Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Groundwater hydrogeochemical formation and evolution in a karst aquifer system affected by anthropogenic impacts

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Environmental Geochemistry and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Karst groundwater, an important water source, is often highly influenced by human impacts, causing environmental damage and threats to human health. However, studies on the anthropogenic influences on the hydrogeochemical evolution of karst groundwater are relatively rare. To assess hydrogeochemical formation and evolution, we focused on a typical karst groundwater system (Jinan, China) which is composed of cold groundwater (av. temperature 13–17 °C), springs and geothermal water (av. temperature > 30 °C) and is significantly affected by human activities. The study was performed by means of water samples collecting and analyzing and isotope analysis (2H, 18O and 14C). The statistical analysis and inverse models were also applied to further understand geochemical processes and anthropogenic influences. The 2H, 18O and 14C results indicate that the cold karst groundwater is easily influenced and contaminated by the local environment, while geothermal water is relatively old with a slow rate of recharge. The hydrochemical types of cold karst groundwater are mainly HCO3–Ca and HCO3·SO4–Ca, while geothermal water hydrochemical types are SO4–Ca·Na and SO4–Ca. Groundwater Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3− and SO42− are mainly controlled by carbonate equilibrium, gypsum dissolution and dedolomitization. Groundwater Na+, K+ and Cl− are mainly derived from halite dissolution, and in geothermal water, they are also affected by incongruent dissolution of albite and K-feldspar. Anthropogenic nitrogen produces ammonium resulting in nitrification and reduction in CO2(g) consumption and HCO3− release from carbonate dissolution. Principal component analysis and inverse models also indicate that nitrification and denitrification have significantly affected water–rock interactions. Our study suggests that karst groundwater quality is dominated by water–rock interactions and elucidates the influence of anthropogenic nitrogen. We believe that this paper will be a good reference point to study anthropogenic influences on the groundwater environment and to protect karst groundwater globally.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anthonisen, A. C., Loehr, R. C., Prakasam, T. B. S., et al. (1976). Inhibition of nitrification by ammonia and nitrous acid. Journal (Water Pollution Control Federation), 48, 835–852.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Antonellini, M., Nannoni, A., Vigna, B., et al. (2019). Structural control on karst water circulation and speleogenesis in a lithological contact zone: The Bossea cave system (Western Alps, Italy). Geomorphology, 345, 106832.

    Google Scholar 

  • Appelo, C. A. J., & Postma, D. (2004). Geochemistry, groundwater and pollution. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Capaccioni, B., Didero, M., Paletta, C., et al. (2001). Hydrogeochemistry of groundwaters from carbonate formations with basal gypsiferous layers: an example from the Mt Catria–Mt Nerone ridge (Northern Appennines, Italy). Journal of Hydrology, 253(1–4), 14–26.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, I. (2015). Groundwater geochemistry and isotopes. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Craig, H. (1961). Isotopic variation in meteoric waters. Science, 133, 1833–1834.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dvory, N. Z., Livshitz, Y., Kuznetsov, M., et al. (2018). Caffeine vs. carbamazepine as indicators of wastewater pollution in a karst aquifer. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 22(12), 6371–6381.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fleury, T. L. (1999). A geochemical modeling study of the effects of urea-degrading bacteria on groundwater contaminated with acid mine drainage. National Library of Canada Bibliothèque nationale du Canada.

