Abstract
Three main stages in the development of groundwater pollution assessment since the 1970s are described. The first steps involved aquifer vulnerability assessment. In the second stage (from the late 1980s), three methodological approaches to risk assessment were developed. The latest stage (from the 1990s) has involved new technologies and approaches. At present, all three stages coexist, and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Experience highlights the need to account for the social vulnerability in risk assessment, particularly with respect to large cities in developing countries. Assessing groundwater pollution risk through an integrated approach appears to be the greatest challenge.
Résumé
Trois étapes principales dans le développement de l’évaluation de la pollution des eaux souterraines depuis les années 1970 sont décrites. Les premières étapes ont consisté en une évaluation de la vulnérabilité des aquifères. Au cours de la deuxième étape (à partir de la fin des années 1980), trois approches méthodologiques de l’évaluation des risques ont été développées. La dernière étape (depuis les années 90) a impliqué de nouvelles technologies et approches. À l’heure actuelle, les trois étapes coexistent et leurs avantages et inconvénients sont discutés. L’expérience montre qu’il faut tenir compte de la vulnérabilité sociale dans l’évaluation des risques, en particulier dans les grandes villes des pays en développement. L’évaluation du risque de pollution des eaux souterraines par une approche intégrée semble être le plus grand défi.
Resumen
En este ensayo se describe en tres etapas principales el desarrollo, desde el año 1970, de las metodologías de evaluación de la contaminación del agua subterránea. La primera etapa hace referencia a la evaluación de la vulnerabilidad del acuífero. En la segunda etapa (desde 1980), se desarrollan tres metodologías sobre la evaluación del riesgo. En la última etapa (desde 1990) se incluye a las nuevas tecnologías y enfoques. Hoy en día, estas tres etapas coexisten y sus ventajas y desventajas son discutidas en este trabajo. La experiencia resalta la necesidad de incluir a la vulnerabilidad social en la evaluación del riesgo, particularmente en las grandes ciudades de los países en vías de desarrollo. Por último, evaluar el riesgo de contaminación del agua subterránea a través de un enfoque integrado se presenta como el desafío más importante.
摘要
介绍了20世纪70年代以来地下水污染评价的三个主要阶段。第一阶段考虑了含水层脆弱性评价。在第二阶段(1980年代后期), 形成了三种风险评价方法。第三阶段(20世纪90年代起)发展了新的技术和方法。目前, 这三个阶段并存, 同时讨论了各自的优缺点。经验表明在进行地下水风险评价时需要考虑社会脆弱性, 特别是在发展中国家的大城市。通过综合方法进行地下水污染风险评价似乎已成为一个最大的挑战。
Resumo
Três etapas principais no desenvolvimento da avaliação da poluição das águas subterrâneas desde a década de 1970 são descritas. Os primeiros passos envolveram a avaliação da vulnerabilidade do aquífero. Na segunda etapa (a partir do final da década de 1980), três abordagens metodológicas para avaliação de riscos foram desenvolvidas. A última etapa (década de 1990) envolveu novas tecnologias e abordagens. Atualmente, todos os três estágios coexistem e suas vantagens e desvantagens são discutidas. A experiência destaca a necessidade de explicar a vulnerabilidade social na avaliação de riscos, particularmente no que diz respeito às grandes cidades dos países em desenvolvimento. Avaliar o risco de poluição das águas subterrâneas por meio de uma abordagem integrada parece ser o maior desafio.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aven T (2016) Risk assessment and risk management: review of recent advances on their foundation. Eur J Oper Res 253:1–13
Baalousha H (2017) Vulnerability, probability and groundwater contamination risk. Environ Earth Sci 76:384
Bartzas G, Tinivella F, Medini L, Zaharaki D, Komnitsas K (2015) Assessment of groundwater contamination risk in an agricultural area in North Italy. Inf Process Agric 2:109–129
Civita M, De Maio M (2004) Assessing and mapping groundwater vulnerability to contamination: the Italian “combined” approach. Geofis Int 43:4–19
Dixon B (2005) Groundwater vulnerability mapping: a GIS and fuzzy rule based integrated tool. Appl Geogr 25(4):327–347
Ducci D (1999) GIS techniques for mapping groundwater contamination risk. Nat Hazards 20:279–294
Fienen MN, Arshad M (2016) The international scale of the groundwater issue. In: Jakeman et al (Eds) Integrated groundwater management: concepts, approaches and challenges. Springer, Heidelberg, Germany, pp 21–48
Foster S, Hirata R (1988) Determinación del riesgo de contaminación de aguas subterráneas: una metodología basada en datos existentes [Determination of the groundwater pollution risk]. In: Determinación del riesgo de contaminación de aguas subterráneas: una metodología basada en datos existentes [Determination of the groundwater pollution risk: a methodology based in existing data]. OPS-CEPIS, Lima
Foster S, Garduño H (2013) Groundwater-resource governance: are governments and stakeholders responding to the challenge? Hydrogeol J 21:317–320
Foster S, Hirata R, Gomes D, Dëlia M, Paris M (2002) Protección de la calidad del agua subterránea [Groundwater quality protection]. Groundwater Management Advisory Team, World Bank, Washington, DC, 128 pp
Foster S, Hirata R, Misra S, Garduño H (2010) Urban groundwater use policy: balancing the benefits and risks in developing countries. World Bank GW-MATE strategic overview series 3, World Bank, Washington, DC
