Mercury in ground water, septage, leach-field effluent, and soils in residential areas, New Jersey coastal plain

Water samples were collected from domestic wells at an unsewered residential area in Gloucester County, New Jersey where mercury (Hg) concentrations in well water were known to exceed the USEPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 2,000 ng/L. This residential area (the CSL site) is representative of more than 70 such areas in southern New Jersey where about 600 domestic wells, sampled previously by State and county agencies, yielded water containing Hg at concentrations that exceed the MCL. Recent studies indicate that background concentrations of Hg in water from this unconfined sand and gravel aquifer system are <10 ng/L. Additional sampling was conducted at the CSL site in order to better understand sources of Hg and potential Hg transport mechanisms in the areas with Hg-contaminated ground water. At the CSL site, concentrations of Hg were substantially lower (although still exceeding the MCL in some cases) in filtered water samples than in the unfiltered water samples collected previously from the same wells. Surfactants and elevated concentrations of sodium, chloride, nitrate, ammonium, and phosphate in water from domestic and observation wells indicated septic-system effects on water quality; detections of sulfide indicated localized reducing conditions. Hg concentrations in septage and leach-field effluent sampled at several other households in the region were low relative to the contaminant-level Hg concentrations in water from domestic wells. Relations of Hg concentrations in leach-field effluent to iron concentrations indicate that reductive dissolution of iron hydroxides in soils may release Hg to the percolating effluent.     

Mercury concentrations in water from an unconfined aquifer system, New Jersey coastal plain

Concentrations of total mercury (Hg) from 2 microg/L (the USEPA maximum contaminant level) to 72 microg/L in water from about 600 domestic wells in residential parts of eight counties in southern New Jersey have been reported by State and county agencies. The wells draw water from the areally extensive (7770 km(2)) unconfined Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system, in which background concentrations of Hg are about 0.01 microg/L or less. Hg is present in most aquifer materials at concentrations <50 microg/kg, but is at 100--150 microg/kg in undisturbed surficial soils. No point sources of contamination to the affected areas have been conclusively identified. To determine whether high levels of Hg in ground water are related to a particular land use and (or) water chemistry, water samples from 105 wells that tap the aquifer system were collected by the United States Geological Survey. These included randomly selected domestic wells, domestic and observation wells in selected land uses, and sets of clustered observation wells--including two sets that are downgradient from residential areas with Hg-contaminated ground water. Hg concentrations in filtered samples (Hg(f)) were at or near background levels in water from most wells, but ranged from 0.1 to 3.8 microg/L in water from nearly 20% of wells. Hg(f) concentrations from 0.0001 to 0.1 microg/L correlated significantly and positively with concentrations of other constituents associated with anthropogenic inputs (Ca, Cl, Na, and NO(3)) and with dissolved organic carbon. Hg(f) concentrations >0.1 microg/L did not correlate significantly with concentrations of the inorganic constituents. Hg(f) concentrations near or exceeding 2 microg/L were found only in water from wells in areas with residential land use, but concentrations were at background levels in most water samples from undeveloped land. The spatial distribution of Hg-contaminated ground water appears to be locally and regionally heterogeneous; no extensive plumes of Hg contamination have yet been identified.     

The impact of cattle farming best management practices on surface water nutrient concentrations,faecal bacteria and algal dominance in the Lake Oconee watershed

The objective of this study was to assess water quality in the Lake Oconee watershed and evaluate the best management practices used by cattle farms to reduce water contamination. Inorganic nutrient concentrations, algal abundance and faecal bacteria were highest in the cattle farming areas. The diatom community where cattle had no access was dominated by Achnanthidium minutissimum (Kützing) Czarnecki and Fragilaria crotonensis Kitton, and in sites where cattle were allowed direct access to the lake, Asterionella formosa Hassal, Nitzschia palea (Kützing) Smith and Navicula rostellata Kützing dominated. The latter three taxa are well‐known high‐nutrient diatoms. High populations of green algae (coccoid Desmidiaceae) were found where cattle had access. Sources of faecal pollution were identified using polymerase chain reaction detection, with Bifidobacterium adolescentis as a marker of human faecal pollution and Bacteroides (BoBac) indicating cattle faecal pollution. Overall, riparian buffers were most effective at reducing pollution from cattle operations.     

