, Ljiljana; Fallahpour, Noushin; Nazari, Roya; Alshawabkeh, Akram N.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Humic substances (HS) adversely affect TCE electrochemical reduction. • The inverse correlation between HS content and TCE removal is linear. • HS interfere with the hydrodechlorination of TCE at the cathode. • The impact of HS on TCE removal was reduced in the presence of limestone gravel. - Abstract: In this study we investigate the influence of humic substances (HS) on electrochemical transformation of trichloroethylene (TCE) in groundwater from limestone aquifers. A laboratory flow-through column with an electrochemical reactor that consists of a palladized iron foam cathode followed by a MMO anode was used to induce TCE electro-reduction in groundwater. Up to 82.9% TCE removal was achieved in the absence of HS. Presence of 1, 2, 5, and 10 mgTOC L −1 reduced TCE removal to 70.9%, 61.4%, 51.8% and 19.5%, respectively. The inverse correlation between HS content and TCE removal was linear. Total organic carbon (TOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and absorption properties (A = 254 nm, 365 nm and 436 nm) normalized to DOC, were monitored during treatment to understand the behavior and impacts of HS under electrochemical processes. Changes in all parameters occurred mainly after contact with the cathode, which implies that the HS are reacting either directly with electrons from the cathode or with H 2 formed at the cathode surface. Since hydrodechlorination is the primary TCE reduction mechanism in this setup, reactions of the HS with the cathode limit transformation of TCE. The presence of limestone gravel reduced the impact of HS on TCE removal. The study concludes that presence of humic substances adversely affects TCE removal from contaminated groundwater by electrochemical reduction using palladized cathodes.

Characterisation of the nitrate contamination process in the Seville-Carmona aquifer system; Caracterizacion del proceso de contaminacion por nitratos en el sistema acuifero Sevilla-Carmona

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzalez Vazquez, J.C.; Grande Gil, J.A. [Universidad de Huelva (Spain); Barragan de la Rosa, F.J.; Jimenez Sanchez, J.C. [Universidad de Sevilla (Spain)

1998-07-01

The aim of this work is to characterize the aquifer Sevilla-Carmona by a graphic treatment, in order to determine the environmental problem owing to high concentration of nitrates because of the fact that there are an excessive agricultural fertilization. There is a relationship between the highest nitrate contamination and the crop of the area, mainly cotton and potato. Two factors have been observed to have an influence on this aquifer: excess doses of N- fertilizers and irrigation devices whose excessive water discharge results in leaching of nitrate accumulated in soil and finally toward saturated zone because of rain. (Author) 18 refs.

Variability of hyporheic exchange in an experimental gravel bed

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Perk, M. van der; Petticrew, E.L.; Owens, P.N.

2011-01-01

A series of tracer experiments in a large outdoor flume were conducted to examine the variability of hyporheic exchange in gravel bed sediments. An 18 m long section of a 2 m wide flume was filled with a 30 cm thick gravel layer with a porosity of 0.39. The gravel of the 17 cm top layer was

Recolonization of gravel habitats on Georges Bank (northwest Atlantic)

Science.gov (United States)

Collie, Jeremy S.; Hermsen, Jerome M.; Valentine, Page C.

2009-09-01

Gravel habitats on continental shelves around the world support productive fisheries but are also vulnerable to disturbance from bottom fishing. We conducted a 2-year in situ experiment to measure the rate of colonization of a gravel habitat on northern Georges Bank in an area closed to fishing (Closed Area II) since December 1994. Three large (0.25 m 2) sediment trays containing defaunated pebble gravel were deployed at a study site (47 m water depth) in July 1997 and recovered in June 1999. The undersides of the tray lids positioned 56 cm above the trays served as settlement panels over the same time period. We observed rapid colonization of the gravel substrate (56 species) and the settlement panels (35 species), indicating that colonization of gravel in this region is not limited by the supply of colonists. The species composition of the taxa found in the trays was broadly similar to that we collected over a 10-year period (1994-2004) in dredge samples from gravel sediments at the same site. The increase in abundance of animals in the gravel colonization trays was rapid and reached a level in 2 years that took 4.5 years to achieve in the surrounding gravel sediments once fishing had stopped, based on data from dredge sampling at this site. The increase in biomass of animals found in the sediment trays paralleled the trend of biomass increase observed in dredge samples over the same period (1997-1999) but was lower in value. These data suggest that after rapid initial increase in abundance of organisms, succession proceeded by increasing individual body size. A comparison of settlement panel and tray faunas revealed that the mean biomass of structure-forming epifauna (sponges, bryozoans, anemones, hydroids, colonial tube worms) on the panels was 8 times that found on the trays. Structure-forming taxa constituted 29% of the mean biomass of the panel fauna but only 5.5% of the tray fauna. By contrast, the mean biomass of scavengers (crabs, echinoderms, nudibranchs

Recolonization of gravel habitats on Georges Bank (northwest Atlantic)

Science.gov (United States)

Collie, Jeremy S.; Hermsen, Jerome M.; Valentine, Page C.

2009-01-01

Gravel habitats on continental shelves around the world support productive fisheries but are also vulnerable to disturbance from bottom fishing. We conducted a 2-year in situ experiment to measure the rate of colonization of a gravel habitat on northern Georges Bank in an area closed to fishing (Closed Area II) since December 1994. Three large (0.25 m2) sediment trays containing defaunated pebble gravel were deployed at a study site (47 m water depth) in July 1997 and recovered in June 1999. The undersides of the tray lids positioned 56 cm above the trays served as settlement panels over the same time period. We observed rapid colonization of the gravel substrate (56 species) and the settlement panels (35 species), indicating that colonization of gravel in this region is not limited by the supply of colonists. The species composition of the taxa found in the trays was broadly similar to that we collected over a 10-year period (1994-2004) in dredge samples from gravel sediments at the same site. The increase in abundance of animals in the gravel colonization trays was rapid and reached a level in 2 years that took 4.5 years to achieve in the surrounding gravel sediments once fishing had stopped, based on data from dredge sampling at this site. The increase in biomass of animals found in the sediment trays paralleled the trend of biomass increase observed in dredge samples over the same period (1997-1999) but was lower in value. These data suggest that after rapid initial increase in abundance of organisms, succession proceeded by increasing individual body size. A comparison of settlement panel and tray faunas revealed that the mean biomass of structure-forming epifauna (sponges, bryozoans, anemones, hydroids, colonial tube worms) on the panels was 8 times that found on the trays. Structure-forming taxa constituted 29% of the mean biomass of the panel fauna but only 5.5% of the tray fauna. By contrast, the mean biomass of scavengers (crabs, echinoderms, nudibranchs

Coastal aquifers: Scientific advances in the face of global environmental challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Post, Vincent E. A.; Werner, Adrian D.

2017-08-01

Coastal aquifers embody the subsurface transition between terrestrial and marine systems, and form the almost invisible pathway for tremendous volumes of freshwater that flow to the ocean. Changing conditions of the earth's landscapes and oceans can disrupt the fragile natural equilibrium between fresh and saltwater that exists in coastal zones. Among these, over-abstraction of groundwater is considered the leading man-made cause of seawater intrusion. Moreover, many of the world's largest urban settings, where sources of contamination are profuse, have been built over the freshwater in coastal aquifers. Thus, coastal aquifers are important receptors of human impacts to water on Earth (Michael et al., 2017). This Special Issue on 'Investigation and Management of Coastal Aquifers' contains current scientific advances on the topic, dealing with the storage and quality of water, affected by stressors ranging in scale from point source contamination to global climate change.

Gravel packing dual zones in one trip reduces offshore completion time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brannon, D.H.; Harrison, D.T.; van Sickle, E.W.

1991-01-01

A single trip, dual-zone gravel pack system was used to successfully gravel pack two wells on Green Canyon platform 52 A in the Gulf of Mexico. An average 56 hours was saved on each well, representing reductions of about 25% in completion time and 26% in completion cost per well. Time-sensitive costs had the largest impact on Green Canyon 52 A final well completion cost; therefore, new technology or more efficient operations were required to minimize completion time. One way to enhance project economics was to gravel pack two separate zones in one trip. In this paper, four objectives are addressed during development of a single trip tool to gravel pack the stacked zones of the Marquette project. These were time and cost reduction, removal of loss circulation material (LCM) prior to gravel packing, zone isolation during gravel packing and use of conventional gravel placement techniques. The design requirement that all LCM (salt and/or viscous polymer pills), perforation debris and formation sand be removed from the wellbore prior to gravel packing was accomplished by incorporating a washdown feature that allows circulation at the bottom of the gravel pack assembly prior to landing in the sump packer

Three-dimensional geologic modeling and groundwater flow modeling of the Töllinperä aquifer in the Hitura nickel mine area, Finland – providing the framework for restoration and protection of the aquifer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sami Saraperä

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Elevated concentrations of sulphate, chloride, and nickel were discovered in water samples taken from the Töllinperä aquifer in western Finland. The area is located adjacent to the tailings area of the Hitura nickel mine. Earlier studies revealed that the groundwater contamination resulted from tailings-derived mine waters leaking from a tailings impoundment area. The tailings area directly overlies the Weichselian esker system, part of which is the Töllinperä classified groundwater area. The observed groundwater and surface water contamination resulted in a need to characterize the subsurface geology in the whole area of the contaminated esker aquifer. The primary sedimentary units were introduced into a three-dimensional (3-D geologic model of the aquifer made with EarthVision geologic modeling software. The information obtained from the 3-D geological model was then introduced into a numerical groundwater flow model made with MODFLOW code, which was calibrated with MODFLOWP code.The results of this study were used to guide the sealing of the tailings impoundment in order to prevent the further contamination of the Töllinperä aquifer. The groundwater flow model was used to interpret and simulate the flow system, and to provide a plan to safely continue water supply to local inhabitants from the unpolluted parts of the aquifer.

Determining shallow aquifer vulnerability by the DRASTIC model and hydrochemistry in granitic terrain, southern India

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Mondal, N. C.; Adike, S.; Singh, V. S.; Ahmed, S.; Jayakumar, K. V.

2017-08-01

Shallow aquifer vulnerability has been assessed using GIS-based DRASTIC model by incorporating the major geological and hydrogeological factors that affect and control the groundwater contamination in a granitic terrain. It provides a relative indication of aquifer vulnerability to the contamination. Further, it has been cross-verified with hydrochemical signatures such as total dissolved solids (TDS), Cl-, HCO3-, SO4^{2-} and Cl-/HCO3- molar ratios. The results show four zones of aquifer vulnerability (i.e., negligible, low, moderate and high) based on the variation of DRASTIC Vulnerability Index (DVI) between 39 and 132. About 57% area in the central part is found moderately and highly contaminated due to the 80 functional tannery disposals and is more prone to groundwater aquifer vulnerability. The high range values of TDS (2304-39,100 mg/l); Na+(239- 6,046 mg/l) and Cl- (532-13,652 mg/l) are well correlated with the observed high vulnerable zones. The values of Cl-/HCO3- (molar ratios: 1.4-106.8) in the high vulnerable zone obviously indicate deterioration of the aquifer due to contamination. Further cumulative probability distributions of these parameters indicate several threshold values which are able to demarcate the diverse vulnerability zones in granitic terrain.

Monitoring of emerging contaminants (pharmaceuticals, Personal Care Products, surfactants and heavy metals) in a quaternary detritic aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Candela, L.; Valdes-Abellan, J.; Jiménez-Martínez, J.

2012-04-01

The presence of 209 emerging compounds, surfactants, priority substances according to the 2008/105/EC Directive, 10 heavy metals and microbiological organisms in blended water and aquifer samples was investigated in a quaternary aquifer. The effects of these compounds over the environment are not clear in many cases, but many of them have been classified as endocrine disruptor compounds, EDC. Their presence in the media is controlled in one hand by their transformation and/or removal rates and, on the other hand, by their continuous release into the media, due to the broad use of these in many human activities (pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides, heavy metals, LAS and others). The attention of this work focusses on the presence and fate of these substances in the vadose zone and the aquifer. The aquifer catchment (81km2) located in SE Spain presents a high natural salinity (with EC values of ~7,500 μS cm-1, and high concentrations of chloride, sulphate and sodium), making it unsuitable to be used as drinking water or irrigation. Two sampling campaigns (February and June 2011) in wells and springs have been carried out top characterize physic-chemical, microbiological and emerging contaminants presence in the aquifer. A total of 209 emerging pollutants grouped into the following classes were analysed: 125 pharmaceutical compounds (Phs), 20 polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Dioxins, 46 pesticides, 3 volatile priority pollutants as well as the most commonly used anionic surfactants were identified for further analysis. Heavy metals included: Cu, Cd, Pb, Hg, Ni, Zn, Sn, Pt, Pd and Tl. Results showed that 39 out of all compounds were detected: 11 pharmaceuticals, 9 PAHs, 19 pesticides, 4 surfactants and 4 heavy metals. Two of the compounds, endosulfan-α and Ni, were detected in concentrations above the allowed regulation. Although results are limited to 2 sampling campaigns, it is important to note that surfactants (LAS), pesticides PAHs and

Understanding Uranium Behavior in a Reduced Aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Janot, N.; Lezama-Pacheco, J. S.; Williams, K. H.; Bernier-Latmani, R.; Long, P. E.; Davis, J. A.; Fox, P. M.; Yang, L.; Giammar, D.; Cerrato, J. M.; Bargar, J.

2012-12-01

Uranium contamination of groundwater is a concern at several US Department of Energy sites, such Old Rifle, CO. Uranium transport in the environment is mainly controlled by its oxidation state, since oxidized U(VI) is relatively mobile, whereas U(IV) is relatively insoluble. Bio-remediation of contaminated aquifers aims at immobilizing uranium in a reduced form. Previous laboratory and field studies have shown that adding electron donor (lactate, acetate, ethanol) to groundwater stimulates the activity of metal- and sulfate-reducing bacteria, which promotes U(VI) reduction in contaminated aquifers. However, obtaining information on chemical and physical forms of U, Fe and S species for sediments biostimulated in the field, as well as kinetic parameters such as U(VI) reduction rate, is challenging due to the low concentration of uranium in the aquifers (typically bio-remediation experiment at the Old Rifle site, CO, from early iron-reducing conditions to the transition to sulfate-reducing conditions. Several in-well chromatographic columns packed with sediment were deployed and were sampled at different days after the start of bio-reduction. X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray microscopy were used to obtain information on Fe, S and U speciation and distribution. Chemical extractions of the reduced sediments have also been performed, to determine the rate of Fe(II) and U(IV) accumulation.

DNA-SIP identifies sulfate-reducing Clostridia as important toluene degraders in tar-oil-contaminated aquifer sediment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Winderl, C.; Penning, H.; von Netzer, F.; Meckenstock, R.U.; Lueders, T. [Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, Neuherberg (Germany)

2010-10-15

Global groundwater resources are constantly challenged by a multitude of contaminants such as aromatic hydrocarbons. Especially in anaerobic habitats, a large diversity of unrecognized microbial populations may be responsible for their degradation. Still, our present understanding of the respective microbiota and their ecophysiology is almost exclusively based on a small number of cultured organisms, mostly within the Proteobacteria. Here, by DNA-based stable isotope probing (SIP), we directly identified the most active sulfate-reducing toluene degraders in a diverse sedimentary microbial community originating from a tar-oil-contaminated aquifer at a former coal gasification plant. On incubation of fresh sediments with {sup 13}C{sub 7}-toluene, the production of both sulfide and (CS{sub 2}){sup 13}CO{sub 2} was clearly coupled to the {sup 13}Clabeling of DNA of microbes related to Desulfosporosinus spp. within the Peptococcaceae (Clostridia). The screening of labeled DNA fractions also suggested a novel benzylsuccinate synthase alpha-subunit (bssA) sequence type previously only detected in the environment to be tentatively affiliated with these degraders. However, carbon flow from the contaminant into degrader DNA was only similar to 50%, pointing toward high ratios of heterotrophic CS{sub 2}-fixation during assimilation of acetyl-CoA originating from the contaminant by these degraders. These findings demonstrate that the importance of non-proteobacterial populations in anaerobic aromatics degradation, as well as their specific ecophysiology in the subsurface may still be largely ungrasped.

Sand and Gravel Operations

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Department of Homeland Security — This map layer includes sand and gravel operations in the United States. These data were obtained from information reported voluntarily to the USGS by the aggregate...

The gravel sand transition in a disturbed catchment

Science.gov (United States)

Knighton, A. David

1999-03-01

More than 40 million cubic metres of mining waste were supplied to the Ringarooma River between 1875 and 1984, leading to successive phases of aggradation and degradation. The natural bed material is gravel but, given the volume of introduced load and the fact that much of the input was less than 5 mm in diameter, the size composition of the bed changed from gravel to sand during the phase of downstream progressive aggradation. A very sharp gravel-sand transition developed in which median grain size decreased from over 30 mm to under 3 mm in less than 500 m. With upstream supplies of mining debris becoming depleted first, degradation followed the same downstream progressive pattern as aggradation, causing the transition to migrate downstream. By 1984, the river could be regarded as a series of zones, each characterized by a particular bed condition: a natural cobble-gravel bed, unaffected by mining inputs (0-32 km); pre-disturbance bed re-exposed by degradation over 35-40 years (32-53 km); sandy substrate with a gravel armour produced by differential transport during degradation (53-65 km); sand dominated but with developing surface patches of coarser material (65-75 km); sandy bed reflecting the size composition of the original mining input (75-118 km). Although the gravel-sand transition itself is sharp, the transitional zone is lengthy (53-75 km). As degradation continues, the gravel-sand transition is expected to progress downstream but it has remained in a stable position for 12 years. Indeed, two major floods during the period released large quantities of sand from the sub-armour layer and newly-formed banks of mine tailings, causing fining both above and below the transition. Surface grain size is an adjustable component in the transitional zone as the river strives to recover from a major anthropogenic disturbance.

Using Novel Laboratory Incubations and Field Experiments to Identify the Source and Fate of Reactive Organic Carbon in an Arsenic-contaminated Aquifer System

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Stahl, M.; Tarek, M. H.; Badruzzaman, B.; Harvey, C. F.

2017-12-01

Characterizing the sources and fate of organic matter (OM) within aquifer systems is key to our understanding of both the broader global carbon cycle as well as the quality of our groundwater resources. The linkage between the subsurface carbon cycle and groundwater quality is perhaps nowhere more apparent than in the aquifer systems of South and Southeast Asia, where the contamination of groundwater with geogenic arsenic (As) is widespread and threatens the health of millions of individuals. OM fuels the biogeochemical processes driving As mobilization within these aquifers, however the source (i.e., modern surface-derived or aged sedimentary OM) of the reactive OM is widely debated. To characterize the sources of OM driving aquifer redox processes we tracked DIC and DOC concentrations and isotopes (stable and radiocarbon) along groundwater flow-paths and beneath an instrumented study pond at a field site in Bangladesh. We also conducted a set of novel groundwater incubation experiments, where we carbon-dated the DOC at the start and end of a experiment in order to determine the age of the OM that was mineralized. Our carbon/isotope balance reveals that aquifer recharge introduces a large quantity of young (i.e. near modern) OM that is efficiently mineralized within the upper few meters of the aquifer, effectively limiting this pool of reactive surface-sourced OM from being transported deeper into the aquifer where significant As mobilization takes place. The OM mineralized past the upper few meters is an aged, sedimentary source. Consistent with our field data, our incubation experiments show that past the upper few meters of the aquifer the reactive DOC is significantly older than the bulk DOC and has an age consistent with sedimentary OM. Combining our novel set of incubation experiments and a carbon/isotope balance along groundwater flow-paths and beneath our study pond we have identified the sources of reactive OM across different aquifer depths in a

Sand and Gravel Deposits

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Vermont Center for Geographic Information — This dataset is a statewide polygon coverage of sand, gravel, and stone resources. This database includes the best data available from the VT Agency of Natural...

Behavioral response to contamination risk information in a spatially explicit groundwater environment: Experimental evidence

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jingyuan; Michael, Holly A.; Duke, Joshua M.; Messer, Kent D.; Suter, Jordan F.

2014-08-01

This paper assesses the effectiveness of aquifer monitoring information in achieving more sustainable use of a groundwater resource in the absence of management policy. Groundwater user behavior in the face of an irreversible contamination threat is studied by applying methods of experimental economics to scenarios that combine a physics-based, spatially explicit, numerical groundwater model with different representations of information about an aquifer and its risk of contamination. The results suggest that the threat of catastrophic contamination affects pumping decisions: pumping is significantly reduced in experiments where contamination is possible compared to those where pumping cost is the only factor discouraging groundwater use. The level of information about the state of the aquifer also affects extraction behavior. Pumping rates differ when information that synthesizes data on aquifer conditions (a "risk gauge") is provided, despite invariant underlying economic incentives, and this result does not depend on whether the risk information is location-specific or from a whole aquifer perspective. Interestingly, users increase pumping when the risk gauge signals good aquifer status compared to a no-gauge treatment. When the gauge suggests impending contamination, however, pumping declines significantly, resulting in a lower probability of contamination. The study suggests that providing relatively simple aquifer condition guidance derived from monitoring data can lead to more sustainable use of groundwater resources.

Geophysical Signitures From Hydrocarbon Contaminated Aquifers

Science.gov (United States)

Abbas, M.; Jardani, A.

2015-12-01

The task of delineating the contamination plumes as well as studying their impact on the soil and groundwater biogeochemical properties is needed to support the remediation efforts and plans. Geophysical methods including electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), induced polarization (IP), ground penetrating radar (GPR), and self-potential (SP) have been previously used to characterize contaminant plumes and investigate their impact on soil and groundwater properties (Atekwana et al., 2002, 2004; Benson et al., 1997; Campbell et al., 1996; Cassidy et al., 2001; Revil et al., 2003; Werkema et al., 2000). Our objective was to: estimate the hydrocarbon contamination extent in a contaminated site in northern France, and to adverse the effects of the oil spill on the groundwater properties. We aim to find a good combination of non-intrusive and low cost methods which we can use to follow the bio-remediation process, which is planned to proceed next year. We used four geophysical methods including electrical resistivity tomography, IP, GPR, and SP. The geophysical data was compared to geochemical ones obtained from 30 boreholes installed in the site during the geophysical surveys. Our results have shown: low electrical resistivity values; high chargeability values; negative SP anomalies; and attenuated GPR reflections coincident with groundwater contamination. Laboratory and field geochemical measurements have demonstrated increased groundwater electrical conductivity and increased microbial activity associated with hydrocarbon contamination of groundwater. Our study results support the conductive model suggested by studies such as Sauck (2000) and Atekwana et al., (2004), who suggest that biological alterations of hydrocarbon contamination can substantially modify the chemical and physical properties of the subsurface, producing a dramatic shift in the geo-electrical signature from resistive to conductive. The next stage of the research will include time lapse borehole

General characteristics of the aquifer system Joanicó (Montevideo, Uruguay)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gagliardi Urtasun, S.; Montaño, X.; Montaño Gutiérrez, M.; Lacués Parodi, X.

2010-01-01

The work area, comprising the towns of Joanicó, Sauce and N Progress , Canelones province, is a center of intensive agricultural development (viticulture, hortofruticultura, etc), where demand and exploitation of groundwater is common primarily for irrigation supply .The subsoil consists of sedimentary rocks and sediments belonging to the Freedom and Dolores ( Pleistocene), Fray Bentos (Upper Oligocene) (aquitards), Mercedes formations - Asencio (Upper Cretaceous) and Migues (Lower Cretaceous). Permeable levels in the Mercedes and Migues formations make up a significant potential aquifer system , which we call Joanicó Aquifer System. This aquifer is multilayer type and consists of fine to coarse sand and gravel and sand mixture , with the occasional presence of thin matrix. Semi confined and behaves as confined in most area; in the outcrop of the Merc edes training is free. The average transmissivity is approximately the 50m2/día; The average permeability of 5 to 10 m/day. The storage coefficient (confined area) is of the order 10-4 .In the most developed area of the aquifer is where Joanicó are obtained by constructing boreholes higher flows Canelones department: more than 25% of the wells drilled to extract higher flow 15 m3/h y extracted more than 40% flows over 10 m3/h. The production of many agricultural enterprises depends directly on the area irrigated with groundwater, so the deeper knowledge of the exploited resource is paramount

Assessing the susceptibility to contamination of two aquifer systems used for public water supply in the Modesto and Fresno metropolitan areas, California, 2001 and 2002

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Michael T.; Belitz, Kenneth; Johnson, Tyler D.

