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Konapala, G., Mishra, A. K., Wada, Y., & Mann, M. E. (2020). Climate change will affect global water availability through compounding changes in seasonal precipitation and evaporation. Nature Communications, 11(1), 3044.
Abstract: Both seasonal and annual mean precipitation and evaporation influence patterns of water availability impacting society and ecosystems. Existing global climate studies rarely consider such patterns from non-parametric statistical standpoint. Here, we employ a non-parametric analysis framework to analyze seasonal hydroclimatic regimes by classifying global land regions into nine regimes using late 20th century precipitation means and seasonality. These regimes are used to assess implications for water availability due to concomitant changes in mean and seasonal precipitation and evaporation changes using CMIP5 model future climate projections. Out of 9 regimes, 4 show increased precipitation variation, while 5 show decreased evaporation variation coupled with increasing mean precipitation and evaporation. Increases in projected seasonal precipitation variation in already highly variable precipitation regimes gives rise to a pattern of “seasonally variable regimes becoming more variable”. Regimes with low seasonality in precipitation, instead, experience increased wet season precipitation.
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Zeng, S., Shen, Y., Sun, B., Zhang, N., Zhang, S., & Feng, S. (2021). Pore structure evolution characteristics of sandstone uranium ore during acid leaching. Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 53(12), 4033–4041.
Abstract: To better understand the permeability of uranium sandstone, improve the leaching rate of uranium, and explore the change law of pore structure characteristics and blocking mechanism during leaching, we systematically analyzed the microstructure of acid-leaching uranium sandstone. We investigated the variable rules of pore structure characteristics based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The results showed the following: (1) The uranium concentration change followed the exponential law during uranium deposits acid leaching. After 24 h, the uranium leaching rate reached 50%. The uranium leaching slowed gradually over the next 4 days. (2) Combined with the regularity of porosity variation, Stages I and II included chemical plugging controlled by surface reaction. Stage I was the major completion phase of uranium displacement with saturation precipitation of calcium sulfate. Stage II mainly precipitated iron (III) oxide-hydroxide and aluminum hydroxide. Stage III involved physical clogging controlled by diffusion. (3) In the three stages of leaching, the permeability of the leaching solution changed with the pore structure, which first decreased, then increased, and then decreased.
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Petisco-Ferrero, S., Idoeta, R., Rozas, S., Olondo, C., & Herranz, M. (2023). Radiological environmental monitoring of groundwater around NPP: A proposal for its assessment. Heliyon, 9(9), 19470.
Abstract: Whether a nuclear installation has radiological impact and, in that case, its extension, are the questions behind any environmental analysis of the installation along its operational life. This analysis is based on the detailed establishment of the radiological background of the area. Accordingly, the dismantling and decommissioning process (D&D) of a nuclear power plant starts with a radiological monitoring plan, which includes the radiological characterization of the area and of its surroundings. At the completion of the D&D, unrestricted use for the site will be permitted strictly in accordance with results of the radiological survey within the limits established by the local authorities. Groundwater quality is typically included in any radiological analysis since, among other reasons, a significant part of it is highly likely to end up being extracted for domestic use and hence, human consumption. While there is no regulation containing maximum activity concentration or radionuclide guidance values for water that may be destined for uses other than public consumption, if groundwater is considered a “part” of the land, dose criteria for site release can be applied. Therefore, together with the guidance levels to be established for the different radionuclides expected in the groundwater, the detection limits to be employed when performing routine radio analytical characterization procedures in the laboratory should also be provided. In this paper, we first propose a relation of the potential radionuclides to be analyzed in groundwater, together with their detection limits to be achieved when the determinations are performed in a laboratory, and subsequently, we discuss the most suitable analytical methodologies and resources that would be necessary to undertake radiological characterization plans from a practical point of view.
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Kamruzzaman, M., & Chowdhury, A. (2023). Flash flooding considerations aside: Knowledge brokering by the extension and advisory services to adapt a farming system to flash flooding. Heliyon, 9(9), 19662.
Abstract: The development of agriculture sector and livelihood in Bangladesh are threatened by various climatic stressors, including flash flooding. Therefore, Extension and advisory services (EAS) need to navigate the knowledge landscape effectively to connect various farm actors and help secure the optimum benefits of knowledge and information for making rational decisions. However, little is known how EAS can perform this task to combat various effects of climate change. This study investigates the means of brokering knowledge by the EAS to help the farming sector adapt to flash flooding. The research was conducted in the north-eastern part of Bangladesh with 73 staff of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), the largest public EAS in Bangladesh. The results showed that DAE primarily dealt with crop production-related information. However, EAS did not navigate knowledge and information about flash flooding, such as weather forecasting and crop-saving-embankments updates, among the farming actors. Moreover, they missed the broad utilization of internet-based-communication channels to rapidly navigate information and knowledge about possible flash flooding and its adaptation strategies. This article provides some policy implications to effectively support the adaptation of farming system to flash flooding through EAS.
