COP Method Research Articles

Evaluation of intrinsic vulnerability, hazard and risk mapping for karst aquifers, Khorein aquifer, Kermanshah province: a case study

The Khorein karstic aquifer in the Kermanshah province (western Iran) plays a vital role in providing drinking and agricultural water for its surrounding communities. The aim of this research is to evaluate natural vulnerability, hazard and risk indices of the Khorein aquifer by cost action 620 proposed models, as well as to prioritize the aquifer surface concerning to protection measures and providing management strategies in order to its better protection. The results of the COP method represent the high natural vulnerability of the region. Calculation of the hazard index show that the military regions, telecom sites, the nomads’ habitation areas and quarries are situated in areas with low hazard index. Evaluation of the risk index and predict the aquifer contamination show that 75 % of the region extent is no or very low contamination risk, which this is due to low development of human activities in the top of the mass. This claim is confirmed by the presence of Escherichia coli bacteria in the aquifer water. The expansion of human activities in future toward the altitudes, can lead to further pollution of the aquifer. Continuous monitoring of the chemical characteristics of water, taking the recharge map, characterizing the areas with concentrated charge, determining the karstic landform limits, restricting the livestock activities on the anticline top, avoiding the construction activities close to the aquifer and improving the people and authorities public awareness level are the main necessary measures pertaining to manage the Khorein aquifer.

Groundwater Vulnerability Using DRASTIC and COP Models: Case Study of Halabja Saidsadiq Basin, Iraq

To avoid groundwater from contamination, the groundwater vulnerability tool can be examined. In this study, two methods were applied, namely: DRASTIC (Groundwater depth, Net recharge, Aquifer media, Soil map, Topography, Impact of vadose zone and Hydraulic Conductivity) and COP (Concentration of flow, Overlying layer and Precipitation) to model groundwater vulnerability to pollution. The result illustrated that four vulnerability classes were recognized based on both models including very low, low, moderate and high vulnerability classes. The coverage areas of each class are (34%, 13%, 48% and 5%) by DRASTIC model and (1%, 37%, 2% and 60%) by COP model, respectively. The notable dissimilarity between these two models was recognized. For this reason, nitrate elements were selected as a pollution indicator to validate the result. The concentrations of nitrate were recorded in two following seasons in (30) watering wells; as a result, the substantial variation was noted. This indicates that contaminants can be easily reached the groundwater due to its suitability in geological and hydrogeological conditions in terms of contaminant transportation. Based on this confirmation, the standard DRASTIC method becomes more sensible than COP method.

The Importance of Groundwater Vulnerability Maps in the Protection of Groundwater Sources. Key Study: Sarajevsko Polje

In order to ensure effective protection of groundwater sources, it is important to take into account all pollutants and activities that may present a potential risk. In the last period, as a useful tool in the protection of groundwater vulnerability mapping is applied. There are many methods for mapping groundwater vulnerability, some of which are more applicable than others. Although the use of and the choice of methods for assessing vulnerability depending on data availability, scale mapping, spatial distribution of data, hydrogeological and hydrological characteristics and many other parameters that serve as inputs for obtaining valid results.In this regard, this paper will analyze several methods for assessing the vulnerability of groundwater, which can be applied to the source of groundwater in the Sarajevo area. After the analysis, the results of completed vulnerability assessment, and mapping of groundwater vulnerability in the exploration area will be displayed using the COP method. The results will be presented with the help of GIS tools and presented in the form of maps of vulnerability for the catchment area of Sarajevsko Polje.

