Oil derivatives are commonly used and they play a key role in the economy. They are used in many industries. Such big amounts of oil derivatives products generate vast quantity of pollution. Those pollutants can get into the ground and water beyond any control during catastrophes or due to inadequately managed waste and storage. The aim of the paper was to determine the level of oil derivatives pollution in the groundwater on the area of a former airbase, where between 1950 and 1990 the Soviet Army stationed. Analysis was carried out on groundwater samples from three piezometers placed on the area of the former airbase. In the samples some parameters were determined, i.e. temperature, reaction, electrolytic conductivity, the depth of groundwater surface, the content of aliphatic hydrocarbons, monoaromatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Determined amount of dissolved hydrocarbons was large what proves unsatisfactory effectiveness of previous rehabilitation processes.
The Henaya Irrigated Perimeter (HIP) is an agricultural area irrigated by treated wastewater (TWW) of Ain El Hout treatment plant. Various analyses have shown that i) this water has low concentration of heavy metals and toxic elements, ii) the average values of the physicochemical parameters for 136 samples are satisfactory (29.2 mg O2∙dm–3 for chemical oxygen demands – COD, 13.14 mg O2∙dm–3 for biological oxygen demands – BOD, 14.2 mg∙dm–3 of suspended matter – SM, 1.82 mg∙dm–3 of N-NO3, 7.7 for pH and 927.74 μS∙cm–1 for electric conductivity – EC). Thirdly, it contains a high number of bacteria and nematodes (7200 CFU∙(100 dm3)–1 for faecal coliforms and 30 eggs∙dm–3 for intestinal Nematodes) which makes it dangerous for groundwater contamination. The objective in this work is to characterize the TWW and evaluate the impact of it use for irrigation on the quality of Hennaya groundwater. Before this, one has to prove that there is an amount of TWW that feeds the water table to show that there is a risk of pollution. We then estimated the aquifer minimum recharge value by TWW using the Thormthwaite meth-od. The estimation has given 92 mm which is an important quantity. The results of the groundwater microbiological anal-yses reveal no sign of contamination. The cause is the efficiency of the degradation of pollutants of the Vadose zone. The soil purifying power Md of the HIP was evaluated by the Rehse method and gave values ranging from 2.1 to 12.7 which indicated a complete purification.
The study of groundwaters was carried out in two different forest ecosystems of Słowiński National
Park: Vaccinio uliginosi-Betuletum pubescentis and Empetro nigri-Pinetum in the period of 2002-2005. Differences were found in the position of the groundwater table and in the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus
compounds in the investigated forest associations. In the Vaccinio uliginosi-Betuletum pubescentis association
the groundwater table was found on average at a depth of -73.3 cm, while in Empetro nigri-Pinetum at -90.2
cm. No statistically significant effect of precipitation on the position of the groundwater table was found in
this study. Statistical calculations (U Mann-Whitney test) for groundwaters in the analyzed forest associations
showed statistically significant differences in the dynamics of concentrations of total nitrogen (T-N), organic
nitrogen (Norg.), nitrate nitrogen (N-NO3
), total phosphorus (T-P), organic phosphorus (Porg.) and the level of
groundwaters.
The aim of the study was to compare the physical-chemical quality parameters of shallow groundwater quality in peat bogs of the Łęczna-Włodawa Lake District in the context of the occurrence of selected boreal species of plant relics: dwarfbirch (Betula humilis Schrank), downy willow (Salix lapponum L. ) and swamp willow (Salix myrtylloides L. ). Analyzes of shallow groundwater quality parameters included physical-chemical parameters: reaction (pH), electrolytic conductivity(EC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total nitrogen (TN), ammonium nitrogen (NH4), nitrite nitrogen (NO2), nitrate nitrogen (NO3), total phosphorus (TP), phosphate (PO4), sulfate (SO2), sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and mag-nesium (Mg) by certified laboratory tests.
It was found that the natural hydrochemical specification of peat bogs is characterized by fluctuations associated with the dynamics of internal metabolism of peat ecosystems without the visible impact of anthropopressure. This is confirmed by the concentration of nutrients: TNat the study sites were within a broad range of mean values: 16.92–45.31 mg·dm–3; NH4 (0.55–0.76 mg·dm–3); NO2 (0.06–4.33 mg·dm–3); and NO3 did not exceed 0.2 mg·dm–3, and concentration of TP adopted mean values in a range of 0.22–0.42 mg·dm–3.