2004-01-01

Ground-water samples were collected from 90 active public supply wells in the Fresno and Modesto metropolitan areas as part of the California Aquifer Susceptibility (CAS) program. The CAS program was formed to examine the susceptibility to contamination of aquifers that are tapped by public supply wells to serve the citizens of California. The objectives of the program are twofold: (1) to evaluate the quality of ground water used for public supply using volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations in ground-water samples and (2) to determine if the occurrence and distribution of low level VOCs in ground water and characteristics, such as land use, can be used to predict aquifer susceptibility to contamination from anthropogenic activities occurring at, or near, land surface. An evaluation was made of the relation between VOC occurrence and the explanatory variables: depth to the top of the uppermost well perforation, land use, relative ground-water age, high nitrate concentrations, density of leaking underground fuel tanks (LUFT), and source of recharge water. VOCs were detected in 92 percent of the wells sampled in Modesto and in 72 percent of the wells sampled in Fresno. Trihalomethanes (THM) and solvents were frequently detected in both study areas. Conversely, the gasoline components?benzene, toluene ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX)?were rarely, if at all, detected, even though LUFTs were scattered throughout both study areas. The rare occurrence of BTEX compounds may be the result of their low solubility and labile nature in the subsurface environment. Samples were analyzed for 85 VOCs; 25 were detected in at least one sample. The concentrations of nearly all VOCs detected were at least an order of magnitude below action levels set by drinking water standards. Concentrations of four VOCs exceeded federal and state maximum contaminant levels (MCL): the solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) and the fumigant 1, 2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) in Fresno, and the

Combining lead isotopes and cluster analysis to distinguish the Guarani and Serra Geral Aquifer Systems and contaminated waters in a highly industrialized area in Southern Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuhn, Isadora Aumond; Roisenberg, Ari

2017-10-01

The Rio dos Sinos Watershed area is located at the Middle-West region of the Rio Grande do Sul State, Southern Brazil, along thirty two municipalities and affecting 1.5 million inhabitants and many important industrial centers. Three main aquifers are recognized in the study area: the unconfined-fractured Serra Geral Aquifer System, the porous Guarani Aquifer System, and the Permian Aquitard. This study aims to understand groundwater, surface water and human activity interactions in the Rio dos Sinos Watershed, evaluating the application of stable lead isotopic ratios analyzed for this propose. Thirty six groundwater samples, 8 surface water samples and 5 liquid effluents of tanneries and landfills samples were measured using a Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometer Thermo-Finnigan and a Neptune Multi-Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer. Groundwater isotopic ratios have a wider range compared to the surface water, with less radiogenic averages 208 Pb/ 204 Pb = 38.1837 vs 38.4050 (standard deviation = 0.2921 vs 0.1343) and 206 Pb/ 204 Pb = 18.2947 vs 18.4766 (standard deviation = 0.2215 vs 0.1059), respectively. Industrial liquid effluents (tanneries and industrial landfill) have averages 208 Pb/ 204 Pb = 38.1956 and 206 Pb/ 204 Pb = 18.3169, distinct from effluent samples of domestic sanitary landfill (averages 208 Pb/ 204 Pb = 38.2353 and 206 Pb/ 204 Pb = 18.6607). Hierarchical cluster analysis led to distinguish six groups of groundwater, representing the three aquifers that occur in the area, two clusters suggesting groundwater mixtures and one demonstrating a highly contaminated groundwater. By analyzing the cluster results and wells' stratigraphic profiles it was possible to distinguish the different aquifers in the area. The Serra Geral Aquifer System has 206 Pb/ 204 Pb ratios between 18.4718 and 18.7089; 207 Pb/ 204 Pb between 15.6692 and 15.6777; 208 Pb/ 204 Pb between 38.6826 and 38.7616; 207 Pb/ 206 Pb between 0.8372 and 0

Dual Pump Recovery (DPR System to Extract Freshwater in Coastal Aquifers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Otto

2002-06-01

Full Text Available The paper describes the hydraulic theory of recovering a dense plume using a newly devised dual pump recover system (DPR and its feasibility to half the remediation time of a contaminated unconfined aquifer in a coastal urban environment. Although the DPR system was successfully applied to clean up the polluted aquifer, the hydraulic principles and techniques are also applicable to extract fresh groundwater from coastal aquifers without the risk of saltwater incursion.

Reservoir architecture patterns of sandy gravel braided distributary channel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Senlin Yin

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to discuss shape, scale and superimposed types of sandy gravel bodies in sandy-gravel braided distributary channel. Lithofacies analysis, hierarchy bounding surface analysis and subsurface dense well pattern combining with outcrops method were used to examine reservoir architecture patterns of sandy gravel braided distributary channel based on cores, well logging, and outcrops data, and the reservoir architecture patterns of sandy gravel braided distributary channels in different grades have been established. The study shows: (1 The main reservoir architecture elements for sandy gravel braided channel delta are distributary channel and overbank sand, while reservoir flow barrier elements are interchannel and lacustrine mudstone. (2 The compound sand bodies in the sandy gravel braided delta distributary channel take on three shapes: sheet-like distributary channel sand body, interweave strip distributary channel sand body, single strip distributary channel sand body. (3 Identification marks of single distributary channel include: elevation of sand body top, lateral overlaying, “thick-thin-thick” feature of sand bodies, interchannel mudstone and overbank sand between distributary channels and the differences in well log curve shape of sand bodies. (4 Nine lithofacies types were distinguished in distributary channel unit interior, different channel units have different lithofacies association sequence.

Cement Type Influence on Alkali-Silica Reaction in Concrete with Crushed Gravel Aggregate

Science.gov (United States)

Rutkauskas, A.; Nagrockienė, D.; Skripkiūnas, G.

2017-10-01

Alkali-silica reaction is one of the chemical reactions which have a significant influence for durability of concrete. During alkali and silica reaction, silicon located in aggregates of the concrete, reacts with high alkali content. This way in the micropores of concrete is forming hygroscopic gel, which at wet environment, expanding and slowly but strongly destroying concrete structures. The goal of this paper- to determine the influence of cement type on alkali-silica reaction of mortars with crushed gravel. In the study crushed gravel with fraction 4/16 mm was used and four types of cements tested: CEM I 42.5 R; CEM I 42.5 SR; CEM II/A-S 42.5; CEM II/A-V 52.5. This study showed that crushed gravel is low contaminated on reactive particles containing of amorphous silica dioxide. The expansion after 14 days exceed 0.054 %, by RILEM AAR-2 research methodology (testing specimen dimension 40×40×160 mm). Continuing the investigation to 56 days for all specimens occurred alkaline corrosion features: microcracking and the surface plaque of gel. The results showed that the best resistance to alkaline corrosion after 14 days was obtained with cement CEM I 42.5 SR containing ash additive, and after 56 days with cement CEM II/A-V 52.5 containing low alkali content. The highest expansion after 14 and 56 days was obtained with cement CEM I 42.5 R without active mineral additives.

Discrete Element Modeling of the Mobilization of Coarse Gravel Beds by Finer Gravel Particles

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, K. M.; Tan, D.

2012-12-01

Recent research has shown that the addition of fine gravel particles to a coarse bed will mobilize the coarser bed, and that the effect is sufficiently strong that a pulse of fine gravel particles can mobilize an impacted coarser bed. Recent flume experiments have demonstrated that the degree of bed mobilization by finer particles is primarily dependent on the particle size ratio of the coarse and fine particles, rather than absolute size of either particle, provided both particles are sufficiently large. However, the mechanism behind the mobilization is not understood. It has previously been proposed that the mechanism is driven by a combination of geometric effects and hydraulic effects. For example, it has been argued that smaller particles fill in gaps along the bed, resulting in a smoother bed over which the larger particles are less likely to be disentrained and a reduced near-bed flow velocity and subsequent increased drag on protruding particles. Altered near-bed turbulence has also been cited as playing an important role. We perform simulations using the discrete element method with one-way fluid-solid coupling to conduct simulations of mobilization of a gravel bed by fine gravel particles. By independently and artificially controlling average and fluctuating velocity profiles, we systematically investigate the relative role that may be played by particle-particle interactions, average near-bed velocity profiles, and near-bed turbulence statistics. The simulations indicate that the relative importance of these mechanisms changes with the degree of mobilization of the bed. For higher bed mobility similar to bed sheets, particle-particle interactions, plays a significant role in an apparent rheology in the bed sheets, not unlike that observed in a dense granular flow of particles of different sizes. For conditions closer to a critical shear stress for bedload transport, the near-bed velocity profiles and turbulence statistics become increasingly important.

Characterization of 200-UP-1 Aquifer Sediments and Results of Sorption-Desorption Tests Using Spiked Uncontaminated Groundwater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Um, Wooyong; Serne, R JEFFREY.; Bjornstad, Bruce N.; Schaef, Herbert T.; Brown, Christopher F.; Legore, Virginia L.; Geiszler, Keith N.; Baum, Steven R.; Valenta, Michelle M.; Kutnyakov, Igor V.; Vickerman, Tanya S.; Lindberg, Michael J.

2005-11-16

Core characterization showed only 4 out of 13 core liner samples were intact samples and that the others were slough material. The intact samples showed typical Ringold Unit E characteristics such as being dominated by gravel and sand. Moderately reducing conditions are inferred in some core from borehole C4299. This reducing condition was caused by the hard tool process used to drill the wells. One core showed significant presence of ferric iron oxide/clay coatings on the gravels. There were no highly contaminated sediments found in the cores from the three new boreholes in UP-1 operable unit, especially for uranium. The presence of slough and ''flour'' caused by hard tooling is a serious challenge to obtaining field relevant sediments for use in geochemical experiments to determine the adsorption-desorption tendencies of redox sensitive elements such as uranium. The adsorption of COCs on intact Ringold Formation sediments and Fe/clay coatings showed that most of the anionic contaminants [Tc(VII), Se(VI), U(VI), Cr(VI), and I(-I)] did not adsorbed very well compared to cationic [Np(V), Sr(II), and Cs(I)] radionuclides. The high hydrous iron oxide content in Fe/clay coatings caused the highest Kd values for U and Np, suggesting these hydrous oxides are the key solid adsorbent in the sediments. Enhanced adsorption behavior for Tc, and Cr and perhaps Se on the sediments was considered an ?artifact? result caused by the induced reducing conditions from the hard tool drilling. Additional U(VI) adsorption Kd studies were performed on Ringold Formation sediments to develop more robust Kd data base for U. The <2 mm size separates of three UP-1 sediments showed a linear U(VI) adsorption isotherm up 1 ppm of total U(VI) concentration in solution. The additional U(VI) Kds obtained from varying carbonate concentration indicated that U(VI) adsorption was strongly influenced by the concentration of carbonate in solution. U(VI) adsorption decreased with

Attenuation of landfill leachate by UK Triassic sandstone aquifer materials. 1. Fate of inorganic pollutants in laboratory columns

Science.gov (United States)

Thornton, Steven F.; Tellam, John H.; Lerner, David N.

2000-05-01

The attenuation of inorganic contaminants in acetogenic and methanogenic landfill leachate by calcareous and carbonate-deficient, oxide-rich Triassic sandstone aquifer materials from the English Midlands was examined in laboratory columns. Aqueous equilibrium speciation modelling, simple transport modelling and chemical mass balance approaches are used to evaluate the key processes and aquifer geochemical properties controlling contaminant fate. The results indicate that leachate-rock interactions are dominated by ion-exchange processes, acid-base and redox reactions and sorption/precipitation of metal species. Leachate NH 4 is attenuated by cation exchange with the aquifer sediments; however, NH 4 migration could be described with a simple model using retardation factors. Organic acids in the acetogenic leachate buffered the system pH at low levels during flushing of the calcareous aquifer material. In contrast, equilibrium with Al oxyhydroxide phases initially buffered pH (˜4.5) during flushing of the carbonate-deficient sandstone with methanogenic leachate. This led to the mobilisation of sorbed and oxide-bound heavy metals from the aquifer sediment which migrated as a concentrated pulse at the leachate front. Abiotic reductive dissolution of Mn oxyhydroxides on each aquifer material by leachate Fe 2+ maintains high concentrations of dissolved Mn and buffers the leachate inorganic redox system. This feature is analogous to the Mn-reducing zones found in leachate plumes and in the experiments provides a sink for the leachate Fe load and other heavy metals. The availability of reactive solid phase Mn oxyhydroxides limits the duration of redox buffering and Fe attenuation by these aquifer sediments. Aquifer pH and redox buffering capacity exert a fundamental influence on leachate inorganic contaminant fate in these systems. The implications for the assessment of aquifer vulnerability at landfills are discussed and simple measurements of aquifer properties which

Intensive exploitation of a karst aquifer leads to Cryptosporidium water supply contamination.

Science.gov (United States)

Khaldi, S; Ratajczak, M; Gargala, G; Fournier, M; Berthe, T; Favennec, L; Dupont, J P

2011-04-01

Groundwater from karst aquifers is an important source of drinking water worldwide. Outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis linked to surface water and treated public water are regularly reported. Cryptosporidium oocysts are resistant to conventional drinking water disinfectants and are a major concern for the water industry. Here, we examined conditions associated with oocyst transport along a karstic hydrosystem, and the impact of intensive exploitation on Cryptosporidium oocyst contamination of the water supply. We studied a well-characterized karstic hydrosystem composed of a sinkhole, a spring and a wellbore. Thirty-six surface water and groundwater samples were analyzed for suspended particulate matter, turbidity, electrical conductivity, and Cryptosporidium and Giardia (oo)cyst concentrations. (Oo)cysts were identified and counted by means of solid-phase cytometry (ChemScan RDI(®)), a highly sensitive method. Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 78% of both surface water and groundwater samples, while Giardia cysts were found in respectively 22% and 8% of surface water and groundwater samples. Mean Cryptosporidium oocyst concentrations were 29, 13 and 4/100 L at the sinkhole, spring and wellbore, respectively. Cryptosporidium oocysts were transported from the sinkhole to the spring and the wellbore, with respective release rates of 45% and 14%, suggesting that oocysts are subject to storage and remobilization in karst conduits. Principal components analysis showed that Cryptosporidium oocyst concentrations depended on variations in hydrological forcing factors. All water samples collected during intensive exploitation contained oocysts. Control of Cryptosporidium oocyst contamination during intensive exploitation is therefore necessary to ensure drinking water quality. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Groundwater recharge and agricultural contamination

Science.gov (United States)

Böhlke, J.K.

2002-01-01

Agriculture has had direct and indirect effects on the rates and compositions of groundwater recharge and aquifer biogeochemistry. Direct effects include dissolution and transport of excess quantities of fertilizers and associated materials and hydrologic alterations related to irrigation and drainage. Some indirect effects include changes in water–rock reactions in soils and aquifers caused by increased concentrations of dissolved oxidants, protons, and major ions. Agricultural activities have directly or indirectly affected the concentrations of a large number of inorganic chemicals in groundwater, for example NO3–, N2, Cl, SO42–, H+, P, C, K, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra, and As, as well as a wide variety of pesticides and other organic compounds. For reactive contaminants like NO3–, a combination of chemical, isotopic, and environmental-tracer analytical approaches might be required to resolve changing inputs from subsequent alterations as causes of concentration gradients in groundwater. Groundwater records derived from multi-component hydrostratigraphic data can be used to quantify recharge rates and residence times of water and dissolved contaminants, document past variations in recharging contaminant loads, and identify natural contaminant-remediation processes. These data indicate that many of the world's surficial aquifers contain transient records of changing agricultural contamination from the last half of the 20th century. The transient agricultural groundwater signal has important implications for long-term trends and spatial heterogeneity in discharge.

Aquifer Vulnerability Investigation Using Geoelectric Method in Parts ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The generated longitudinal conductance map showed poor protective capacity ... capacity makes the aquifer in the study area vulnerable to contamination ..... Sedimentation and Structure of the Niger Delta. ... Direct application of the Dar.

Preliminary hydrogeologic assessment of a ground-water contamination area in Wolcott, Connecticut

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, J.R.; Casey, G.D.; Mondazzi, R.A.; Frick, T.W.

1997-01-01

Contamination of ground water by volatile organic compounds and inorganic constituents has been identified at a number of industrial sites in the Town of Wolcott, Connecticut. Contamination is also present at a municipal landfill in the City of Waterbury that is upgradient from the industrial sites in the local ground-water-flow system. The study area, which lies in the Western Highlands of Connecticut, is in the Mad River Valley, a tributary to the Naugatuck River. Geohydrologic units (aquifer materials) include unconsolidated glacial sediments (surficial materials) and fractured crystalline (metamorphic) bedrock. Surficial materials include glacial till, coarse-grained andfine-grained glacial stratified deposits, and postglacial floodplain alluvium and swamp deposits. The ground-water-flow system in the surficial aquifer is complex because the hydraulic properties of the surficial materials are highly variable. In the bedrock aquifer, ground water moves exclusively through fractures. Hydrologic characteristics of the crystalline bedrock-degree of confinement, hydraulic conductivity, storativity, and porosity-are poorly defined in the study area. Further study is needed to adequately assess ground-water flow and contaminant migration under current or past hydrologic conditions. All known water-supply wells in the study area obtain water from the bedrock aquifer. Twenty households in a hillside residential area on Tosun Road currently obtain drinking water from private wells tapping the bedrock aquifer. The extent of contamination in the bedrock aquifer and the potential for future contamination from known sources of contamination in the surficial aquifer is of concern to regulatory agencies. Previous investigations have identified ground-water contamination by volatile organic compounds at the Nutmeg Valley Road site area. Contamination has been associated with on-site disposal of heavy metals, chlorinated and non-chlorinated volatile organic compounds, and

Hydrogeochemical and mineralogical effects of sustained CO₂ contamination in a shallow sandy aquifer: A field-scale controlled release experiment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cahill, Aaron Graham; Marker, Pernille Aabye; Jakobsen, Rasmus

2014-01-01

A shallow aquifer CO2 contamination experiment was performed to investigate evolution of water chemistry and sediment alteration following leakage from geological storage by physically simulating a leak from a hypothetical storage site. In a carbonate-free aquifer, in western Denmark, a total...... of 1600 kg of gas phase CO2 was injected at 5 and 10 m depth over 72 days through four inclined injection wells into aeolian and glacial sands. Water chemistry was monitored for pH, EC, and dissolved element evolution through an extensive network of multilevel sampling points over 305 days. Sediment cores...... were taken pre and postinjection and analyzed to search for effects on mineralogy and sediment properties. Results showed the simulated leak to evolve in two distinct phases; an advective elevated ion pulse followed by increasing persistent acidification. Spatial and temporal differences in evolution...

Characterization of the groundwater aquifers at El Sadat City by joint inversion of VES and TEM data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Usama Massoud

2014-12-01

In this study, VES and TEM data were identically measured at 24 stations along 3 profiles trending NE–SW with the elongation of the study area. The measuring points were arranged in a grid-like pattern with both inter-station spacing and line–line distance of about 2 km. After performing the necessary processing steps, the VES and TEM data sets were inverted individually to multi-layer models, followed by a joint inversion of both data sets. Joint inversion process has succeeded to overcome the model-equivalence problem encountered in the inversion of individual data set. Then, the joint models were used for the construction of a number of cross sections and contour maps showing the lateral and vertical distribution of the geoelectrical parameters in the subsurface medium. Interpretation of the obtained results and correlation with the available geological and hydrogeological information revealed TWO aquifer systems in the area. The shallow Pleistocene aquifer consists of sand and gravel saturated with fresh water and exhibits large thickness exceeding 200 m. The deep Pliocene aquifer is composed of clay and sand and shows low resistivity values. The water-bearing layer of the Pleistocene aquifer and the upper surface of Pliocene aquifer are continuous and no structural features have cut this continuity through the investigated area.

Steam Injection For Soil And Aquifer Remediation

Science.gov (United States)

The purpose of this Issue Paper is to provide to those involved in assessing remediation technologies for specific sites basic technical information on the use of steam injection for the remediation of soils and aquifers that are contaminated by...

Regeneration of a confined aquifer after redevelopment and decommission of artesian wells, example from Grafendorf aquifer (Styria, Austria)

Science.gov (United States)

Mehmedovski, Nudzejma; Winkler, Gerfried

2016-04-01

Water is essential for life and it is therefore necessary to protect drinking water sustainably. Compared to shallow groundwater, deeper groundwater is especially important due to its characteristic tendency to remain extensively unaffected by environmental impacts. Thus, the uncontrolled waste of this valuable resource has to be avoided. A lot of artesian wells have been established in Grafendorf bei Hartberg (Styria, Austria). Almost all wells were not state-of-the art. As a result the different aquifer horizons began to intermix. Additionally some of the artesian wells had a permanent free overflow and the water was not even used. Consequently, since 1950, where the mean discharge of 37 wells was 0,334 l/s per well, the discharge has decreased to 0,090 l/s until 2013, which means a decline of about 75 %. As a reaction to these declines a decommissioning campaign was conducted where 69 artesian wells have been closed by injecting a cement-bentonite suspension (ratio 3:1). The Grafendorf aquifer is situated in the Styrian Basin and consists of 5 separated artesian horizons in Neogene sediments. These artesian horizons range from 42 m (1st horizon) to 176 m (5th horizon) and mostly consist of sand, partly of fine/medium/coarse gravel and partially with minor clay content. In order to analyse the reaction of the Grafendorf aquifer to these redevelopments, 5 monitoring wells could be used for the analysis. Some monitoring wells include different aquifer horizons and hydraulically short cut them. Thus, in this work the analysis focus on the general trend of the whole aquifer system neglecting the individual interactions between the different aquifers. In a first investigation step the hydraulic properties of the aquifer system has been determined using pumping tests which were analysed with different analytical solutions with the software AQTESOLV. Overall the pumping test solutions hardly differ in the transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity. On the contrary the

Gravel sediment routing from widespread, low-intensity landscape disturbance, Current River basin, Missouri

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobson, Robert B.; Gran, K.B.

1999-01-01

During the last 160 years, land-use changes in the Ozarks have had the potential to cause widespread, low-intensity delivery of excess amounts of gravel-sized sediment to stream channels. Previous studies have indicated that this excess gravel bedload is moving in wave-like forms through Ozarks drainage basins. The longitudinal, areal distribution of gravel bars along 160 km of the Current River, Missouri, was evaluated to determine the relative effects of valley-scale controls, tributary basin characteristics, and lagged sediment transport in creating areas of gravel accumulations. The longitudinal distribution of gravel-bar area shows a broad scale wave-like form with increases in gravel-bar area weakly associated with tributary junctions. Secondary peaks of gravel area with 1·8–4·1 km spacing (disturbance reaches) are superimposed on the broad form. Variations in valley width explain some, but not all, of the short-spacing variation in gravel-bar area. Among variables describing tributary drainage basin morphometry, present-day land use and geologic characteristics, only drainage area and road density relate even weakly to gravel-bar areal inventories. A simple, channel network-based sediment routing model shows that many of the features of the observed longitudinal gravel distribution can be replicated by uniform transport of sediment from widespread disturbances through a channel network. These results indicate that lagged sediment transport may have a dominant effect on the synoptic spatial distribution of gravel in Ozarks streams; present-day land uses are only weakly associated with present-day gravel inventories; and valley-scale characteristics have secondary controls on gravel accumulations in disturbance reaches.

Areal distribution of 60Co, 137Cs, and 90Sr in streambed gravels of White Oak Creek Watershed, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cerling, T.E.; Spalding, B.P.

1981-01-01

The concentrations of 90 Sr, 60 Co, and 137 Cs in streambed gravels from contaminated drainages in White Oak Creek Watershed were determined. Methods to determine the relative contributions of various sources to the total discharge from the watershed were developed. Principal sources of 90 Sr were: ORNL plant effluents (50%), leaching from solid waste disposal area (SWDA) 4 (30%), and leaching from SWDA 5 (10%). Minor sources included SWDA 3, the Molten Salt Reactor Facility, and intermediate-level liquid waste pit 1 with each representing 4% or less of the total basin discharge. The cooling water effluent from the High-Flux Isotope Reactor was the dominant source of 60 Co contamination in the watershed. ORNL plant effluents accounted for almost all the 137 Cs discharge from White Oak Creek basin. Downstream radionuclide concentrations were constant until significant dilution by other tributaries occurred. Any future activities giving rise to additional contamination can now be identified. Distribution coefficients between streambed gravels and streamwater for 85 Sr, 60 Co, and 137 Cs were 50, 560, and 8460 ml/g, respectively. An abridged radiochemical fractionation developed for 90 Sr was found to be as accurate and precise for these samples as the standard 90 Sr method above levels of 2 dpm/g

Turbidity removal: Gravel and charcoal as roughing filtration media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Josiah A. Adeyemo

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Roughing filtration is an important pre-treatment process for wastewater, because it efficiently separates fine solid particles over prolonged periods, without the addition of chemicals. For this study, a pilot plant was designed at Delmas Coal Mine in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. The design and sizing of the pilot plant was guided by Wegelin’s design criteria. Gravel was used as a control medium because it is one of the most commonly used roughing filter media and because it was used in developing the criteria. We compared the performance of gravel as a filter medium to that of another locally available material, charcoal, for the removal of turbidity in wastewater. The pilot plant was monitored continuously for 90 days from commissioning until the end of the project. The overall performance of the roughing filter in turbidity removal, using gravel or charcoal, was considered efficient for the pre-treatment of waste water. Charcoal performed slightly better than gravel as a filter medium for the removal of turbidity, possibly because charcoal has a slightly higher specific surface area and porosity than gravel, which could enhance sedimentation and other filtration processes, such as adsorption, respectively.

Guidelines for active spreading during in situ chemical oxidation to remediate contaminated groundwater

Science.gov (United States)

The effectiveness of in situ chemical oxidation to remediate contaminated aquifers depends on the extent and duration of contact between the injected treatment chemical and the groundwater contaminant (the reactants). Techniques that inject and extract in the aquifer to ‘ac...

Bio-remediation of aquifers polluted by chlorinated solvents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fayolle, F.

1996-01-01

Numerous cases of contamination of aquifers by chlorinated aliphatic solvents, largely utilized during the last decades, constitute a public health problem, because of the toxic effect of such compounds. Different types of aerobic or anaerobic bacteria are able to degrade these molecules. Processes of bio remediation are now experimented in order to restore polluted aquifers. We present here the microorganisms and the enzymatic reactions involved in the biodegradation of chlorinated solvents, and different examples of in situ bio remediation operations are described. (author)

Response and recovery of a pristine groundwater ecosystem impacted by toluene contamination - A meso-scale indoor aquifer experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Herzyk, Agnieszka; Fillinger, Lucas; Larentis, Michael; Qiu, Shiran; Maloszewski, Piotr; Hünniger, Marko; Schmidt, Susanne I.; Stumpp, Christine; Marozava, Sviatlana; Knappett, Peter S. K.; Elsner, Martin; Meckenstock, Rainer; Lueders, Tillmann; Griebler, Christian

2017-12-01

Microbial communities are the driving force behind the degradation of contaminants like aromatic hydrocarbons in groundwater ecosystems. However, little is known about the response of native microbial communities to contamination in pristine environments as well as their potential to recover from a contamination event. Here, we used an indoor aquifer mesocosm filled with sandy quaternary calciferous sediment that was continuously fed with pristine groundwater to study the response, resistance and resilience of microbial communities to toluene contamination over a period of almost two years, comprising 132 days of toluene exposure followed by nearly 600 days of recovery. We observed an unexpectedly high intrinsic potential for toluene degradation, starting within the first two weeks after the first exposure. The contamination led to a shift from oxic to anoxic, primarily nitrate-reducing conditions as well as marked cell growth inside the contaminant plume. Depth-resolved community fingerprinting revealed a low resistance of the native microbial community to the perturbation induced by the exposure to toluene. Distinct populations that were dominated by a small number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) rapidly emerged inside the plume and at the plume fringes, partially replacing the original community. During the recovery period physico-chemical conditions were restored to the pristine state within about 35 days, whereas the recovery of the biological parameters was much slower and the community composition inside the former plume area had not recovered to the original state by the end of the experiment. These results demonstrate the low resilience of sediment-associated groundwater microbial communities to organic pollution and underline that recovery of groundwater ecosystems cannot be assessed solely by physico-chemical parameters.