Focus: Damage claims and provisional seizure as a means of union busting

Page 8 Volume 22 Issue 1 2015 INTERNATIONAL union rights FOCUS ❐ SOUTH KOREA tal labour rights are severely violated. The only way out of the threat of damage claim and provisional seizure is for workers to give up their union activity or even their jobs. This makes unions weaker and union officers more intimidated . In many cases unions almost collapsed facing litigation. Moreover, a damages suit menaces workers’ right to life and violates their human rights: it deprives them of their wage, the only means of living, their housing, and in some cases, the assets of their sureties. The damages claimed by the Hyndai Motor against the precarious workers in the company is a key example. After the company sued 323 members of KMWU Hyndai Motor Ulsan Irregular Workers’ Local, it dropped the case against 135 of them. It was found that 134 among them had withdrawn from the union and from the lawsuit for regularisation. The company also dropped the case against those who withdrew from the union. This is a typical case in which the company sued for compensation of ruinously large amount of money in one hand and used a good cop / bad cop method to the defendants to withdraw from their trade union. The soaring number of damages claims are a product of the law and of institutions that create ‘unlawful’ strikes. Even though the three basic labour rights are guaranteed in the Constitution in Korea, the law and the courts’ interpretations make it almost impossible for workers to lawfully strike to put pressure on their employer. This is not just my personal view, it also the conclusion of a meeting of labour lawyers’ organisations . In Korea, almost of the strike are considered illegal and once a strike is found illegal damage claim, provisional seizure, disciplinary measure including dismissal and criminal punishment are automatically followed. It was the case when workers went on a strike against mass layoffs (Ssangyong Motor, Hanjin Heavy Industry, KEC, etc), against company’s managerial action such as establishment of subsidiary, which is influential to working condition (KoRail), against possible deterioration of working condition by government ’s directive (KoRail), for a fair and just broadcasting system (MBC), and for the company ’s implementation of the court ruling (Hyundai Motor), etc. For all the cases above mentioned, the government and the court illegalised the strikes based on the view that these strikes aimed violation of management rights. In Korean society, it is regarded a common sense that workers’ strikes are rebellious, illegal or anti-social, and thus that they should be criminalised . In every news report regarding strikes the public security division of the prosecution or the police always appears and pours a series of Trade unions in Korea are currently facing damages claims for billions of Won (equivalent to millions of euros or US dollars) brought by employers KWON, DU-SEOP, Attorney at Law, KCTU Legal Center I n early 2003, a worker joining the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (‘KMWU’) Doosan Heavy Industry Chapter set himself on fire. He had been despondent about a court decision of provisional seizure of the assets of workers who had participated in an ‘illegal’ strike called by the union chapter. His suicide note was full of anger and resentment against the conglomerate. In the same year, Lee, Hae-nam, a worker in Sewon Tech died leaving behind his colleagues. His coworkers reportedly found a dismissal notification letter, a written summons by the police, a debt statement and a notification of credit repair support in his left baggage. This clearly shows the reality of workers who are easily dismissed for union activity and face criminal sanction and damage claims and provisional seizure. On December 21, 2012, Choi, Kang-seo (35), a union officer in Hanjin Heavy Industry hanged himself in the union office. His suicide note read ‘withdraw damage claims. KRW 15.8 billion (approx. euro 13 million). I have never heard of such a big amount of money’. Hanjin claimed KRW 15.8 billion in compensation for damages against the union that had called a strike at the end of dispute over layoffs. According to a survey by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (‘KCTU’), the...

Intrinsic vulnerability assessment of Saturnia thermal aquifer by means of three parametric methods: SINTACS, GODS and COP

Three different parametric methods for the evaluation of intrinsic vulnerability to pollution have been applied in a hydrothermal carbonate aquifer located in central-northern Italy and the results obtained were compared with each other. The study area, large, approximately 152 km2, lies in an area of the northern Apennines. The investigated aquifer feeds the hot thermal springs of Saturnia. The vulnerability assessment methods used are: SINTACS, GODS and COP. The vulnerability maps obtained were first individually examined, and then they were compared with each other by means of spatial analysis. These maps show similar results for the estimation of the vulnerability just in some areas. SINTACS yields areas potentially vulnerable to pollution along the Albegna River and its major tributaries in the northern part of the study area. The GODS index map reflects the great importance that this method gives to the lithological characteristics of the unsaturated zone in the subdivision of areas with different vulnerability. GODS and COP methods agree in classifying low vulnerability in the most part of central-southern study area, where the aquifer is confined by the Pliocene clay deposits. Based on the conceptual model of groundwater flow developed for the aquifer under investigation, COP seems the most appropriate method among those applied in this work, in particular with regard to the assessment of the vulnerability of the recharge area of thermal groundwater. Located in the northern part of the study area, where karst carbonate formations of the Tuscan Nappe outcrop, this recharge area is classified by the COP method as highly vulnerable to pollution.

