Abstract
Karst aquifers are very easily contaminated because of the surficial features that commonly exist in karst terranes. Pollutant releases into sinkholes, sinking streams, and/or losing streams commonly result in concentrated solutes rapidly infiltrating and migrating through the subsurface to eventually discharge at downgradient springs unless intercepted by production wells, but slow percolation through soils also may result in serious contamination of karst aquifers. The unique features of karst terranes tend to cause significant problems in the interpretation of results obtained from water-quality grab samples of karst groundwater. To obtain more representative samples, event-driven sampling was proposed some decades ago, but event-driven sampling can be difficult and expensive to implement. In this paper, application of passive-sampling strategies is advocated as a means for effectively obtaining representative water-quality samples from karst aquifers. A passive-sampling methodology may be particularly useful for karst aquifers that may be found in complexly folded and faulted terranes. For example, a groundwater tracing investigation of a contaminated site in a karst terrane confirmed that several offsite springs and wells are connected to the contaminated site. Tracer recoveries suggested transport rates that were relatively slow for flow in a karstic aquifer (~0.02 m/s). Breakthrough curves were erratic and spiky. To obtain representative groundwater samples, a passive-sampling methodology is recommended.
Résumé
Les aquifères karstiques sont très facilement contaminés en raison des caractéristiques de surface qui prévalent en terrains karstiques. Les rejets de polluants dans les dolines, les cours d’eau qui s’infiltrent et/ou les pertes entraînent généralement une percolation rapide de solutés concentrés et leur migration à travers le sous-sol, pour finalement ressortir au niveau des sources situées à l’aval hydraulique, sauf s’ils sont interceptés au niveau de puits avec pompages. Cependant la percolation lente à travers les sols peut également entraîner une contamination importante des aquifères karstiques. Les caractéristiques uniques des terrains karstiques ont tendance à poser des problèmes significatifs quant à l’interprétation des résultats de qualité des eaux souterraines karstiques obtenus à partir d’échantillons ponctuels. Pour obtenir des échantillons plus représentatifs, un échantillonnage basé sur les événements a été proposé depuis quelques décennies, mais celui-ci peut s’avérer difficile et coûteux à mettre en œuvre. Dans cet article, l’application de stratégies d’échantillonnage passif est. préconisée comme un moyen d’obtenir efficacement des échantillons représentatifs de la qualité de l’eau des aquifères karstiques. Une méthode d’échantillonnage passif peut être particulièrement utile dans les aquifères karstiques des terrains plissés ou fracturés de manière complexe. Par exemple, une étude de traçage des eaux souterraines d’un site contaminé en terrain karstique a confirmé que plusieurs sources et puits hors site sont reliés au site contaminé. Le taux de récupération des traceurs suggère des vitesses de transport relativement lentes pour un aquifère karstique (~0.02 m/s). Les courbes de restitution sont erratiques et présentent des pics. Pour obtenir des échantillons d’eau souterraine représentatifs, une méthode d’échantillonnage passif est. recommandée.
Resumen
Los acuíferos kársticos se contaminan muy fácilmente debido a las características superficiales que existen comúnmente en los terrenos kársticos. Las emisiones de contaminantes en sumideros, cursos de hundimiento y/o cursos de pérdida suelen dar lugar a que los solutos concentrados se infiltren y migren rápidamente a través del subsuelo para finalmente descargarse en manantiales con pendiente decreciente, a menos que sean interceptados por los pozos de extracción, pero la lenta filtración a través de los suelos también puede dar lugar a una grave contaminación de los acuíferos kársticos. Las características singulares de estos terrenos kársticos tienden a causar problemas importantes en la interpretación de los resultados obtenidos de las muestras de calidad de agua de las aguas subterráneas kársticas. Para obtener muestras más representativas, hace algunos decenios se propuso el muestreo por eventos, pero su aplicación puede ser difícil y costosa. En el presente documento se propugna la aplicación de estrategias de muestreo pasivo como medio para obtener eficazmente muestras representativas de la calidad del agua de los acuíferos kársticos. Una metodología de muestreo pasivo puede ser particularmente útil para los acuíferos kársticos que pueden encontrarse en terrenos complejos plegados y con fallas. Por ejemplo, una investigación de un seguimiento de las aguas subterráneas de un sitio contaminado en un terreno kárstico confirmó que varios manantiales y pozos situados fuera del sitio están conectados con el sitio contaminado. Las recuperaciones del trazador sugirieron tasas de transporte relativamente lentas para el flujo en un acuífero kárstico (~0.02 m/s). Las curvas de avance eran erráticas y con picos. Para obtener muestras representativas de aguas subterráneas, se recomienda una metodología de muestreo pasivo.
