Multitracer test approach to characterize reactive transport in karst aquifers

Back to the future: Comparing yeast as an outmoded artificial tracer for simulating microbial transport in karst aquifer systems to more modern approaches

Bacterial contamination of karst groundwater is a major concern for public health. Artificial tracing studies are crucial for establishing links between locations where pollutants can rapidly reach the aquifer systems and subsequent receptors, as well as for enhanced understanding of pollutant transport. However, widely used solute artificial tracers do not always move through the subsurface in the same manner as particles and microorganisms, hence may not be ideal proxies for predicting movement of bacterial contaminants. This study evaluates whether a historically used microbial tracer (yeast) which is readily available, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly, but usually overlooked in modern karst hydrogeological studies due to challenges associated with its detection and quantification in the past, can reemerge as a valuable tracer using the latest technology for its detection. Two field-based studies on separate karst systems were carried out during low-flow conditions using a portable particle counter along with flow cytometry measurements to monitor the recovery of the yeast at the springs. Soluble fluorescent dyes were also injected simultaneously with the yeast for comparison of transport dynamics. On one tracer test, through a karst conduit of much higher velocities, the injected yeast and fluorescent dye arrived at the same time at the spring, in comparison to the tracer test on a conduit system with lower groundwater velocities in which the yeast particles were detected before the dye at the sampling site. Both a portable particle counter and flow cytometry successfully detected yeast during both tests, thereby demonstrating the applicability of this tracer with contemporary instrumentation. Even though no significant advantages of flow cytometry over the portable counter system can be reported on the basis of the presented results, this study has shown that flow cytometry can be successfully used to detect and quantify introduced microbial tracers in karst environments with extremely high precision.

Multiple fluorescence approaches to identify rapid changes in microbial indicators at karst springs

Karst springs are globally important for drinking water supply but are often also exceptionally vulnerable to contamination. Such springs usually exhibit strong variation in microbial water quality in sharp response to rainfall events, thus, posing a health hazard to consumers of water supplied from these sources. The rapid detection of such changes is extremely important as well as being able to establish a link to the sources of such pollution, so that appropriate measures can be taken both in terms of immediate protection of human health and the management of karst aquifers. In this study, a fluorescence-based multi-parameter approach was trialed in order to evaluate which methods can be used to monitor rainfall-induced rapid changes in microbial water quality at karst springs, as well as determine whether such changes can be linked to sources of human effluent contamination. The results from three monitoring periods at two karst springs revealed marked responses to rainfall events for all of the microbial parameters measured. Total cell count (TCC) measurements using flow cytometry (FCM) showed very strong positive correlations with the more conventionally monitored faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and total coliforms (TC), indicating that such a fluorescence-based and cultivation-independent technique can be very useful to indicate rapid changes in microbial water quality at karst springs. Furthermore, very strong positive correlations were also found between tryptophan-like fluorescence (TLF) measurements and concentrations of all monitored microbial parameters, again demonstrating that such a fluorescence-based approach can also be useful for detecting rapid changes in concentrations of traditional faecal indicators. Interestingly, it was found that fluorescent whitening compounds (FWCs) signals do not necessarily follow temporal variations of microbial indicators. However, the frequency of detection of positive FWCs signals may still reveal useful information about the overall magnitude of human wastewater effluent impacts on karst aquifer systems.

Flow Cytometry and Fecal Indicator Bacteria Analyses for Fingerprinting Microbial Pollution in Karst Aquifer Systems

Microbial pollution of aquifers is a persistent water quality problem globally which poses significant risks to public health. Karst aquifer systems are exceptionally vulnerable to pollution from fecal contamination sources as a result of rapid recharge of water from the surface via discrete pathways linked to highly conductive, solutionally enlarged conduits alongside strong aquifer heterogeneity. Consequently, rapid changes in microbial water quality, which are difficult to monitor with expensive and time-consuming conventional microbiological methods, are a major concern in karst environments. This study examined flow cytometric (FCM) fingerprinting of bacterial cells in groundwater together with fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) at nine separate karst springs of varying catchment size over a 14 month period in order to assess whether such a technique can provide faster and more descriptive information about microbial pollution through such karst aquifer systems. Moreover, the data have also been evaluated with respect to the potential of using turbidity as an easy-to-measure proxy indicator of microbial pollution in a novel way. We argue that FCM provides additional data from which enhanced insights into fecal pollution sources and its fate and transport in such karst catchments can be gained. We also present valuable new information on the potential and limitations of turbidity as an indicator of fecal groundwater contamination in karst. FCM has the potential to become a more widely used tool in the field of contaminant hydrogeology.