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Uddin, M. G., Diganta, M. T. M., Sajib, A. M., Hasan, M. A., Moniruzzaman, M., Rahman, A., et al. (2023). Assessment of hydrogeochemistry in groundwater using water quality index model and indices approaches. Heliyon, 9(9), 19668.
Abstract: Groundwater resources around the world required periodic monitoring in order to ensure the safe and sustainable utilization for humans by keeping the good status of water quality. However, this could be a daunting task for developing countries due to the insufficient data in spatiotemporal resolution. Therefore, this research work aimed to assess groundwater quality in terms of drinking and irrigation purposes at the adjacent part of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) in Bangladesh. For the purposes of achieving the aim of this study, nine groundwater samples were collected seasonally (dry and wet season) and seventeen hydro-geochemical indicators were analyzed, including Temperature (Temp.), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), total alkalinity (TA), total hardness (TH), total organic carbon (TOC), bicarbonate (HCO3−), chloride (Cl−), phosphate (PO43−), sulfate (SO42−), nitrite (NO2−), nitrate (NO3−), sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+). The present study utilized the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment water quality index (CCME-WQI) model to assess water quality for drinking purposes. In addition, nine indices including EC, TDS, TH, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), percent sodium (Na%), permeability index (PI), Kelley’s ratio (KR), magnesium hazard ratio (MHR), soluble sodium percentage (SSP), and Residual sodium carbonate (RSC) were used in this research for assessing the water quality for irrigation purposes. The computed mean CCME-WQI score found higher during the dry season (ranges 48 to 74) than the wet season (ranges 40 to 65). Moreover, CCME-WQI model ranked groundwater quality between the “poor” and “marginal” categories during the wet season implying unsuitable water for human consumption. Like CCME-WQI model, majority of the irrigation index also demonstrated suitable water for crop cultivation during dry season. The findings of this research indicate that it requires additional care to improve the monitoring programme for protecting groundwater quality in the RNPP area. Insightful information from this study might be useful as baseline for national strategic planners in order to protect groundwater resources during the any emergencies associated with RNPP.
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Sahoo, S. K., Jha, V. N., Patra, A. C., Jha, S. K., & Kulkarni, M. S. (2020). Scientific background and methodology adopted on derivation of regulatory limit for uranium in drinking water – A global perspective. Environmental Advances, 2, 100020.
Abstract: Guideline values are prescribed for drinking water to ensure long term protection of the public against anticipated potential adverse effects. There is a great public and regulatory agencies interest in the guideline values of uranium due to its complex behavior in natural aquatic system and divergent guideline values across the countries. Wide variability in guideline values of uranium in drinking water may be attributed to toxicity reference point, variation in threshold values, uncertainty within intraspecies and interspecies, resource availability, socio-economic condition, variation in ingestion rate, etc. Although guideline values vary to a great extent, reasonable scientific basis and technical judgments are essential before it could be implemented. Globally guideline values are derived considering its radiological or chemical toxicity. Minimal or no adverse effect criterions are normally chosen as the basis for deriving the guideline values of uranium. In India, the drinking water limit of 60 µg/L has been estimated on the premise of its radiological concern. A guideline concentration of 2 µg/L is recommended in Japan while 1700 µg/L in Russia. The relative merit of different experimental assumption, scientific approach and its methodology adopted for derivation of guideline value of uranium in drinking water in India and other countries is discussed in the paper.
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Musy, S., Meyzonnat, G., Barbecot, F., Hunkeler, D., Sültenfuss, J., Solomon, D. K., et al. (2021). In-situ sampling for krypton-85 groundwater dating. Journal of Hydrology X, 11, 100075.
Abstract: Krypton-85 and other radioactive noble gases are widely used for groundwater dating purposes. 85Kr analysis require large volumes of water to reach the analytical requirements. Conventionally, this water is pumped to the surface to be degassed with a gas extraction system. The large pumping rate may disturb the natural flow field and requires substantial field logistics. Hence, we propose a new in-situ degassing method, in which membrane contactors are used to degas the groundwater directly in the well and gas is collected at the surface. This way, field work is facilitated, groundwater system disturbance is minimized, and the gas sample is collected at a specific depth. We demonstrate the tightness of the system regarding atmospheric air contamination for a collection times of 24 h, which is sufficient for both low-level counting and laser-based counting methods for 85Kr. The minimal borehole diameter is 7.5 cm for the prototype presented in this research but can easily be reduced to smaller diameters. In a case study, we compare the results obtained with the new passive method with those from a conventional packer setup sampling. Additionally, 3H/3He samples were collected for both sampling regimes and the dating results were compared with those from 85Kr. A good agreement between tracer ages is demonstrated and the age stratigraphy is consistent with the expected age distribution for a porous unconfined aquifer. In addition, our study emphasizes the differences between the age information sampled with various methods. In conclusion, we demonstrate that the new in situ quasi-passive method provides a more representative age stratigraphy with depth in most cases.
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Bresinsky, L., Kordilla, J., Hector, T., Engelhardt, I., Livshitz, Y., & Sauter, M. (2023). Managing climate change impacts on the Western Mountain Aquifer: Implications for Mediterranean karst groundwater resources. Journal of Hydrology X, 20, 100153.
