ABSTRACT
It is vital to understand long-term trends in water quality parameters when assessing the sustainability of groundwater abstraction. Withdrawal-to-availability analysis is still used widely in groundwater management considering quantities and utilization rates based on in- and outflows. In this study, we took a step further than the water balance approach and carried out a detailed investigation of trends in long-term time series of groundwater quality, in order to analyze the sustainability of groundwater abstraction. We assessed trends, links, and patterns in abstraction, potentiometric surface, and water quality parameters for 28 well fields around Copenhagen, Denmark. Groundwater monitoring data from 1900 until 2014 were investigated for each well field. During this period, the well fields experienced a 2-14â¯m decrease in the nearby potentiometric surface compared to the first-or pre-pumping-potentiometric surface recordings. Sulfate concentrations increased in 25 out of 27 well fields after the maximum abstraction period, compared to the earliest water quality measurements. The results indicate that in the 1980s, when water consumption (abstraction) and drawdown were at their highest, water abstraction caused a steady increase in sulfate and calcium, which we consider unsustainable. In contradiction, the abstraction in 24 well fields show almost steady sulfate levels in the aquifer after decreased water consumption since 1995. Only four well fields showed more than a 20â¯mg/L increase in sulfate concentration, which indicates that the recent abstraction does not interfere with sulfate levels in the aquifer. Our method and results show how long-term water quality trends can support the management of aquifer exploitation and evaluate sustainability on the well field scale.
Subject(s)
Groundwater , Water Quality , Denmark , Environmental Monitoring , Water Resources , Water SupplyABSTRACT
Understanding groundwater abstraction effects is vital for holistic impact assessments in areas depending on groundwater resources. The objective of our study was to modify the state-of-the-art AWaRe (available water remaining), freshwater impact assessment specifically for use in LCAs in areas dependent on groundwater resources. The new method, called "AGWaRe" (available groundwater remaining), reflects groundwater availability, based on a fraction of available groundwater remaining locally relative to a reference. Furthermore, our method increases spatial resolution beyond 1770â¯km2 grid cells and adjusts demarcations in order to improve the representation of the heterogeneity of groundwater catchments. The applicability of AGWaRe was demonstrated on three groundwater systems producing 5 million m3 water for the city of Copenhagen, namely Advanced Treatment of Groundwater, Simple Treatment of Groundwater and Infiltration of Reclaimed water. Results were normalised to compare with other effects of supplying water to an average Danish person. The normalised impacts for drinking water for one person ranged between 0.1 and 39â¯PE (person equivalent) for the three systems, which indicates that effects on groundwater resources differ substantially between systems. A comparative LCA of these groundwater systems shows that other impact categories range between 0 and 1 PE/person. Advanced Treatment of Groundwater generally has the lowest effect, for example <50% of the other groundwater systems in Global Warming Potential. The AGWaRe results indicate that freshwater impacts from Simple Treatment of Groundwater are up to 100 times greater than for Infiltration of Reclaimed water. Furthermore, AGWaRe exposes differences between the groundwater systems that AWaRe cannot evaluate, because one AWaRe cell covers two of the systems in question. These improvements are crucial for groundwater managers looking to include sustainability considerations in their analysis and decision-making.
Subject(s)
Global Warming , Groundwater , Water Supply , Fresh Water , WaterABSTRACT
Coping with ambiguities in natural resources management has become unavoidable. Ambiguity is a distinct type of uncertainty that results from the simultaneous presence of multiple valid, and sometimes conflicting, ways of framing a problem. As such, it reflects discrepancies in meanings and interpretations. Under the presence of ambiguity it is not clear what problem is to be solved, who should be involved in the decision processes or what is an appropriate course of action. Despite the extensive literature about methodologies and tools to deal with uncertainty, not much has been said about how to handle ambiguities. In this paper, we discuss the notions of framing and ambiguity, and we identify five broad strategies to handle it: rational problem solving, persuasion, dialogical learning, negotiation and opposition. We compare these approaches in terms of their assumptions, mechanisms and outcomes and illustrate each approach with a number of concrete methods.
Subject(s)
Conservation of Natural Resources , Decision Making , Models, Theoretical , Learning , Problem SolvingABSTRACT
El agua potable en Dinamarca proviene exclusivamente del agua subterranea, y este recurso puede verse afectado por la contaminacion, variaciones climaticas y cambios en el uso de la tierra. El articulo describe un trabajo de monitoreo de los acuiferos con el objeto de determinar el tamaño y la distribucion de futuras fuentes de explotacion
Subject(s)
Groundwater , Water Resources , Water Supply , Water MonitoringABSTRACT
El agua potable en Dinamarca proviene exclusivamente del agua subterranea, y este recurso puede verse afectado por la contaminacion, variaciones climaticas y cambios en el uso de la tierra. El articulo describe un trabajo de monitoreo de los acuiferos con el objeto de determinar el tamanño y la distribucion de futuras fuentes de explotacion
Subject(s)
Denmark , Groundwater , Water Resources , Water Supply , Water MonitoringABSTRACT
The alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (orosomucoid) concentration in the serum of 34 uremic patients on chronic hemodialysis was measured twice at intervals of 3 months. In 80% of the cases the concentrations are above normal. Furthermore, the examination showed a correlation between the concentrations at the first and at the second measurement. No change in se-orosomucoid concentration was observed during hemodialysis. We therefore conclude that orosomucoid cannot be used as an acute phase reactant among uremic patients in chronic hemodialysis neither is it very likely that the hyperlipidemia and accelerated atherosclerosis in hemodialysis patients are due to lack of orosomucoid.