Transport-based source tracking of contaminants in a karst aquifer: Model implementation, proof of concept, and application to event-based field data

Identification and location of contamination sources is crucial for water resource protection - especially in karst aquifers which provide 25% of the world´s population with water but are highly vulnerable to contamination. Transport-based source tracking is proposed and verified here as a complementary approach to microbial and chemical source tracking in karst aquifers for identifying and locating such sources of contamination and for avoiding ambiguities that might arise from using one method alone. The transport distance is inversely modelled from contaminant breakthrough curves (BTC), based on analytical solutions of the 1D two-region non-equilibrium advection dispersion equation using GNU Octave. Besides the BTC, the model requires reliable estimates of transport velocity and input time. The model is shown to be robust, allows scripted based, automated 2D sensitivity analyses (interplay of two parameters), and can be favourable when distributed numerical models are inappropriate due to insufficient data. Sensitivity analyses illustrate that the model is highly sensitive to the input time, the flow velocity, and the fraction of the mobile fluid region. A conclusive verification approach was performed by applying the method to synthetic data, tracer tests, and event-based field data. Transport distances were correctly modelled for a set of artificial tracer tests using a discharge-velocity relationship that could be established for the respective karst catchment. For the first time such an approach was shown to be applicable to estimate the maximum distance to the contamination source for coliform bacteria in karst spring water combined with microbial source tracking. However, prediction intervals for the transport distance can be large even in well-studied karst catchments mainly related to uncertainties in the flow velocity and the input time. Using a maximum transport distance is proposed to account for less permeable, "slower" pathways. In general, transport-based source tracking might be used wherever transport can be described by the 1D two-region non-equilibrium model, e.g. rivers and fractured or porous aquifers.

Simulation of solute transport behaviors in saturated karst aquifer system

The karst development makes aquifer have strong anisotropy and heterogeneity. In order to reveal the characteristics of solute transport in the karst fissure-conduit aquifer system, this study presents a physical model of fissure-conduit in laboratory experiments to carry out the solute transport simulation. In this paper, the tracer tests of fissure-conduit combination, fissure, and conduit solute transport process in saturated flow are designed. We found that different aquifer structures and tracer injection points have an influence on the shape of the breakthrough curve. Besides, the two-dimensional dispersion model of tracer injection of the instantaneous point was used to calculate the dispersion parameters of each group of experiments. Then, the dynamic responses of the linear distance (x) between the injection point and the receiving point, initial time (t₀), peak time (t_m), peak concentration (c_m), average tracer transport velocity (V), and porosity (p) of aqueous media to the longitudinal dispersion coefficient are discussed. In addition, according to the measured data, Gaussian multi-peak fitting can be used to reflect the overall shape and change trend of the multi-peak BTC. These results demonstrate the solute transport behaviors in the saturated karst aquifer system, which have important reference significance for solving the engineering environmental problems in the karst area.

Field Tracer Tests to Evaluate Transport Properties of Tryptophan and Humic Acid in Karst

The monitoring of water quality, especially of karst springs, requires methods for rapidly estimating and quantifying parameters that indicate contamination. In the last few years, fluorescence-based measurements of tryptophan and humic acid have become a promising tool to assess water quality in near real-time. In this study, we conducted comparative tracer tests in a karst experimental site to investigate the transport properties and behavior of tryptophan and humic acid in a natural karst aquifer. These two tracers were compared with the conservative tracer uranine. Fluorescence measurements were conducted with an online field fluorometer and in the laboratory. The obtained breakthrough curves (BTCs) and the modeling results demonstrate that (1) the online field fluorometer is suitable for real-time fluorescence measurements of all three tracers; (2) the transport parameters obtained for uranine, tryptophan, and humic acid are comparable in the fast flow areas of the karst system; (3) the transport velocities of humic acid are slower and the resulting residence times are accordingly higher, compared to uranine and tryptophan, in the slower and longer flow paths; (4) the obtained BTCs reveal additional information about the investigated karst system. As a conclusion, the experiments show that the transport properties of tryptophan are similar to those of uranine while humic acid is partly transported slower and with retardation. These findings allow a better and quantitative interpretation of the results when these substances are used as natural fecal and contamination indicators.