Abstract: Many studies highlight the decrease in precipitation due to climate change in the Mediterranean region, making it a prominent hotspot. This study examines the combined impacts of climate change and three groundwater demand scenarios on the water resources of the Western Mountain Aquifer (WMA) in Israel and the West Bank. While commonly used methods for quantifying groundwater recharge and water resources rely on regression models, it is important to acknowledge their limitations when assessing climate change impacts. Regression models and other data-driven approaches are effective within observed variability but may lack predictive power when extrapolated to conditions beyond historical fluctuations. A comprehensive assessment requires distributed process-based numerical models incorporating a broader range of relevant physical flow processes and, ideally, ensemble model projections. In this study, we simulate the dynamics of dual-domain infiltration and precipitation partitioning using a HydroGeoSphere (HGS) model for variably saturated water flow coupled to a soil-epikarst water balance model in the WMA. The model input includes downscaled high-resolution climate projections until 2070 based on the IPCC RCP4.5 scenario. The results reveal a 5% to 10% decrease in long-term average groundwater recharge compared to a 30% reduction in average precipitation. The heterogeneity of karstic flow and increased intensity of individual rainfall events contribute to this mitigated impact on groundwater recharge, underscoring the importance of spatiotemporally resolved climate models with daily precipitation data. However, despite the moderate decrease in recharge, the study highlights the increasing length and severity of consecutive drought years with low recharge values. It emphasizes the need to adjust current management practices to climate change, as freshwater demand is expected to rise during these periods. Additionally, the study examines the emergence of hydrogeological droughts and their propagation from the surface to the groundwater. The results suggest that the 48-month standardized precipitation index (SPI-48) is a suitable indicator for hydrogeological drought emergence due to reduced groundwater recharge.
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Kharazi, P., khazaeli, E. A., & Heshmatpour, A. (2021). Delineation of suitable sites for groundwater dams in the semi-arid environment in the northeast of Iran using GIS-based decision-making method. Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 15, 100657.
Abstract: Competing commercial demands on water resources need to be balanced as the world’s population rises. Generally, groundwater is raised by subsurface dams. In this paper, the geographic information system (GIS) software and a decision-making method were applied. As the first step, the limitations that affect the establishment of the subsurface dam were identified using eliminating criteria by the Boolean logic. Regarding the second step, the most appropriate axis was determined for subsurface dam construction in each of the limits. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was applied according to the evaluation criteria in this study. The aim of using AHP was to weigh and prioritize the criteria of the groundwater dam for recognizing appropriate sites. Among various places and regarding the subsurface dam construction, AHP was conducted using a hierarchy process for finding the most suitable sites in the third stage of the decision-making method. Finally, among the ten appropriate sites, cross comparison was drawn by using Decision Expert (DEX), Evaluation based on Distance from Average Solution (EDAS), and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). Compared together (as a process of decision-making), DEX, TOPSIS, and EDAS methods assisted in ranking the most appropriate sites in the final step of subsurface dam pre-selection. A and C axes obtained scores between 1 and 2, among 10 axes according to the numerically ranked locations. Regarding the water shortage issue and better management of the underground water at certain levels, the findings of this study could be useful for the residents of Kajbid-Balaqly Watershed in the dry season. Further, water managers can use the above-mentioned methods for their decisions regarding the proper subsurface dam establishment.
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Sardo, M. S., & Jalalkamali, N. (2022). A system dynamic approach for reservoir impact assessment on groundwater aquifer considering climate change scenario. Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 17, 100754.
Abstract: With its arid and semi-arid climate, Iran claims about one-third of the world’s average annual precipitation. Accordingly, the present study investigated whether an effective water resources management (WRM) strategy (both groundwater and reservoir resources) could reduce groundwater drawdown while simultaneously providing secure enough water for preservation of agricultural activities and rural settlements. For this purpose, a comprehensive system dynamics (SD) model incorporating reservoir, surface-water, and groundwater resources was developed. Then, the model was implemented for the Nesa plain in Bam County, Iran, as an example. In this plain, the construction of a dam to supply drinking water to the cities of Bam and the Bam Industrial Zone had devastated the environment and human communities in the downstream areas, leading to the depopulation of as many as 104 villages in the Bam region. The results of the SD model revealed that the artificial recharge of the plain groundwater aquifer along with the management of the operation of the wells and increasing productivity would be very effective. In order to estimate future precipitation data, the SDSM statistical exponential microscale model was used to microscale the large CanESM2 scale model under two scenarios of RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. The continuation of the current trend of the groundwater resources in the plain during the next 20 years will also cause a drop in water level of 8.3 m compared with the existing situation and a reduction of 41 m compared with the long-term average of 1980. Based on this modeling effort, upon releasing 60% of river flow, surplus to downstream demand, for recharging aquifer through artificial recharge projects, the rate of water table fall will decline significantly over a 20-year period and the amount of negative aquifer water balance would most likely improve from 65.5 to 35.17 million cubic meters annually.
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