Analysis of vulnerability factors that control nitrate occurrence in natural springs (Osona Region, NE Spain)

Nitrate pollution is one of the main concerns of groundwater management in most of the world's agricultural areas. In the Osona region of NE Spain, high concentrations of nitrates have been reported in wells. This study uses the occurrence of this pollutant in natural springs as an indicator of the sub-surface dynamics of the water cycle and shows how groundwater quality is affected by crop fertilization, as an approach to determine the aquifer vulnerability.Nitrate concentration and other hydrochemical parameters based on a biannual database are reported for approximately 80 springs for the period 2004-2009. The background concentration of nitrate is first determined to distinguish polluted areas from natural nitrate occurrence. A statistical treatment using logistic regression and ANOVA is then performed to identify the significance of the effect of vulnerability factors such as the geological setting of the springs, land use in recharge areas, sampling periods, and chemical parameters like pH and EC, on groundwater nitrate pollution.The results of the analysis identify a threshold value of 7-8 mg NO₃⁻/L for nitrate pollution in this area. Logistic regression and ANOVA results show that an increase in EC or a decrease in pH values is linked to the possibility of higher nitrate concentrations in springs. These analyses also show that nitrate pollution is more dependent on land use than the geological setting of springs or sampling periods. Indeed, the specific geological and soil features of the uppermost layers in their recharge areas do not contribute to the buffering of nitrate impacts on aquifers as measured in natural springs. Land use, and particularly fertilization practices, are major factors in groundwater vulnerability.     

A proposal for the dimensions of protection areas

Although the only way of safeguarding the quality of the groundwater is to prevent any risk of pollution in the whole recharge area, it is mostly impossible to maintain that principle for practical and social reasons. Therefore many different systems for the protection of watersupply-areas are applied, which are based on technical and on socio-economic and administrative factors.From a technical point of view a protection system has to depend on the hydrogeological properties of the aquifer. In this respect an important distinction can be made between porous-permeable (mostly unconsolidated) aquifers and fissured and karstic (consolidated) aquifers, especially in relation to the flow velocity of the groundwater. Moreover, it is appropriate to distinguish between a pollution with persistent compounds and a pollution of a degradable nature, which may lead to a zoning within a protection area.For both types of aquifer a protection zone around the well field is established which should guarantee a delay-time of at least 50–60 days before the groundwater in the aquifer is pumped; that time should be sufficient to break down disease germs.Much larger protection areas are necessary to protect against compounds which are not or hardly degradable; to the question of the size of these areas considerations of safe and continuous water supply are relevant.For porous-permeable aquifers a protection area is proposed which has to guarantee a delay of the groundwater in the aquifer of 25 years; an internal zoning based on a delay of 10 years may be appropriate. As the flow velocity of the groundwater in fissured and karstic rocks is very high, and so the protection areas would be of an enormous extent, this principle may be impractical. In that case the protection area should be restricted to a distance of 2 kilometers from the wells; this distance has been succesfully applied in Germany for a long time.Regulations in the different protection areas can be applied in order to restrict the presence of hardly degradable substances in the zones of 10 and 25 years and of 60 days of delay. In the inner zone of 60 days an additional restriction on the introduction of disease germs is necessary.     

The impact of the Aznalcóllar mine tailing spill on groundwater

As a consequence of a mine tailing dam collapse on the 25th April 1998, more than 4000 ha of the Guadiamar riverflat and farmlands were flooded by 4 hm3 of sulphide slurry. A number of open wells (12 of the 47 analyzed) were also flooded and the water was contaminated. Before the spill, the groundwater in the aquifers was of calcium-carbonate and calcium-sulphate type, with moderate mineralisation and near neutral pH. With the exception of some of the wells close to the mine, this groundwater had a low concentration of the metals associated with the Aznalcóllar mine. After the flood the following metals had anomalous concentrations in well water: Zn, Mn, Pb, Co, Cd and Tl. Of these, Zn seems to be the best tracer of the contamination, owing to its high concentrations. During the 5 months following the spill, water from the unflooded wells did not show an increase in metal concentration. Apart from some exceptions in August, the metal concentration in the affected wells showed a progressive decrease reaching levels closer to those in the wells free from contamination. Nevertheless, in the following dry seasons the draw-down of the water level may lead to exposure and weathering of sulphides in the wells, which could cause an increase in pollution. Therefore, thorough cleaning of all highly contaminated wells is strongly recommended.     

