Abstract
An assessment of the risk for groundwater pollution and vulnerability to pumping can help identify strategic groundwater bodies to define sustainable management measures of groundwater resources. In this paper, we propose a new method to make a preliminary estimation of the risk for groundwater pollution at the aquifer scale through the lumped turnover time index (T index). A new lumped index (L-RISK index) was defined to assess the significance of the risk for pollution at the aquifer scale. Both L-RISK and T indices were employed to calibrate a linear regression model that showed a good inverse correlation in the eight aquifers of the Upper Guadiana Basin (Spain). This novel method can be applied to analyze a wide range of aquifers with limited information in order to identify potential strategic aquifers. It also allows one to make a preliminary assessment of the impacts of climate change on L-RISK. The results showed a high variability of the T index in the eight aquifers (8–76 years). Three of them had significant greater mean T values, which could be considered to be the main strategic groundwater resources. In the future, the T index will increase between 8 and 44%, and the L-RISK will decrease in all aquifers (1–18%).
Highlights
IntroductionGroundwater is a valuable renewable resource that plays an important role in providing water supplies across the world, especially in semiarid areas where rivers are usually ephemeral
The risk of pollution map was computed by combining the groundwater vulnerability map (O-DRASTIC) and the hazard map
This paper presents a new method to make a preliminary assessment and/or validation of groundwater pollution risk maps at the aquifer scale by using a lumped approach of the mean residence time (T index)
Summary
Groundwater is a valuable renewable resource that plays an important role in providing water supplies across the world, especially in semiarid areas where rivers are usually ephemeral. The interactions between anthropogenic activity, the hydrosphere, and climate affect groundwater resources and produce environmental impacts on human health, groundwater quality, and groundwater quantity depletion. This degradation produces negative effects— in exploitation for different uses (human consumption, irrigation, etc.) and in groundwater-dependent ecosystems [1,2,3].
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