No-Impact Threshold Values for NRAP's Reduced Order Models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Last, George V. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Murray, Christopher J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Brown, Christopher F. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Jordan, Preston D. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Sharma, Maneesh [West Virginia Univ., and National Energy Technlogy Lab., Morgantown, WV (United States)

2013-02-01

The purpose of this study was to develop methodologies for establishing baseline datasets and statistical protocols for determining statistically significant changes between background concentrations and predicted concentrations that would be used to represent a contamination plume in the Gen II models being developed by NRAP’s Groundwater Protection team. The initial effort examined selected portions of two aquifer systems; the urban shallow-unconfined aquifer system of the Edwards-Trinity Aquifer System (being used to develop the ROM for carbon-rock aquifers, and the a portion of the High Plains Aquifer (an unconsolidated and semi-consolidated sand and gravel aquifer, being used to development the ROM for sandstone aquifers). Threshold values were determined for Cd, Pb, As, pH, and TDS that could be used to identify contamination due to predicted impacts from carbon sequestration storage reservoirs, based on recommendations found in the EPA’s ''Unified Guidance for Statistical Analysis of Groundwater Monitoring Data at RCRA Facilities'' (US Environmental Protection Agency 2009). Results from this effort can be used to inform a ''no change'' scenario with respect to groundwater impacts, rather than the use of an MCL that could be significantly higher than existing concentrations in the aquifer.

Artificial Intelligence-Based Models for the Optimal and Sustainable Use of Groundwater in Coastal Aquifers

Science.gov (United States)

Sreekanth, J.; Datta, Bithin

2011-07-01

Overexploitation of the coastal aquifers results in saltwater intrusion. Once saltwater intrusion occurs, it involves huge cost and long-term remediation measures to remediate these contaminated aquifers. Hence, it is important to have strategies for the sustainable use of coastal aquifers. This study develops a methodology for the optimal management of saltwater intrusion prone aquifers. A linked simulation-optimization-based management strategy is developed. The methodology uses genetic-programming-based models for simulating the aquifer processes, which is then linked to a multi-objective genetic algorithm to obtain optimal management strategies in terms of groundwater extraction from potential well locations in the aquifer.

Correlative Cryo-Tem Cryo-Stxm and Cryo-Shxm Investigation of Selenium Bioreduction in a Contaminated Aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Fakra, S.; Luef, B.; Tyliszczak, T.; Castelle, C. J.; Mullin, S. W.; Hug, L. A.; Williams, K. H.; Marcus, M.; Banfield, J. F.

2015-12-01

Accurate mapping of the composition and ultrastructure of minerals and cells is key to understanding biogeochemical process in contaminated environments. Here we developed two apparatus that allow correlation of cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (TEM), synchrotron hard X-ray microprobe (SHXM) and scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) datasets. These cryogenic methods enabled precise determination of the distribution, valence state and structure of selenium in intact biofilms sampled during a biostimulation experiment in a contaminated aquifer near Rifle, CO, USA. Results were replicated in the laboratory via anaerobic selenate-reducing enrichment cultures. 16S rRNA analyses of field-derived biofilm indicated the dominance of Betaproteobacteria from the Comamonadaceae family, and uncultivated members of the Simplicispira genus. The major product in field and culture-derived biofilms consists of ~25-300 nm red amorphous Se0 aggregates of colloidal nanoparticles. Correlative analyses of the cultures provided direct evidence for microbial dissimilatory reduction of Se(VI) to Se(IV) to Se0. X-ray diffraction and Se K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy revealed red amorphous Se0 with a first shell Se-Se interatomic distance of 2.339 ± 0.003 Å. STXM showed that these aggregates are strongly associated with a protein-rich biofilm matrix containing acidic polysaccharides. From Rifle groundwater, we isolated a strain that shares 98.9% 16S rRNA gene sequence identity with Dechloromonas aromatica RCB and grows anaerobically by oxidizing acetate and reducing selenate. We refer to this isolate as Dechloromonas selenatis strain RGW99. 3D cryo-electron tomography showed that Se0 particles do not form inside the cytoplasm but rather originate in the cell membrane. The end product of selenate reduction by D. selenatis is 240 ± 66 nm diameter red amorphous Se0 colloidal aggregates. This product was found to be stable for months. Overall

The air flow and heat transfer in gravel embankment in permafrost areas

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

JIANG Fan; LIU Shi; WANG Haigang; CHEN Huanzhuo

2004-01-01

A comparative numerical investigation of transient temperature profile and pore-air velocities in horizontal rock block embankments are conducted using the "gravels model", in which the embankment is composed of stones and air, and the "porous media model" respectively. As the velocities from the "gravels model" directly reflect the true flow of air and winter-time convection, in this paper it can be concluded that computational results from the "gravels model"are superior to the "porous media model". In addition, the "gravels model" has the advantages of reflecting the effect of the dimensions and collocation of gravels upon the temperature fields.Therefore, the computation of the gravels embankment is mainly based on the gravels model.Simulation results show that in summer, a clockwise circulation of the pore-air extends throughout most of the embankment. However its motion is very weak that results in relatively straight horizontal isotherm lines. And heat transfer is mainly maintained through conduction. But in winter, the pore-air velocities are higher and multiple vortexes are formed in the embankment.Natural convection then becomes the dominant influence on the isotherm shapes within the embankment. The isotherms are complex and alternative upward and downward flowing plumes exist. The winter-time convection can further reduce the temperature of the foundation soil beneath the gravel embankment. In addition, the effects of the gravel dimensions within the embankment have been analyzed and compared in the gravels model. It shows that in winter, large stones, e.g. 200 mm, lead to stronger vortexes than those of small stones, say 60 mm. Consequently, the zone of low-temperature beneath the large-stone embankment extends deeper into the ground.

Field pilot test of surfactant-enhanced remediation of trichloroethane DNAPL in a sand aquifer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, R.E.; Butler, G.W.; Londergan, J.T.; Mariner, P.E.; Pickens, J.F.; Fountain, J.C.

1994-01-01

The sequence of lacustrine and outwash deposits beneath a vapor degreasing operation at the Paducah Gaseous Division Plant, Kentucky, is contaminated with trichloroethane due to leakage from a sewer/sump line. A plume of dissolved trichloroethane (TCE) extends throughout an area of approximately 3 km 2 in the Regional Gravel Aquifer (RGA) which is located between 20 and 30 meters below ground surface. It is suspected that some 40,000 liters of TCE might have escaped into the subsurface at Paducah, most of which is still present in the lacustrine deposits and the underlying RGA as DNAPL. A field test to confirm the presence of TCE DNAPL in the sandy, upper portion of the RGA around a monitoring well and to test the efficiency of the surfactant for TCE solubilization is described. The aqueous concentrations of TCE in this well have consistently been measured at 300--550 mg TCE/L over a period of three years. The use of Capillary and Bond numbers to estimate the improbability of mobilization of DNAPL due to the lowering of the interfacial tension is described. The multiphase, multicomponent simulator UTCHEM was used to simulate both the injection and extraction of the surfactant solution and the solubilization of the TCE by the surfactant micelles

Groundwater quality of the Gulf Coast aquifer system, Houston, Texas, 2010

Science.gov (United States)

Oden, Jeannette H.; Brown, Dexter W.; Oden, Timothy D.

2011-01-01

During March–December 2010, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the city of Houston, collected source-water samples from 60 municipal supply wells in the Houston area. These data were collected as part of an ongoing study to determine concentrations, spatial extent, and associated geochemical conditions that might be conducive for mobility and transport of selected naturally occurring contaminants (selected trace elements and radionuclides) in the Gulf Coast aquifer system in the Houston area. In the summers of 2007 and 2008, a reconnaissance-level survey of these constituents in untreated water from 28 municipal supply wells was completed in the Houston area. Included in this report are the complete analytical results for 47 of the 60 samples collected in 2010—those results which were received from the laboratories and reviewed by the authors as of December 31, 2010. All of the wells sampled were screened in the Gulf Coast aquifer system; 22 were screened entirely in the Evangeline aquifer, and the remaining 25 wells contained screened intervals that intersected both Evangeline and Chicot aquifers. The data documented in this report were collected as part of an ongoing study to characterize source-water-quality conditions in untreated groundwater prior to drinking-water treatment. An evaluation of contaminant occurrence in source water provides background information regarding the presence of a contaminant in the environment. Because source-water samples were collected prior to any treatment or blending that potentially could alter contaminant concentrations, the water-quality results documented by this report represent the quality of the source water, not the quality of finished drinking water provided to the public.

Macroinvertebrate Community responses to gravel addition in a Southeastern regulated river

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan A. McManamay; Donald J. Orth; A. Charles. Dolloff

2013-01-01

Sediment transport, one of the key processes of river systems, is altered or stopped by dams, leaving lower river reaches barren of sand and gravel, both of which are essential habitat for fish and macroinvertebrates. One way to compensate for losses in sediment is to supplement gravel to river reaches below impoundments. Because gravel addition has become a widespread...

Groundwater vulnerability assessment in karstic aquifers using COP method.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagherzadeh, Somayeh; Kalantari, Nasrollah; Nobandegani, Amir Fadaei; Derakhshan, Zahra; Conti, Gea Oliveri; Ferrante, Margherita; Malekahmadi, Roya

2018-05-02

Access to safe and reliable drinking water is amongst the important indicators of development in each society, and water scarcity is one of the challenges and limitations affecting development at national and regional levels and social life and economic activity areas. Generally, there are two types of drinking water sources: the first type is surface waters, including lakes, rivers, and streams and the second type is groundwaters existing in aquifers. Amongst aquifers, karst aquifers play an important role in supplying water sources of the world. Therefore, protecting these aquifers from pollution sources is of paramount importance. COP method is amongst the methods to investigate the intrinsic vulnerability of this type of aquifers, so that areas susceptible to contamination can be determined before being contaminated and these sources can be protected. In the present study, COP method was employed in order to spot the regions that are prone to contamination in the region. This method uses the properties of overlying geological layers above the water table (O factor), the concentration of flow (C factor), and precipitation (P factor) over the aquifer, as the parameters to assess the intrinsic vulnerability of groundwater resources. In this regard, geographical information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) were utilized to prepare the mentioned factors and the intrinsic vulnerability map was obtained. The results of COP method indicated that the northwest and the west of the region are highly and very vulnerable. This study indicated that regions with low vulnerability were observed in eastern areas, which accounted for 15.6% of the area. Moderate vulnerability was 40% and related to the northeast and southeast of the area. High vulnerability was 38.2% and related to western and southwestern regions. Very high vulnerability was 6.2% and related to the northwest of the area. By means of the analysis of sensitivity of the model, it was determined that the focus

XBeach-G: a tool for predicting gravel barrier response to extreme storm conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Masselink, Gerd; Poate, Tim; McCall, Robert; Roelvink, Dano; Russell, Paul; Davidson, Mark

2014-05-01

Gravel beaches protect low-lying back-barrier regions from flooding during storm events and their importance to society is widely acknowledged. Unfortunately, breaching and extensive storm damage has occurred at many gravel sites and this is likely to increase as a result of sea-level rise and enhanced storminess due to climate change. Limited scientific guidance is currently available to provide beach managers with operational management tools to predict the response of gravel beaches to storms. The New Understanding and Prediction of Storm Impacts on Gravel beaches (NUPSIG) project aims to improve our understanding of storm impacts on gravel coastal environments and to develop a predictive capability by modelling these impacts. The NUPSIG project uses a 5-pronged approach to address its aim: (1) analyse hydrodynamic data collected during a proto-type laboratory experiment on a gravel beach; (2) collect hydrodynamic field data on a gravel beach under a range of conditions, including storm waves with wave heights up to 3 m; (3) measure swash dynamics and beach response on 10 gravel beaches during extreme wave conditions with wave heights in excess of 3 m; (4) use the data collected under 1-3 to develop and validate a numerical model to model hydrodynamics and morphological response of gravel beaches under storm conditions; and (5) develop a tool for end-users, based on the model formulated under (4), for predicting storm response of gravel beaches and barriers. The aim of this presentation is to present the key results of the NUPSIG project and introduce the end-user tool for predicting storm response on gravel beaches. The model is based on the numerical model XBeach, and different forcing scenarios (wave and tides), barrier configurations (dimensions) and sediment characteristics are easily uploaded for model simulations using a Graphics User Interface (GUI). The model can be used to determine the vulnerability of gravel barriers to storm events, but can also be

Arsenic pollution of groundwater in Vietnam exacerbated by deep aquifer exploitation for more than a century

Science.gov (United States)

Winkel, Lenny H. E.; Trang, Pham Thi Kim; Lan, Vi Mai; Stengel, Caroline; Amini, Manouchehr; Ha, Nguyen Thi; Viet, Pham Hung; Berg, Michael

2011-01-01

Arsenic contamination of shallow groundwater is among the biggest health threats in the developing world. Targeting uncontaminated deep aquifers is a popular mitigation option although its long-term impact remains unknown. Here we present the alarming results of a large-scale groundwater survey covering the entire Red River Delta and a unique probability model based on three-dimensional Quaternary geology. Our unprecedented dataset reveals that ∼7 million delta inhabitants use groundwater contaminated with toxic elements, including manganese, selenium, and barium. Depth-resolved probabilities and arsenic concentrations indicate drawdown of arsenic-enriched waters from Holocene aquifers to naturally uncontaminated Pleistocene aquifers as a result of > 100 years of groundwater abstraction. Vertical arsenic migration induced by large-scale pumping from deep aquifers has been discussed to occur elsewhere, but has never been shown to occur at the scale seen here. The present situation in the Red River Delta is a warning for other As-affected regions where groundwater is extensively pumped from uncontaminated aquifers underlying high arsenic aquifers or zones. PMID:21245347

Characterization of arsenic-contaminated aquifer sediments from eastern Croatia by ion microbeam, PIXE and ICP-OES techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ujević Bošnjak, M., E-mail: magdalena.ujevic@hzjz.hr [Croatian National Institute of Public Health, Rockefelerova 7, 10000 Zagreb (Croatia); Fazinić, S. [Institute Ruđer Bošković, Bijenička cesta, 10000 Zagreb (Croatia); Duić, Ž. [University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering, Pierottijeva 6, Zagreb (Croatia)

2013-10-01

Highlights: •ICP-OES and PIXE used in the characterization of As-contaminated sediments. •Observed high correlations between the results obtained by those techniques. •Discrepancies observed for Mn, and for the highest As concentrations. •Microbeam analyses showed As association with sulphides and iron. -- Abstract: Groundwater arsenic contamination has been evidenced in eastern Croatia and hydrochemical results suggest that the occurrence of arsenic in the groundwater depends on the local geology, hydrogeology, and geochemical characteristics of the aquifer. In order to perform the sediment characterization and to investigate arsenic association with the other elements in the sediments, 10 samples from two boreholes (PVc-3 and Gundinci 1) in eastern Croatia were analyzed using two techniques: PIXE (without sample pre-treatment) and ICP-OES (after digestion), as well by ion microbeam analyses. The results of the PIXE and ICP-OES techniques showed quite good agreement; however, greater discrepancies were observed at the higher arsenic and manganese mass ratios. According to both techniques, higher As mass ratios were observed in the sediments from the PVc-3 core (up to 651 mg/kg and 491 mg/kg using PIXE and ICP-OES analyses respectively) than from the Gundinci 1 core (up to 60 mg/kg using both techniques). Although arsenic association with Fe is expected, no correlation was observed. The microbeam analyses demonstrated that arsenic is associated with sulphides and iron in the most As-contaminated sample from the PVc-3 core, while this relationship was not evident in the most As-contaminated sample from the Gundinci 1 borehole.

Characterization of arsenic-contaminated aquifer sediments from eastern Croatia by ion microbeam, PIXE and ICP-OES techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ujević Bošnjak, M.; Fazinić, S.; Duić, Ž.

2013-01-01

Highlights: •ICP-OES and PIXE used in the characterization of As-contaminated sediments. •Observed high correlations between the results obtained by those techniques. •Discrepancies observed for Mn, and for the highest As concentrations. •Microbeam analyses showed As association with sulphides and iron. -- Abstract: Groundwater arsenic contamination has been evidenced in eastern Croatia and hydrochemical results suggest that the occurrence of arsenic in the groundwater depends on the local geology, hydrogeology, and geochemical characteristics of the aquifer. In order to perform the sediment characterization and to investigate arsenic association with the other elements in the sediments, 10 samples from two boreholes (PVc-3 and Gundinci 1) in eastern Croatia were analyzed using two techniques: PIXE (without sample pre-treatment) and ICP-OES (after digestion), as well by ion microbeam analyses. The results of the PIXE and ICP-OES techniques showed quite good agreement; however, greater discrepancies were observed at the higher arsenic and manganese mass ratios. According to both techniques, higher As mass ratios were observed in the sediments from the PVc-3 core (up to 651 mg/kg and 491 mg/kg using PIXE and ICP-OES analyses respectively) than from the Gundinci 1 core (up to 60 mg/kg using both techniques). Although arsenic association with Fe is expected, no correlation was observed. The microbeam analyses demonstrated that arsenic is associated with sulphides and iron in the most As-contaminated sample from the PVc-3 core, while this relationship was not evident in the most As-contaminated sample from the Gundinci 1 borehole

Aquifer Testing And Rebound Study In Support Of The 100-H Deep Chromium Investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smoot, J.L.

2010-01-01

The 100-HR-3 Groundwater Operable Unit (OU) second Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) 5-year review (DOEIRL-2006-20, The Second CERCLA Five-Year Review Report for the Hanford Site) set a milestone to conduct an investigation of deep hexavalent chromium contamination in the sediments of the Ringold upper mud (RUM) unit, which underlies the unconfined aquifer in the 100-H Area. The 5-year review noted that groundwater samples from one deep well extending below the aquitard (i.e., RUM) exceeded both the groundwater standard of 48 parts per billion (ppb) (Ecology Publication 94-06, Model Toxics Control Act Cleanup Statute and Regulation) and the federal drinking water standard of 100 μg/L for hexavalent chromium. The extent of hexavalent chromium contamination in this zone is not well understood. Action 12-1 from the 5-year review is to perform additional characterization of the aquifer below the initial aquitard. Field characterization and aquifer testing were performed in the Hanford Site's 100-H Area to address this milestone. The aquifer tests were conducted to gather data to answer several fundamental questions regarding the presence of the hexavalent chromium in the deep sediments of the RUM and to determine the extent and magnitude of deeper contamination. The pumping tests were performed in accordance with the Description of Work for Aquifer Testing in Support of the 100-H Deep Chromium Investigation (SGW-41302). The specific objectives for the series of tests were as follows: (1) Evaluate the sustainable production of the subject wells using step-drawdown and constant-rate pumping tests. (2) Collect water-level data to evaluate the degree of hydraulic connection between the RUM and the unconfined (upper) aquifer (natural or induced along the well casing). (3) Evaluate the hydraulic properties of a confined permeable layer within the RUM.; (4) Collect time-series groundwater samples during testing to evaluate

Gravel road stabilisation of Ehnsjoevaegen, Hallstavik[Using fly ash]; Skogsbilvaegsrenovering av Ehnsjoevaegen, Hallstavik

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Macsik, Josef; Svedberg, Bo [Ecoloop, Stockholm (Sweden)

2006-03-15

Fly ash in geotechnical applications has stabilising, isolating, low permeability and hardening effect. Fly ash can be used in road constructions with low bearing capacity, as well as on top cover material on landfills. The aim of the project was to build a road section with fly ash stabilised gravel, based on laboratory studies, and follow up technical and environmental aspect during the first year after stabilisation. The overall aim of this project was to evaluate fly ash from Holmen Paper, Hallstavik, from technical and environmental point of view in a gravel road construction. A gravel road, Ehnsjoevaegen, was stabilised with fly ash during autumn 2004. This road was a low priority road. The fly ash stabilised road section was 1300 m long. Gravel from the road Ehnsjoevaegen was stabilised and investigated in a laboratory study. Leachability of metals and geotechnical aspects were investigated. The laboratory study showed that fly ash stabilised gravel has high shear strength, however its thawing resistance is not fully acceptable. Additives of cement or merit are needed in order to increase its thawing resistance. The actual road section is not going to be used during thawing period and no additives were used. The test road is divided into different sections including a reference section. The road stabilisation work was conducted with gravel transported to Ehnsjoevaegen from off site and not with gravel from the site. Fly ash was tipped off on a levelled road, followed by tipping of gravel. Mixing fly ash and gravel was done on site by a road scraper. After the mixing the road was gravelled with 0,1 m graded gravel. In this project the fly ash had low water content. In order to get optimal compaction water was added from a tanker supplying water before compacted with a compactor. Results from the pilot test shows that fly ash stabilised gravel can be tipped, mixed and compacted effectively. Tipping can be optimised if fly ash and gravel is mixed in a mixer

Polyhydroxyalkanoate as a slow-release carbon source for in situ bioremediation of contaminated aquifers: From laboratory investigation to pilot-scale testing in the field.

Science.gov (United States)

Pierro, Lucia; Matturro, Bruna; Rossetti, Simona; Sagliaschi, Marco; Sucato, Salvatore; Alesi, Eduard; Bartsch, Ernst; Arjmand, Firoozeh; Papini, Marco Petrangeli

2017-07-25

A pilot-scale study aiming to evaluate the potential use of poly-3-hydroxy-butyrate (PHB) as an electron donor source for in situ bioremediation of chlorinated hydrocarbons in groundwater was conducted. Compared with commercially available electron donors, PHB offers a restricted fermentation pathway (i.e., through acetic acid and molecular hydrogen) by avoiding the formation of any residual carbon that could potentially spoil groundwater quality. The pilot study was carried out at an industrial site in Italy, heavily contaminated by different chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs). Prior to field testing, PHB was experimentally verified as a suitable electron donor for biological reductive dechlorination processes at the investigated site by microcosm studies carried out on site aquifer material and measuring the quantitative transformation of detected CAHs to ethene. Owing to the complex geological characteristics of the aquifer, the use of a groundwater circulation well (GCW) was identified as a potential strategy to enable effective delivery and distribution of electron donors in less permeable layers and to mobilise contaminants. A 3-screened, 30-m-deep GCW coupled with an external treatment unit was installed at the site. The effect of PHB fermentation products on the in situ reductive dechlorination processes were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The results from the first 4 months of operation clearly demonstrated that the PHB fermentation products were effectively delivered to the aquifer and positively influenced the biological dechlorination activity. Indeed, an increased abundance of Dehalococcoides mccartyi (up to 6.6 fold) and reduced CAH concentrations at the installed monitoring wells were observed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ground-water contamination and legal controls in Michigan

Science.gov (United States)

Deutsch, Morris

1963-01-01

The great importance of the fresh ground-water resources of Michigan is evident because 90 percent of the rural and about 70 percent of the total population of the State exclusive of the Detroit metropolitan area are supplied from underground sources. The water-supply and public-health problems that have been caused by some cases of ground-water contamination in the State illustrate the necessity of protecting this vital resource.Manmade and natural contaminants, including many types of chemical and organic matter, have entered many of the numerous aquifers of the State. Aquifers have been contaminated by waste-laden liquids percolating from the surface or from the zone of aeration and by direct injection to the aquifer itself. Industrial and domestic wastes, septic tanks, leaking sewers, flood waters or other poor quality surface waters, mine waters, solids stored or spread at the surface, and even airborne wastes all have been sources of ground-water contamination in Michigan. In addition, naturally occurring saline waters have been induced into other aquifers by overpumping or unrestricted flow from artesian wells, possibly by dewatering operations, and by the deepening of surface stream channels. Vertical migration of saline waters through open holes from formations underlying various important aquifers also has spoiled some of the fresh ground waters in the State. In spite of the contamination that has occurred, however, the total amount of ground water that has been spoiled is only a small part of the total resource. Neither is the contamination so widespread as that of the surface streams of Michigan.Overall legal authority to control most types of ground-water contamination in the State has been assigned by the Michigan Legislature to the Water Resources Commission, although the Department of Conservation and the Health Department also exercise important water-pollution control functions. The Michigan Supreme Court, in an important case upholding the power

Hydrogeology and water quality of the stratified-drift aquifer in the Pony Hollow Creek Valley, Tompkins County, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Bugliosi, Edward F.; Miller, Todd S.; Reynolds, Richard J.

2014-01-01

The lithology, areal extent, and the water-table configuration in stratified-drift aquifers in the northern part of the Pony Hollow Creek valley in the Town of Newfield, New York, were mapped as part of an ongoing aquifer mapping program in Tompkins County. Surficial geologic and soil maps, well and test-boring records, light detection and ranging (lidar) data, water-level measurements, and passive-seismic surveys were used to map the aquifer geometry, construct geologic sections, and determine the depth to bedrock at selected locations throughout the valley. Additionally, water-quality samples were collected from selected streams and wells to characterize the quality of surface and groundwater in the study area. Sedimentary bedrock underlies the study area and is overlain by unstratified drift (till), stratified drift (glaciolacustrine and glaciofluvial deposits), and recent post glacial alluvium. The major type of unconsolidated, water-yielding material in the study area is stratified drift, which consists of glaciofluvial sand and gravel, and is present in sufficient amounts in most places to form an extensive unconfined aquifer throughout the study area, which is the source of water for most residents, farms, and businesses in the valleys. A map of the water table in the unconfined aquifer was constructed by using (1) measurements made between the mid-1960s through 2010, (2) control on the altitudes of perennial streams at 10-foot contour intervals from lidar data collected by Tompkins County, and (3) water surfaces of ponds and wetlands that are hydraulically connected to the unconfined aquifer. Water-table contours indicate that the direction of groundwater flow within the stratified-drift aquifer is predominantly from the valley walls toward the streams and ponds in the central part of the valley where groundwater then flows southwestward (down valley) toward the confluence with the Cayuta Creek valley. Locally, the direction of groundwater flow is radially

Simulated effects of groundwater withdrawals from the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system and Piney Point aquifer, Maurice and Cohansey River Basins, Cumberland County and vicinity, New Jersey

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, Alison D.; Buxton, Debra E.