Nitrate contamination in private wells in rural Alabama, United States

Nitrate-N (NO(3)(-)-N) concentrations in random water samples from rural residential wells in Alabama, USA, were analyzed over an 8-year period from 1992 to 1999. Data collected included land use, well depth, septic tank use and distance from the well and also livestock and cropping activities around wells. Of 1021 available data sets, 36% of samples showed nitrate-N concentration of higher than 1.0 mg/l, indicating the possible influence of anthropogenic activities. About 1.7% of samples had a nitrate-N concentration of higher than 10 mg/l. Results indicate nitrate contamination in groundwater was relatively low and stable in Alabama. Logistic regression analysis indicated that well depth, pH, and cropping activity were factors of statistical significance in influencing nitrate-N concentration in these wells. Factors such as septic tank use and livestock activities did not show a close link to nitrate-N concentration in wells tested.     

复杂巨厚第四纪松散沉积层地区深基坑降水三维渗流场数值模拟——以上海地铁4~#线董家渡段隧道修复基坑降水为例

针对长江三角洲地区分布有复杂巨厚第四纪松散沉积层,且具有较高的承压水位,其深基坑降水的模拟、预测难度大。以上海地铁4#线董家渡段隧道修复基坑降水为例,建立基坑降水三维渗流模型,并采用有限差分数值模拟方法,模拟在多层含水层复合存在、含水层最深底板埋深达150 m、基坑周围挡水连续墙埋深达65 m、抽水井埋深达59 m、抽水井过滤器埋深为44～59 m及30口抽水井联合降水情况下,基坑中心下伏第2承压含水层中部降压段水位降至埋深43.35 m时的地下水复杂流动状态。经后续工程验证,该结果正确、可靠,该理论用于模拟预测此类地区深基坑降水引起的地下水流场变化具有较高的可信度。     

北京通州区地下水污染评价及监测网布设

为准确刻画通州区地下水污染的分布特征,基于2008年6月采集的151个浅、中、深层地下水样进行了分层污染评价。采用数理统计学方法,计算了各层不同级别的污染面积。初步探讨了污染机理和原因。结果表明研究区内浅层地下水均已经遭受污染且污染程度较为严重,中层地下水绝大部分显示为轻度污染,而深层地下水只在西部小范围地区遭受轻度污染。提出了“重点突出、区域控制、分层监测、有机无机并重”监测网布设原则,整合并新施工监测井,形成了立体分层的地下水监测网络：其中污染源专项监孔共计71眼,区域浅层监测孔共计48眼,区域中层共计36眼,区域中深层共计26眼,区域深层共计22眼。最后对监测网的运行情况进行了简要介绍。     

Eine Untersuchung zum Einfluss voll verfilterter Messstellen auf die Grundwasserbeschaffenheit

Advantages and disadvantages of fully screened and depth-orientated observation wells in porous aquifers are diversely evaluated in hydrogeological practice. Although guidelines refer to the risk of groundwater mixing downstream of fully screened wells, installation of fully screened wells continues. This paper includes an overview of guidelines for selection of suitable observation wells as well as results from an investigation on the impact of fully screened wells in two observation well installations. These results indicate that, after filling the fully screened wells, the measured groundwater quality changed drastically. The mean nitrate concentrations in the upper layer of the aquifer decreased from 90 to 14 mg/L within six weeks. Building new fully screened wells in porous aquifers is discouraged if vertical flow in the wells cannot be excluded.     

