Risk of groundwater contamination widely underestimated because of fast flow into aquifers.

Autor:	Hartmann A; Hydrological Modeling and Water Resources, University of Freiburg, D-79098 Freiburg, Germany; andreas.hartmann@hydmod.uni-freiburg.de.; Department of Civil Engineering, University of Bristol, BS8 1TR, Bristol, United Kingdom., Jasechko S; Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93117., Gleeson T; Department of Civil Engineering and School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada., Wada Y; International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria.; Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands., Andreo B; Department of Geology and Centre of Hydrogeology at the University of Malaga, 29071, Malaga, Spain., Barberá JA; Department of Geology and Centre of Hydrogeology at the University of Malaga, 29071, Malaga, Spain., Brielmann H; Environment Agency Austria, Groundwater Unit, Spittelauer Laende 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria., Bouchaou L; Laboratory of Applied Geology and Geo- Environment, Ibn Zohr University, BP 8106 Agadir, Morocco.; International Water Research Institute, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Ben Guerir 43150, Morocco., Charlier JB; BRGM, University of Montpellier, F-34000 Montpellier, France.; G-eau, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, AgroParisTech, Supagro, BRGM, F-34196 Montpellier, France., Darling WG; British Geological Survey, Wallingford OX10 8ED, United Kingdom., Filippini M; Department of Biological Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, 40127, Bologna, Italy., Garvelmann J; Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Campus Alpin, D-82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.; boden & grundwasser Allgäu GmbH, D-87527 Sonthofen, Germany., Goldscheider N; Institute of Applied Geosciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, D-76131 Karlsruhe, Germany., Kralik M; Department of Environmental Geosciences, Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria., Kunstmann H; Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Campus Alpin, D-82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.; Institute of Geography, University of Augsburg, D-86135 Augsburg, Germany., Ladouche B; BRGM, University of Montpellier, F-34000 Montpellier, France.; G-eau, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, AgroParisTech, Supagro, BRGM, F-34196 Montpellier, France., Lange J; Hydrology, University of Freiburg, D-79098 Freiburg,Germany., Lucianetti G; Department of Sciences, Roma Tre University, 00146 Rome, Italy., Martín JF; Department of Geology and Centre of Hydrogeology at the University of Malaga, 29071, Malaga, Spain., Mudarra M; Department of Geology and Centre of Hydrogeology at the University of Malaga, 29071, Malaga, Spain., Sánchez D; Department of Geology and Centre of Hydrogeology at the University of Malaga, 29071, Malaga, Spain., Stumpp C; Institute for Soil Physics and Rural Water Management, Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, A-1190 Vienna, Austria., Zagana E; Laboratory of Hydrogeology, Department of Geology, University of Patras, 26500 Rion Patras, Greece., Wagener T; Department of Civil Engineering, University of Bristol, BS8 1TR, Bristol, United Kingdom.; Cabot Institute, University of Bristol, BS8 1UH, Bristol, United Kingdom.; Institute for Environmental Science and Geography, University of Potsdam, D-14476, Potsdam, Germany.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A] 2021 May 18; Vol. 118 (20).
DOI:	10.1073/pnas.2024492118
Abstrakt:	Groundwater pollution threatens human and ecosystem health in many regions around the globe. Fast flow to the groundwater through focused recharge is known to transmit short-lived pollutants into carbonate aquifers, endangering the quality of groundwaters where one quarter of the world's population lives. However, the large-scale impact of such focused recharge on groundwater quality remains poorly understood. Here, we apply a continental-scale model to quantify the risk of groundwater contamination by degradable pollutants through focused recharge in the carbonate rock regions of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. We show that focused recharge is the primary reason for widespread rapid transport of contaminants to the groundwater. Where it occurs, the concentration of pollutants in groundwater recharge that have not yet degraded increases from <1% to around 20 to 50% of their concentrations during infiltration. Assuming realistic application rates, our simulations show that degradable pollutants like glyphosate can exceed their permissible concentrations by 3 to 19 times when reaching the groundwater. Our results are supported by independent estimates of young water fractions at 78 carbonate rock springs over Europe and a dataset of observed glyphosate concentrations in the groundwater. They imply that in times of continuing and increasing industrial and agricultural productivity, focused recharge may result in an underestimated and widespread risk to usable groundwater volumes. Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interest.
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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