2018-05-10

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, conducted a study to simulate the effects of withdrawals from the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system on streamflow and groundwater flow and from the Piney Point aquifer on water levels in the Cohansey and Maurice River Basins in Cumberland County and surrounding areas. The aquifer system consists of gravel, sand, silt, and clay sediments of the Cohansey Sand and Kirkwood Formation that dip and thicken to the southeast. The aquifer system is generally an unconfined aquifer, but semi-confined and confined conditions exist within the Cumberland County study area. The Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system is present throughout Cumberland County and is the principal source of groundwater for public, domestic, agricultural-irrigation, industrial, and commercial water uses. In 2008, reported groundwater withdrawals from the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system in the study area totaled about 21,700 million gallons—about 36 percent for public supply; about 49 percent for agricultural irrigation; and about 15 percent for industrial, commercial, mining by sand and gravel companies, and non-agricultural irrigation uses. A transient numerical groundwater-flow model of the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system was developed and calibrated by incorporating monthly recharge, base-flow estimates, water-level data, surface-water diversions and discharges, and groundwater withdrawals from 1998 to 2008.The groundwater-flow model was used to simulate five withdrawal scenarios to observe the effects of additional groundwater withdrawals on the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system and streams. These scenarios include (1) average 1998 to 2008 monthly groundwater withdrawals (baseline scenario); (2) monthly full-allocation groundwater withdrawals, but agricultural-irrigation withdrawals were decreased for October through March; (3) monthly full-allocation groundwater withdrawals; (4) estimated monthly

Hydrogeology and ground-water flow of the drift and Platteville aquifer system, St Louis Park, Minnesota

Science.gov (United States)

Lindgren, R.J.

1995-01-01

Three aquifers and two confining units have been delineated within the drift underlying the area near the site of a former coal-tar distillation and wood-preserving plant in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. The hydrogeologic units of the drift, in descending order, are the upper drift aquifer, the upper drift confining unit, the middle drift aquifer, the lower drift confining unit. and the lower drift aquifer. A contamination plume consisting of coal-tar derivatives exists in the drift aquifers and in the Platteville aquifer underlying the southern part of the plant site and areas to the south and east of the plant site.

Integration of models of various types of aquifers for water quality management in the transboundary area of the Soča/Isonzo river basin (Slovenia/Italy).

Science.gov (United States)

Vižintin, Goran; Ravbar, Nataša; Janež, Jože; Koren, Eva; Janež, Naško; Zini, Luca; Treu, Francesco; Petrič, Metka

2018-04-01

Due to intrinsic characteristics of aquifers groundwater frequently passes between various types of aquifers without hindrance. The complex connection of underground water paths enables flow regardless of administrative boundaries. This can cause problems in water resources management. Numerical modelling is an important tool for the understanding, interpretation and management of aquifers. Useful and reliable methods of numerical modelling differ with regard to the type of aquifer, but their connections in a single hydrodynamic model are rare. The purpose of this study was to connect different models into an integrated system that enables determination of water travel time from the point of contamination to water sources. The worst-case scenario is considered. The system was applied in the Soča/Isonzo basin, a transboundary river in Slovenia and Italy, where there is a complex contact of karst and intergranular aquifers and surface flows over bedrock with low permeability. Time cell models were first elaborated separately for individual hydrogeological units. These were the result of numerical hydrological modelling (intergranular aquifer and surface flow) or complex GIS analysis taking into account the vulnerability map and tracer tests results (karst aquifer). The obtained cellular models present the basis of a contamination early-warning system, since it allows an estimation when contaminants can be expected to appear, and in which water sources. The system proves that the contaminants spread rapidly through karst aquifers and via surface flows, and more slowly through intergranular aquifers. For this reason, karst water sources are more at risk from one-off contamination incidents, while water sources in intergranular aquifers are more at risk in cases of long-term contamination. The system that has been developed is the basis for a single system of protection, action and quality monitoring in the areas of complex aquifer systems within or on the borders of

Gravel Image Segmentation in Noisy Background Based on Partial Entropy Method

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2000-01-01

Because of wide variation in gray levels and particle dimensions and the presence of many small gravel objects in the background, as well as corrupting the image by noise, it is difficult o segment gravel objects. In this paper, we develop a partial entropy method and succeed to realize gravel objects segmentation. We give entropy principles and fur calculation methods. Moreover, we use minimum entropy error automaticly to select a threshold to segment image. We introduce the filter method using mathematical morphology. The segment experiments are performed by using different window dimensions for a group of gravel image and demonstrates that this method has high segmentation rate and low noise sensitivity.

Aerial Transient Electromagnetic Surveys of Alluvial Aquifers in Rural Watersheds of Arizona

Science.gov (United States)

Pool, D. R.; Callegary, J. B.; Groom, R. W.

2006-12-01

Development in rural areas of Arizona has led the State of Arizona (Arizona Department of Water Resources), in cooperation with the Arizona Water Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey, to sponsor investigations of the hydrogeologic framework of several alluvial-basin aquifers. An efficient method for mapping the aquifer extent and lithology was needed due to sparse subsurface information. Aerial Transient Electro-Magnetic (ATEM) methods were selected because they can be used to quickly survey large areas and with a great depth of investigation. Both helicopter and fixed-wing ATEM methods are available. A fixed-wing method (GEOTEM) was selected because of the potential for a depth of investigation of 300 m or more and because previous surveys indicated the method is useful in alluvial basins in southeastern Arizona. About 2,900 km of data along flight lines were surveyed across five alluvial basins, including the Middle San Pedro and Willcox Basins in southeastern Arizona, and Detrital, Hualapai, and Sacramento Basins in northwestern Arizona. Data initially were analyzed by the contractor (FUGRO Airborne Surveys) to produce conductivity-depth-transforms, which approximate the general subsurface electrical-property distribution along profiles. Physically based two-dimensional physical models of the profile data were then developed by PetRos- Eikon by using EMIGMA software. Hydrologically important lithologies can have different electrical properties. Several types of crystalline and sedimentary rocks generally are poor aquifers that have low porosity and high electrical resistivity. Good alluvial aquifers of sand and gravel generally have an intermediate electrical resistivity. Poor aquifer materials, such as silt and clay, and areas of poor quality water have low electrical resistivity values. Several types of control data were available to constrain the models including drill logs, electrical logs, water levels , and water quality information from wells; and

Hydrogeology of the Susquehanna River valley-fill aquifer system in the Endicott-Vestal area of southwestern Broome County, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Randall, Allan D.; Kappel, William M.

2015-07-29

The village of Endicott, New York, and the adjacent town of Vestal have historically used groundwater from the Susquehanna River valley-fill aquifer system for municipal water supply, but parts of some aquifers in this urban area suffer from legacy contamination from varied sources. Endicott would like to identify sites distant from known contamination where productive aquifers could supply municipal wells with water that would not require intensive treatment. The distribution or geometry of aquifers within the Susquehanna River valley fill in western Endicott and northwestern Vestal are delineated in this report largely on the basis of abundant borehole data that have been compiled in a table of well records.

In situ bioreduction of technetium and uranium in a nitrate-contaminated aquifer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

IstokD, Jonathan; Senko, J.M.; Krumholz, Lee R.; Watson, David B.; Bogle, Mary Anna; Peacock, Aaron D.; Change, Y.J.; White, David C.

2004-01-01

The potential to stimulate an indigenous microbial community to reduce a mixture of U(VI) and Tc(VII) in the presence of high (120 mM) initial NO 3 - co-contamination was evaluated in a shallow unconfined aquifer using a series of single-well, push-pull tests. In the absence of added electron donor, NO 3 - , Tc(VII), and U(VI) reduction was not detectable. However, in the presence of added ethanol, glucose, or acetate to serve as electron donor, rapid NO 3 - utilization was observed. The accumulation of NO 2 - , the absence of detectable NH 4 + accumulation, and the production of N 2 O during in situ acetylene-block experiments suggest that NO 3 - was being consumed via denitrification. Tc(VII) reduction occurred concurrently with NO 3 - reduction, but U(VI) reduction was not observed until two or more donor additions resulted in iron-reducing conditions, as detected by the production of Fe(II). Reoxidation/remobilization of U(IV) was also observed in tests conducted with high (120 mM) but not low (1 mM) initial NO 3 - concentrations and not during acetylene-block experiments conducted with high initial NO 3 - . These results suggest that NO 3 - -dependent microbial U(IV) oxidation may inhibit or reverse U(VI) reduction and decrease the stability of U(IV) in this environment. Changes in viable biomass, community composition, metabolic status, and respiratory state of organisms harvested from down-well microbial samplers deployed during these tests were consistent with the conclusions that electron donor additions resulted in microbial growth, the creation of anaerobic conditions, and an increase in activity of metal-reducing organisms (e.g., Geobacter). The results demonstrate that it is possible to stimulate the simultaneous bioreduction of U(VI) and Tc(VII) mixtures commonly found with NO 3 - co-contamination at radioactive waste sites.

Ecological Effects of Re-introduction of Salmonid Spawning Gravel in Lowland Danish Streams

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Morten Lauge; Kristensen, Esben Astrup; Kronvang, Brian

2009-01-01

recently been conducted in many streams and rivers. However, systematic monitoring of these spawning gravel restoration projects is limited. The overall aim of this paper was to evaluate gravel reintroduction as a long-term salmonid rehabilitation method in 32 lowland streams. Displacement of gravel......, including both restored reaches and upstream control reaches. Downstream displacement of gravel was most common at sites where gravel was reintroduced without further improvement, although these sites exhibited the highest density of YOY brown trout (Salmo trutta), evidencing that the remaining gravel...... is still functional. The intensive study of three streams showed that spawning was enhanced by the introduction of spawning gravel at the restored sites compared to control sites and that habitat quality generally were improved. Our results also suggest complex interactions exist between spawning activity...

Biogeochemistry at a wetland sediment-alluvial aquifer interface in a landfill leachate plume

Science.gov (United States)

Lorah, M.M.; Cozzarelli, I.M.; Böhlke, J.K.

2009-01-01

The biogeochemistry at the interface between sediments in a seasonally ponded wetland (slough) and an alluvial aquifer contaminated with landfill leachate was investigated to evaluate factors that can effect natural attenuation of landfill leachate contaminants in areas of groundwater/surface-water interaction. The biogeochemistry at the wetland-alluvial aquifer interface differed greatly between dry and wet conditions. During dry conditions (low water table), vertically upward discharge was focused at the center of the slough from the fringe of a landfill-derived ammonium plume in the underlying aquifer, resulting in transport of relatively low concentrations of ammonium to the slough sediments with dilution and dispersion as the primary attenuation mechanism. In contrast, during wet conditions (high water table), leachate-contaminated groundwater discharged upward near the upgradient slough bank, where ammonium concentrations in the aquifer where high. Relatively high concentrations of ammonium and other leachate constituents also were transported laterally through the slough porewater to the downgradient bank in wet conditions. Concentrations of the leachate-associated constituents chloride, ammonium, non-volatile dissolved organic carbon, alkalinity, and ferrous iron more than doubled in the slough porewater on the upgradient bank during wet conditions. Chloride, non-volatile dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and bicarbonate acted conservatively during lateral transport in the aquifer and slough porewater, whereas ammonium and potassium were strongly attenuated. Nitrogen isotope variations in ammonium and the distribution of ammonium compared to other cations indicated that sorption was the primary attenuation mechanism for ammonium during lateral transport in the aquifer and the slough porewater. Ammonium attenuation was less efficient, however, in the slough porewater than in the aquifer and possibly occurred by a different sorption mechanism. A

A Greedy Approach for Placement of Subsurface Aquifer Wells in an Ensemble Filtering Framework

KAUST Repository

El Gharamti, Mohamad; Marzouk, Youssef M.; Huan, Xun; Hoteit, Ibrahim

2015-01-01

Optimizing wells placement may help in better understanding subsurface solute transport and detecting contaminant plumes. In this work, we use the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) as a data assimilation tool and propose a greedy observational design algorithm to optimally select aquifer wells locations for updating the prior contaminant ensemble. The algorithm is greedy in the sense that it operates sequentially, without taking into account expected future gains. The selection criteria is based on maximizing the information gain that the EnKF carries during the update of the prior uncertainties. We test the efficiency of this algorithm in a synthetic aquifer system where a contaminant plume is set to migrate over a 30 years period across a heterogenous domain.

A Greedy Approach for Placement of Subsurface Aquifer Wells in an Ensemble Filtering Framework

KAUST Repository

El Gharamti, Mohamad

2015-11-26

Optimizing wells placement may help in better understanding subsurface solute transport and detecting contaminant plumes. In this work, we use the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) as a data assimilation tool and propose a greedy observational design algorithm to optimally select aquifer wells locations for updating the prior contaminant ensemble. The algorithm is greedy in the sense that it operates sequentially, without taking into account expected future gains. The selection criteria is based on maximizing the information gain that the EnKF carries during the update of the prior uncertainties. We test the efficiency of this algorithm in a synthetic aquifer system where a contaminant plume is set to migrate over a 30 years period across a heterogenous domain.

Uranium series geochemistry in aquifers: quantification of transport mechanisms of uranium and daughter products: the chalk aquifer (Champagne, France)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hubert, A.

2005-09-01

With the increase of contaminant flux of radionuclides in surface environment (soil, river, aquifer...), there is a need to understand and model the processes that control the distribution of uranium and its daughter products during transport within aquifers. We have used U-series disequilibria as an analogue for the transport of uranium and its daughter products in aquifer to understand such mechanisms. The measurements of uranium ( 234 U et 238 U), thorium ( 230 Th et 232 Th), 226 Ra and 222 Rn isotopes in the solid and liquid phases of the chalk aquifer in Champagne (East of France) allows us to understand the processes responsible for fractionation within the uranium decay chain. Fractionations are induced by physical and chemical properties of the elements (leaching, adsorption) but also by radioactive properties (recoil effect during α-decay). For the first time a comprehensive sampling of the solid phase has been performed, allowing quantifying mechanisms responsible for the long term evolution of the aquifer. A non steady state 1D model has been developed which takes into account leaching, adsorption processes as well as radioactive filiation and α-recoil effect. Retardation coefficients have been calculated for uranium, thorium and radium. The aquifer is characterised by a double porosity, and the contribution of fracture and matrix porosity on the water/rock interaction processes has been estimated. (author)

Combining stable isotopes with contamination indicators: A method for improved investigation of nitrate sources and dynamics in aquifers with mixed nitrogen inputs.

Science.gov (United States)

Minet, E P; Goodhue, R; Meier-Augenstein, W; Kalin, R M; Fenton, O; Richards, K G; Coxon, C E

2017-11-01

Excessive nitrate (NO 3 - ) concentration in groundwater raises health and environmental issues that must be addressed by all European Union (EU) member states under the Nitrates Directive and the Water Framework Directive. The identification of NO 3 - sources is critical to efficiently control or reverse NO 3 - contamination that affects many aquifers. In that respect, the use of stable isotope ratios 15 N/ 14 N and 18 O/ 16 O in NO 3 - (expressed as δ 15 N-NO 3 - and δ 18 O-NO 3 - , respectively) has long shown its value. However, limitations exist in complex environments where multiple nitrogen (N) sources coexist. This two-year study explores a method for improved NO 3 - source investigation in a shallow unconfined aquifer with mixed N inputs and a long established NO 3 - problem. In this tillage-dominated area of free-draining soil and subsoil, suspected NO 3 - sources were diffuse applications of artificial fertiliser and organic point sources (septic tanks and farmyards). Bearing in mind that artificial diffuse sources were ubiquitous, groundwater samples were first classified according to a combination of two indicators relevant of point source contamination: presence/absence of organic point sources (i.e. septic tank and/or farmyard) near sampling wells and exceedance/non-exceedance of a contamination threshold value for sodium (Na + ) in groundwater. This classification identified three contamination groups: agricultural diffuse source but no point source (D+P-), agricultural diffuse and point source (D+P+) and agricultural diffuse but point source occurrence ambiguous (D+P±). Thereafter δ 15 N-NO 3 - and δ 18 O-NO 3 - data were superimposed on the classification. As δ 15 N-NO 3 - was plotted against δ 18 O-NO 3 - , comparisons were made between the different contamination groups. Overall, both δ variables were significantly and positively correlated (p contamination groups revealed that denitrification did not occur in the absence of point

Experimental study on the artificial recharge of semiconfined aquifers involved in deep excavation engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, G.; Cao, J. R.; Cheng, X. S.; Ha, D.; Wang, F. J.

2018-02-01

Artificial recharge measures have been adopted to control the drawdown of confined aquifers and the ground subsidence caused by dewatering during deep excavation in Tianjin, Shanghai and other regions in China. However, research on recharge theory is still limited. Additionally, confined aquifers consisting of silt and silty sand in Tianjin have lower hydraulic conductivities than those consisting of sand or gravel, and the feasibility and effectiveness of recharge methods in these semiconfined aquifers urgently require investigation. A series of single-well and multiwell pumping and recharge tests was conducted at a metro station excavation site in Tianjin. The test results showed that it was feasible to recharge silt and silty sand semiconfined aquifers, and, to a certain extent, the hydrogeological parameters obtained from the pumping tests could be used to predict the water level rise during single-well recharge. However, the predicted results underestimated the water level rise near the recharge well (within 7 m) by approximately 10-25%, likely because the permeability coefficient around the well was reduced during the recharge process. Pressured recharge significantly improved the efficiency of the recharge process. Maintaining the recharge and pumping rates at a nearly equal level effectively controlled the surrounding surface and building settlement. However, the surrounding surface subsidence tended to rapidly develop when recharge stopped. Therefore, the recharge process should continue and gradually stop after the pumping stops. The twin-well combined recharge technique can be used to control the head loss of an aquifer when one of the recharge wells requires pumping to solve the associated clogging problems.

Aquifer recharging in South Carolina: radiocarbon in environmental hydrogeology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stone, P.A.; Knox, R.L.; Mathews, T.D.

1985-01-01

Radiocarbon activities of dissolved inorganic carbon (and tritium activities where infiltration rates are rapid and aquifers shallow) provide relatively unambiguous and inexpensive evidence for identification of significant recharge areas. Such evidence is for the actual occurrence of modern recharge in the aquifer and thus is less inferential than stratigraphic or potentiometric evidence. These underutilized isotopic techniques are neither arcane nor complex and have been more-or-less standardized by earlier researchers. In South Carolina, isotopic evidence has been used from both calcareous and siliceous sedimentary aquifers and fractured crystalline rock aquifers. The Tertiary limestone aquifer is shown not to be principally recharged in its subcrop area, unlike conditions assumed for many other sedimentary aquifers in southeastern United States, and instead receives considerable lateral recharge from interfingering updip Tertiary sand aquifers in the middle coastal plain. Induced recharging at Hilton Head Island is mixing ancient relict water and modern recharge water. Recharging to deeper portions of the Cretaceous Middendorf basal sand aquifer occurs at least as far coastward as the middle coastal plain, near sampling sites that stratigraphically appear to be confined. Pronounced mineralization of water in fractured rocks cannot be considered as evidence of ancient or relict ground water that is isolated from modern contaminants, some of these waters contain considerable radiocarbon and hydrogen-bomb tritium

A study of chlorinated solvent contamination of the aquifers of an industrial area in central Italy: a possibility of bioremediation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

FEDERICA eMATTEUCCI

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Perchloroethene, Trichloroethene, and other chlorinated solvents are widespread groundwater pollutants. They form Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquids (DNAPLs that sink through permeable groundwater aquifers until non-permeable zone is reached. In Italy there are many situations of serious contamination of groundwater that might compromise their use in industry, agriculture, private, as the critical case of a Central Italy valley located in the province of Teramo (Val Vibrata, characterized by a significant chlorinated solvents contamination. Data from the various monitoring campaigns that have taken place over time were collected, and new samplings were carried out, resulting in a complete database. The data matrix was processed with a multivariate statistic analysis (in particular Principal Components Analysis, PCA and was then imported into Geographic Information System (GIS, to obtain a model of the contamination. A microcosm anaerobic study was utilized to assess the potential for in situ natural or enhanced bioremediation. Most of the microcosms were positive for dechlorination, particularly those inoculated with a mineral medium. This indicate the presence of an active native dechlorinating population in the subsurface, probably inhibited by co-contaminants in the groundwater, or more likely by the absence or lack of nutritional factors. Among the tested electron donors (i.e., yeast extract, lactate, and butyrate lactate and butyrate enhanced dechlorination of chlorinated compounds. PCA and GIS studies allowed delimiting the contamination; the microcosm study helped to identify the conditions to promote the bioremediation of the area.

Hydrogeologic controls on ground-water and contaminant discharge to the Columbia River near the Hanford Townsite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luttrell, S.P.; Newcomer, D.R.; Teel, S.S.; Vermeul, V.R.

1992-11-01

The purpose of this study is to quantify ground-water and contaminant discharge to the Columbia River in the Hanford Townsite vicinity. The primary objectives of the work are to: describe the hydrogeologic setting and controls on ground-water movement and contaminant discharge to the Columbia River; understand the river/aquifer relationship and its effects on contaminant discharge to the Columbia River; quantify the ground-water and contaminant mass discharge to the Columbia River; and provide data that may be useful for a three-dimensional model of ground-water flow and contaminant transport in the Hanford Townsite study area. The majority of ground-water contamination occurs within the unconfined aquifer; therefore, ground-water and contaminant discharge from the unconfined aquifer is the emphasis of this study. The period of study is primarily from June 1990 through March 1992

An overview of nitrate sources and operating processes in arid and semiarid aquifer systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutiérrez, Mélida; Biagioni, Richard N; Alarcón-Herrera, Maria Teresa; Rivas-Lucero, Bertha A

2018-05-15

Nitrate concentration in most aquifers in arid and semi-arid areas has increased in the past several decades as a result of human activities. Under the predominantly oxic conditions of these aquifers, denitrification is inhibited, allowing nitrate, a soluble and stable form of nitrogen (N), to accumulate. Because of its close association with municipal and agricultural wastes, nitrate is commonly used as an indicator of anthropogenic contamination. Aquifers affected by agricultural waste may contain salts from irrigation returns and herbicides in addition to nitrates. Preventing leakage from soil to deeper parts of the aquifer is thus a priority in the sustainable management of aquifers in arid and semiarid areas. Studies report a wide range of nitrate concentrations distributed non-uniformly within the aquifer, with roughly 40% and 20% of sampled wells exceeding 50mg/L nitrate in shallow and deep parts of the aquifer respectively. In aquifers at risk of becoming contaminated, nitrate isotopes (δ 15 N, δ 18 O, Δ 17 O) can be used to identify the source of nitrogen as mineral or organic fertilizer, sewage, or atmospheric deposition. A variety of mathematical models (crop, hydrological, geochemical, or a combination of them) have been successful in identifying best practices that minimize N leakage without negatively affecting crop yield. In addition, field research in crop management, e.g., conservation agriculture, has yielded promising results in determining the adequate dosage and time of application of fertilizers to reduce N losses. Examples of key dryland aquifers impacted by nitrate are discussed, and some of the most pressing challenges to achieve sustainability are presented. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In-Situ Anaerobic Biosurfactant Production Process For Remediation Of DNAPL Contamination In Subsurface Aquifers

Science.gov (United States)

Albino, J. D.; Nambi, I. M.

2009-12-01

Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR) and remediation of aquifers contaminated with hydrophobic contaminants require insitu production of biosurfactants for mobilization of entrapped hydrophobic liquids. Most of the biosurfactant producing microorganisms produce them under aerobic condition and hence surfactant production is limited in subsurface condition due to lack of oxygen. Currently bioremediation involves expensive air sparging or excavation followed by exsitu biodegradation. Use of microorganisms which can produce biosurfactants under anaerobic conditions can cost effectively expedite the process of insitu bioremediation or mobilization. In this work, the feasibility of anaerobic biosurfactant production in three mixed anaerobic cultures prepared from groundwater and soil contaminated with chlorinated compounds and municipal sewage sludge was investigated. The cultures were previously enriched under complete anaerobic conditions in the presence of Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) for more than a year before they were studied for biosurfactant production. Biosurfactant production under anaerobic conditions was simulated using two methods: i) induction of starvation in the microbial cultures and ii) addition of complex fermentable substrates. Positive result for biosurfactant production was not observed when the cultures were induced with starvation by adding PCE as blobs which served as the only terminal electron acceptor. However, slight reduction in interfacial tension was noticed which was caused by the adherence of microbes to water-PCE interface. Biosurfactant production was observed in all the three cultures when they were fed with complex fermentable substrates and surface tension of the liquid medium was lowered below 35 mN/m. Among the fermentable substrates tested, vegetable oil yielded highest amount of biosurfactant in all the cultures. Complete biodegradation of PCE to ethylene at a faster rate was also observed when vegetable oil was amended to the

Vulnerability of deep groundwater in the Bengal Aquifer System to contamination by arsenic

Science.gov (United States)

Burgess, W.G.; Hoque, M.A.; Michael, H.A.; Voss, C.I.; Breit, G.N.; Ahmed, K.M.

