Methodological proposal to assess groundwater contamination danger: study case of Bajo Cauca aquifer (Colombia)

Interaction between vulnerability and contaminating charge was used in order to determine the groundwater contamination danger. The result of danger being adapted to the scale of impact on human or animal health and ecosystems is known as “risk”. Index and overlapping methodologies such as EPNNA, DR...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental earth sciences 2013-09, Vol.70 (1), p.315-328
Main Authors: Betancur, Teresita, Palacio, Carlos, Gaviria, Jorge Ignacio, Rueda, María
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal husbandry
Aquifers
Areal geology
Areal geology. Maps
Assessments
Biogeosciences
Charge
Contaminants
Contamination
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Ecosystems
Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics
Environmental Science and Engineering
Exact sciences and technology
Geochemistry
Geologic maps, cartography
Geology
Groundwater
Groundwater pollution
Human
Hydrogeology
Hydrology. Hydrogeology
Hydrology/Water Resources
Original Article
Pollution, environment geology
Proposals
Risk assessment
Subsoils
Terrestrial Pollution
Water quality
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Interaction between vulnerability and contaminating charge was used in order to determine the groundwater contamination danger. The result of danger being adapted to the scale of impact on human or animal health and ecosystems is known as “risk”. Index and overlapping methodologies such as EPNNA, DRASTIC, SINTACS, GOD AVI, and Ekv were used and compared to evaluate vulnerability. Contaminating charge to the subsoil, which is generated from specific human activity, has four characteristics: kind of contaminant, means of disposal, intensity, and duration. Interaction among these characteristics obtains a Contaminating Charge Index. In the Bajo Cauca Antioqueño region, over 150,000 inhabitants require ground water for meeting their basic needs at home, for cattle breeding activities, and for irrigation. For this region, an assessment of the groundwater contamination of the free aquifer, as well as an estimation of its impact and the danger this contamination may pose to ecosystems or communities has been performed. Analysis of the interaction between vulnerability and threat allows for the creation of danger and risk maps.
ISSN:1866-6280
1866-6299
DOI:10.1007/s12665-012-2129-6