Numerical modeling of groundwater flow and nitrate transport using MODFLOW and MT3DMS in the Karaj alluvial aquifer, Iran.

Abstract

Nitrate is one of the most dangerous pollutants in groundwater, being regarded as a severe environmental hazard and a global-scale problem. The present study aims to analyze the groundwater flow and nitrate contamination in the Karaj unconfined aquifer, Central Iran. Simulation of the quantitative and qualitative status was performed using MODFLOW and MT3DMS. Sampling was done to model groundwater flow for eight seasonal time periods and nitrate pollution transport for four time periods (a total of 420days), and calibration was carried out by trial-and-error method. Due to the predominance of advection term in the transport of nitrate pollution, the total variation diminishing method was used in transport modeling. The groundwater flow modeling showed a reservoir deficit of - 33 MCUM and 67cm decrease in the water year 2016-2017 and 173cm in the entire modeling period (2016-2018) in groundwater level. Also, the RMSE in the calibration and validation stages was obtained from 24.9 to 0.72 and 0.84, respectively. The nitrate contamination transport modeling indicated that there are three nitrate contamination concentration parts with more than safe concentration of nitrate (50mg/l). The most pollution is in the urban areas in the east of the aquifer. The nitrate pollution is primarily anthropogenic due to industrial and especially domestic wastewater and then fertilizers used in agricultural activities. It can be predicted that with the full implementation of a municipal wastewater collection network, the nitrate pollution concentration in urban areas would reduce significantly to the range of 20 to 25mg/l.