Comparative application of two methods (COP and PaPRIKa) for groundwater vulnerability mapping in Mediterranean karst aquifers (France and Spain)

A comparative test of two vulnerability mapping methods (COP and PaPRIKa) specifically dedicated to for karst aquifers was carried out on two Mediterranean carbonate aquifers. The vulnerability maps obtained for each aquifer present important differences. To identify and determine the origin of these differences, the results were statistically analyzed using sensitivity analysis, coefficients of determination and scatter graphs. In addition, the global vulnerability (Gv) parameter was used to measure the general vulnerability of the aquifer and to compare the results obtained. This statistical analysis led us to conclude that the main cause of differences between these two methods used to assess aquifer vulnerability lie in the relative importance of the parameters employed in calculating the vulnerability index. For the PaPRIKa method, the variable related to infiltration (slope and karst features) has the most influence, with less weight being assigned to the protective capacity of layers overlying the aquifer. For the COP method, the most influent variable is defined by the layers overlying the aquifer, together with infiltration characteristics, determined by the relative importance of different forms of infiltration in each aquifer. The vulnerability mappings performed using the COP method present greater coherence with the known hydrogeological behavior of the study areas, especially the Spanish aquifers. Nevertheless, further hydrogeological investigations are needed, such as ones to validate the obtained vulnerability maps.

Effect of nano sized oxalate precursor on the formation of REBa2Cu3O7−δ (RE= Gd, Sm, Ho) ceramic via coprecipitation method

The formation REBa2Cu3O7−δ (RE= Gd, Sm and Ho) superconducting ceramics from metal oxalate precursors with average grain size less than 50 nm using the coprecipitation method is reported. The metal oxalate powders were heated at 900oC for 12 hours, pelletized and then sintered at 920°C for 15 hr. The high-TC phase was observed for all samples as an evidence for the single step transition of (R-T) curves. The TC(R=0) for samples Gd123, Ho123 and Sm123 were 95 K, 93 K, 91 K, respectively. XRD data showed single phase of an orthorhombic structure for Sm123 and Ho123 samples, small amount of impurities (Gd211) phase were detected for Gd123. SEM micrographs showed large grain sizes that are randomly distributed. These results showed that COP method using nano sized metal oxalates starting powders is very effective to synthesize high quality superconductors and shorten the sintering time required. The formation Gd211 phase for the Gd123 sample might act as a pinning centre explaining the enhancement of the transport properties.

Groundwater Risk Intensity Assessment. Application to Carbonate Aquifers of the Western Mediterranean (Southern Spain)

In this work, the groundwater contamination risk is evaluated as a measure of protection for groundwater bodies intended for human consumption. For this purpose, intrinsic vulnerability maps and hazard maps of anthropogenic activities in the studied region have been taken into account. This region is constituted by carbonate aquifers that supply water to various populations. The methodology employed to determine the contamination risk was adapted from the COST Action 620 which was developed with the aim of protecting karst aquifer water. The vulnerability obtained through the PI method was modified to the COP method for the purpose of this study. The results obtained after evaluating the groundwater contamination risk show a predominance of the very low and low classes that cover more than 80 % of the study area. These areas coincide with outcrops of low permeability materials and an absence of pressures. Only 4 % of the region presents a high to very high risk of contamination which is located in areas of very high vulnerability and low to moderate pressures. These results are supported by chemical analyses of water sampled from a groundwater quality control network. Contamination risk studies are an important tool for the integrated management of groundwater and for designing protection measures. These protection measures should be incorporated into the territorial land use planning; furthermore they should define a possible plan of land uses and activities as well as establish limitations and prohibitions of impacting land uses and activities.

Mapping the vulnerability of groundwater to the contamination of four carbonate aquifers in Europe

The vulnerability of four European aquifers with different hydrogeological and climatic characteristics was evaluated using the COP method. The results obtained were statistically analyzed by determination coefficients to measure which factor has greater importance in the vulnerability index. Furthermore, a new parameter has been designed to measure the vulnerability for the whole of the aquifer. The results demonstrate that COP is a useful method to assess the vulnerability of the test sites under consideration. The results obtained are coherent with the conceptual model of each pilot aquifer and the available hydrogeological information (hydrographs, isotopic data, tracer tests). Fissured carbonate aquifers (diffuse flow systems) are less vulnerable than karst aquifers (conduit flow systems) and the vulnerability index is more positively correlated with the O factor (unsaturated zone protection capacity) in the first case. The karst aquifers are more vulnerable than fissured aquifers and they show a higher correlation between the C factor (karst features) and the vulnerability index. Climatic variation (precipitation for example) influences the final vulnerability index of the aquifers according to the weight in the index and the spatial distribution.

