Qi, H., Ma, C., He, Z., Hu, X., & Gao, L. (2019). Lithium and its isotopes as tracers of groundwater salinization: A study in the southern coastal plain of Laizhou Bay, China. Sci Total Environ, 650(Pt 1), 878–890.
Abstract: In the southern coastal plain of Laizhou Bay, due to intensive exploitation of groundwater since the early 1970s, the shallow aquifer has been severely influenced by saltwater intrusion, which causes the extraction to shift from shallow to deeper aquifer changing the hydrogeological condition greatly. This study was conducted to investigate the groundwater salinization using hydrochemistry and H, O and Li isotope data. Dissolved Li shows a linear correlation with Cl and Br in seawater, brine and saline groundwater indicating the marine Li source, whereas the enrichment of Li in surface water, brackish and fresh groundwater is impacted by dissolution of silicate minerals. The analyses of hydrochemistry and isotopes (H, O and Li) indicate that brine originated from seawater evaporation, followed by mixing processes and some water-rock interactions; shallow saline groundwater originated from brine diluted with seawater and fresh groundwater; deep saline groundwater originated from seawater intrusion. The negative correlation of δ(7)Li and Li/Na in surface water, brackish and fresh groundwater is contrary to the general conclusion, indicating the slow weathering of silicate minerals and hydraulic interaction between surface water and shallow groundwater in this area. The analyses of hydrochemistry and isotopes (Li, H and O) can well identify the salinity sources and isotope fractionation in groundwater flow and mixing, especially groundwater with high TDS. As both mixing with saltwater and isotope fractionation can explain the combination of high δ(7)Li and low TDS in brackish groundwater, isotope fractionation may limit their use in recognizing salinity sources of groundwater with low TDS.
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Nogueira, G., Stigter, T. Y., Zhou, Y., Mussa, F., & Juizo, D. (2019). Understanding groundwater salinization mechanisms to secure freshwater resources in the water-scarce city of Maputo, Mozambique. Science of The Total Environment, 661, 723–736.
Abstract: In this study hydrochemical, isotopic and multivariate statistical tools are combined with a recharge analysis and existing geophysical data to improve understanding of major factors controlling freshwater occurrence and the origins of high salinities in the multi-layered coastal aquifer system of the Great Maputo area in Mozambique. Access to freshwater in this semi-arid area is limited by an inefficient public supply network, scarce surface waters, long droughts and an increasing population growth. Groundwater has a large potential to enhance water security, but its exploitation is threatened by both coastal and inland salinization mechanisms that are poorly understood. A GIS approach is utilized to classify potential recharge zones based on hydrogeological properties and land use/cover, whereas potential recharge rates are estimated through a root zone water balance method. In combination with water stable isotope data results reveal that extreme rainfall events provide the most relevant contributions to recharge, and interception and evaporation play an important role in the low recharge areas. Hierarchical clustering of hydrochemical and isotopic data allows the classification of six water groups, varying from fresh to brackish/salt waters. Corresponding scatter plots and PHREEQC modelling show evaporation and mixing with seawater (up to 5%) as major processes affecting salinity in the area. The co-occurrence of high alkalinity and Cl concentrations, in combination with piezometric and geo-electrical data, suggests that: 1) inland brackish/salt groundwater is caused by mixing with seawater trapped within clay layers; and 2) brackish/salt surface waters result from seepage of brackish groundwater into rivers and wetlands, followed by evaporation, hence increasing salinity and δ18O values. Mixing with small fractions of trapped seawater as main salinity source, rather than halite dissolution, is further corroborated by Br/Cl ratios of brackish/salt water samples near the ocean ratio. Cation exchange upon salinization is mainly observed in the semi-confined aquifer, while freshening takes place in the phreatic aquifer, particularly in areas presenting high recharge rates.
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Mihajlidi-Zelić, A., Deršek-Timotić, I., Relić, D., Popović, A., & Đorđević, D. (2006). Contribution of marine and continental aerosols to the content of major ions in the precipitation of the central Mediterranean. Science of the total environment, 370(2-3), 441–451.
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Cary, L., Petelet-Giraud, E., Bertrand, G., Kloppmann, W., Aquilina, L., Martins, V., et al. (2015). Origins and processes of groundwater salinization in the urban coastal aquifers of Recife (Pernambuco, Brazil): a multi-isotope approach. Science of the Total Environment, 530-531, 411–429.
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Petelet-Giraud, E., Négrel, P., Aunay, B., Ladouche, B., Bailly-Comte, V., Guerrot, C., et al. (2016). Coastal groundwater salinization: Focus on the vertical variability in a multi-layered aquifer through a multi-isotope fingerprinting (Roussillon Basin, France). Science of The Total Environment, 566-567, 398–415.
Abstract: The Roussillon sedimentary Basin (South France) is a complex multi-layered aquifer, close to the Mediterranean Sea facing seasonally increases of water abstraction and salinization issues. We report geochemical and isotopic vertical variability in this aquifer using groundwater sampled with a Westbay System® at two coastal monitoring sites: Barcarès and Canet. The Westbay sampling allows pointing out and explaining the variation of water quality along vertical profiles, both in productive layers and in the less permeable ones where most of the chemical processes are susceptible to take place. The aquifer layers are not equally impacted by salinization, with electrical conductivity ranging from 460 to 43,000μS·cm−1. The δ2H–δ18O signatures show mixing between seawater and freshwater components with long water residence time as evidenced by the lack of contribution from modern water using 3H, 14C and CFCs/SF6. S(SO4) isotopes also evidence seawater contribution but some signatures can be related to oxidation of pyrite and/or organically bounded S. In the upper layers 87Sr/86Sr ratios are close to that of seawater and then increase with depth, reflecting water–rock interaction with argillaceous formations while punctual low values reflect interaction with carbonate. Boron isotopes highlight secondary processes such as adsorption/desorption onto clays in addition to mixings. At the Barcarès site (120m deep), the high salinity in some layers appear to be related neither to present day seawater intrusion, nor to Salses-Leucate lagoonwater intrusion. Groundwater chemical composition thus highlights binary mixing between fresh groundwater and inherited salty water together with cation exchange processes, water–rock interactions and, locally, sedimentary organic matter mineralisation probably enhanced by pyrite oxidation. Finally, combining the results of this study and those of Caballero and Ladouche (2015), we discuss the possible future evolution of this aquifer system under global change, as well as the potential management strategies needed to preserve quantitatively and qualitatively this water resource.
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