Foster S, Hirata R, Howard KW (2011) Groundwater use in developing cities: policy issues arising from current trends. Hydrogeol J 19:271–274
Foster S, Hirata R, Andreo B (2013) The aquifer pollution vulnerability concept: aid or impediment in promoting groundwater protection?, Hydrogeology J. 21: 1389-1392. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-013-1019-7
Fowle JR, Dearfield KL (2000) Risk characterization handbook. EPA 100-B-00-002, USEPA, Washington, DC
Gogu RC, Dassargues A (2000) Current trends and future challenges in groundwater vulnerability assessment using overlay and index methods. Environ Geol 39(6):549–559
Hoover JH, Sutton PC, Anderson SJ, Keller AC (2014) Designing and evaluating a groundwater quality Internet GIS. Appl Geogr 53:55–65
Lavoie R, Joerin F, Vansnick JC, Rodriguez MJ (2015) Integrating groundwater into land planning: a risk assessment methodology. J Environ Manag 154:358–371
Lima ML, Romanelli A, Massone HE (2013) Decision support model for assessing aquifer pollution hazard and prioritizing groundwater resources management in the wet Pampa plain, Argentina. Environ Monit Assess 185(6):5125–5139
Machiwal D, Kumar Jha M, Singh VP, Mohan C (2018) Assessment and mapping of groundwater vulnerability to pollution: current status and challenges. Earth Sci Rev 185:901–927
Margat TJ (1968) Vulnérabilité des nappes d’eau souterraines à la pollution: bases de la cartographie [Vulnerability of groundwater to pollution: the basics of cartography]. Document 68 SGL 198 HYD, Bureau de Recherches Geologiques et Minieres, Orleans, France
Massone H, Sagua M (2005) La Integración de la Vulnerabilidad Social en la Evaluación del Riesgo de Contaminación de Acuíferos [The Integration of Social Vulnerability in the aquifer pollution assessment risk]. Actas, IV Congreso Argentino de Hidrogeología y II Seminario Hispano Latinoamericano sobre Temas Actuales de Hidrología Subterránea. Rio Cuarto, Cordoba, October 2005, pp 201–210
Pierce SA, Sharp Jr, JM, Eaton DJ (2016) Decision support systems and processes for groundwater. In: Jakeman A et al (eds) Integrated groundwater management concepts, approaches and challenges. Springer, Heidelberg, Germany, pp 639–666
Roberts BH, Iglesias BM, Llop JM (2016) Intermediary cities: the nexus between the local and the global. In: Blisky E et al (eds) Co-creating the urban future: the agenda of metropolis, cities and territories, chap 2. United Cites and Local Governments, Barcelona, Spain, pp 133–220
Secunda S, Collin ML, Melloul AJ (1998) Groundwater vulnerability assessment using a composite model combining DRASTIC with extensive agricultural land use in Israel’s Sharon region. J Environ Manag 54:39–57
Sege J, Ghanem M, Ahmad W, Bader H, Rubin Y (2018) Distributed data collection and web-based integration for more efficient and informative groundwater pollution risk assessment. Environ Model Softw 100:278–290
Shrestha S, Kafle R, Pandey VP (2017) Evaluation of index-overlay methods for groundwater vulnerability and risk assessment in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Sci Total Environ 575:779–790
Simpson MW, Allen DM, Journeay MM (2014) Assessing risk to groundwater quality using an integrated risk framework. Environ Earth Sci 71:4939–4956
Vadiati M, Adamowski J, Beynaghi A (2018) A brief overview of trends in groundwater research: progress towards sustainability? J Environ Manag 223:849–851
Vrba J, Zaporozec A (1994) Guidebook on mapping groundwater vulnerability. International Association of Hydrogeologists, International Contributions to Hydrogeology 16, Heise, Hannover, Germany
Wandl A, Magoni M (2017) Sustainable planning of peri-urban areas: introduction to the special issue planning. Practice Res 32(1):1–3. https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2017.1264191
Wang J, He J, Chen H (2012) Assessment of groundwater contamination risk using hazard quantification, a modified DRASTIC model and groundwater value, Beijing plain, China. Sci Total Environ 432:216–226
UNESCO (2019) The United Nations world water development report 2019: leaving no one behind. World Water Assessment Programme, UNESCO, Paris
Zaporozec A (2002) Groundwater contamination inventory: a methodological guide. IHP-VI, Series on Groundwater no. 2, UNESCO, Paris, 161 pp
Zhang Q, Yang X, Zhang Y, Zhong M (2013) Risk assessment of groundwater contamination: a multilevel fuzzy comprehensive evaluation approach based on DRASTIC model. Sci World J 2013, Article ID 610390, 9 pp
Zhao Y, Zhang J, Chen Z, Zhang W (2018) Groundwater contamination risk assessment based on intrinsic vulnerability, pollution source assessment, and groundwater function zoning. Hum Ecol Risk Assess. https://doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2018.1476965
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Husam Baalousha, Samed Afifi and an anonymous reviewer for their thoughtful and helpful comments, which allowed us to improve the contents of this essay.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Massone, H.E., Barilari, A. Groundwater pollution: a discussion about vulnerability, hazard and risk assessment. Hydrogeol J 28, 463–466 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-019-02090-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-019-02090-0