2010-01-01

Shallow groundwater, the primary water source in the Bengal Basin, contains up to 100 times the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking-water guideline of 10g l 1 arsenic (As), threatening the health of 70 million people. Groundwater from a depth greater than 150m, which almost uniformly meets the WHO guideline, has become the preferred alternative source. The vulnerability of deep wells to contamination by As is governed by the geometry of induced groundwater flow paths and the geochemical conditions encountered between the shallow and deep regions of the aquifer. Stratification of flow separates deep groundwater from shallow sources of As in some areas. Oxidized sediments also protect deep groundwater through the ability of ferric oxyhydroxides to adsorb As. Basin-scale groundwater flow modelling suggests that, over large regions, deep hand-pumped wells for domestic supply may be secure against As invasion for hundreds of years. By contrast, widespread deep irrigation pumping might effectively eliminate deep groundwater as an As-free resource within decades. Finer-scale models, incorporating spatial heterogeneity, are needed to investigate the security of deep municipal abstraction at specific urban locations. ?? 2010 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Benzoate-driven dehalogenation of chlorinated ethenes in microbial cultures from a contaminated aquifer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bunge, M.; Kleikemper, J.; Miniaci, C.; Duc, L.; Muusse, M.G.; Zeyer, J. [Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich (Switzerland). Inst. of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Soil Biology; Hause, G. [Halle-Wittenberg Univ., Halle (Germany). Biocenter

2007-10-15

Microbial dehalogenation of tetrachloroethene (PCE) and cis-dichloroethene (cis-DCE) was studied in cultures from a continuous stirred tank reactor initially inoculated with aquifer material from a PCE-contaminated site. Cultures amended with hydrogen and acetate readily dechlorinated PCE and cis-DCE; however, this transformation was incomplete and resulted in the accumulation of chlorinated intermediates and only small amounts of ethene within 60 days of incubation. Conversely, microbial PCE and cis-DCE dechlorination in cultures with benzoate and acetate resulted in the complete transformation to ethene within 30 days. Community fingerprinting by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) revealed the predominance of phylotypes closely affiliated with Desulfitobacterium, Dehalococcoides, and Syntrophus species. The Dehalococcoides culture VZ, obtained from small whitish colonies in cis-DCE dechlorinating agarose cultures, revealed an irregular cell diameter between 200 and 500 nm, and a spherical or biconcave disk-shaped morphology. These organisms were identified as responsible for the dechlorination of cis-DCE to ethene in the PCE-dechlorinating consortia, operating together with the Desulfitobacterium as PCE-to-cis-DCE dehalogenating bacterium and with a Syntrophus species as potential hydrogen-producing partner in cultures with benzoate. (orig.)

Fly ash stabilisation of gravel roads; Flygaska som foerstaerkningslager i grusvaeg

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Macsik, Josef

2006-01-15

Majority of the existing gravel roads have low bearing capacity during spring and autumn, due to thaw and/or rain. Low bearing capacity leads often to bad road conditions. This situation results in higher costs for the lumber industry and the public. Management of gravel roads all the year around would traditionally require excavation of frost susceptible soils and replacement with natural materials. Fly ash (from bio fuels) has good technical properties as bearing layer in road constructions. Fly ash stabilised gravel roads have better function and longer life span with less maintenance than traditional gravel roads. The aim of this project is to show how fly ash stabilisation of gravel roads can increase bearing capacity and what its environmental impact is. The overall aim is to make it easier for entrepreneurs and consulting companies to use fly ash during gravel road renovation and/or constructing new gravel roads. This report targets fly ash producers and road constructors as well as environmental agencies. Two different pilot tests were investigated in this study, Norberg with fly ash from Stora Enso Fors AB, and Boerje (Uppsala) with fly ash from Vattenfall Uppsala AB. Both road sections with related reference section were investigated during a two year period. Only fly ash was used in the bearing layer at Norberg and fly ash gravel was used at Boerje. Bearing capacity was investigated twice, for both locations, November 2003 one month after the road renovation and during thawing, April 2004. Water samples from lysimeters, ground water and surface water were only collected and analysed from Norberg. Experience from the fly ash stabilised road sections show that curing and traffic load can with time compensate for less compaction. The same is noticed at Boerje, although deflection measurements show that there are small differences. Stabilisation of gravel roads increases the roads bearing capacity. Two years after stabilisation 90 timber loads were

Monitoring priority substances, other organic contaminants and heavy metals in a volcanic aquifer from different sources and hydrological processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Estevez, Esmeralda; Cabrera, María del Carmen; Fernández-Vera, Juan Ramón; Molina-Díaz, Antonio; Robles-Molina, José; Palacios-Díaz, María del Pino

2016-05-01

Irrigation with reclaimed water (R) is necessary to guarantee the sustainability of semi-arid areas. Results obtained during a two years monitoring network (2009-2011) in Gran Canaria are presented, including the analysis of chemical parameters, N and S isotopes, priority substances (2008/105/EC, 2013/39/EU), other organic contaminants and heavy metals in groundwater and R used to irrigate a golf course. The aims of this work are to evaluate the contamination in a volcanic aquifer, relate the presence of organic contaminants and heavy metals with the hydrogeochemistry and identify pollution sources in the area. No priority substance exceeded the EU thresholds for surface water, although seventeen were detected in R. The most frequent compounds were hexachlorobenzene, chlorpyrifos ethyl, fluorene, phenanthrene and pyrene. These compounds were detected at low concentration, except chlorpyrifos. Chlorpyrifos ethyl, terbuthylazine, diuron, terbutryn, procymidone, atrazine and propazine exceeded the European threshold concentration for pesticides in groundwater (100ngL(-1)). Therefore, the priority substances chlorpyrifos ethyl and diuron must be included in monitoring studies. The priority pesticides chlorfenvinphos and diazinon were always detected in R but rarely in groundwater. Besides, the existence of contaminants not related to the current R irrigation has been identified. Absence of environmental problems related to heavy metals can be expected. The relationship among contaminant presence, hydrogeochemistry, including the stable isotopic prints of δ(18)O, δ(15)N and δ(34)S and preferential recharge paths has been described. The coastal well shows high values of EC, nitrate, a variable chemistry, and 50% of organic contaminants detected above 100ngL(-1). The well located in the recharge area presents a stable hydrochemistry, the lowest value of δ(15)N and the lowest contaminants occurrence. The area is an example of a complex volcanic media with several

Gravel addition as a habitat restoration technique for tailwaters

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan McManamay; D. Orth; Charles Dolloff; Mark Cantrell

2010-01-01

We assessed the efficacy of passive gravel addition at forming catostomid spawning habitat under various flow regimes in the Cheoah River, a high-gradient tailwater river in North Carolina. The purpose was to provide a case study that included recommendations for future applications. A total of 76.3 m3 (162 tons) of washed gravel (10-50 mm) was passively dumped down...

Natural and EDTA-complexed lanthanides used as a geochemical probe for aquifers: a case study of Orleans valley's alluvial and karstic aquifers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Borgne, F.; Treuil, M.; Joron, J.L.; Lepiller, M.

2005-01-01

The transit of chemical elements within the different parts of Orleans valley's aquifer is studied by two complementary methods. Those methods rely on the fractionation of lanthanides (Ln) during their migration in natural waters. The first method consists in studying natural lanthanides patterns within the watershed, at its entries and exits. second one lies on multi-tracer experiments with Ln-EDTA complexes. This work is completed through an observation network consisting of 52 piezometers set on a sand and gravel quarry, and the natural entries and exits of the aquifer. Orleans valley's aquifer, which is made of an alluvial watershed lying on a karstic aquifer, is mainly fed by Loire river via a large karstic network. At the entries of the aquifer (Loire river at Jargeau), the Ln concentrations in the dissolved fraction ( heavy Ln. On the other hand, the filtration of alluvial groundwater with high colloids content induces no significant Ln fractionation when the solution contains no strong chelating agent. Hence, the transit of natural and artificial Ln in Orleans valley aquifer can be explained by two complementary processes. (I) Decanting/filtering or, on the opposite, stirring of colloids. Those processes induce no important Ln fractionation. (2) Exchanges of Ln between solute complexes, colloids and sediments due to the presence of strong chelating agents. Those exchanges fractionate the Ln in the order of their stability constants. Considering the natural Ln fractionation that occurs in the Loire river and in the studied aquifer, the carbonates, the stability constants of which follow the order light Ln < heavy Ln, are the best candidates as natural strong chelating agents. From the hydrodynamic point of view, both tracer experiments and natural Ln concentrations show that the transfer of elements within the alluvial watershed is pulsed by the Loire river movements. During an ascent phase, the elements migrate away from and perpendicularly to the karstic

Liquid filtration properties in gravel foundation of railroad tracks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strelkov, A; Teplykh, S; Bukhman, N

2016-01-01

Railway bed gravel foundation has a constant permanent impact on urban ecology and ground surface. It is only natural that larger objects, such as railway stations, make broader impact. Surface run-off waters polluted by harmful substances existing in railroad track body (ballast section) flow along railroad tracks and within macadam, go down into subterranean ground flow and then enter neighbouring rivers and water basins. This paper presents analytic calculations and characteristics of surface run-off liquid filtration which flows through gravel multiple layers (railroad track ballast section). The authors analyse liquids with various density and viscosity flowing in multi-layer porous medium. The paper also describes liquid stationary and non-stationary weepage into gravel foundation of railroad tracks. (paper)

An Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) System for Continuous and Sustainable Cold Supply in Oman

Science.gov (United States)

Winterleitner, G.; Schütz, F.; Huenges, E.

2016-12-01

The aim of the GeoSolCool research programme between the German Research Centre for Geoscience (GFZ) and The Research Council of Oman (TRC) is the development of an innovative and sustainable cooling system in combination with an aquifer thermal energy storage system in northern Oman. An integral part of this project is the design of a subsurface aquifer reservoir system for storage of thermal energy through hot water injection. An accurate characterisation of potential storage horizons is thus essential to ensure optimal efficiency of the cooling system. The study area, 40 km west of Muscat is characterised by a thick Cenozoic mixed carbonate-siliciclastic sedimentary succession, containing at least 3 aquifer horizons. We used a multidisciplinary approach for the initial ATES development phase, including geological fieldwork dovetailed with remote sensing analyses, thin-section analyses, geological modelling and reservoir fluid flow forecasting. First results indicate two potential storage horizons: (1) a Miocene-aged clastic-dominated alluvial fan system and (2) an Eocene carbonate sequence. The alluvial fan system is a more than 300 m thick, coarse clastic (mainly gravels and sandstones) succession of coalesced individual fans. Thin-section analyses showed that hydraulic parameters are favourable for the gravel and sandstone intervals but reservoir architecture is complex due to multiple generations of interconnecting fans with highly heterogeneous facies distributions. The Eocene carbonates were deposited in a carbonate ramp setting, strongly influenced by currents and storm events. Individual facies belts extend over kilometres and thus horizontal reservoir connectivity is expected to be good with minor facies variability. Thin-section analyses showed that especially the fossil-rich sections show good storage qualities. Fluid flow forecasting indicate that both potential horizons have good to very good storage characteristics. However, intense diagenetic

Impact of recycled gravel obtained from low or medium concrete grade on concrete properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasser Abdelghany Fawzy

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the effect of recycled gravel obtained from low (Gl or medium (Gm concrete grade on fresh property of concrete (slump, mechanical properties (compressive-splitting tensile strength and mass transport properties (ISAT-sorptivity of concrete containing dolomite as a natural coarse aggregate. Concrete specimens were prepared with cement, water, sand and dolomite admixed with recycled gravel. The percentage of recycled gravel/dolomite was 0:100, 25:75, 50:50 and 75:25 at w/c = 0.50, 0.55 and 0.60. The effect of silica fume and bonding admixture at w/c = 0.55 on concrete properties were also considered. The results indicated that, increasing the percentage of recycled gravel/dolomite led to decreasing the slump. All mechanical properties of concrete discussed were inversely affected by increasing percentage of recycled gravel/dolomite from low and medium concrete. Adding 10% SF or bonding admixture increased the mechanical properties of concrete. Mass transport properties of concrete (ISAT-sorptivity were enhanced by decreasing the percentage of recycled gravel/dolomite. The optimum percentage of recycled gravel/dolomite = 25%. Keywords: Recycled gravel, Concrete, Silica fume, Compressive strength, Mass transport

Confined aquifer vulnerability induced by a pumping well in a leakage area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

X. Meng

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Due to the pollution of shallow groundwater and the rapid development of society and economy which consume more freshwater, the exploitation of confined groundwater is steadily increasing in north China. Therefore, the rapid decline of the confined groundwater head increases the risk of confined aquifer pollution by leaky recharge from shallow aquifers. In this paper, a quantitative method for assessing confined aquifer vulnerability to contamination due to pumping has been developed. This method is based on the shallow and confined groundwater flow model and the advection and dispersion in the aquitard, including sorption. The cumulative time for the pollutant concentration at the top boundary of confined aquifer exceeding the maximum allowable level is defined as the confined aquifer vulnerability index, which can be obtained by numerically solving the solute transport equation. A hypothetical example is chosen as a case study to illustrate the whole process. The results indicate that the proposed method is a practical and reasonable assessment method of confined aquifer vulnerability.

Groundwater-level analysis of selected wells in the Hoosic River Valley near Hoosick Falls, New York, for aquifer framework and properties

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, John H.; Heisig, Paul M.

2018-03-05

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, analyzed groundwater levels, drilling record logs, and field water-quality data from selected wells, and the surficial geology in the Hoosic River valley south of the village of Hoosick Falls, New York, to provide information about the framework and properties of a confined aquifer. The aquifer, which consists of ice-contact sand and gravel overlain by lacustrine clay and silt, was evaluated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as part of their investigation of alternate water supplies for the village whose wellfield has been affected by perfluorooctanoic acid. Wells inventoried in the study area were classified as confined, water table, or transitional between the two aquifer conditions. Groundwater levels in three confined-aquifer wells and a transitional-aquifer well responded to pumping of a test production well finished in the confined aquifer. Groundwater levels in a water-table well showed no detectable water-level change in response to test-well pumping. Analysis of drawdown and recovery data from the three confined-aquifer wells and a transitional-aquifer well through the application of the Theis type-curve method provided estimates of aquifer properties. Representation of a constant-head boundary in the analysis where an unnamed pond and fluvial-terrace deposits abut the valley wall resulted in satisfactory matches of the Theis type curves with the observed water-level responses. Aquifer transmissivity estimates ranged from 1,160 to 1,370 feet squared per day. Aquifer storativity estimates ranged from 5.2×10–5 to 1.1×10–3 and were consistent with the inferred degree of confinement and distance from the represented recharge boundary.

Source, variability, and transformation of nitrate in a regional karst aquifer: Edwards aquifer, central Texas.

Science.gov (United States)

Musgrove, MaryLynn; Opsahl, Stephen P.; Mahler, Barbara J.; Herrington, Chris; Sample, Thomas; Banta, John

2016-01-01

Many karst regions are undergoing rapid population growth and expansion of urban land accompanied by increases in wastewater generation and changing patterns of nitrate (NO3−) loading to surface and groundwater. We investigate variability and sources of NO3− in a regional karst aquifer system, the Edwards aquifer of central Texas. Samples from streams recharging the aquifer, groundwater wells, and springs were collected during 2008–12 from the Barton Springs and San Antonio segments of the Edwards aquifer and analyzed for nitrogen (N) species concentrations and NO3− stable isotopes (δ15N and δ18O). These data were augmented by historical data collected from 1937 to 2007. NO3− concentrations and discharge data indicate that short-term variability (days to months) in groundwater NO3− concentrations in the Barton Springs segment is controlled by occurrence of individual storms and multi-annual wet-dry cycles, whereas the lack of short-term variability in groundwater in the San Antonio segment indicates the dominance of transport along regional flow paths. In both segments, longer-term increases (years to decades) in NO3− concentrations cannot be attributed to hydrologic conditions; rather, isotopic ratios and land-use change indicate that septic systems and land application of treated wastewater might be the source of increased loading of NO3−. These results highlight the vulnerability of karst aquifers to NO3− contamination from urban wastewater. An analysis of N-species loading in recharge and discharge for the Barton Springs segment during 2008–10 indicates an overall mass balance in total N, but recharge contains higher concentrations of organic N and lower concentrations of NO3−than does discharge, consistent with nitrification of organic N within the aquifer and consumption of dissolved oxygen. This study demonstrates that subaqueous nitrification of organic N in the aquifer, as opposed to in soils, might be a previously

Groundwater vulnerability mapping in Guadalajara aquifers system (Western Mexico)

Science.gov (United States)

Rizo-Decelis, L. David; Marín, Ana I.; Andreo, Bartolomé

2016-04-01

some monitoring wells, which have been related to anthropogenic activity. Vulnerability maps were produced using different parametric methods (e.g.: DRASTIC, GOD, DISCO, AVI), then the results are compared and assessed. Since each one of these methods use different number of parameters and weights, relatively different results were obtained, although the results have been evaluated with common cartographic inputs. The comparison between selected methods shows that the GOD method results are more correlated with the other methods and produces vulnerability maps comparable with them. Even though groundwater vulnerability is a critical issue around the world, no protection zones have been delineated in Guadalajara city, one of the biggest in Latin America. The groundwater contamination in the study area poses a serious risk for a large population and the environment. This work aims to propose an approach for groundwater protection cartography, based on the application and the comparison of results from different contamination vulnerability methods. These outcomes may assist water authorities to identify the higher vulnerable zones of the aquifers, in order to improving and adapting the land planning and management according to the protection of the own water resources.

Economic Valuation of Sand and Gravel in Davao del Norte, Philippines

OpenAIRE

Tamayo, Adrian; Tagalo, Romulo

2016-01-01

The study aims to quantify the economic value of the sand and gravel which is deemed as a non-renewable resource. A survey was conducted to extract the consumer surplus of the households, also construct the demand equation for the resource. With the demand equation for sand and gravel at , the consumer surplus was estimated at P8271. Using the economic valuation technique, the economic value of sand and gravel was estimated at P729,568,368. Thus, a very high value imputed on the environmenta...

Mineralization of PAHs in coal-tar impacted aquifer sediments and associated microbial community structure investigated with FISH

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rogers, S W; Ong, S K; Moorman, T B [Iowa State University, Ames, IA (USA)

2007-11-15

The microbial community structure and mineralization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a coal-tar contaminated aquifer were investigated spatially using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and in laboratory-scale incubations of the aquifer sediments. DAPI-detected microbial populations in the contaminated sediments were three orders of magnitude greater than nearby uncontaminated sediments, suggesting growth on coal-tar constituents in situ. Actinobacteria, {beta}- and {gamma}-Proteobacteria, and Flavobacteria dominated the in situ aerobic (> 1 mg l{sup -1} dissolved oxygen) microbial community, whereas sulfate-reducing bacteria comprised 37% of the microbial community in the sulfidogenic region of the aquifer. Rapid mineralization of naphthalene and phenanthrene were observed in aerobic laboratory microcosms and resulted in significant enrichment of {beta}- and {gamma}-Proteobacteria potentially explaining their elevated presence in situ. Nitrate- and sulfate-limited mineralization of naphthalene in laboratory microcosms occurred to a small degree in aquifer sediments from locations where groundwater chemistry indicated nitrate- and sulfate-reduction, respectively. The results of this study suggest that FISH may be a useful tool for providing a link between laboratory microcosms and groundwater measurements made in situ necessary to better demonstrate the potential for natural attenuation at complex PAH contaminated sites.

Delineation of ground-water contamination using soil-gas analyses near Jackson, Tennessee

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, R.W.

1991-01-01

An investigation of the ground-water resources near Jackson, West Tennessee, was conducted during 1988-89. The study included determination of the occurrence of contaminants in the shallow aquifer using soil-gas analyses in the unsaturated zone. Between 1980 and 1988, an underground fuel-storage tank leaked about 3,000 gallons of unleaded fuel to the water table about 4 feet below land surface. A survey of soil gas using a gas chromatograph equipped with a photoionization detector showed concentrations of volatile organic compounds greater than IO, 000 parts per million near the leak These compounds were detected in an area about 240 feet long and 110 feet wide extending west from the point source. The chromatograms provided two distinct 'fingerprints' of volatile organic compounds. The first revealed the presence of benzene, toluene, andxylenes, which are constituents of unleaded fuel, in addition to other volatile compounds, in soil gas in the area near the leak The second did not reveal any detectable benzene, toluene, or xylenes in the soil-gas samples, but showed the presence of other unidentified volatile organic compounds in soil gas north of the storage tank. The distribution of total concentrations of volatile organic compounds in the unsaturated zone indicated that a second plume about 200 feet long and 90 feet wide was present about 100 feet north of the storage tank The second plume could have been the result of previous activities at this site during the 1950's or earlier. Activities at the site are believed to have included storage of solvents used at the nearby railyard and flushing of tanks containing tar onto a gravel-covered parking area. The delineation of these plumes has shown that soil-gas analyses can be a useful technique for identifying areas of contamination with volatile organic compounds in shallow water-table aquifers and may have broad applications in similar situations where the water table is relatively close to the surface.

Accounting for the Decreasing Reaction Potential of Heterogeneous Aquifers in a Stochastic Framework of Aquifer-Scale Reactive Transport

Science.gov (United States)

Loschko, Matthias; Wöhling, Thomas; Rudolph, David L.; Cirpka, Olaf A.

2018-01-01

Many groundwater contaminants react with components of the aquifer matrix, causing a depletion of the aquifer's reactivity with time. We discuss conceptual simplifications of reactive transport that allow the implementation of a decreasing reaction potential in reactive-transport simulations in chemically and hydraulically heterogeneous aquifers without relying on a fully explicit description. We replace spatial coordinates by travel-times and use the concept of relative reactivity, which represents the reaction-partner supply from the matrix relative to a reference. Microorganisms facilitating the reactions are not explicitly modeled. Solute mixing is neglected. Streamlines, obtained by particle tracking, are discretized in travel-time increments with variable content of reaction partners in the matrix. As exemplary reactive system, we consider aerobic respiration and denitrification with simplified reaction equations: Dissolved oxygen undergoes conditional zero-order decay, nitrate follows first-order decay, which is inhibited in the presence of dissolved oxygen. Both reactions deplete the bioavailable organic carbon of the matrix, which in turn determines the relative reactivity. These simplifications reduce the computational effort, facilitating stochastic simulations of reactive transport on the aquifer scale. In a one-dimensional test case with a more detailed description of the reactions, we derive a potential relationship between the bioavailable organic-carbon content and the relative reactivity. In a three-dimensional steady-state test case, we use the simplified model to calculate the decreasing denitrification potential of an artificial aquifer over 200 years in an ensemble of 200 members. We demonstrate that the uncertainty in predicting the nitrate breakthrough in a heterogeneous aquifer decreases with increasing scale of observation.

Combination of aquifer thermal energy storage and enhanced bioremediation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ni, Zhuobiao; Gaans, van Pauline; Smit, Martijn; Rijnaarts, Huub; Grotenhuis, Tim

2016-01-01

To meet the demand for sustainable energy, aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) is widely used in the subsurface in urban areas. However, contamination of groundwater, especially with chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs), is often being encountered. This is commonly seen as an

Inventory of drainage wells and potential sources of contaminants to drainage-well inflow in Southwest Orlando, Orange County, Florida

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, George Fred

1993-01-01

Potential sources of contaminants that could pose a threat to drainage-well inflow and to water in the Floridan aquifer system in southwest Orlando, Florida, were studied between October and December 1990. Drainage wells and public-supply wells were inventoried in a 14-square-mile area, and available data on land use and activities within each drainage well basin were tabulated. Three public-supply wells (tapping the Lower Floridan aquifer) and 38 drainage wells (open to the Upper Floridan aquifer) were located in 17 drainage basins within the study area. The primary sources of drainage-well inflow are lake overflow, street runoff, seepage from the surficial aquifer system, and process-wastewater disposal. Drainage-well inflow from a variety of ares, including resi- dential, commercial, undeveloped, paved, and industrial areas, are potential sources of con- taminants. The four general types of possible contaminants to drainage-well inflow are inorganic chemicals, organic compounds, turbidity, and microbiological contaminants. Potential contami- nant sources include plant nurseries, citrus groves, parking lots, plating companies, auto- motive repair shops, and most commonly, lake- overflow water. Drainage wells provide a pathway for contaminants to enter the Upper Floridan aquifer and there is a potential for contaminants to move downward from the Upper Floridan to the Lower Floridan aquifer.

Identification of immiscible NAPL contaminant sources in aquifers by a modified two-level saturation based imperialist competitive algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Ghafouri, H. R.; Mosharaf-Dehkordi, M.; Afzalan, B.

2017-07-01

A simulation-optimization model is proposed for identifying the characteristics of local immiscible NAPL contaminant sources inside aquifers. This model employs the UTCHEM 9.0 software as its simulator for solving the governing equations associated with the multi-phase flow in porous media. As the optimization model, a novel two-level saturation based Imperialist Competitive Algorithm (ICA) is proposed to estimate the parameters of contaminant sources. The first level consists of three parallel independent ICAs and plays as a pre-conditioner for the second level which is a single modified ICA. The ICA in the second level is modified by dividing each country into a number of provinces (smaller parts). Similar to countries in the classical ICA, these provinces are optimized by the assimilation, competition, and revolution steps in the ICA. To increase the diversity of populations, a new approach named knock the base method is proposed. The performance and accuracy of the simulation-optimization model is assessed by solving a set of two and three-dimensional problems considering the effects of different parameters such as the grid size, rock heterogeneity and designated monitoring networks. The obtained numerical results indicate that using this simulation-optimization model provides accurate results at a less number of iterations when compared with the model employing the classical one-level ICA. A model is proposed to identify characteristics of immiscible NAPL contaminant sources. The contaminant is immiscible in water and multi-phase flow is simulated. The model is a multi-level saturation-based optimization algorithm based on ICA. Each answer string in second level is divided into a set of provinces. Each ICA is modified by incorporating a new knock the base model.