Estimation of inorganic and organic pollutants in Kuwait groundwaters used in irrigation: a study after the gulf war

Kuwait was invaded on August 2, 1990. Around 700 oil wells were destroyed during the Iraqi aggression. Many septic tanks and drainage systems were destroyed. One of the major concerns following the Iraqi invasion is the possibility of ground water contamination. A study of underground water in Kuwait during the period June to December 1993 with regard to irrigation is presented. Water from four different aquifers were analysed for organics and inorganics. A hydrochemical study of these waters indicated that water from (Su‐123), (E‐15) and (PW‐1OL) are suitable for irrigation. The boron concentration in these plants is less than 1 ppm, making it suitable for sensitive and semisensitive crops. Nickel and vanadium are the major inorganics found in crude oil. No appreciable rise in the concentration of these elements was observed. The concentration of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and total organic carbon (TOC) is found to vary from 0.01 to 0.07 ppm and 0.21 to 0.9 ppm. PAH is found to vary with location while TOC is found to vary with time.     

Environmental hypothesis: is poor dietary selenium intake an underlying factor for arsenicosis and cancer in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India?

To reduce the incidence of dysentery, cholera and other water-borne diseases and mortality of people drinking from surface contaminated sources of water, the World Bank and United Nations Children's Fund began to sink tube wells into the underlying aquifers of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, in the 1970s. Many of the tube wells were drilled into underground aquifers that provided microbiologically clean water that was later determined to contain arsenic (As). As contamination of drinking water is a problem of natural occurrence throughout the world and domestic water often exceeds the World Health Organization limit of 50 microg As/l in the countries of Bangladesh, West Bengal, India and Nepal as well as other areas occupying much of the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta. It is estimated that as many as one-half of these tube wells discharge water with sufficient amounts of As to produce arsenicosis, i.e. As toxicity in the human population. Access to clean As free water is the priority of most organized relief efforts. Where As free domestic water cannot be provided, an improved diet and/or dietary supplements may ameliorate As toxicity or prevent its toxicity all together. The dietary status of the essential human trace element, selenium (Se) may be adversely affected by a chronic excessive ingestion of As. As added to animal diets has been known to counteract Se toxicity in animals since the 1930s. It is reasoned therefore, that high levels of chronic As ingestion from well water by people within the delta will accelerate the excretion of Se lowering the body's content of this essential trace element. Excessive Se excretion owing to Se/As complexation may add to the likelihood of As being more toxic and carcinogenic over time, due to the oxidative stress imposed by the excessive As and low Se ingestion. Because of the unique environment of the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta in which millions of people are presently exposed to As, we ask the question: are low dietary Se ingestion and accelerated Se depletion by As possible contributing factors to arsenicosis?     

Effectiveness of household reverse-osmosis systems in a Western U.S. region with high arsenic in groundwater

It is well known to the public in Lahontan Valley in rural Nevada, USA, that local aquifers produce water with varied, but sometimes very high concentrations of arsenic (>4 ppm). As a result, many residents of the area have installed household reverse-osmosis (RO) systems to produce drinking water. We examined performance of RO systems and factors associated with arsenic removal efficiency in 59 households in Lahontan Valley. The sampling results indicated that RO systems removed an average of 80.2% of arsenic from well water. In 18 of the 59 households, arsenic concentrations exceeded 10 ppb in treated water, with a maximum in treated water of 180 ppb. In 3 of the 59 households, RO treatment had little effect on specific conductance, indicating that the RO system was not working properly. Two main factors lead to arsenic levels in treated water exceeding drinking-water standards in the study area. First, arsenic concentrations were high enough in some Lahontan Valley wells that arsenic levels exceeded 10 ppb even though RO treatment removed more than 95% of the arsenic. Second, trivalent As(+3) was the dominant arsenic species in approximately 15% of the wells, which significantly reduced treatment efficiency. Measurements of specific conductance indicated that efficiency in reducing arsenic levels did not always correlate with reductions in total dissolved solids. As a consequence, improvements in taste of the water or simple measurements of specific conductance made by technicians to test RO systems can mislead the public into assuming the water meets safety standards. Actual measurements of treated water are necessary to assure that household RO systems are reducing arsenic concentrations to safe levels, particularly in areas where groundwater has high arsenic concentrations or where As(+3) is the dominant species.     