摘要
因为岩溶地层普遍存在于地面的特征,岩溶含水层很容易被污染。污染物释放到下落水洞,伏流和/或排泄型的河流通常会导致浓缩的溶质迅速渗透并迁移穿过地下,最终在下游的泉水中排泄出来,除非被生产井拦截,但通过土壤的缓慢渗透也会导致岩溶含水层严重污染。喀斯特地层的独特特征使得从喀斯特地下水的水质抽样结果分析可解释出现的相关问题。为了获得更多有代表性的样本,几十年前提出了事件驱动的采样方法,但是事件驱动的采样方法可能既难于操作又昂贵。在本文中,提出应用无源采样策略作为有效地从岩溶含水层中获得代表性水质样品的一种方法。被动采样方法对于可能在复杂折叠和断层的地层中探知岩溶含水层特别有用。例如,对喀斯特地层污染场地的地下水追踪调查证实,几个非现场泉水和水井已与该污染场地相关。示踪剂回收率表明,岩溶含水层中的流动传输率相对较慢(~0.02 m/s)。穿透曲线是奇怪的而且有尖峰。为了获得代表性的地下水样品,建议采用无源采样方法。
Resumo
Os aquíferos cársticos são facilmente contaminados pelas suas características superficiais que comumente existem em terrenos cársticos. Liberações de poluentes em sumidouros, riachos afundando e/ou riachos perdidos geralmente resultam em solutos concentrados que se infiltram e migram rapidamente através da subsuperfície para, eventualmente, descarregar em nascentes de gradiente, a menos que seja interceptado por poços de produção, mas a percolação lenta através dos solos também pode resultar em contaminação séria dos aquíferos cársticos. As características únicas dos terrenos cársticos tendem a causar problemas significativos na interpretação dos resultados obtidos a partir de amostras de qualidade da água subterrâneas cársticas. Para obter amostras mais representativas, a amostragem baseada em eventos foi proposta algumas décadas atrás, mas a amostragem baseada em eventos pode ser difícil e cara de implementar. Neste artigo, define-se a aplicação de estratégias de amostragem passiva como um meio para obter efetivamente amostras representativas da qualidade da água de aquíferos cársticos. Uma metodologia de amostragem passiva pode ser particularmente útil para aquíferos cársticos que podem ser encontrados em terrenos complexamente dobrados e falhados. Por exemplo, uma investigação de traçadores de água subterrânea de um local contaminado em um terreno cárstico confirmou que várias nascentes e poços externos estão conectados ao local contaminado. As recuperações de traçadores sugeriram taxas de transporte que eram relativamente lentas para o fluxo em um aquífero cárstico (~ 0.02 m/s). As curvas de identificação foram erráticas e com picos. Para obter amostras representativas de águas subterrâneas, recomenda-se uma metodologia de amostragem passiva.
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Acknowledgements
The author appreciates the reviews and comments provided by Dr. Carol Wicks and Dr. William White. Their thoughts and comments greatly improved the manuscript. The author also thanks Dr. Augusto Auler, Dr. Philippe Meus, and two anonymous reviewers for their very helpful thoughts and comments.
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Published in the special issue “Five decades of advances in karst hydrogeology”.
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Field, M.S. Groundwater sampling in karst terranes: passive sampling in comparison to event-driven sampling strategy. Hydrogeol J 29, 53–65 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-020-02240-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-020-02240-9