Source, variability, and transformation of nitrate in a regional karst aquifer: Edwards aquifer, central Texas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Musgrove, M., E-mail: mmusgrov@usgs.gov [U.S. Geological Survey, 1505 Ferguson Lane, Austin, TX 78754 (United States); Opsahl, S.P. [U.S. Geological Survey, 5563 DeZavala, Ste. 290, San Antonio, TX 78249 (United States); Mahler, B.J. [U.S. Geological Survey, 1505 Ferguson Lane, Austin, TX 78754 (United States); Herrington, C. [City of Austin Watershed Protection Department, Austin, TX 78704 (United States); Sample, T.L. [U.S. Geological Survey, 19241 David Memorial Dr., Ste. 180, Conroe, TX 77385 (United States); Banta, J.R. [U.S. Geological Survey, 5563 DeZavala, Ste. 290, San Antonio, TX 78249 (United States)

2016-10-15

Many karst regions are undergoing rapid population growth and expansion of urban land accompanied by increases in wastewater generation and changing patterns of nitrate (NO{sub 3}{sup −}) loading to surface and groundwater. We investigate variability and sources of NO{sub 3}{sup −} in a regional karst aquifer system, the Edwards aquifer of central Texas. Samples from streams recharging the aquifer, groundwater wells, and springs were collected during 2008–12 from the Barton Springs and San Antonio segments of the Edwards aquifer and analyzed for nitrogen (N) species concentrations and NO{sub 3}{sup −} stable isotopes (δ{sup 15}N and δ{sup 18}O). These data were augmented by historical data collected from 1937 to 2007. NO{sub 3}{sup −} concentrations and discharge data indicate that short-term variability (days to months) in groundwater NO{sub 3}{sup −} concentrations in the Barton Springs segment is controlled by occurrence of individual storms and multi-annual wet-dry cycles, whereas the lack of short-term variability in groundwater in the San Antonio segment indicates the dominance of transport along regional flow paths. In both segments, longer-term increases (years to decades) in NO{sub 3}{sup −} concentrations cannot be attributed to hydrologic conditions; rather, isotopic ratios and land-use change indicate that septic systems and land application of treated wastewater might be the source of increased loading of NO{sub 3}{sup −}. These results highlight the vulnerability of karst aquifers to NO{sub 3}{sup −} contamination from urban wastewater. An analysis of N-species loading in recharge and discharge for the Barton Springs segment during 2008–10 indicates an overall mass balance in total N, but recharge contains higher concentrations of organic N and lower concentrations of NO{sub 3}{sup −} than does discharge, consistent with nitrification of organic N within the aquifer and consumption of dissolved oxygen. This study demonstrates

Source, variability, and transformation of nitrate in a regional karst aquifer: Edwards aquifer, central Texas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Musgrove, M.; Opsahl, S.P.; Mahler, B.J.; Herrington, C.; Sample, T.L.; Banta, J.R.

2016-01-01

Many karst regions are undergoing rapid population growth and expansion of urban land accompanied by increases in wastewater generation and changing patterns of nitrate (NO 3 − ) loading to surface and groundwater. We investigate variability and sources of NO 3 − in a regional karst aquifer system, the Edwards aquifer of central Texas. Samples from streams recharging the aquifer, groundwater wells, and springs were collected during 2008–12 from the Barton Springs and San Antonio segments of the Edwards aquifer and analyzed for nitrogen (N) species concentrations and NO 3 − stable isotopes (δ 15 N and δ 18 O). These data were augmented by historical data collected from 1937 to 2007. NO 3 − concentrations and discharge data indicate that short-term variability (days to months) in groundwater NO 3 − concentrations in the Barton Springs segment is controlled by occurrence of individual storms and multi-annual wet-dry cycles, whereas the lack of short-term variability in groundwater in the San Antonio segment indicates the dominance of transport along regional flow paths. In both segments, longer-term increases (years to decades) in NO 3 − concentrations cannot be attributed to hydrologic conditions; rather, isotopic ratios and land-use change indicate that septic systems and land application of treated wastewater might be the source of increased loading of NO 3 − . These results highlight the vulnerability of karst aquifers to NO 3 − contamination from urban wastewater. An analysis of N-species loading in recharge and discharge for the Barton Springs segment during 2008–10 indicates an overall mass balance in total N, but recharge contains higher concentrations of organic N and lower concentrations of NO 3 − than does discharge, consistent with nitrification of organic N within the aquifer and consumption of dissolved oxygen. This study demonstrates that subaqueous nitrification of organic N in the aquifer, as opposed to in soils, might be a

Geohydrology and Water Quality of the Valley-Fill Aquifer System in the Upper Sixmile Creek and West Branch Owego Creek Valleys in the Town of Caroline, Tompkins County, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Todd S.

2009-01-01

In 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Town of Caroline and Tompkins County Planning Department, began a study of the valley-fill aquifer system in upper Sixmile Creek and headwaters of West Branch Owego Creek valleys in the Town of Caroline, NY. The purpose of the study is to provide geohydrologic data to county and town planners as they develop a strategy to manage and protect their water resources. The first aquifer reach investigated in this series is in the Town of Caroline and includes the upper Sixmile Creek valley and part of West Branch Owego Creek valley. The portions of the valley-fill aquifer system that are comprised of saturated coarse-grained sediments including medium to coarse sand and sandy gravel form the major aquifers. Confined sand and gravel units form the major aquifers in the western and central portions of the upper Sixmile Creek valley, and an unconfined sand and gravel unit forms the major aquifer in the eastern portion of the upper Sixmile Creek valley and in the headwaters of the West Branch Owego Creek valley. The valley-fill deposits are thinnest near the edges of the valley where they pinch out along the till-mantled bedrock valley walls. The thickness of the valley fill in the deepest part of the valley, at the western end of the study area, is about 100 feet (ft); the thickness is greater than 165 ft on top of the Valley Heads Moraine in the central part of the valley. An estimated 750 people live over and rely on groundwater from the valley-fill aquifers in upper Sixmile Creek and West Branch Owego Creek valleys. Most groundwater withdrawn from the valley-fill aquifers is pumped from wells with open-ended 6-inch diameter casings; the remaining withdrawals are from shallow dug wells or cisterns that collect groundwater that discharges to springs (especially in the Brooktondale area). The valley-fill aquifers are the sources of water for about 200 households, several apartment complexes, two mobile home parks

Macroinvertebrate community responses to gravel augmentation in a high-gradient, Southeastern regulated river

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McManamay, Ryan A [ORNL; Orth, Dr. Donald J [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Dolloff, Dr. Charles A [United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), United States Forest Service (USFS) and Virginia Pol

2013-01-01

Sediment transport, one of the key processes of river systems, is altered or stopped by dams, leaving lower river reaches barren of sand and gravel, both of which are essential habitat for fish and macroinvertebrates. One way to compensate for losses in sediment is to supplement gravel to river reaches below impoundments. Because gravel addition has become a widespread practice, it is essential to evaluate the biotic response to restoration projects in order to improve the efficacy of future applications. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the response of the macroinvertebrate community to gravel addition in a high-gradient, regulated river in western North Carolina. We collected benthic macroinvertebrate samples from gravel-enhanced areas and unenhanced areas for 1 season before gravel addition, and for 4 seasons afterwards. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance indicated that the responses of macroinvertebrates to gravel addition were generally specific to individual taxa or particular functional feeding groups and did not lead to consistent patterns in overall family richness, diversity, density, or evenness. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling showed that shifts in macroinvertebrate community composition were temporary and dependent upon site conditions and season. Correlations between macroinvertebrate response variables and substrate microhabitat variables existed with or without the inclusion of data from enhanced areas, which suggests that substrate-biotic relationships were present before gravel addition. A review of the current literature suggests that the responses of benthic macroinvertebrates to substrate restoration are inconsistent and dependent upon site conditions and the degree habitat improvement of pre-restoration site conditions.

Fate of nine recycled water trace organic contaminants and metal(loid)s during managed aquifer recharge into a anaerobic aquifer: Column studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, B M; Shackleton, M; Furness, A J; Pearce, J; Descourvieres, C; Linge, K L; Busetti, F; Spadek, T

2010-03-01

Water quality changes associated with the passage of aerobic reverse osmosis (RO) treated recycled water through a deep anaerobic pyritic aquifer system was evaluated in sediment-filled laboratory columns as part of a managed aquifer recharge (MAR) strategy. The fate of nine recycled water trace organic compounds along with potential negative water quality changes such as the release of metal(loid)s were investigated in large-scale columns over a period of 12 months. The anaerobic geochemical conditions provided a suitable environment for denitrification, and rapid (half-life 100 days). High retardation coefficients (R) determined for many of the trace organics (R 13 to 67) would increase aquifer residence time and be beneficial for many of the slow degrading compounds. However, for the trace organics with low R values (1.1-2.6) and slow degradation rates (half-life > 100 days), such as N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosomorpholine and iohexol, substantial biodegradation during aquifer passage may not occur and additional investigations are required. Only minor transient increases in some metal(loid) concentrations were observed, as a result of either pyrite oxidation, mineral dissolution or pH induced metal desorption, followed by metal re-sorption downgradient in the oxygen depleted zone. Crown Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Contaminant Attenuation and Transport Characterization of 200-UP-1 Operable Unit Sediment Samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Brady D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Szecsody, James E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Qafoku, Nikolla [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); McElroy, Erin M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Baum, Steven R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Snyder, Michelle MV [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Lawter, Amanda R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Resch, Charles T. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Gartman, Brandy N. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Zhong, Lirong [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Saunders, Danielle L. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Williams, Benjamin D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Horner, Jacob A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Leavy, Ian I. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Christiansen, Beren B. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Clayton, Ray E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Johnson, Kayla C. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2017-09-27

Contaminants disposed of at the land surface migrate through the vadose zone, forming plumes in groundwater. Processes that occur in the groundwater can attenuate contaminant concentrations during transport through the aquifer. For this reason, quantifying contaminant attenuation and contaminant transport processes in the aquifer, in support of the conceptual site model (CSM) and fate and transport modeling, are important for assessing the need for, and type of, remediation in the groundwater, including monitored natural attenuation (MNA). The framework to characterize attenuation and transport processes provided in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidance documents was used to guide the laboratory effort reported herein.

The role of alluvial aquifer sediments in attenuating a dissolved arsenic plume.

Science.gov (United States)

Ziegler, Brady A; Schreiber, Madeline E; Cozzarelli, Isabelle M

2017-09-01

In a crude-oil-contaminated sandy aquifer at the Bemidji site in northern Minnesota, biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons has resulted in release of naturally occurring As to groundwater under Fe-reducing conditions. This study used chemical extractions of aquifer sediments collected in 1993 and 2011-2014 to evaluate the relationship between Fe and As in different redox zones (oxic, methanogenic, Fe-reducing, anoxic-suboxic transition) of the contaminated aquifer over a twenty-year period. Results show that 1) the aquifer has the capacity to naturally attenuate the plume of dissolved As, primarily through sorption; 2) Fe and As are linearly correlated in sediment across all redox zones, and a regression analysis between Fe and As reasonably predicted As concentrations in sediment from 1993 using only Fe concentrations; 3) an As-rich "iron curtain," associated with the anoxic-suboxic transition zone, migrated 30m downgradient between 1993 and 2013 as a result of the hydrocarbon plume evolution; and 4) silt lenses in the aquifer preferentially sequester dissolved As, though As is remobilized into groundwater from sediment after reducing conditions are established. Using results of this study coupled with historical data, we develop a conceptual model which summarizes the natural attenuation of As and Fe over time and space that can be applied to other sites that experience As mobilization due to an influx of bioavailable organic matter. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The role of alluvial aquifer sediments in attenuating a dissolved arsenic plume

Science.gov (United States)

Ziegler, Brady A.; Schreiber, Madeline E.; Cozzarelli, Isabelle M.

2017-01-01

In a crude-oil-contaminated sandy aquifer at the Bemidji site in northern Minnesota, biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons has resulted in release of naturally occurring As to groundwater under Fe-reducing conditions. This study used chemical extractions of aquifer sediments collected in 1993 and 2011–2014 to evaluate the relationship between Fe and As in different redox zones (oxic, methanogenic, Fe-reducing, anoxic-suboxic transition) of the contaminated aquifer over a twenty-year period. Results show that 1) the aquifer has the capacity to naturally attenuate the plume of dissolved As, primarily through sorption; 2) Fe and As are linearly correlated in sediment across all redox zones, and a regression analysis between Fe and As reasonably predicted As concentrations in sediment from 1993 using only Fe concentrations; 3) an As-rich “iron curtain,” associated with the anoxic-suboxic transition zone, migrated 30 m downgradient between 1993 and 2013 as a result of the hydrocarbon plume evolution; and 4) silt lenses in the aquifer preferentially sequester dissolved As, though As is remobilized into groundwater from sediment after reducing conditions are established. Using results of this study coupled with historical data, we develop a conceptual model which summarizes the natural attenuation of As and Fe over time and space that can be applied to other sites that experience As mobilization due to an influx of bioavailable organic matter.

Aquifer Vulnerability to Arsenic contamination in the Conterminous United States: Health Risks and Economic Implications

Science.gov (United States)

Twarakavi, N. C.; Kaluarachchi, J. J.

2004-12-01

Arsenic is historically known be toxic to human health. Drinking water contaminated with unsafe levels of arsenic may cause cancer. The toxicity of arsenic is suggested by a MCLG of zero and a low MCL of 10 µg/L, that has been a subject of constant scrutiny. The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), based on the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences revised the MCL from 1974 value of 50 µg/L to 10 µg/L. The decision was based on a national-level analysis of arsenic concentration data collected by the National Analysis of Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA). Another factor that makes arsenic in drinking water a major issue is the widespread occurrence and a variety of sources. Arsenic occurs naturally in mineral deposits and is also contributed through anthropogenic sources. A methodology using the ordinal logistic regression (LR) method is proposed to predict the probability of occurrence of arsenic in shallow ground waters of the conterminous United States (CONUS) subject to a set of influencing variables. The analysis considered the maximum contaminant level (MCL) options of 3, 5, 10, 20, and 50 µg/L as threshold values to estimate the probabilities of arsenic occurrence in ranges defined by a given MCL and a detection limit of 1 µg/L. The fit between the observed and predicted probability of occurrence was around 83% for all MCL options. The estimated probabilities were used to estimate the median background concentration of arsenic for different aquifer types in the CONUS. The shallow ground water of the western US is more vulnerable to arsenic contamination than the eastern US. Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California in particular are hotspots for arsenic contamination. The model results were extended for estimating the health risks and costs posed by arsenic occurrence in the ground water of the United States. The risk assessment showed that counties in southern California, Arizona, Florida, Washington States and a few others scattered

Final report for the IAEA urban aquifers RCA : determining the effects of storm water infiltration on groundwater quality in an urban fractured rock aquifer, Auckland, New Zealand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosen, M.R.; Hong, Y.S.; Sheppard, D.; Roberts, K.; Viljevac, Z.; Smaill, A.; Reeves, R.R.

2000-01-01

Disposal of storm water in the Mt Eden-Mt Albert area of Auckland, New Zealand, is via ''soak holes'' drilled directly into the top of the fractured basalt. These soak holes receive storm water and sediment runoff from city streets throughout Mt Eden. Although this method of disposal has been used for at least 60 years, its sustainability with respect to groundwater quality has not been addressed. This study aimed to determine the impact of soakage on the chemical and isotopic composition of the groundwater. In addition, sediments captured by the soak holes were analysed to determine their effectiveness at trapping contaminants. Groundwater samples were collected between August 1998 and August 1999. Three sampling trips were carried out after rainfall events in October 1998, April 1999 and August 1999. Samples were analysed for major and trace components, including nutrients, dissolved and total heavy metals (As, Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, and Ni), polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and stable and radiogenic isotopes. Cores of sediment collected in the soak holes were analysed for major components, total and leachable heavy metals, and PAHs to determine the ability of the sediments to adsorp contaminants. In summary, the Mt Eden aquifer system shows the effect of storm water infiltration rapidly after a rainfall event in some parts of the aquifer. Water quality has been effected in some areas, but in general the water quality is quite good considering the quantity of storm water discharge that has occurred in the area for the past 60 years. The relatively high quality of the water in the wells monitored may be attributed to the ability of the accumulated sediment in the soak holes and the aquifer fractures to trap contaminants. Further research is needed to determine if continued use of the groundwater system as a conduit for storm water infiltration will lead to clogging of the fractures in the aquifer and/or transport of particulates

Elastic Wave Imaging of in-Situ Bio-Alterations in a Contaminated Aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Jaiswal, P.; Raj, R.; Atekwana, E. A.; Briand, B.; Alam, I.

2014-12-01

We present a pioneering report on the utility of seismic methods in imaging bio-induced elastic property changes within a contaminated aquifer. To understand physical properties of contaminated soil, we acquired 48 meters long multichannel seismic profile over the Norman landfill leachate plume in Norman Oklahoma, USA. We estimated both the P- and S- wave velocities respectively using full-waveform inversion of the transmission and the ground-roll coda. The resulting S-wave model showed distinct velocity anomaly (~10% over background) within the water table fluctuation zone bounded by the historical minimum and maximum groundwater table. In comparison, the P-wave velocity anomaly within the same zone was negligible. The Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) images of samples from a core located along the seismic profile clearly shows presence of biofilms in the water table fluctuation zone and their absence both above and below the fluctuation zone. Elemental chemistry further indicates that the sediment composition throughout the core is fairly constant. We conclude that the velocity anomaly in S-wave is due to biofilms. As a next step, we develop mechanistic modeling to gain insights into the petro-physical behavior of biofilm-bearing sediments. Preliminary results suggest that a plausible model could be biofilms acting as contact cement between sediment grains. The biofilm cement can be placed in two ways - (i) superficial non-contact deposition on sediment grains, and (ii) deposition at grain contacts. Both models explain P- and S- wave velocity structure at reasonable (~5-10%) biofilm saturation and are equivocally supported by the ESEM images. Ongoing attenuation modeling from full-waveform inversion and its mechanistic realization, may be able to further discriminate between the two cement models. Our study strongly suggests that as opposed to the traditional P-wave seismic, S-wave acquisition and imaging can be a more powerful tool for in

Advances in hydrocarbons spill remediation in Barreal-Belen: proposed measures for the protection of aquifers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vargas Fallas, Luis Carlos

2011-01-01

The advances accomplished with regard to hydrocarbons spill remediation, through 2009 are shown and the costs made in the process are listed. In the Central Valley have been located about 160 gas stations on major aquifers at risk of contamination, in light of the case of hydrocarbons spill happened in Barreal-Belen in 2004, discovered by chance during the inspection to a nearby well. The study instruments of the vulnerability to contamination of aquifers are analyzed. A proposal of measures is presented, which should be taken to ensure control over the risk of further spillage and for proper management of waters. (author) [es

Modelling of contaminant release from a uranium mine tailings site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kahnt, Rene; Metschies, Thomas

2007-01-01

Available in abstract form only. Full text of publication follows: Uranium mining and milling continuing from the early 1960's until 1990 close to the town of Seelingstaedt in Eastern Germany resulted in 4 tailings impoundments with a total tailings volume of about 105 Mio. m 3 . Leakage from these tailings impoundments enters the underlying aquifers and is discharged into surface water streams. High concentration of salts, uranium and several heavy metals are released from the tailings. At present the tailings impoundments are reshaped and covered. For the identification of suitable remediation options predictions of the contaminant release for different remediation scenarios have to be made. A compartment model representing the tailings impoundments and the surrounding aquifers for the calculation of contaminant release and transport was set up using the software GOLDSIM. This compartment model describes the time dependent hydraulic conditions within the tailings and the surrounding aquifers taking into account hydraulic and geotechnical processes influencing the hydraulic properties of the tailings material. A simple geochemical approach taking into account sorption processes as well as retardation by applying a k d -approach was implemented to describe the contaminant release and transport within the hydraulic system. For uranium as the relevant contaminant the simple approach takes into account additional geochemical conditions influencing the mobility. Alternatively the model approach allows to include the results of detailed geochemical modelling of the individual tailings zones which is than used as source term for the modelling of the contaminant transport in the aquifer and to the receiving streams. (authors)

Hydrogeological modelling of the Atlantis aquifer for management ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Atlantis Water Supply Scheme (AWSS, Western Cape, South Africa) has been in operation for about 40 years as a means to supply and augment drinking water to the town of Atlantis via managed aquifer recharge (MAR). In this study, the numerical model MODFLOW for groundwater flow and contaminant transport was ...

A method to investigate inter-aquifer leakage using hydraulics and multiple environmental tracers

Science.gov (United States)

Priestley, Stacey; Love, Andrew; Wohling, Daniel; Post, Vincent; Shand, Paul; Kipfer, Rolf; Tyroller, Lina

2016-04-01

Informed aquifer management decisions regarding sustainable yields or potential exploitation require an understanding of the groundwater system (Alley et al. 2002, Cherry and Parker 2004). Recently, the increase in coal seam gas (CSG) or shale gas production has highlighted the need for a better understanding of inter-aquifer leakage and contaminant migration. In most groundwater systems, the quantity or location of inter-aquifer leakage is unknown. Not taking into account leakage rates in the analysis of large scale flow systems can also lead to significant errors in the estimates of groundwater flow rates in aquifers (Love et al. 1993, Toth 2009). There is an urgent need for robust methods to investigate inter-aquifer leakage at a regional scale. This study builds on previous groundwater flow and inter-aquifer leakage studies to provide a methodology to investigate inter-aquifer leakage in a regional sedimentary basin using hydraulics and a multi-tracer approach. The methodology incorporates geological, hydrogeological and hydrochemical information in the basin to determine the likelihood and location of inter-aquifer leakage. Of particular benefit is the analysis of hydraulic heads and environmental tracers at nested piezometers, or where these are unavailable bore couplets comprising bores above and below the aquitard of interest within a localised geographical area. The proposed methodology has been successful in investigating inter-aquifer leakage in the Arckaringa Basin, South Australia. The suite of environmental tracers and isotopes used to analyse inter-aquifer leakage included the stable isotopes of water, radiocarbon, chloride-36, 87Sr/86Sr and helium isotopes. There is evidence for inter-aquifer leakage in the centre of the basin ~40 km along the regional flow path. This inter-aquifer leakage has been identified by a slight draw-down in the upper aquifer during pumping in the lower aquifer, overlap in Sr isotopes, δ2H, δ18O and chloride

Long-distance electron transfer by cable bacteria in aquifer sediments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Müller, Hubert; Bosch, Julian; Griebler, Christian

2016-01-01

recycling of sulfate by electron transfer over 1–2-cm distance. Sediments were taken from a hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer, amended with iron sulfide and saturated with water, leaving the sediment surface exposed to air. Steep geochemical gradients developed in the upper 3 cm, showing a spatial separation...... recently been discovered in marine sediments to couple spatially separated redox half reactions over centimeter scales. Here we provide primary evidence that such sulfur-oxidizing cable bacteria can also be found at oxic–anoxic interfaces in aquifer sediments, where they provide a means for the direct...

Assessment of Groundwater Susceptibility to Non-Point Source Contaminants Using Three-Dimensional Transient Indexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yong; Weissmann, Gary S; Fogg, Graham E; Lu, Bingqing; Sun, HongGuang; Zheng, Chunmiao

2018-06-05

Groundwater susceptibility to non-point source contamination is typically quantified by stable indexes, while groundwater quality evolution (or deterioration globally) can be a long-term process that may last for decades and exhibit strong temporal variations. This study proposes a three-dimensional (3- d ), transient index map built upon physical models to characterize the complete temporal evolution of deep aquifer susceptibility. For illustration purposes, the previous travel time probability density (BTTPD) approach is extended to assess the 3- d deep groundwater susceptibility to non-point source contamination within a sequence stratigraphic framework observed in the Kings River fluvial fan (KRFF) aquifer. The BTTPD, which represents complete age distributions underlying a single groundwater sample in a regional-scale aquifer, is used as a quantitative, transient measure of aquifer susceptibility. The resultant 3- d imaging of susceptibility using the simulated BTTPDs in KRFF reveals the strong influence of regional-scale heterogeneity on susceptibility. The regional-scale incised-valley fill deposits increase the susceptibility of aquifers by enhancing rapid downward solute movement and displaying relatively narrow and young age distributions. In contrast, the regional-scale sequence-boundary paleosols within the open-fan deposits "protect" deep aquifers by slowing downward solute movement and displaying a relatively broad and old age distribution. Further comparison of the simulated susceptibility index maps to known contaminant distributions shows that these maps are generally consistent with the high concentration and quick evolution of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) in groundwater around the incised-valley fill since the 1970s'. This application demonstrates that the BTTPDs can be used as quantitative and transient measures of deep aquifer susceptibility to non-point source contamination.

Fisher Sand & Gravel New Mexico, Inc. General Air Quality Permit: Related Documents

Science.gov (United States)

Documents related to the Fisher Sand & Gravel – New Mexico, Inc., Grey Mesa Gravel Pit General Air Quality Permit for New or Modified Minor Source Stone Quarrying, Crushing, and Screening Facilities in Indian Country.

Effects of Gravel Bars on Nutrient Spiraling in Bedrock-Alluvium Streams

Science.gov (United States)

Iobst, B. R.; Carroll, E. P.; Furbish, D. J.

2007-05-01

The importance of the connection between nutrient transport and local stream geomorphology is becoming increasingly important. Studies have shown that the interconnectivity of nutrient cycles in the downstream direction is in part controlled by the distribution and size of gravel bars in low order streams, as hyporheic flow occurs dominantly through alternate and mid-channel gravel bars. For this investigation multiple gravel bars in a 3rd order bedrock-alluvium stream were studied to determine general relationships between nutrient spiraling and hyporheic flow. The first goal was to understand (1) the extent to which water moves through hyporheic zones and (2) the basic chemistry of the hyporheic water. The second part of the study was to understand how nutrients, notably nitrogen, are affected in their cycling by the relatively long residence times encountered in gravel bars during hyporheic flow. Wells were installed along a 600 m reach of Panther Creek, KY in selected bars, as well as in a secondary location involving a grid installation pattern in one large bar. Results have shown that hyporheic flow through gravel bars is an important factor in influencing stream chemistry. Background water chemistry surveys have shown that certain parameters, specifically ammonium and nitrogen concentrations vary downstream, and that the dominant control over these changes is gravel bar location. Rhodamine WT was used in field tracer tests to track the travel times of water through bars as well as partitioning of water between the open channel and hyporheic flows. Further tests will be conducted utilizing a stable isotope study to determine how nitrogen is affected by hyporheic flow, and what implications this has for nutrient transport. We expect results to show that the spacing and size of gravel bars is a dominant control in key nutrient spiraling parameters, namely uptake lengths and overall nitrogen cycling rates. This has implications for how natural systems will

Fate of N-nitrosomorpholine in an anaerobic aquifer used for managed aquifer recharge: a column study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pitoi, M M; Patterson, B M; Furness, A J; Bastow, T P; McKinley, A J

2011-04-01

The fate of N-nitrosomorpholine (NMOR) was evaluated at microgram and nanogram per litre concentrations. Experiments were undertaken to simulate the passage of groundwater contaminants through a deep anaerobic pyritic aquifer system, as part of a managed aquifer recharge (MAR) strategy. Sorption studies demonstrated the high mobility of NMOR in the Leederville aquifer system, with retardation coefficients between 1.2 and 1.6. Degradation studies from a 351 day column experiment and a 506 day stop-flow column experiment showed an anaerobic biologically induced reductive degradation process which followed first order kinetics. A biological lag-time of less than 3 months and a transient accumulation of morpholine (MOR) were also noted during the degradation. Comparable half-life degradation rates of 40-45 days were observed over three orders of magnitude in concentration (200 ng L(-1) to 650 μg L(-1)). An inhibitory effect on microorganism responsible to the biodegradation of NMOR at 650 μg L(-1) or a threshold effect at 200 ng L(-1) was not observed during these experiments. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pump-and-treat is not the only solution to aquifer remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Odermatt, J.R.