  • Ford, D., & Williams, P. D. (2013). Karst hydrogeology and geomorphology. Hoboken: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Han, Y., Wang, G., Cravotta, C. A., III, et al. (2013). Hydrogeochemical evolution of Ordovician limestone groundwater in Yanzhou, North China. Hydrological Processes, 27(16), 2247–2257.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hartmann, A., Goldscheider, N., Wagener, T., et al. (2014). Karst water resources in a changing world: Review of hydrological modeling approaches. Reviews of Geophysics, 52(3), 218–242.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hem, J. D. (1989). Study and interpretation of the chemical characteristics of natural water (p. 2254). Washington: US Geological Survey, Water Supply Paper.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeannin, P. Y., Hessenauer, M., Malard, A., et al. (2016). Impact of global change on karst groundwater mineralization in the Jura Mountains. Science of the Total Environment, 541, 1208–1221.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kang, F., Jin, M., & Qin, P. (2011). Sustainable yield of a karst aquifer system: a case study of Jinan springs in northern China. Hydrogeology Journal, 19(4), 851–863.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaufmann, G., & Romanov, D. (2019). The initial phase of cave formation: Aquifer-scale three-dimensional models with strong exchange flow. Journal of Hydrology, 572, 528–542.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kohfahl, C., Sprenger, C., Herrera, J. B., et al. (2008). Recharge sources and hydrogeochemical evolution of groundwater in semiarid and karstic environments: A field study in the Granada Basin (Southern Spain). Applied Geochemistry, 23(4), 846–862.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lan, J. C., He, Q. F., Hu, N., et al. (2013). Effects of anthropogenic on karst groundwater geohydrochemistry in an urbanized area. Advanced Materials Research, 726, 2418–2423.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ledesma-Ruiz, R., Pastén-Zapata, E., Parra, R., et al. (2015). Investigation of the geochemical evolution of groundwater under agricultural land: a case study in northeastern Mexico. Journal of Hydrology, 521, 410–423.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, C. S., Wu, X. C., Sun, B., et al. (2018). Hydrochemical characteristics and formation mechanism of geothermal water in northern Ji’nan. Earth-Science (in Chinese with English abstract). http://kns.cnki.net/kcms/detail/42.1874.P.20180620.1008.024.html.

  • Li, X. D., Liu, C. Q., Harue, M., et al. (2010). The use of environmental isotopic (C, Sr, S) and hydrochemical tracers to characterize anthropogenic effects on karst groundwater quality: a case study of the Shuicheng Basin, SW China. Applied Geochemistry, 25(12), 1924–1936.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, J. R., Song, X. F., Yuan, G. F., et al. (2010). Characteristics of δ 18O in precipitation over Eastern Monsoon China and the water vapor sources. Chinese Science Bulletin, 55(2), 200–211.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ma, Z. M., Luo, Y. Y., Fang, Y. Z., et al. (2013). Hydrogeochemical mechanism of the petroleum hydrocarbon pollution in Karst Fissure groundwater system. Applied Mechanics and Materials, 295, 159–163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ma, R., Wang, Y., Sun, Z., et al. (2011). Geochemical evolution of groundwater in carbonate aquifers in Taiyuan, northern China. Applied Geochemistry, 26(5), 884–897.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nikolaidis, N. P., Bouraoui, F., & Bidoglio, G. (2013). Hydrologic and geochemical modeling of a karstic Mediterranean watershed. Journal of Hydrology, 477, 129–138.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Parkhurst, D., & Appelo, C. (1999). User’s guide to PHREEQC (Version 2)—A computer program for speciation, batch-reaction, one-dimensional transport, and inverse geochemical calculations. US Geol. Surv. Water Resour. Invest. Rep. No. 99-4259.

  • People’s Government of Jinan. (2019). Statistical Bulletin of National Economic and Social Development of Jinan in 2018. http://www.jinan.gov.cn/art/2019/4/17/art_3503_2902947.html?xxgkhide=1.

  • Petit, J. R., Jouzel, J., Raynaud, D., et al. (1999). Climate and atmospheric history of the past 420,000 years from the Vostok ice core, Antarctica. Nature, 399(6735), 429–436.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qian, J., Zhan, H., Wu, Y., et al. (2006). Fractured-karst spring-flow protections: A case study in Jinan, China. Hydrogeology Journal, 14(7), 1192.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rajmohan, N., & Elango, L. (2004). Identification and evolution of hydrogeochemical processes in the groundwater environment in an area of the Palar and Cheyyar River Basins, Southern India. Environmental Geology, 46(1), 47–61.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sarrazin, F., Hartmann, A., Pianosi, F., et al. (2018). V2Karst V1. 1: a parsimonious large-scale integrated vegetation-recharge model to simulate the impact of climate and land cover change in karst regions. Geoscientific Model Development, 11(12), 4933–4964.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharif, M. U., Davis, R. K., Steele, K. F., et al. (2008). Inverse geochemical modeling of groundwater evolution with emphasis on arsenic in the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer, Arkansas (USA). Journal of Hydrology, 350(1–2), 41–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sui, H., Kang, F., Li, C., et al. (2017). Relationship between north Ji’nan geothermal water and Ji’nan spring water revealed by hydrogeochemical characteristics. Carsologica Sinica, 36(1), 49–58. (in Chinese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan, P. L., Macpherson, G. L., Martin, J. B., et al. (2019). Evolution of carbonate and karst critical zones. Chemical Geology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2019.06.023.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun, S., Li, L., Wang, J., et al. (2018). Karst development mechanism and characteristics based on comprehensive exploration along Jinan Metro, China. Sustainability, 10(10), 3383.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sung, K. Y., Yun, S. T., Park, M. E., et al. (2012). Reaction path modeling of hydrogeochemical evolution of groundwater in granitic bedrocks, South Korea. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 118, 90–97.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • van Geldern, R., Schulte, P., Mader, M., et al. (2018). Insights into agricultural influences and weathering processes from major ion patterns. Hydrological Processes, 32(7), 891–903.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wan, L. (2008). Trace study on karst groundwater in Jinan spring area. China University of Geosciences (Beijing) (Chinese doctoral dissertation with English abstract).