The studied physical-chemical factors of shallow groundwater were within the habitat preferences of the studied species, but in differentiated qualitative and quantitative ways determined optimal conditions for building the population of the studied species. Particularly values of TP lower than other obtained values in a range of: 0.08–0.32 mg·dm–3; PO4 = 0.1 mg·dm–3; TN = 2.2–21.2 mg·dm–3; NH4 = 0.1–0.46 mg·dm–3; DOC = 24.6–55.9 mg·dm–3, as well as higher than average pH values in a range of: 5.34–5.95 and concentration of Ca = 5.67–28.1 mg·dm–3 and Mg = 0.56–2.41 mg·dm–3, as well as EC = 72.1–142.3 μS·cm–1 can be treated as a condition favouring proper development of the population of dwarf birch. For Salix lapponum: a reduced level of values of nitrogen fractions (TN = 3.01–18.84 mg·dm–3; NH4 = 0.1–0.41 mg·dm–3), a reduced level of values of phosphorus fractions (TP = 0.09–0.44 mg·dm–3; PO4 = 0.1–0.44 mg·dm–3), part of ions (Ca = 4.39–19.63 mg·dm–3; Mg = 0.77–3.37 mg·dm–3), pH = 5.9–6.4, EC = 124–266 μS·cm–1 and DOC = 24.1–57.5 mg·dm–3. For the equally studied Salix myrtylloides, such conditions were met by: TP = 0.1–0.41 mg·dm–3; PO4 = 0.1–0.18 mg·dm–3, DOC = 27.5–50.9 mg·dm–3, pH = 5.3–5.94 andEC = 62.2–139.3 μS·cm–1.
In the Canary Islands, groundwater is the main source of drinking water. Groundwater mines have been the system used by the engineers of the archipelago to collect water from the ground. The Canary Islands are volcanic with soils characterized by being rich in uranium, the disintegration of which gives rise to radon gas. In this study, radon gas levels in the mines on two islands of the archipelago have been measured to study exposure to this gas in the galleries. Results show values much higher than the European regulatory limit concentrations.
Many of already existing roads cross wetland river valleys. Also the roads nowadays planned are cutting through valuable wetlands. It is necessary to evaluate the range of their impact on the natural environment. This paper focuses only on the analysis of the road crossing impact on the groundwater level. Two options of crossing the wetlands were analyzed, building the road on embankments and in the bridge. It was assumed that the valley is filled with organic material under laid by permeable sands. Calculation results showed that building a road in the valley affects groundwater level only to the slight extend. Water conditions in the valley may be affected only during the construction of the road. Calculation results were confirmed by field observations.
It should be stressed that the object of this paper is the evaluation of water conditions. Environment might be influenced by other factors.
In the projects of protection of soil-water environment there is a need to combine and process large amount of information from various disciplines to estimate parameters of phenomena and to determine the range and time table of necessary undertakings.
Due to complex assessment of processes taking place in aquifers, mathematical modeling is the best tool supporting evaluation off pollution in the ground water environment. It is also an effective method of forecasting the risk associated with the harmful impact of objects polluting grounds and grounds waters.
Significant application of mathematical modeling is the use for the enlargement of information gathered in the process of recognition and assessment of condition that prevail in soil-water environment. Results of modeling, if appropriately presented, could be an important element of decision support system in environmental management.
This paper describes procedures for developing an environmental remediation decision support system by linking CADD and GIS software with the hydro geological flow and transport models.
The article presents research results of the introduction of powdery activated carbon to the existing technological system of the groundwater treatment stations in a laboratory, pilot plant and technical scale. The aim of the research was to reduce the content of organic compounds found in the treated water, which create toxic organic chlorine compounds (THM) after disinfection with chlorine. Nine types of powdery active carbons were tested in laboratory scale. The top two were selected for further study. Pilot plant scale research was carried out for the filter model using CWZ-30 and Norit Sa Super carbon. Reduction of the organic matter in relation to the existing content in the treated water reached about 30%. Research in technical scale using CWZ-30 carbon showed a lesser efficiency with respect to laboratory and pilot-plant scale studies. The organic matter decreased by 15%. Since filtration is the last process before the individual disinfection, an alternative solution is proposed, i.e. the second stage of filtration with a granular activated carbon bed, operating in combined sorption and biodegradation processes. The results of tests carried out in pilot scale were fully satisfactory with the effectiveness of 70–100%.
Wonji Shoa Sugar Estate (WSSE), located in the flood plain of the Awash River (Ethiopia), has been under long-term (>60 years) irrigation, industrial activities and agro-chemical usage. In this study, the hydrochemical properties of ground-water bodies available at WSSE have been characterized for quality compositions. Water samples were collected from groundwater monitoring piezometers distributed in the sugarcane plantation and then analysed for physico-chemical quality parameters (pH, EC,major cations and anions) following standard procedures. Other chemical indices (e.g., total dissolved solids (TDS),total hardness(TH),magnesium absorption ratio(MAR), base exchange (r1), meteoric genesis(r2)) were de-rived from the measured water quality parameters. The compositional variability and groundwater classification has been presented using the Box and Piper plots. The potential sources of minerals were suggested for each of the considered water sources based on their quality characteristics. Both trilinear Piper plot and meteoric genesis index revealed that groundwaterof the area is shallow meteoric water percolation type with a changing of hydrochemical facies and mixing trend. Ground-water of the area, is group 1 (Ca-Mg-HCO3) type, with no dominant cations and HCO3 are the dominant anions. Overall, the study result elucidates that the chemical composition of GW of the area showed spatial variability depending upon the variations in hydrochemical inputs from natural processes and/or anthropogenic activities within the region. The local an-thropogenic processes could be discharges from sugar factory, domestic sewage and agricultural activities.