1994-01-01

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently surveyed remediation technologies used at petroleum-contaminated sites in 22 states. About 96 percent of underground storage tank (UST) corrective action sites used some form of pump-and-treat technology to remediate contaminated groundwater. However, using only pump-and-treat technology is not a cost-effective approach to aquifer remediation. Pump-and-treat may be more appropriate for containing plumes or for use in initial emergency response actions at sites and massive NAPL releases to groundwater. As of 1990, 68 percent of Superfund records of decision selected pump-and-treat as the final remedy for aquifer remediation. However, of 13 sites where the remedial alternative objective was to restore the aquifer to health-based levels, only one pump-and-treat method has succeeded. Except in cases where human health and the environment are threatened, long-term active technologies, such as pump-and-treat, may not be warranted. Groundwater monitoring and possible wellhead treatment may be perceived as time-consuming processes; however, at many sites, this long-term approach may be far less costly and just as effective as other long-term strategies based on exclusive use of pump-and-treat technology

Aquifer characteristics and groundwater recharge pattern in a typical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

EJIRO

method in the delineation of bedrock structures, depth to possible aquifer units and to ... makes for susceptibility to surface contaminants; and (iii) ... regional tectonic setting which are critical to identifying favourable ... Data acquisition and processing. Thirty four ... The VES analysis shows a minimum of three and a maximum ...

Fast-track aquifer characterization and bioremediation of groundwater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owen, S.B.; Erskine, J.A.; Adkisson, C.

1995-01-01

A short duration step-drawdown pumping test has been used to characterize a highly permeable aquifer contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons in support of an in situ, closed loop extraction and reinjection bioremediation system for groundwater. The short-term pumping test produces a manageable quantity of contaminated groundwater while yielding a range of values for transmissivity and specific yield parameters. This range of aquifer coefficients is used in an analytical model to estimate a range of groundwater extraction rates that provide a suitable radius of influence for the extraction and reinjection system. A multi-enzyme complex catalyzed bioremediation process has been used to aerobically degrade petroleum hydrocarbons. Enzymes, amino acids, and biosurfactants are supplied to the extracted groundwater to significantly speed up the degradation by naturally occurring bacteria. During the process, amino acids promote the rapid growth of the microbial population while enzymes and bacteria attach to hydrocarbons forming a transformation state complex that degrades to fatty acids, carbon dioxide, and water. This paper presents a case study of a fast-track bioremediation using pumping test data, analytical modeling, and an enzyme technology

Ground-water availability in the central part of Lake Ontario basin, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Todd S.; Krebs, Martha M.

1988-01-01

A set of three maps showing surficial geology, distribution of glacial aquifers, and potential well yield in the 708 sq mi central part of the Lake Ontario basin are presented at a scale of 1:125,000. The basin is parallel to Lake Ontario and extends from Rochester in the west to Oswego in the east. Aquifers consisting primarily of sand and gravel formed where meltwaters from glaciers deposited kame and outwash sand and gravel and where wave action along shores of glacial lakes eroded, reworked , and deposited beaches. Thick deposits of well-sorted sand and gravel yield relatively large quantities of water - typically more than 100 gal/min. Aquifers consisting of thin beds of sand and (or) gravel or thick gravel that contain a large proportion of silt and fine sand yield moderate amounts of water, 10 to 100 gal/min. Dug and driven wells that tap fine to medium sand deposits typically yield 1 to 10 gal/min. (USGS)

Hydrogeology, water quality, and microbial assessment of a coastal alluvial aquifer in western Saudi Arabia: potential use of coastal wadi aquifers for desalination water supplies [Hydrogéologie, qualité de l’eau et évaluation microbienne d’un aquifère côtier alluvial dans l’Ouest de l’Arabie Saoudite: utilisation potentielle des aquifères côtiers des oueds pour l’alimentation en eau après désalinisation] [Hidrogeologia, qualidade da água e avaliação microbiológica de um aquífero costeiro no oeste da Arábia Saudita: uso potencial de aquíferos de wadi costeiros para dessalinização de águas destinadas a abastecimento] [Hidrogeología, calidad de agua y evaluación microbiana de un acuífero costero aluvial en Arabia Saudita occidental: uso potencial de acuíferos costeros uadis para la desalinización de los abastecimientos de agua

KAUST Repository

Missimer, Thomas M.

2014-07-20

Wadi alluvial aquifers located along coastal areas of the Middle East have been assumed to be suitable sources of feed water for seawater reverse osmosis facilities based on high productivity, connectedness to the sea for recharge, and the occurrence of seawater with chemistry similar to that in the adjacent Red Sea. An investigation of the intersection of Wadi Wasimi with the Red Sea in western Saudi Arabia has revealed that the associated predominantly unconfined alluvial aquifer divides into two sand-and-gravel aquifers at the coast, each with high productivity (transmissivity = 42,000 m2/day). This aquifer system becomes confined near the coast and contains hypersaline water. The hydrogeology of Wadi Wasimi shows that two of the assumptions are incorrect in that the aquifer is not well connected to the sea because of confinement by very low hydraulic conductivity terrigenous and marine muds and the aquifer contains hypersaline water as a result of a hydraulic connection to a coastal sabkha. A supplemental study shows that the aquifer system contains a diverse microbial community composed of predominantly of Proteobacteria with accompanying high percentages of Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria.

Hydrochemistry of New Zealand's aquifers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosen, M.R.

2001-01-01

Groundwater chemistry on a national scale has never been studied in New Zealand apart from a few studies on nitrate concentrations and pesticides. These studies are covered in Chapter 8 of this book. However general studies of groundwater chemistry, groundwater-rock interaction and regional characteristics of water quality have not been previously addressed in much detail. This is partly because New Zealand aquifers are relatively small on a world scale and are geologically and tectonically diverse (see Chapter 3). But New Zealand has also recently lacked a centralised agency responsible for groundwater quality, and therefore, no national assessments have been undertaken. In recent years, the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences has managed a programme of collecting and analysing the groundwater chemistry of key New Zealand aquifers. This programme is called the National Groundwater Monitoring Programme (NGMP) and is funded by the New Zealand Public Good Science Fund. The programme started in 1990 using only 22 wells, with four regional authorities of the country participating. The NGMP now includes all 15 regional and unitary authorities that use groundwater and over 100 monitoring sites. The NGMP is considered a nationally significant database by the New Zealand Foundation for Research Science and Technology. The NGMP allows a national comparison of aquifer chemistries because the samples are all analysed at one laboratory in a consistent manner and undergo stringent quality control checks. Poor quality analyses are thus minimised. In addition, samples are collected quarterly so that long-term seasonal trends in water quality can be analysed, and the effects of changes in land use and the vulnerability of aquifers to contaminant leaching can be assessed. This chapter summarises the water quality data collected for the NGMP over the past 10 years. Some records are much shorter than others, but most are greater than three years. Additional information is

Gravel-bed river floodplains are the ecological nexus of glaciated mountain landscapes

Science.gov (United States)

Hauer, F. Richard; Locke, Harvey; Dreitz, Victoria; Hebblewhite, Mark; Lowe, Winsor; Muhlfeld, Clint C.; Nelson, Cara; Proctor, Michael F.; Rood, Stewart B.

2016-01-01

Gravel-bed river floodplains in mountain landscapes disproportionately concentrate diverse habitats, nutrient cycling, productivity of biota, and species interactions. Although stream ecologists know that river channel and floodplain habitats used by aquatic organisms are maintained by hydrologic regimes that mobilize gravel-bed sediments, terrestrial ecologists have largely been unaware of the importance of floodplain structures and processes to the life requirements of a wide variety of species. We provide insight into gravel-bed rivers as the ecological nexus of glaciated mountain landscapes. We show why gravel-bed river floodplains are the primary arena where interactions take place among aquatic, avian, and terrestrial species from microbes to grizzly bears and provide essential connectivity as corridors for movement for both aquatic and terrestrial species. Paradoxically, gravel-bed river floodplains are also disproportionately unprotected where human developments are concentrated. Structural modifications to floodplains such as roads, railways, and housing and hydrologicaltering hydroelectric or water storage dams have severe impacts to floodplain habitat diversity and productivity, restrict local and regional connectivity, and reduce the resilience of both aquatic and terrestrial species, including adaptation to climate change. To be effective, conservation efforts in glaciated mountain landscapes intended to benefit the widest variety of organisms need a paradigm shift that has gravel-bed rivers and their floodplains as the central focus and that prioritizes the maintenance or restoration of the intact structure and processes of these critically important systems throughout their length and breadth.

Potential effect of natural gas wells on alluvial groundwater contamination at the Kansas City Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pickering, D.A.; Laase, A.D. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Locke, D.A. [Oak Ridge Inst. for Science and Education, TN (United States)

1993-05-01

This report is the result of a request for further information about several abandoned natural gas wells at the US Department of Energy`s Kansas City Plant (KCP). The request was prompted by an old map showing several, possibly eight, natural gas wells located under or near what is now the southeast corner of the Main Manufacturing Building at KCP. Volatile organic compound contamination in the alluvial aquifer surrounding the gas wells might possibly contaminate the bedrock aquifer if the gas wells still exist as conduits. Several circumstances exist that make it doubtful that contamination is entering the bedrock aquifers: (1) because regional groundwater flow in the bedrock beneath the KCP is expected to be vertically upward, contaminants found in the alluvial aquifer should not migrate down the old wells; (2) because of the low hydraulic conductivity of the bedrock units, contaminant transport would be extremely slow if the contaminants were migrating down the wells; and (3) casing, apparently set through the alluvium in all of the wells, would have deteriorated and may have collapsed; if the casing collapsed, the silty clays in the alluvium would also collapse and seal the well. No definitive information has been discovered about the exact location of the wells. No further search for or consideration of the old gas wells is recommended.

Potential effect of natural gas wells on alluvial groundwater contamination at the Kansas City Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pickering, D.A.; Laase, A.D. (Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)); Locke, D.A. (Oak Ridge Inst. for Science and Education, TN (United States))

1993-05-01

This report is the result of a request for further information about several abandoned natural gas wells at the US Department of Energy's Kansas City Plant (KCP). The request was prompted by an old map showing several, possibly eight, natural gas wells located under or near what is now the southeast corner of the Main Manufacturing Building at KCP. Volatile organic compound contamination in the alluvial aquifer surrounding the gas wells might possibly contaminate the bedrock aquifer if the gas wells still exist as conduits. Several circumstances exist that make it doubtful that contamination is entering the bedrock aquifers: (1) because regional groundwater flow in the bedrock beneath the KCP is expected to be vertically upward, contaminants found in the alluvial aquifer should not migrate down the old wells; (2) because of the low hydraulic conductivity of the bedrock units, contaminant transport would be extremely slow if the contaminants were migrating down the wells; and (3) casing, apparently set through the alluvium in all of the wells, would have deteriorated and may have collapsed; if the casing collapsed, the silty clays in the alluvium would also collapse and seal the well. No definitive information has been discovered about the exact location of the wells. No further search for or consideration of the old gas wells is recommended.

Potential effect of natural gas wells on alluvial groundwater contamination at the Kansas City Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pickering, D.A.; Laase, A.D.; Locke, D.A.

1993-05-01

This report is the result of a request for further information about several abandoned natural gas wells at the US Department of Energy's Kansas City Plant (KCP). The request was prompted by an old map showing several, possibly eight, natural gas wells located under or near what is now the southeast corner of the Main Manufacturing Building at KCP. Volatile organic compound contamination in the alluvial aquifer surrounding the gas wells might possibly contaminate the bedrock aquifer if the gas wells still exist as conduits. Several circumstances exist that make it doubtful that contamination is entering the bedrock aquifers: (1) because regional groundwater flow in the bedrock beneath the KCP is expected to be vertically upward, contaminants found in the alluvial aquifer should not migrate down the old wells; (2) because of the low hydraulic conductivity of the bedrock units, contaminant transport would be extremely slow if the contaminants were migrating down the wells; and (3) casing, apparently set through the alluvium in all of the wells, would have deteriorated and may have collapsed; if the casing collapsed, the silty clays in the alluvium would also collapse and seal the well. No definitive information has been discovered about the exact location of the wells. No further search for or consideration of the old gas wells is recommended

Mapping of coastal aquifer vulnerable zone in the south west coast of Kanyakumari, South India, using GIS-based DRASTIC model.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaliraj, S; Chandrasekar, N; Peter, T Simon; Selvakumar, S; Magesh, N S

2015-01-01

The south west coast of Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu, India, is significantly affected by seawater intrusion and diffusion of pollutants into the aquifers due to unregulated beach placer mining and other anthropogenic activities. The present study investigates the vulnerability of the coastal aquifers using Geographic Information System (GIS)-based DRASTIC model. The seven DRASTIC parameters have been analyzed using the statistical equation of this model to demarcate the vulnerable zones for aquifer contamination. The vulnerability index map is prepared from the weighted spatial parameters, and an accounting of total index value ranged from 85 to 213. Based on the categorization of vulnerability classes, the high vulnerable zones are found near the beach placer mining areas between Manavalakurichi and Kodimanal coastal stretches. The aquifers associated with settlements and agricultural lands in the middle-eastern part have experienced high vulnerability due to contaminated water bodies. Similarly, the coastal areas of Thengapattinam and Manakudi estuary and around the South Tamaraikulam have also been falling under high vulnerability condition due to backwater and saltpan. In general, the nearshore region except the placer mining zone and the backwater has a moderately vulnerable condition, and the vulnerability index values range from 149 to180. Significantly, the northern and northeastern uplands and some parts of deposition zones in the middle-south coast have been identified as low to no vulnerable conditions. They are structurally controlled by various geological features such as charnockite, garnet biotite gneiss and granites, and sand dunes, respectively. The aquifer vulnerability assessment has been cross-verified by geochemical indicators such as total dissolved solids (TDS), Cl(-), HCO₃(-), and Cl(-)/HCO₃(-) ratio. The high ranges of TDS (1,842--3,736 mg/l) and Cl(-) (1,412--2,112 mg/l) values are well correlated with the observed high

Subsurface contaminant transport from the liquid disposal area, CRNL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Killey, R.W.D.; Munch, J.H.

1984-01-01

This report summarizes geologic, hydrogeologic and geochemical information obtained from a detailed study of the aquifer receiving contaminated waste-waters from the Chemical Pit. Geologically, the study area features wind-deposited sand overlying a continuous lacustrine clayey silt and a bouldery basal till. Medium to coarse sands locally found at the base of the sand sequence appear to represent stream channel deposits following a buried drainage course towards Perch Lake. These channel sands significantly influence groundwater flow; 3-dimensional models will be required to mathematically simulate the system. Based on the subsurface data, calculated groundwater residence times between the infiltration pit and points of discharge to surface into the East Swamp range from 4 to 22 months. The shortest observed residence time for a non-reactive radio-nuclide is 5 months. Tritium data confirm that contamination is confined to the sands, but show that within the sand aquifer there is considerable heterogeneity in the distribution and rates of groundwater flow. Samples of contaminated groundwaters collected during this study featured increased redox potentials, increased acidity, and minor increases in some major ions relative to local uncontaminated groundwater. Extensive oxidation of the sands in contaminated portions of the aquifer may reflect much greater chemical differences in plume groundwaters in the past

GROUND WATER ISSUE: STEAM INJECTION FOR SOIL AND AQUIFER REMEDIATION

Science.gov (United States)

The purpose of this Issue Paper is to provide to those involved in assessing remediation technologies for specific sites basic technical information on the use of steam injection for the remediation of soils and aquifers that are contaminated by volatile or semivolatile organic c...

Monitoring priority substances, other organic contaminants and heavy metals in a volcanic aquifer from different sources and hydrological processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Estevez, Esmeralda; Cabrera, María del Carmen; Fernández-Vera, Juan Ramón; Molina-Díaz, Antonio; Robles-Molina, José; Palacios-Díaz, María del Pino

2016-01-01

Irrigation with reclaimed water (R) is necessary to guarantee the sustainability of semi-arid areas. Results obtained during a two years monitoring network (2009–2011) in Gran Canaria are presented, including the analysis of chemical parameters, N and S isotopes, priority substances (2008/105/EC, 2013/39/EU), other organic contaminants and heavy metals in groundwater and R used to irrigate a golf course. The aims of this work are to evaluate the contamination in a volcanic aquifer, relate the presence of organic contaminants and heavy metals with the hydrogeochemistry and identify pollution sources in the area. No priority substance exceeded the EU thresholds for surface water, although seventeen were detected in R. The most frequent compounds were hexachlorobenzene, chlorpyrifos ethyl, fluorene, phenanthrene and pyrene. These compounds were detected at low concentration, except chlorpyrifos. Chlorpyrifos ethyl, terbuthylazine, diuron, terbutryn, procymidone, atrazine and propazine exceeded the European threshold concentration for pesticides in groundwater (100 ng L"−"1). Therefore, the priority substances chlorpyrifos ethyl and diuron must be included in monitoring studies. The priority pesticides chlorfenvinphos and diazinon were always detected in R but rarely in groundwater. Besides, the existence of contaminants not related to the current R irrigation has been identified. Absence of environmental problems related to heavy metals can be expected. The relationship among contaminant presence, hydrogeochemistry, including the stable isotopic prints of δ"1"8O, δ"1"5N and δ"3"4S and preferential recharge paths has been described. The coastal well shows high values of EC, nitrate, a variable chemistry, and 50% of organic contaminants detected above 100 ng L"−"1. The well located in the recharge area presents a stable hydrochemistry, the lowest value of δ"1"5N and the lowest contaminants occurrence. The area is an example of a complex volcanic media with

Monitoring priority substances, other organic contaminants and heavy metals in a volcanic aquifer from different sources and hydrological processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Estevez, Esmeralda, E-mail: eestevez@proyinves.ulpgc.es [Dpt. Física (GEOVOL), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands (Spain); Agrifood and Phytopathological Laboratory (Cabildo de Gran Canaria), 35413 Arucas, Canary Islands (Spain); Cabrera, María del Carmen, E-mail: mcarmen.cabrera@ulpgc.es [Dpt. Física (GEOVOL), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands (Spain); IMDEA Water Institute, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid (Spain); Fernández-Vera, Juan Ramón, E-mail: jrfernandezv@grancanaria.com [Agrifood and Phytopathological Laboratory (Cabildo de Gran Canaria), 35413 Arucas, Canary Islands (Spain); Molina-Díaz, Antonio, E-mail: amolina@ujaen.es [Analytical Chemistry Research Group, Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, University of Jaen, 23071 Jaen (Spain); Robles-Molina, José, E-mail: jroblesmol@gmail.com [Analytical Chemistry Research Group, Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, University of Jaen, 23071 Jaen (Spain); Palacios-Díaz, María del Pino, E-mail: mp.palaciosdiaz@ulpgc.es [Dpt. de Patología Animal, Producción Animal, Bromatología y Tecnología de los Alimentos (GEOVOL), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35413 Arucas, Canary Islands (Spain)

2016-05-01

Irrigation with reclaimed water (R) is necessary to guarantee the sustainability of semi-arid areas. Results obtained during a two years monitoring network (2009–2011) in Gran Canaria are presented, including the analysis of chemical parameters, N and S isotopes, priority substances (2008/105/EC, 2013/39/EU), other organic contaminants and heavy metals in groundwater and R used to irrigate a golf course. The aims of this work are to evaluate the contamination in a volcanic aquifer, relate the presence of organic contaminants and heavy metals with the hydrogeochemistry and identify pollution sources in the area. No priority substance exceeded the EU thresholds for surface water, although seventeen were detected in R. The most frequent compounds were hexachlorobenzene, chlorpyrifos ethyl, fluorene, phenanthrene and pyrene. These compounds were detected at low concentration, except chlorpyrifos. Chlorpyrifos ethyl, terbuthylazine, diuron, terbutryn, procymidone, atrazine and propazine exceeded the European threshold concentration for pesticides in groundwater (100 ng L{sup −1}). Therefore, the priority substances chlorpyrifos ethyl and diuron must be included in monitoring studies. The priority pesticides chlorfenvinphos and diazinon were always detected in R but rarely in groundwater. Besides, the existence of contaminants not related to the current R irrigation has been identified. Absence of environmental problems related to heavy metals can be expected. The relationship among contaminant presence, hydrogeochemistry, including the stable isotopic prints of δ{sup 18}O, δ{sup 15}N and δ{sup 34}S and preferential recharge paths has been described. The coastal well shows high values of EC, nitrate, a variable chemistry, and 50% of organic contaminants detected above 100 ng L{sup −1}. The well located in the recharge area presents a stable hydrochemistry, the lowest value of δ{sup 15}N and the lowest contaminants occurrence. The area is an example of a complex

Modeling Groundwater-Surface Water Interaction and Contaminant Transport of Chlorinated Solvent Contaminated Site

Science.gov (United States)

Yimer Ebrahim, Girma; Jonoski, Andreja; van Griensven, Ann; Dujardin, Juliette; Baetelaan, Okke; Bronders, Jan

2010-05-01

Chlorinated-solvent form one of the largest groups of environmental chemicals. Their use and misuse in industry have lead to a large entry of these chemicals into the environment, resulting in widespread dissemination and oftentimes environmental contamination. Chlorinated solvent contamination of groundwater resources has been widely reported. For instance, there has been much interest in the assessment of these contaminant levels and their evolutions with time in the groundwater body below the Vilvoorde-Machelen industrial area (Belgium). The long industrial history of the area has lead to complex patterns of pollution from multiple sources and the site has been polluted to the extent that individual plumes are not definable any more. Understanding of groundwater/surface water interaction is a critical component for determining the fate of contaminant both in streams and ground water due to the fact that groundwater and surface water are in continuous dynamic interaction in the hydrologic cycle. The interaction has practical consequences in the quantity and quality of water in either system in the sense that depletion and/or contamination of one of the system will eventually affect the other one. The transition zone between a stream and its adjacent aquifer referred to as the hyporheic zone plays a critical role in governing contaminant exchange and transformation during water exchange between the two water bodies. The hyporheic zone of Zenne River ( the main receptor ) is further complicated due to the fact that the river banks are artificially trained with sheet piles along its reach extending some 12 m below the surface. This study demonstrates the use of MODFLOW, a widely used modular three-dimensional block-centred finite difference, saturated flow model for simulating the flow and direction of movement of groundwater through aquifer and stream-aquifer interaction and the use of transport model RT3D, a three-dimensional multi-species reactive transport model

Contamination of surface and underground waters owing to the disaster of the Sasa mine tailing pond

OpenAIRE

Mircovski, Vojo; Spasovski, Orce

2003-01-01

The uncontrolled run off of flotation waste from the Sasa Mine causes contamination of the flows of the Rivers Kamenicka and Bregalnica as well as the water of Kalimanci Lake and further afield. Boundary, fracture and karst type of aquifers formed depending on the structural type of porosity along the marginal parts of the terrain. The aquifers are recharged mostly by the above mentioned rivers that results in contamination of their waters. Contamination of underground waters is particularly ...

How to Recharge a Confined Aquifer: An Exploration of Geologic Controls on Groundwater Storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Maples, S.; Fogg, G. E.; Maxwell, R. M.; Liu, Y.

2017-12-01

Decreased snowpack storage and groundwater overdraft in California has increased interest in managed aquifer recharge (MAR) of excess winter runoff to the Central Valley aquifer system, which has unused storage capacity that far exceeds the state's surface reservoirs. Recharge to the productive, confined aquifer system remains a challenge due to the presence of nearly-ubiquitous, multiple silt and clay confining units that limit recharge pathways. However, previous studies have identified interconnected networks of sand and gravel deposits that bypass the confining units and accommodate rapid, high-volume recharge to the confined aquifer system in select locations. We use the variably-saturated, fully-integrated groundwater/surface-water flow code, ParFlow, in combination with a high-resolution, transition probability Markov-chain geostatistical model of the subsurface geologic heterogeneity of the east side of the Sacramento Valley, CA, to characterize recharge potential across a landscape that includes these geologic features. Multiple 180-day MAR simulations show that recharge potential is highly dependent on subsurface geologic structure, with a several order-of-magnitude range of recharge rates and volumes across the landscape. Where there are recharge pathways to the productive confined-aquifer system, pressure propagation in the confined system is widespread and rapid, with multi-kilometer lateral pressure propagation. Although widespread pressure propagation occurs in the confined system, only a small fraction of recharge volume is accommodated there. Instead, the majority of recharge occurs by filling unsaturated pore spaces. Where they outcrop at land surface, high-K recharge pathways fill rapidly, accommodating the majority of recharge during early time. However, these features become saturated quickly, and somewhat counterintuitively, the low-K silt and clay facies accommodate the majority of recharge volume during most of the simulation. These findings

Inherent mineralization of 2,6-dichlorobenzamide (BAM) in unsaturated zone and aquifers - Effect of initial concentrations and adaptation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Janniche, Gry Sander, E-mail: gsja@env.dtu.dk [DTU Environment, Technical University of Denmark, Building 113, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Clausen, Liselotte; Albrechtsen, Hans-Jorgen [DTU Environment, Technical University of Denmark, Building 113, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark)

2011-10-15

The dichlobenil metabolite BAM (2,6-dichlorobenzamide) is frequently detected in aquifers e.g. in Denmark despite the mother compound dichlobenil was banned here since 1997. BAM mineralization was investigated at environmentally relevant concentrations in sediment samples. Undisturbed sediment cores with known dichlobenil application were collected from topsoil to 8.5 m below surface resulting in 57 samples hereof 4 aquifer samples. Mineralization was only substantial (>10%) in the uppermost meter of the unsaturated zone. Microbial adaptation, observed as faster mineralization in pre-exposed than in pristine sediments from the same location, was only evident in sandy sediment where dichlobenil was still present, but not in clayey sediments. Higher initial concentrations (1-5000 {mu}g/kg) did not stimulate mineralization in pristine clayey or sandy sediments, or in pre-exposed sand. However, in pre-exposed clay mineralization was stimulated at high concentrations. Furthermore BAM was for the first time mineralized in aerobic aquifer sediments from different BAM-contaminated groundwater locations. - Highlights: > BAM mineralized in BAM-contaminated aerobic aquifer sediments. > In subsurface, fastest BAM mineralization in pre-exposed sandy sediments. > Increased mineralization (adaptation) only observed in contaminated sandy sediment. > In pristine sediments mineralization ratio increased with decreasing concentrations. - BAM mineralization in subsurface and groundwater was demonstrated.

