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Assessing groundwater pollution and potential remediation processes in a multi-layer aquifer system
Hui Qian1, Jie Chen1, Ken W F Howard2
1Key Laboratory of Subsurface Hydrology and Ecological Effects in Arid Region of the Ministry of Education, Chang'an University, No.126 Yanta Road, Xi'an, 710054, Shaanxi, China; School of Water and Environment, Chang'an University, No.126 Yanta Road, Xi'an, 710054, Shaanxi, China.
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
|February 23, 2021
Summary
Groundwater pumping in Yinchuan is causing water quality to decline due to increased leakage. Potability is threatened in expanding areas within 200 years, requiring careful aquifer management.
Area of Science:
- Hydrogeology
- Environmental Science
- Water Resource Management
Background:
- Groundwater abstraction for drinking water in Yinchuan has led to a large cone of depression, increasing vertical recharge.
- Pumping-induced leakage across aquitards can degrade water quality in multi-layer aquifer systems.
- Assessing long-term water quality trends is crucial for sustainable groundwater abstraction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of pumping-induced leakage on groundwater quality in the Yinchuan confined aquifer.
- To assess the current and future state of the aquifer system regarding water quality and potability.
- To provide guidance for sustainable groundwater management and aquifer exploitation.
Main Methods:
- Development and calibration of a hydrogeological model using head data.
- Incorporation of field tracer tests to determine hydro-dispersive characteristics of contaminants.
- Modeling to predict future water quality degradation and assess remediation strategies.
Main Results:
- A strong correlation exists between water quality deterioration and high downward fluxes of chloride-rich groundwater, particularly near the cone of depression.
- Water quality degradation is currently slow due to substantial pre-existing storage of good quality water.
- Model simulations indicate loss of potability in 25 km² (current pumping) and 50 km² (intensified pumping) within 200 years.
Conclusions:
- Elevated chloride levels and their eastward spread highlight the influence of hydrological settings on vertical groundwater flow.
- Aquifer remediation is projected to be slow, requiring over 250 years to restore potability in affected areas.
- Findings offer valuable insights for decision-makers to support sustainable management of groundwater resources.