Magnitude of arsenic pollution in the Mekong and Red River Deltas--Cambodia and Vietnam

Large alluvial deltas of the Mekong River in southern Vietnam and Cambodia and the Red River in northern Vietnam have groundwaters that are exploited for drinking water by private tube-wells, which are of increasing demand since the mid-1990s. This paper presents an overview of groundwater arsenic pollution in the Mekong delta: arsenic concentrations ranged from 1-1610 microg/L in Cambodia (average 217 microg/L) and 1-845 microg/L in southern Vietnam (average 39 microg/L), respectively. It also evaluates the situation in Red River delta where groundwater arsenic concentrations vary from 1-3050 microg/L (average 159 microg/L). In addition to rural areas, the drinking water supply of the city of Hanoi has elevated arsenic concentrations. The sediments of 12-40 m deep cores from the Red River delta contain arsenic levels of 2-33 microg/g (average 7 microg/g, dry weight) and show a remarkable correlation with sediment-bound iron. In all three areas, the groundwater arsenic pollution seem to be of natural origin and caused by reductive dissolution of arsenic-bearing iron phases buried in aquifers. The population at risk of chronic arsenic poisoning is estimated to be 10 million in the Red River delta and 0.5-1 million in the Mekong delta. A subset of hair samples collected in Vietnam and Cambodia from residents drinking groundwater with arsenic levels >50 microg/L have a significantly higher arsenic content than control groups (<50 microg/L). Few cases of arsenic related health problems are recognized in the study areas compared to Bangladesh and West Bengal. This difference probably relates to arsenic contaminated tube-well water only being used substantially over the past 7 to 10 years in Vietnam and Cambodia. Because symptoms of chronic arsenic poisoning usually take more than 10 years to develop, the number of future arsenic related ailments in Cambodia and Vietnam is likely to increase. Early mitigation measures should be a high priority.     

松散承压含水层地区深基坑降水三维渗流与地面沉降耦合模型

以上海环球金融中心基坑降水为例,根据基坑降水过程中有效应力和孔隙水压力的转化关系,建立了基坑降水与地面沉降的耦合模型,并采用有限差分数值模拟方法,模拟了在多层含水层复合存在、含水层最深底板埋深达145 m、基坑周围挡水连续墙埋深达34 m、抽水井埋深达55 m、抽水井过滤器埋深为34～55 m,单井抽水量为1420 m3/d的8口抽水井联合降水情况下,基坑中心下伏第Ⅰ承压含水层上部降压段水位降至埋深26 m时的地下水复杂流动状态及其地面沉降特征。经后续工程验证,该结果正确、可靠,该理论用于模拟预测此类地区深基坑降水引起的地下水流场变化及其地面沉降具有较高的可信度。     

考虑承压含水层间越流的地下水回灌现场试验研究

当场地存在多层层间有一定水力联系的承压含水层时,基坑内降水可引发基坑止水帷幕墙底以下的承压含水层的水头下降,并相应引起坑外多个含水层水位降低,若对所有层进行回灌则将导致成本大幅提高,此时可对某一层回灌,通过越流对其他含水层进行水位补给。通过在天津地铁某车站基坑所在场地开展抽水试验、单井回灌试验、先抽后灌试验对基坑内外的水力联系、不同含水层间的水力联系和隔层回灌的效果进行了研究。结果表明,由于各含水层间之间有一定水力联系导致竖向越流补给较强,基坑内疏干降水可引起坑外承压含水层水头下降并引起坑外地层沉降。对基坑外第Ⅰ微承压含水层进行回灌可有效对其上部潜水层和下部第Ⅱ-1承压层的水头起到抬升作用,通过隔层回灌从而控制其水位下降导致的坑外沉降。对第Ⅰ承压含水层进行回灌对基坑外第Ⅱ-2承压层水位抬升也有一定的作用,但是尚不足以使其因基坑内降水引起的坑外水位下降值完全恢复,建议结合设置此层的备用回灌井以控制其水位下降。     

Impact of longwall mining on groundwater above the longwall panel in shallow coal seams

Since longwall mining causes subsidence through the overlying strata to the ground surface, the surface water and groundwater above the longwall panels may be affected and drained into the lower levels.Therefore, loss or interruption of streams and overburden aquifers is a common concern in coal industry.This paper analyzed the potential effects of longwall mining on subsurface water system in shallow coal seam. In order to monitor different water level fluctuations throughout the mining period, three water wells were drilled down to the proposed deformation zone above the longwall panel. A GGU-SS-FLOW3 D model was used to predict water table contours for the periods of pre- and post-mining conditions. The field data from the three water wells were utilized to calibrate the model. The field test and numerical model can help to better understand the dewatering of shallow aquifers and surface waters related to ground subsidence from longwall mining in shallow coal seam.     

利用瞬变电磁技术进行地下水资源勘察

为了解决内蒙古白旗地区水资源严重短缺的问题,采用瞬变电磁技术在该区进行了勘察。通过分析平原地区含水层的矿化度和孔隙度对岩石电阻率的影响,并以导电球体的模型计算地下含水层异常的可分辨时间窗口,确定该区地下含水层异常出现最大值的探测条件。在结合已知自流井的电性差异基础上,对地下含水层和含水深度进行准确勘察,确定新的水井位置,经钻孔验证涌水量满足了白旗地区供水水源的需求。     

Interrelation of wastewater and groundwater management in the city of Bijeljina in Bosnia

The city of Bijeljina lies on alluvial deposits of the river Drina, which provide groundwater storage of great capacity with good hydraulic properties. Groundwater is abstracted by wells which are located in a field close to the city, and used for public water supply. In the summer of 1993, large numbers of coliform bacteria were found repeatedly in two of the wells. A study was initiated with the main objective of providing a short-term solution to the problem, as well as some guidelines for the long-term groundwater management strategy. A regional groundwater flow model was developed, calibrated and verified. In situ tracer experiments were used to improve the reliability of particle tracking computations. The results were used to prove that the sources of pollution were domestic septic tanks upstream of the well field. The problem was temporarily solved by closure of five wells capturing polluted water and opening some new wells in the less affected zone. The particle tracking results show why this strategy works, but also show that it is only a temporary solution. As a long-term solution, a sewerage system and network of monitoring wells were proposed. The sewerage system has been constructed recently. The role of monitoring is to check if bacterial pollution has ceased following the construction of the sewerage system, as well as to detect other types of pollutants. Groundwater levels have been monitored for one year already, so the data for model re-calibration has been collected. The re-calibrated model can be used for more accurate delineation of protective zones, prediction of the risks related to other pollutants, analysis of the possibility to reactivate the closed wells, etc. As the major objective in long-term water resources management, it is proposed that an integrated approach should be adopted, with simultaneous management of water supply, wastewater and solid waste.     

Influence of filtration on concentrations of 62 elements analysed on crystalline bedrock groundwater samples by ICP-MS.

Analyses of unfiltered and filtered (< 0.45 micron and < 0.10 micron) groundwater samples from 15 selected wells in crystalline bedrock aquifers of the Oslo area, Norway, have been studied for 62 chemical elements. While concentrations of almost all elements vary over several orders of magnitude between the individual wells, the discrepancy between filtered and unfiltered samples from the same well are rather small, not exceeding one order of magnitude. Many elements show no influence of filtration at all, while one element (Sn) suggests that filtration may actually introduce contamination to the samples. Correlation between unfiltered and filtered samples is high for most elements. The study shows that: (1) even unfiltered samples will satisfactorily reflect general water chemistry as long as drinking water (i.e. by definition rather 'clean' water, with low particulates) is collected; (2) filtered samples do not necessarily reflect 'true' solution chemistry (an elusive concept); and (3) the differences between samples filtered at < 0.45 micron and < 0.10 micron are so minimal for most elements, that the additional effort invested in ultra-filtration may not be justified for bedrock groundwater samples.