VUKA: a modified COP vulnerability mapping method for karst terrains in South Africa

Abstract The karstic aquifers of South Africa are an important source of water for many towns, rural areas and farms in parts of South Africa9s Gauteng Province. Despite this no scientifically based designation of areas where potentially polluting activities could constitute a risk to groundwater resources and abstractions exists. Recent local research into groundwater vulnerability methods did not consider the unique properties of karst aquifers, and the need for a karst groundwater vulnerability mapping method was identified. The proposed VUKA method for karst groundwater vulnerability mapping in South Africa is an adaptation of the COP groundwater vulnerability mapping method. Modifications were necessary to adapt the original COP method to South African karst terrains. The new method was successfully used to assess the groundwater vulnerability at the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site in South Africa. The new approach may be used by South African land-use planners to investigate the suitability of dolomitic areas for development from a groundwater protection perspective, as is currently done with respect to dolomite stability (sinkholes and subsidence).

Source vulnerability mapping in carbonate (karst) aquifers by extension of the COP method: application to pilot sites

A step from resource to source vulnerability mapping is presented, based on the European COST Action 620 approach for karst groundwater protection. Guidelines on vulnerability assessment of the horizontal groundwater flow path within the karst saturated zone (K factor) are proposed. By integrating this into the previously existing COP method for intrinsic resource vulnerability mapping, adequate source protection can be assessed. The proposed “Karst saturated zone (K) factor” assessment considers groundwater travel time (t subfactor), connection and contribution to the source (r subfactor) and active conduit or fissured network (n subfactor). The extended COP method was applied in two carbonate aquifers in southern Spain with different geological, hydrogeological and climate settings. The results are coherent with previous research results of the studied areas. Moreover, they are consistent with the occasional groundwater contamination detected in one of the springs. On the other hand, an absence of contamination, despite high risk, justifies the lower degrees of vulnerability assigned to the sources surveyed. The source vulnerability maps obtained can thus be used as a basis for the delineation of protection zones.

Linking Hydrogeological and Ecological Tools for an Integrated River Catchment Assessment

Ecological (biological and hydrochemical assessment) and hydrogeological (vulnerability and pollution risk mapping) tools have been combined to assess the ecological quality and hydrogeological vulnerability of an agricultural river basin. In addition, the applicability of the recently developed vulnerability assessment approach (COP method) in the particular environmental conditions was tested by comparing its results with hydroecological assessment tools (i.e., pollution metrics). Five sampling sites were selected and sampled for benthic macroinvertebrates and physicochemical variables during summer and spring. Overall, sites ranged from moderate to poor ecological quality. The results illustrated that 26% of the study area was of moderate pollution risk, while 65% was classified as of low and very low risk zones. However, the higher elevation zones where calcareous rock formations are encountered presented moderate to high pollution risk that was accredited by the ecological quality assessment. Pollution metrics facilitated from hydrochemical analysis indicated a significant association with groundwater vulnerability, thus validating vulnerability and risk estimations. This study indicated that the particular groundwater pollution risk mapping methodology and the water quality assessment indices can be well combined to provide an integrated evaluation tool at a catchment scale.

Karst morphology and groundwater vulnerability of high alpine karst plateaus

High alpine karst plateaus are recharge areas for major drinking water resources in the Alps and many other regions. Well-established methods for the vulnerability mapping of groundwater to contamination have not been applied to such areas yet. The paper characterises this karst type and shows that two common vulnerability assessment methods (COP and PI) classify most of the areas with high vulnerability classes. In the test site on the Hochschwab plateau (Northern Calcareous Alps, Austria), overlying layers are mostly absent, not protective or even enhance point recharge, where they have aquiclude character. The COP method classifies 82% of the area as highly or extremely vulnerable. The resulting maps are reasonable, but do not differentiate vulnerabilities to the extent that the results can be used for protective measures. An extension for the upper end of the vulnerability scale is presented that allows identifying ultra vulnerable areas. The proposed enhancement of the conventional approach points out that infiltration conditions are of key importance for vulnerability. The method accounts for karst genetical and hydrologic processes using qualitative and quantitative properties of karst depressions and sinking streams including parameters calculated from digital elevations models. The method is tested on the Hochschwab plateau where 1.7% of the area is delineated as ultra vulnerable. This differentiation could not be reached by the COP and PI methods. The resulting vulnerability map highlights spots of maximum vulnerability and the combination with a hazard map enables protective measures for a manageable area and number of sites.