Semianalytical Solutions for Transport in Aquifer and Fractured Clay Matrix System

Science.gov (United States)

A three-dimensional mathematical model that describes transport of contaminant in a horizontal aquifer with simultaneous diffusion into a fractured clay formation is proposed. A group of analytical solutions is derived based on specific initial and boundary conditions as well as ...

Analytical evaluation of the radionuclide concentration through the aquifer for the Abadia de Goias Repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alves, Antonio Sergio de Martin

1999-01-01

In this paper the radionuclide concentration though the aquifer has been determined by an analytical process considering that the radionuclide migration is influenced by two kinds of radionuclides releases from the repository during an overflow. In the first release it is assumed that when the radionuclides reach the aquifer there is no contamination in it and the release rate is a constant. For this case it is utilized the model of Reference. For the subsequent releases there will be a contamination in the aquifer provenient from the former releases; it is considered that the subsequent releases are a function of the time which, for the Abadia de Goias Repository, was determined in the Reference. The Laplace transform Method has been utilized to solve the Radionuclide Migration Transport Equation in the aquifer region for the subsequent releases and the resulting function is expressed in terms of exponential and complementary error functions. The improvement in the calculation model, presented in this paper, can be used in the safety analysis of repositories, contributing thus in the nuclear waste management field and particularly, being connecting also to the environmental protection concern. (author)

Design and maintenance of subsurface gravel wetlands.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-02-01

This report summarizes the University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center (UNHSC) evaluation of : a review of Subsurface Gravel Wetlands design and specifications used by the New Hampshire : Department of Transportation (NHDOT or Department). : Subsur...

Hydrochemistry of the Mahomet Bedrock Valley Aquifer, East-Central Illinois: indicators of recharge and ground-water flow

Science.gov (United States)

Panno, S.V.; Hackley, Keith C.; Cartwright, K.; Liu, Chao-Li

1994-01-01

A conceptual model of the ground-water flow and recharge to the Mahomet Bedrock Valley Aquifer (MVA), east-central Illinois, was developed using major ion chemistry and isotope geochemistry. The MVA is a 'basal' fill in the east-west trending buried bedrock valley composed of clean, permeable sand and gravel to thicknesses of up to 61 m. It is covered by a thick sequence of glacial till containing thinner bodies of interbedded sand and gravel. Ground water from the MVA was found to be characterized by clearly defined geochemical regions with three distinct ground-water types. A fourth ground-water type was found at the confluence of the MVA and the Mackinaw Bedrock Valley Aquifer (MAK) to the west. Ground water in the Onarga Valley, a northeastern tributary of the MVA, is of two types, a mixed cation-SO42- type and a mixed cation-HCO3- type. The ground water is enriched in Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and SO42- which appears to be the result of an upward hydraulic gradient and interaction of deeper ground water with oxidized pyritic coals and shale. We suggest that recharge to the Onarga Valley and overlying aquifers is 100% from bedrock (leakage) and lateral flow from the MVA to the south. The central MVA (south of the Onarga Valley) is composed of relatively dilute ground water of a mixed cation-HCO3- type, with low total dissolved solids, and very low concentrations of Cl- and SO42-. Stratigraphic relationships of overlying aquifers and ground-water chemistry of these and the MVA suggest recharge to this region of the MVA (predominantly in Champaign County) is relatively rapid and primarily from the surface. Midway along the westerly flow path of the MVA (western MVA), ground water is a mixed cation-HCO3- type with relatively high Cl-, where Cl- increases abruptly by one to ??? two orders of magnitude. Data suggest that the increase in Cl- is the result of leakage of saline ground water from bedrock into the MVA. Mass-balance calculations indicate that approximately 9.5% of

In situ treatment of arsenic contaminated groundwater by aquifer iron coating: Experimental study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xie, Xianjun, E-mail: xjxie@cug.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, 430074 Wuhan (China); Wang, Yanxin, E-mail: yx.wang@cug.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, 430074 Wuhan (China); Pi, Kunfu [State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, 430074 Wuhan (China); Liu, Chongxuan [State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, 430074 Wuhan (China); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354 (United States); Li, Junxia; Liu, Yaqing; Wang, Zhiqiang; Duan, Mengyu [State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, 430074 Wuhan (China)

2015-09-15

In situ arsenic removal from groundwater by an aquifer iron coating method has great potential to be a cost effective and simple groundwater remediation technology, especially in rural and remote areas where groundwater is used as the main water source for drinking. The in situ arsenic removal technology was first optimized by simulating arsenic removal in various quartz sand columns under anoxic conditions. The effectiveness was then evaluated in an actual high-arsenic groundwater environment. The arsenic removal mechanism by the coated iron oxide/hydroxide was investigated under different conditions using scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/X-ray absorption spectroscopy, electron probe microanalysis, and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy. Aquifer iron coating method was developed via a 4-step alternating injection of oxidant, iron salt and oxygen-free water. A continuous injection of 5.0 mmol/L FeSO{sub 4} and 2.5 mmol/L NaClO for 96 h can form a uniform goethite coating on the surface of quartz sand without causing clogging. At a flow rate of 7.2 mL/min of the injection reagents, arsenic (as Na{sub 2}HAsO{sub 4}) and tracer fluorescein sodium to pass through the iron-coated quartz sand column were approximately at 126 and 7 column pore volumes, respectively. The retardation factor of arsenic was 23.0, and the adsorption capacity was 0.11 mol As per mol Fe. In situ arsenic removal from groundwater in an aquifer was achieved by simultaneous injections of As(V) and Fe(II) reagents. Arsenic fixation resulted from a process of adsorption/co-precipitation with fine goethite particles by way of bidentate binuclear complexes. Therefore, the study results indicate that the high arsenic removal efficiency of the in situ aquifer iron coating technology likely resulted from the expanded specific surface area of the small goethite particles, which enhanced arsenic sorption capability and/or from co-precipitation of arsenic on the surface of goethite particles

In situ treatment of arsenic contaminated groundwater by aquifer iron coating: Experimental study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Xianjun; Wang, Yanxin; Pi, Kunfu; Liu, Chongxuan; Li, Junxia; Liu, Yaqing; Wang, Zhiqiang; Duan, Mengyu

2015-01-01

In situ arsenic removal from groundwater by an aquifer iron coating method has great potential to be a cost effective and simple groundwater remediation technology, especially in rural and remote areas where groundwater is used as the main water source for drinking. The in situ arsenic removal technology was first optimized by simulating arsenic removal in various quartz sand columns under anoxic conditions. The effectiveness was then evaluated in an actual high-arsenic groundwater environment. The arsenic removal mechanism by the coated iron oxide/hydroxide was investigated under different conditions using scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/X-ray absorption spectroscopy, electron probe microanalysis, and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy. Aquifer iron coating method was developed via a 4-step alternating injection of oxidant, iron salt and oxygen-free water. A continuous injection of 5.0 mmol/L FeSO 4 and 2.5 mmol/L NaClO for 96 h can form a uniform goethite coating on the surface of quartz sand without causing clogging. At a flow rate of 7.2 mL/min of the injection reagents, arsenic (as Na 2 HAsO 4 ) and tracer fluorescein sodium to pass through the iron-coated quartz sand column were approximately at 126 and 7 column pore volumes, respectively. The retardation factor of arsenic was 23.0, and the adsorption capacity was 0.11 mol As per mol Fe. In situ arsenic removal from groundwater in an aquifer was achieved by simultaneous injections of As(V) and Fe(II) reagents. Arsenic fixation resulted from a process of adsorption/co-precipitation with fine goethite particles by way of bidentate binuclear complexes. Therefore, the study results indicate that the high arsenic removal efficiency of the in situ aquifer iron coating technology likely resulted from the expanded specific surface area of the small goethite particles, which enhanced arsenic sorption capability and/or from co-precipitation of arsenic on the surface of goethite particles. - Highlights: �

Noise Exposure and Hearing Loss Among Sand and Gravel Miners

OpenAIRE

Landen, Deborah; Wilkins, Steve; Stephenson, Mark; McWilliams, Linda

2004-01-01

The objectives of this study were to describe workplace noise exposures, risk factors for hearing loss, and hearing levels among sand and gravel miners, and to determine whether full shift noise exposures resulted in changes in hearing thresholds from baseline values. Sand and gravel miners (n = 317) were interviewed regarding medical history, leisure-time and occupational noise exposure, other occupational exposures, and use of hearing protection. Audiometric tests were performed both before...

A long-term bench-scale investigation of permanganate consumption by aquifer materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xiuyuan; Thomson, Neil R

2009-11-20

In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) applications using permanganate involve the injection or release of permanganate into the subsurface to destroy various target contaminants. Naturally occurring reduced components associated with aquifer materials can exert a significant oxidant demand thereby reducing the amount of permanganate available for the destruction of contaminants as well as reducing the overall rate of oxidation. Quantification of this natural oxidant demand (NOD) is a requirement for site-specific assessment and the design of cost-effective oxidant delivery systems. To further our understanding of the interaction between permanganate and aquifer materials, aerobic and anaerobic aquifer materials from eight representative sites throughout North America were tested in a series of systematic bench-scale experiments. Various permanganate to aquifer solids mass loading ratios at different initial permanganate concentrations in well-mixed batch reactors were monitored for >300 days. All NOD temporal profiles demonstrated an initial fast consumption rate followed by a persistent slower consumption rate. The data generated show that the mass loading ratio, the initial permanganate concentration, and the nature and quantity of reduced aquifer material species are the main factors controlling permanganate consumption rates. A higher initial permanganate concentration or a larger mass loading ratio produced a larger fast NOD consumption rate and generated a corresponding higher maximum NOD value. Hence, both the NOD temporal profile and the maximum NOD are not single-valued but are heavily dependent on the experimental conditions. Predictive relationships were developed to estimate the maximum NOD and the NOD at 7 days based on aquifer material properties. The concentration of manganese oxides deposited on the aquifer solids was highly correlated with the mass of permanganate consumed suggesting that passivation of NOD reaction sites occurred due to the formation

Hydrogeological Investigations of the Quaternary Aquifeer in the Northern Part of El-Sharkia Governorate, Egypt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Sayed, S.A.; Ezz El Din, M.R.; Deyab, M.E.

2011-01-01

The hydraulic characteristics of surficial soils and materials of the Quaternary aquifer in the northern part of El-Sharkia Governorate were investigated. The surficial soil zone represents an aquitard for the aquifer and mainly composed of fine textured materials having vertical hydraulic conductivity ranged from 1.4 x10 -6 cm/sec to 2.15x10 -2 cm/sec. The semi-confined Quaternary aquifer is formed of sand and gravel with occasional clay lenses. The groundwater levels ranged from 9 m (MSL) to 5 m (MSL). The major trend of groundwater flow was from south to north and northwest directions. Another minor flow trend was observed to be from southwest to northeast direction. The aquifer is essentially recharged from Ismaillia Canal. The hydraulic gradient through the flow path was 1.9 x10 -4 , averagely. The hydraulic conductivity values differ vertically and laterally indicating the heterogeneity and anisotropy of the aquifer materials. They ranged from 40.1 to 222 m/day with an average value of about 95.8 m/day. The chemical compositions of groundwater and surface water bodies (canals and drains) were investigated. The chemistry of all water bodies was characterized by a basic nature (ph =7.2-7.9) and showed different salinities values and various hydrochemical facies. The average salinities values were 318.1 mg/l for canal water, 1013.4 mg/l for groundwater and 1260 mg/l for drain water. Canal water was fresh while groundwater and drain were fresh to brackish. The reasons causing the changes in salinity and hydrochemical facies were investigated using the relationships among water dissolved constituents and trends of ionic ratios. Subsurface flow, infiltration, evaporation, ion exchange, leaching, and dissolution were the hydrochemical processes leading to the groundwater modification. The suitability of groundwater and surface water for different uses are discussed and evaluated according to the international standards.

Developing a probability-based model of aquifer vulnerability in an agricultural region

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shih-Kai; Jang, Cheng-Shin; Peng, Yi-Huei

2013-04-01

SummaryHydrogeological settings of aquifers strongly influence the regional groundwater movement and pollution processes. Establishing a map of aquifer vulnerability is considerably critical for planning a scheme of groundwater quality protection. This study developed a novel probability-based DRASTIC model of aquifer vulnerability in the Choushui River alluvial fan, Taiwan, using indicator kriging and to determine various risk categories of contamination potentials based on estimated vulnerability indexes. Categories and ratings of six parameters in the probability-based DRASTIC model were probabilistically characterized according to the parameter classification methods of selecting a maximum estimation probability and calculating an expected value. Moreover, the probability-based estimation and assessment gave us an excellent insight into propagating the uncertainty of parameters due to limited observation data. To examine the prediction capacity of pollutants for the developed probability-based DRASTIC model, medium, high, and very high risk categories of contamination potentials were compared with observed nitrate-N exceeding 0.5 mg/L indicating the anthropogenic groundwater pollution. The analyzed results reveal that the developed probability-based DRASTIC model is capable of predicting high nitrate-N groundwater pollution and characterizing the parameter uncertainty via the probability estimation processes.

Arsenic release during managed aquifer recharge (MAR)

Science.gov (United States)

Pichler, T.; Lazareva, O.; Druschel, G.

2013-12-01

The mobilization and addition of geogenic trace metals to groundwater is typically caused by anthropogenic perturbations of the physicochemical conditions in the aquifer. This can add dangerously high levels of toxins to groundwater, thus compromising its use as a source of drinking water. In several regions world-wide, aquifer storage and recovery (ASR), a form of managed aquifer recharge (MAR), faces the problem of arsenic release due to the injection of oxygenated storage water. To better understand this process we coupled geochemical reactive transport modeling to bench-scale leaching experiments to investigate and verify the mobilization of geogenic arsenic (As) under a range of redox conditions from an arsenic-rich pyrite bearing limestone aquifer in Central Florida. Modeling and experimental observations showed similar results and confirmed the following: (1) native groundwater and aquifer matrix, including pyrite, were in chemical equilibrium, thus preventing the release of As due to pyrite dissolution under ambient conditions; (2) mixing of oxygen-rich surface water with oxygen-depleted native groundwater changed the redox conditions and promoted the dissolution of pyrite, and (3) the behavior of As along a flow path was controlled by a complex series of interconnected reactions. This included the oxidative dissolution of pyrite and simultaneous sorption of As onto neo-formed hydrous ferric oxides (HFO), followed by the reductive dissolution of HFO and secondary release of adsorbed As under reducing conditions. Arsenic contamination of drinking water in these systems is thus controlled by the re-equilibration of the system to more reducing conditions rather than a purely oxidative process.

Field study of macrodispersion in a heterogeneous aquifer. I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boggs, J.M.; Young, S.C.; Waldrop, W.R.; Gelhar, L.W.; Adams, E.E.; Rehfeldt, K.R.

1990-01-01

A large-scale natural gradient tracer experiment has been conducted at a field site located at Columbus Air Force Base in northeastern Mississippi. The alluvial aquifer at the test site is composed of lenticular deposits of sand, gravel, silt and clay, and is quite heterogeneous with respect to its hydraulic properties. Ten cubic meters of a solution containing bromide and three organic tracers (pentafluorobenzoic acid, o-trifluoromethylbenzoic acid, and 2,6-difluorobenzoic acid) were injected into the aquifer at a uniform rate over a period of two days. The tracer plume was subsequently monitored in three dimensions over a 20-month period using a network of 258 multilevel sampling wells. The tracer concentration distribution of the plume at the conclusion of the experiment was highly asymmetric in the longitudinal direction. The peak tracer concentration was located only 7 m from the injection point, while the advancing side of the plume extended downgradient a distance of more than 260 m. The extreme skewness of the plume was caused by large scale spatial variations in the mean groundwater velocity along the plume travel path produced by the approximate two order-of-magnitude increase in the mean hydraulic conductivity between the near-field and far-field regions of the experimental site. The tracer mass balance during the experiment showed a declining trend between sampling events with approximately 50 percent of the injected tracer mass unaccounted for at the end of the experiment. Laboratory column experiments indicated that approximately 20 percent of the tracer mass was adsorbed to the aquifer matrix. The remaining 30 percent of the missing tracer mass was attributed to incomplete sampling coverage of the plume, particularly on the advancing side, and to a sampling bias produced by the multilevel samplers. (Author) (17 refs., 3 tabs., 11 figs.)

Diagnostic Tools for Performance Evaluation of Innovative In-Situ Remediation Technologies at Chlorinated Solvent-Contaminated Sites

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-01

Electronic down-hole sensors with data loggers, or fiber optic sensors, can also provide information on the pore pressure, temperature, conductivity...of a dechlorinating community resulting from in-situ biostimulation in a trichloroethene-contaminated deep, fractured basalt aquifer and comparison to...dechlorinating community resulting from in-situ biostimulation in a trichloroethene-contaminated deep, fractured basalt aquifer and comparison to a

Remediating Contaminant Plumes in Groundwater with Shallow Excavations Containing Coarse Reactive Media.

Science.gov (United States)

Hudak, Paul F

2018-02-01

A groundwater flow and mass transport model tested the capability of shallow excavations filled with coarse, reactive media to remediate a hypothetical unconfined aquifer with a maximum saturated thickness of 5 m. Modeled as contaminant sinks, the rectangular excavations were 10 m downgradient of an initial contaminant plume originating from a source at the top of the aquifer. The initial plume was approximately 259 m long, 23 m wide, and 5 m thick, with a downgradient tip located approximately 100 m upgradient of the site boundary. The smallest trench capable of preventing offsite migration was 11 m long (measured perpendicular to groundwater flow), 4 m wide (measured parallel to groundwater flow), and 3 m deep. Results of this study suggest that shallow trenches filled with coarse filter media that partially penetrate unconfined aquifers may be a viable alternative for remediating contaminated groundwater at some sites.

Development Report on the Idaho National Laboratory Sitewide Three-Dimensional Aquifer Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomas R. Wood; Catherine M. Helm-Clark; Hai Huang; Swen Magnuson; Travis McLing; Brennon Orr; Michael J. Rohe; Mitchell A. Plummer; Robert Podgorney; Erik Whitmore; Michael S. Roddy

2007-09-01

A sub-regional scale, three-dimensional flow model of the Snake River Plain Aquifer was developed to support remediation decisions for Waste Area Group 10, Operable Unit 10 08 at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site. This model has been calibrated primarily to water levels and secondarily to groundwater velocities interpreted from stable isotope disequilibrium studies and the movement of anthropogenic contaminants in the aquifer from facilities at the INL. The three-dimensional flow model described in this report is one step in the process of constructing a fully three-dimensional groundwater flow and contaminant transport model as prescribed in the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Operable Unit 10-08 Sitewide Groundwater Model Work Plan. An updated three-dimensional hydrogeologic conceptual model is presented along with the geologic basis for the conceptual model. Sediment-dominated three-dimensional volumes were used to represent the geology and constrain groundwater flow as part of the conceptual model. Hydrological, geochemical, and geological data were summarized and evaluated to infer aquifer behavior. A primary observation from development and evaluation of the conceptual model was that relative to flow on a regional scale, the aquifer can be treated with steady-state conditions. Boundary conditions developed for the three-dimensional flow model are presented along with inverse simulations that estimate parameterization of hydraulic conductivity. Inverse simulations were performed using the pilot-point method to estimate permeability distributions. Thermal modeling at the regional aquifer scale and at the sub-regional scale using the inverted permeabilities is presented to corroborate the results of the flow model. The results from the flow model show good agreement with simulated and observed water levels almost always within 1 meter. Simulated velocities show generally good agreement with some discrepancies in an interpreted low

Ground-water resources and contamination at Kwajalein Island, Republic of the Marshall Islands, 1990-91

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, Charles D.

1996-01-01

Kwajalein Island is the largest of the many low, sandy islets that form Kwajalein Atoll in the western North Pacific Ocean. Salinity and water-level surveys at exploratory monitoring wells in 1990 and 1991 delineated a freshwater lens nearly 40 feet thick floating on saltwater within the carbonate sand and gravel aquifer. A transition zone of mixture between the freshwater and saltwater is as thick as 90 feet. Maximum water-table height is only 1.5 feet above sea level. The freshwater lens thinned and thickened by 5 feet during the year-long field study in response to seasonal rainfall and pumping. Freshwater is produced by airstrip rain catchments and shallow, horizontal wells up to 1,400 feet long. Catchment and ground-water yields are roughly equal on average, but catchment is the principal source during the wet season, whereas the dry season requires sustained pumping. The salinity of pumped water has remained below drinking-water standards since wells were installed in 1971, except during the drought of 1983-84, the most severe drought in the rainfall record dating back to 1945. Wet-season rains at the end of the drought reduced salinity to low levels in just a few months. The operating history of the combined catchment/well water supply indicates that it is capable of producing at least 300,000 gallons per day in all but the driest years, and more in wet years. Several sites are contaminated by fuels, solvents, or metals, but most are at the periphery of the freshwater flow system where contaminants are carried toward the shore. However, three interior sites have greater potential to contaminate nearby water-supply wells.

Characterizing fate and transport properties in karst aquifers under different hydrologic conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, E.; Padilla, I. Y.

2017-12-01

Karst landscapes contain very productive aquifers. The hydraulic and hydrogeological characteristics of karst aquifers make these systems capable of storing and transporting large amount of water, but also highly vulnerable to contamination. Their extremely heterogeneous nature prevents accurate prediction in contaminant fate and transport. Even more challenging is to understand the impact of hydrologic conditions changes on fate and transport processes. This studies aims at characterizing fate and transport processes in the karst groundwater system of northern Puerto Rico under different hydrologic conditions. The study involves injecting rhodamine and uranine dyes into a sinkhole, and monitoring concentrations at a spring. Results show incomplete recovery of tracers, but breaking curves can be used to estimate advective, dispersive and mass transfer characteristic of the karst system. Preliminary results suggest significant differences in fate and transport characteristics under different hydrologic conditions.

Determining Changes in Groundwater Quality during Managed Aquifer Recharge

Science.gov (United States)

Gambhir, T.; Houlihan, M.; Fakhreddine, S.; Dadakis, J.; Fendorf, S. E.

2016-12-01

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is becoming an increasingly prevalent technology for improving the sustainability of freshwater supply. However, recharge water can alter the geochemical conditions of the aquifer, mobilizing contaminants native to the aquifer sediments. Geochemical alterations on deep (>300 m) injection of highly treated recycled wastewater for MAR has received limited attention. We aim to determine how residual disinfectants used in water treatment processes, specifically the strong oxidants chloramine and hydrogen peroxide, affect metal mobilization within deep injection wells of the Orange County Water District. Furthermore, as the treated recharge water has very low ionic strength (44.6 mg L-1 total dissolved solids), we tested how differing concentrations of magnesium chloride and calcium chloride affected metal mobilization within deep aquifers. Continuous flow experiments were conducted on columns dry packed with sediments from a deep injection MAR site in Orange County, CA. The effluent was analyzed for shifts in water quality, including aqueous concentrations of arsenic, uranium, and chromium. Interaction between the sediment and oxic recharge solution causes naturally-occurring arsenopyrite to repartition onto iron oxides. The stability of arsenic on the newly precipitated iron oxides is dependent on pH changes during recharge.

McGET: A rapid image-based method to determine the morphological characteristics of gravels on the Gobi desert surface

Science.gov (United States)

Mu, Yue; Wang, Feng; Zheng, Bangyou; Guo, Wei; Feng, Yiming

2018-03-01

The relationship between morphological characteristics (e.g. gravel size, coverage, angularity and orientation) and local geomorphic features (e.g. slope gradient and aspect) of desert has been used to explore the evolution process of Gobi desert. Conventional quantification methods are time-consuming, inefficient and even prove impossible to determine the characteristics of large numbers of gravels. We propose a rapid image-based method to obtain the morphological characteristics of gravels on the Gobi desert surface, which is called the "morphological characteristics gained effectively technique" (McGET). The image of the Gobi desert surface was classified into gravel clusters and background by a machine-learning "classification and regression tree" (CART) algorithm. Then gravel clusters were segmented into individual gravel clasts by separating objects in images using a "watershed segmentation" algorithm. Thirdly, gravel coverage, diameter, aspect ratio and orientation were calculated based on the basic principles of 2D computer graphics. We validated this method with two independent datasets in which the gravel morphological characteristics were obtained from 2728 gravels measured in the field and 7422 gravels measured by manual digitization. Finally, we applied McGET to derive the spatial variation of gravel morphology on the Gobi desert along an alluvial-proluvial fan located in Hami, Xinjiang, China. The validated results show that the mean gravel diameter measured in the field agreed well with that calculated by McGET for large gravels (R2 = 0.89, P < 0.001). Compared to manual digitization, the McGET accuracies for gravel coverage, gravel diameter and aspect ratio were 97%, 83% and 96%, respectively. The orientation distributions calculated were consistent across two different methods. More importantly, McGET significantly shortens the time cost in obtaining gravel morphological characteristics in the field and laboratory. The spatial variation results