Occurrence of sulfonamide antimicrobials in private water wells in Washington County, Idaho, USA

Samples from six private wells formerly used as sources for drinking water by the residents of Washington County (Weiser, Idaho) were collected to assess the impact of a nearby confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) on the quality of the local groundwater. All six samples were found contaminated by two veterinary antimicrobials, sulfamethazine (at concentrations from 0.076 to 0.22 μg/l) and sulfadimethoxine (at concentrations from 0.046 to 0.068 μg/l). These groundwater samples also contained elevated concentrations of nitrate and ammonium. Three of the sampled wells have nitrate levels that exceeded the maximum contaminant level set by the US Environmental Protection Agency for drinking water, with nitrate concentration as high as 39.1 mg/l. All but one well showed nitrate, which instead contained ammonium at 1.22 mg/l. Analysis of the nitrate and ammonium in these samples by isotopic ratio mass spectrometry indicated δ¹⁵N characteristic of an animal or human waste source. Results from this study underscore the role of CAFO as an important source of antibiotic contamination of groundwater.     

关中清灌区农田生态系统污染现状研究

对陕西关中地区清灌区土壤、粮食、地下水及农田退水中的重金属、含氮化合物等污染物进行了分析研究,结果表明：灌区土壤重金属含量在陕西土壤背景值范围内,主要粮食作物尚未受到污染（除F外）,但地下水已受到重金属、含氮化合物的污染。同时,灌区农田退水中三氮含量较高,直接排放渭河水体后,影响了渭河水质。另外还发现灌溉能减低土壤F污染。     

长江中下游地区地下水中Cu元素的背景特征分析

根据国家科技攻关项目〈长江中下游重点地区地下水环境背影值调研〉的研究结果，论述了长江中下游地区地下水铜元素的背景特征及其与地下水的含水介质成分、上覆岩土性质，氧化还原环境、地下不的戏流条件、地下水及土壤的酸碱度的密切关系。结果表明，长江中下游地区地下水中Ｃｕ元素含量一般比较低；Ｃｕ元素在区域上分布，鄱阳湖区〉长江三角洲南部区〉江汉平原东部区。在人群普遍缺铜的地区，应寻找含Ｃｕ量较高的地下水作为水源     

The effects of groundwater table and flood irrigation strategies on soil water and salt dynamics and reed water use in the Yellow River Delta, China

Vegetation management in shallow groundwater table environments requires an understanding of the interactions between the physical and biological factors that determine root-zone soil salinization and moisture. In this study, the effects of groundwater depth and flood irrigation strategies on water and salt dynamics and reed water use were analyzed in the shallow groundwater region of the Yellow River Delta in China using the HYDRUS-1D model. The results indicated that there is a conflict between water, salt stress, and reed water use with variations in groundwater depth. A water table depth of 3.5 m is the minimum limit to maintain a safe level of soil salinity, but at this depth, the environmental stress on reeds is worsened by the decrease in soil water storage. Maintaining the flood pulses on the wetland, especially during May, may be critical for restoring the reed wetland in the Yellow River Delta.     

Distribution,enrichment mechanism and risk assessment for fluoride in groundwater: a case study of Mihe-Weihe River Basin,China

● High fluorine is mainly HCO₃·Cl-Na and HCO₃-Na type. ● F⁻ decreases with the increase of depth to water table. ● High fluoride is mainly affected by fluorine-containing minerals and weak alkaline. ● Fluorine pollution is mainly in the north near Laizhou Bay (wet season > dry season). ● Groundwater samples have a high F⁻ health risk (children > adults). Due to the unclear distribution characteristics and causes of fluoride in groundwater of Mihe-Weihe River Basin (China), there is a higher risk for the future development and utilization of groundwater. Therefore, based on the systematic sampling and analysis, the distribution features and enrichment mechanism for fluoride in groundwater were studied by the graphic method, hydrogeochemical modeling, the proportionality factor between conventional ions and factor analysis. The results show that the fluorine content in groundwater is generally on the high side, with a large area of medium-fluorine water (0.5–1.0 mg/L), and high-fluorine water is chiefly in the interfluvial lowlands and alluvial-marine plain, which mainly contains HCO₃·Cl-Na- and HCO₃-Na-type water. The vertical zonation characteristics of the fluorine content decrease with increasing depth to the water table. The high flouride groundwater during the wet season is chiefly controlled by the weathering and dissolution of fluorine-containing minerals, as well as the influence of rock weathering, evaporation and concentration. The weak alkaline environment that is rich in sodium and poor in calcium during the dry season is the main reason for the enrichment of fluorine. Finally, an integrated assessment model is established using rough set theory and an improved matter element extension model, and the level of groundwater pollution caused by fluoride in the Mihe-Weihe River Basin during the wet and dry seasons in the Shandong Peninsula is defined to show the necessity for local management measures to reduce the potential risks caused by groundwater quality.     