Groundwater risk assessment at a heavily industrialised catchment and the associated impacts on a peri-urban wetland

Industrial and agricultural activities often impose significant pressures to the groundwater quality and consequently degrade wetland ecosystems that depend mostly on subsurface water flow. Groundwater vulnerability and risk mapping is a widely used approach to assess the natural protection of aquifers and the associated pollution potential from human activities. In the particular study, the relatively new Pan-European methodology (COP method) has been applied in a highly industrialized peri-urban wetland catchment, located close to Athens city, to map the intrinsic vulnerability of the aquifer and evaluate the risk potential originating from local land uses. Groundwater analysis results for various parameters, including Phenols, PCBs and nutrients, have been used to validate the vulnerability and risk estimations while a biological assessment occurred to associate the mapping results with the wetland's ecological status. The results indicated that even though the natural protection of the aquifer is relatively high due to the dominant hydrogeologic and geomorphologic conditions, the groundwater pollution risk is considerable, mainly because of the existing hazardous land uses. The water quality of the groundwater accredited these findings and the ecological status of this peri-urban wetland also indicated significant impacts from industrial effluents.

Proposed method for groundwater vulnerability mapping in carbonate (karstic) aquifers: the COP method

The ‘COP method’ has been developed for the assessment of intrinsic vulnerability of carbonate aquifers in the frame of the European COST Action 620. This method uses the properties of overlying layers above the water table (O factor), the concentration of flow (C factor) and precipitation (P factor) over the aquifer, as the parameters to assess the intrinsic vulnerability of groundwater. This method considers karst characteristics, such as the presence of swallow holes (C factor) and their catchment areas as well as karstic landforms, as factors which decrease the natural protection provided by overlying layers (O factor). The P factor allows for consideration of the spatial and temporal variability of precipitation, which is considered the transport agent of contamination. Two carbonate aquifers in the South of Spain, Sierra de Libar (a conduit flow system) and Torremolinos (a diffuse flow system), have been selected for the application and validation of the method and the results have been compared with three methods widely applied in different aquifers around the world (AVI, GOD and DRASTIC). Comparisons with these methods and validation tools (hydrogeological data and tracer test) show the advantages of the COP method in the assessment of vulnerability of karstic groundwaters.

Measurement of Trailing EDGE Noise Using Directional Array and Coherent Output Power Methods

The use of a directional array of microphones for the measurement of trailing edge (TE) noise is described. The capabilities of this method are evaluated via measurements of TE noise from a NACA 63-215 airfoil model and from a cylindrical rod. This TE noise measurement approach is compared to one that is based on the cross spectral analysis of output signals from a pair of microphones (COP method). Advantages and limitations of both methods are examined. It is shown that the microphone array can accurately measures TE noise and captures its two-dimensional characteristic over a large frequency range for any TE configuration as long as noise contamination from extraneous sources is within bounds. The COP method is shown to also accurately measure TE noise but over a more limited frequency range that narrows for increased TE thickness. Finally, the applicability and generality of an airfoil self-noise prediction method was evaluated via comparison to the experimental data obtained using the COP and array measurement methods. The predicted and experimental results are shown to agree over large frequency ranges.

Optimising the methodology of calculating the cerebral blood flow of newborn infants from near infra-red spectrophotometry data.

Cerebral blood flow can be measured in neonates by near infra-red spectrophotometry. The tracer is oxyhaemoglobin. The purpose of the study is to compare the test-retest variability of two previously proposed methods (UCH and COP) of analysis, and to investigate the influence of sampling rates, smoothing and integration periods. Under clinical conditions good measurements are often difficult to obtain. Therefore, a second goal is to find ways of determining the quality of individual measurements. 380 cerebral blood flow measurements from 69 infants are analysed. The data set is optimised statistically for the lowest test-retest variability and the following results are obtained. The test-retest variability of measurements at 2 s sampling time data is considerably worse than at 0.5 s sampling time. Smoothing does not change the test retest variability. A 6 s integration period gives higher values and higher test-retest variability than an 8 s integration period. By applying the suggested criteria, a test-retest variability of 17% is achieved, if 50% of the measurements are rejected. The mean cerebral blood flow is 12.2 ml (100 g)-1 min-1 for the UCH method and 9.7 ml [corrected] (100 g)-1 min-1 for the COP method. The test-retest variability of both methods is comparable for 0.5 s sampling time. For 2 s sampling time the method proposed by Skov et al. is significantly better. These test retest variabilities represent maximum values, part of the observed variability may be due to physiological changes of unknown magnitude.