A new index to measure the uniformity of remolded loess.

The uniformity of remolded loess is crucial for engineering stability and in laboratory testing, as it affects physical and mechanical properties. It is important to have an index which can accurately and conveniently evaluate the uniformity of remolded loess. This study demonstrated and verified the feasibility of using hydraulic conductivity (K) as an indicator for evaluating the uniformity of remolded loess through laboratory experiments and theoretical analysis. In laboratory research, nine loess samples under different preparation conditions were meticulously prepared in duplicate, which were divided into three sets according to the whole dry density (WDD) of approximately 1.3 g/cm3, 1.4 g/cm3, and 1.5 g/cm3 respectively. For the nine duplicate samples, two procedures were performed for each of the sample. One is the uniformity analysis by cutting the soil column and weighing. The other is the hydraulic conductivity experiment. Results showed that sample uniformity is affected by sample preparation conditions, and there are differences in the uniformity of the same WDD samples. The values of K positively correlate with the degree of sample uniformity. In theoretical analysis, based on Darcy's Law and Kozeny-Carman equation, it is found K is inversely proportional to the variance ( σ 2 ) of the sample dry density. That is, K is positively proportional to the sample uniformity. Since K can be easily determined in the laboratory, the application of this new index in the field of geotechnical engineering makes it very convenient and simple to evaluate the uniformity of remolded loess.

Alterations to groundwater chemistry due to modern water transfer for irrigation over decades.

After a long-term surface irrigation in the southern edge of the Chinese Loess Plateau, the local groundwater is diluted to some extent, which differs from most of the other surface irrigation systems. Identifying the origin of groundwater salinity and determining the implications of irrigation can provide insights into the sustainable development of irrigation systems. In this study, a comprehensive investigation of groundwater, river water, canal water, and irrigation system was conducted. Our results suggest that the irrigation activities produce significant influence on the hydrochemistry of both river and groundwater. In the north-eastern part of the study area, hydrochemistry types are mainly HCO3-Na and HCO3∙SO4-Na types which is recharged by the river replenished by water transfer for irrigation. In the south-western part, groundwater is mainly HCO3-Na·Mg type which largely directly receives canal water recharge. The correlation between the irrigation water volume and the salinity variation confirms that mixing with fresh irrigation water which was derived from the reservoirs and the canals, during the irrigation period, dilutes the local groundwater. The natural hydrogeochemical processes of the loess aquifer suggest that the water-rock interactions and cation exchange process supply the excessive Na+ and other solutes to the groundwater, resulting HCO3-Na type water with high salinity. Additionally, the slow Groundwater flow and poor hydrologic cycle between the groundwater and the scarce rainfall promote natural salts accumulation. The δ18O and δD values indicate that modern rainfall may only account for small part of recharge to groundwater. In contrast, the irrigation water, as well as the canal and the reservoir seepage, contribute to a large proportion of groundwater recharge. The finding is beneficial for the policy-makers for the future water management schemes, in large surface irrigation systems, in order to achieve sustainable development goal.

Assessment of background levels and pollution sources for arsenic and fluoride in the phreatic and confined groundwater of Xi'an city, Shaanxi, China.

The presence of arsenic and fluoride in groundwater and their impacts on human health have been reported in many countries worldwide, but little information is available on As or F- contamination in Xi'an city. This study highlights the distribution and sources of As and F- anomalies in different aquifers of Xi'an city, based on the assessment of natural background levels (NBLs) and threshold values (TVs). Groundwater samples collected from phreatic and confined aquifers were analyzed to evaluate NBLs and TVs, using median + 2MAD, Tukey inner fence (TIF), and percentile-based methods. Results showed that NBLs and TVs of As and F- in the phreatic aquifer were lower than those in the confined aquifer, indicating importance of the geological effects on the enrichment of arsenic and fluoride in the confined aquifer. Combined with hydrogeochemical methods, the distributions of As and F- anomalies show that high concentrations of As in both aquifers and F- in the confined aquifer can be attributed to the upward flow of geothermal water through faults and ground fissures, while high concentrations of F- in the phreatic aquifer may be greatly influenced by contaminated rivers. Although geological structures such as faults and ground fissures contribute to the high concentrations of potentially toxic elements, anthropogenic activities cannot be ignored because over exploitation of groundwater accelerates the development of ground fissures and results in the upward flow and mixing of geothermal water with groundwater in the upper aquifers.

Assessment of heavy metal (HM) contamination in agricultural soil lands in northern Telangana, India: an approach of spatial distribution and multivariate statistical analysis.

The contamination of heavy metals (HMs) in agricultural soil lands has attracted the environmental world due to their abundance, persistence, and toxicity. A study has been conducted to evaluate the degree of HM contamination in the agricultural soils of northern Telangana, using geo-accumulation index (Igeo), pollution index (PI), pollution load index (PLI), enrichment factor (EF), statistical analysis, and also spatial distribution. In this study, a total of 15 surface agricultural soil samples were collected and analyzed for the concentration of HMs including Cr, Cu, Co, Ba, V, As, Ni, Pb, and Zn. Their average values vary from 3.5 to 778, which show the increasing order of their abundance: As < Ni < Pb < Co < Cu < Zn < Cr < V < Ba. The concentrations of Ba, V, Zn, and Cu are significantly higher than their guideline values, while Co, Ni, Pb, Zn, and As are within prescribed limits proposed by Canadian soil quality guidelines. The highest Igeo (1.04) indicated the extreme degree of contamination due to Cu. The estimated PI and PLI specified the low to moderate soil pollution, whereas EF showed the moderate soil pollution due to Cr, Co, V, Zn, and As. According to principal component analysis with eigenvalue, more than one account for 53.020% of the total variance, indicating the major source of anthropogenic activity. Spatial distribution maps of HMs displayed four highly polluted zones found in the agricultural sites such as Oni, Yamcha, Bederelli, and Mudhol, in northern Telangana.