  • Wang, J., Jin, M., Jia, B., et al. (2015). Hydrochemical characteristics and geothermometry applications of thermal groundwater in northern Jinan, Shandong, China. Geothermics, 57, 185–195.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, J., Jin, M., Lu, G., et al. (2016). Investigation of discharge-area groundwaters for recharge source characterization on different scales: The case of Jinan in northern China. Hydrogeology Journal, 24(7), 1723–1737.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wen, C., Dong, W., Meng, Y., et al. (2019). Application of a loose coupling model for assessing the impact of land-cover changes on groundwater recharge in the Jinan spring area, China. Environmental Earth Sciences, 78(13), 382.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization. (2011). Guidelines for drinking-water quality, 4th edn.

  • Xu, H., Duan, X., Gao, Z., et al. (2007). Characteristics of groundwater regimes and affecting factors near Jinan. Hydrogeology & Engineering Geology, 34(2), 87–89. (in Chinese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, B. (2011). Hydrogeochemical characteristics and formation conditions of the geothermal water in Northwestern Shandong Province. China University of Geosciences (Beijing) (Chinese doctoral dissertation with English abstract).

  • Zhang, Y., Kelly, W. R., Panno, S. V., et al. (2014). Tracing fecal pollution sources in karst groundwater by Bacteroidales genetic biomarkers, bacterial indicators, and environmental variables. Science of the Total Environment, 490, 1082–1090.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Z., Wang, W., Qu, S., et al. (2018). A new perspective to explore the hydraulic connectivity of karst aquifer system in Jinan spring catchment, China. Water, 10(10), 1368.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, H. L., Deng, J. F., & He, H. Y. (1998). Petrological record of orogenic belt crust thickening: A discussion on Jinan gabbro and its xenolith. Earth Science Frontiers, 5(4), 251–256. (in Chinese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The research is funded by major scientific and technological tackling projects of Shandong Geology and Mineral Resources (No. 2012-045), Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment (Shandong Provincial Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (41772257, 41472216). The authors would like to thank the journal editors and the reviewers for their valuable comments, which have improved the paper considerably. The authors would also like to express their gratitude to EditSprings (https://www.editsprings.com/) for the expert linguistic services provided.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 801 Institute of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology, Shandong Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, Jinan, 250014, China

    Xiancang Wu, Changsuo Li, Bin Sun, Fuqiang Geng, Shuai Gao, Minghui Lv & Xueying Ma

  2. Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Shandong Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, Jinan, 250014, China

    Xiancang Wu, Changsuo Li, Bin Sun, Fuqiang Geng, Shuai Gao, Minghui Lv & Xueying Ma

  3. Jinan Rail Transit Group Co., Ltd, Jinan, 250014, China

    Hu Li

  4. School of Resources and Environment, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, China

    Liting Xing

Authors
  1. Xiancang Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Changsuo Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Bin Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Fuqiang Geng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Shuai Gao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Minghui Lv
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Xueying Ma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Hu Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Liting Xing
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Changsuo Li.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wu, X., Li, C., Sun, B. et al. Groundwater hydrogeochemical formation and evolution in a karst aquifer system affected by anthropogenic impacts. Environ Geochem Health 42, 2609–2626 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-019-00450-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-019-00450-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation