[Screening Method of Priority Control Pollutants in Groundwater Based on Contamination Assessment]

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Hydrogeology
• Analytical Chemistry

Context:

• Groundwater pollution poses significant environmental and health risks.
• Effective environmental management requires efficient screening of priority control pollutants.
• Regions with limited basic information face challenges in groundwater pollution assessment.

Purpose:

• To develop and validate a simple, data-efficient screening method for priority groundwater pollutants.
• To establish a contamination assessment-based system suitable for regions with weak basic information.
• To compare the contamination assessment method with a risk assessment-based system.

Summary:

• A novel screening method for priority groundwater pollutants based on contamination assessment was developed.
• The method utilizes pollution index classification and frequency score superposition.
• Applied in Golmud, China, it identified TDS, total hardness, chloride, sulfate, sodium, fluorine, total iron, pyrene, phenanthrene, and aluminum as priority pollutants.
• Results were validated against a risk assessment method, showing high reliability.

Impact:

• Provides a practical tool for environmental management in data-limited areas.
• Enhances the ability to prevent and control groundwater pollution.
• Offers a simpler, more accessible alternative to complex risk assessment models for pollutant screening.