石河子市地下水环境背景值

采集并测定了石河子市１９个地下水背景水样，分别确定了该市潜水和承压—自流水中Ｋ＋、Ｎａ＋、Ｃａ２＋、Ｍｇ２＋、Ｃｌ－、ＳＯ、ＨＣＯ、ＮＯ、Ｆ－、总硬度、矿化度、可溶性ＳｉＯ２、ＣＯＤ、ｐＨ、Ｃｕ、Ｐｂ、Ｚｎ、Ｃｄ、Ｍｎ、Ｖ、Ｌｉ、Ｍｏ、Ｓｅ、Ｈｇ、Ｉ、Ａｓ、Ｃｒ＋５、Ｃ６Ｈ５ＯＨ、ＣＮ－、ＡＢＳ的环境背景值．     

基于非洗井情况下地下水样品代表性探讨

将非洗井法采样筛管部位取样的可行性和洗井前后样品代表性作对比,当监测井中地下水流量为0.1 L/min~0.5 L/min时,用微扰动采样器在非洗井情况下采样。洗井前后常规无机离子浓度和5种物理指标的研究对比结果显示,在非洗井情况下用微扰动地下水采样器在筛管部位取样的样品与洗井之后的样品十分接近。6口监测井水中无机离子含量单方向方差分析结果显示,p值0.05(显著性),验证概率FF crit,表明在95%的置信度上可总结为无机化学参数在洗井前后无显著性差异。     

U-series disequilibria in a groundwater flow route as an indicator of uranium migration processes

U-series data relating to groundwater, fracture coatings and the adjoining rock matrix in a groundwater flow system at the Palmottu natural analogue site was examined. The aim was to obtain an experimental reference for migration modelling in a transport section defined within the flow system. The U-series reference obtained turned out to be a very useful tool for fine tuning the flow route and for migration mechanism considerations. The U-series data are well in line with other interpretations of the migration system.     

Assessment of aerobic biodegradation of lower-chlorinated benzenes in contaminated groundwater using field-derived microcosms and compound-specific carbon isotope fractionation

Biodegradation of lower chlorinated benzenes (tri-, di- and monochlorobenzene) was assessed at a coastal aquifer contaminated with multiple chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons. Field-derived microcosms, established with groundwater from the source zone and amended with a mixture of lower chlorinated benzenes, evidenced biodegradation of monochlorobenzene (MCB) and 1,4-dichlorobenzene (1,4-DCB) in aerobic microcosms, whereas the addition of lactate in anaerobic microcosms did not enhance anaerobic reductive dechlorination. Aerobic microcosms established with groundwater from the plume consumed several doses of MCB and concomitantly degraded the three isomers of dichlorobenzene with no observable inhibitory effect. In the light of these results, we assessed the applicability of compound stable isotope analysis to monitor a potential aerobic remediation treatment of MCB and 1,4-DCB in this site. The carbon isotopic fractionation factors (ε) obtained from field-derived microcosms were -0.7‰ ± 0.1 ‰ and -1.0‰ ± 0.2 ‰ for MCB and 1,4-DCB, respectively. For 1,4-DCB, the carbon isotope fractionation during aerobic biodegradation was reported for the first time. The weak carbon isotope fractionation values for the aerobic pathway would only allow tracing of in situ degradation in aquifer parts with high extent of biodegradation. However, based on the carbon isotope effects measured in this and previous studies, relatively high carbon isotope shifts (i.e., ∆δ¹³C > 4.0 ‰) of MCB or 1,4-DCB in contaminated groundwater would suggest that their biodegradation is controlled by anaerobic reductive dechlorination.     

Field investigation of the quality of fresh and aged leachates from selected landfills receiving e-waste in an arid climate

The management of electronic waste (e-waste) is a serious problem worldwide and much of it is landfilled. A survey of four selected landfills in an arid region of South Australia was conducted to determine the proportion of e-waste in municipal waste and the properties of each landfill site. Leachate and groundwater samples were collected upgradient and downgradient of the landfills for analysis of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and 14 metals and metalloids, including Al, As, Ba, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Sb, V and Zn. Our data demonstrate that the selected landfills in South Australia continue to receive municipal waste containing in excess of 6%, or 25,000 tonnes per year, of e-waste. The leachates and groundwater collected from the landfills contained significantly elevated concentrations of Pb with the highest concentration in groundwater of 38 μg/l, almost four times higher than the Australian drinking water guideline of 10 μg/l. The presence of PBDEs was detected in both leachate and groundwater samples. Total PBDEs values of 2.13–59.75 ng/l in leachate samples were 10 times higher than in groundwater samples, which recorded a range of 0.41–6.53 ng/l at all sites. Moreover, the concentrations of metals and metalloids in sampled groundwater contained elevated levels of Al, As, Fe, Ni and Pb that exceeded Australian drinking water guideline values. For these reasons potential leaching of these contaminants is of concern and while difficult to attribute elevated contaminant levels to e-waste, we do not recommend continued disposal of e-waste in old landfills that were not originally designed to contain leachates. The survey also revealed temporal variation in the electrical conductivity and concentrations of As, Cd and Pb present in leachates of landfills in arid Mediterranean climates. These results are consistent with the marked variations in rainfall patterns observed for such climates. The solute concentration (EC and other ions including As, Cd and Pb) declines in the leachates during wet winter months (June to September), in contrast to tropical countries where such changes are observed during wet summer months.