Step-like rising and falling of a breakthrough curve observed at a karst spring

Spring breakthrough curves induced by conventional advection and dispersion often present a gentle (smooth) change of concentration with time. We investigated an electrical-conductivity breakthrough curve which originated from a chemical release into the aquifer matrix and was measured in June 2007 at Qinglondong Spring, southwest China. The curve presented abrupt rising and falling limbs. Modeling efforts were focused on the migration of the contaminants from the conduit wall to the spring. The conduit production segment was defined to be the conduit section where the chemical plume entered the conduit from aquifer fractures. The first model assumed that the time variance of the plume front reaching the conduit wall was much shorter than transport time over the conduit production segment. The model yielded a decrease of spring discharge which was inconsistent with the observed increase with time. In the second model, the above assumption was relaxed, and wall contaminant flux was inverted as function of downstream distance and time. The observed abrupt rising and falling in the breakthrough curve were interpreted as: (1) Taylor dispersion was too small to identify for a short conduit; (2) seepage from the fractures to the conduit was monodirectional and diluting.

Tracing water perturbation using NO3-, doc, particles size determination, and bacteria: A method development for karst aquifer water quality hazard assessment

Karst systems, as well as springs, are vulnerable to water perturbation brought by infiltration. In this research, sources of water perturbations were examined. The first objective is to provide a method that can determine the origin of the water flowing in the karst outlet. The second objective is to identify the associated water quality hazards caused by the infiltration source. The method relies on these parameters: turbidity, DOC, NO₃^-, particle size, and bacteria (E. coli, enterococcus and total coliforms). As the method was applied during flood events, measurement of the water flow is also needed to have a basic knowledge on the hydrodynamic of the water resource. The proposed method is based on a high resolution monitoring of physico chemical parameters of the water flowing during flood events. Using this proposed method, (1) the origin of the water can be identified, (2) the type and nature of water perturbation can be described, and (3) the type of water perturbation that accompanies contaminants such as the one with anthropogenic source (e.g. NO₃^-) and bacterial nature can be determined. In identifying the water origin, this proposed method employed NO₃^- and DOC data normalization. Values are projected in the NO₃^-_norm = f(DOC_norm) reference frame. These are aligned to the slope. Depending on the obtained slope (α), water origin can be disclosed. If α > 1, the increase of concentration of DOC weighs more, characterizing water from surface runoff. Whereas, if α < 1, the consideration is more on the increase of NO₃^- concentration, characterizing water from unsaturated zone. However if α cannot be calculated because there is no evident slope, this characterizes the water already present in the system. Water originating from the surface runoff is prone to inorganic and bacterial contamination adsorbed by the particles. Identifying the type of water perturbation needing water treatment is important in managing the water resource. Hence, the evolution through time of NO₃^- and DOC with the particle size distribution, anthropogenic nature type of contaminant (i.e. in this study NO₃^-), and presence or absence of bacteria were examined. This method was applied in the springs of the Toulon, an important drinking water source of the city of Périgueux in France. This site was chosen considering the following factors: (1) its karst nature being vulnerable to infiltrations, having fractures and sinkholes; (2) its land use being influenced by the anthropogenic activities such as agriculture; and (3) its observed pronounced turbidity incidence. The first flood events of two hydrological cycles were assessed. Three water origins of the spring water and the respective water quality hazards were identified: (i) water from saturated zone with minerals, (ii) water from unsaturated zone with nitrate, and (iii) water from surface runoff with the presence of bacteria. The second and third types of water perturbation gave evidence that the Toulon springs can be contaminated. Hence, in terms of resource management, the information obtained can be used as a basis in forecasting and planning the management actions or water quality treatments needed.

Experimental and modeling evidence of kilometer-scale anomalous tracer transport in an alpine karst aquifer

Karst aquifers are important drinking water resources, but highly vulnerable to contamination. Contaminants can be transported rapidly through a network of fractures and conduits, with only limited sorption or degradation, which usually leads to a fast and strong response at karst springs. During migration, contaminants can also enter less mobile zones, such as pools or water in intra-karstic sediments, or advance from conduits into the adjacent fractured rock matrix. As contaminant concentrations in the main flow path(s) decrease, contaminants may migrate back into the main flow path and reach the karst springs at low (but significant) concentrations over a long time span. This is the conventional interpretation for the oft-observed steep rising limb and the long-tailed falling limb of tracer breakthrough curves in karst systems. Here, field measurements are examined from an alpine karst system in Austria where a series of distinctive, long-tailed breakthrough curves (BTCs) of conservative tracers were observed over distances up to 7400 m. Recognizing that the conventional advection-dispersion equation (ADE) cannot usually quantify such behavior, two other modeling approaches are considered, namely the two-region non-equilibrium (2RNE) model, which explicitly includes mobile and immobile zones, and a continuous time random walk (CTRW) model, which is based on a physically-based, probabilistic approach that describes anomalous (or non-Fickian) transport behavior characteristic of heterogeneous systems such as karst. In most cases, the ADE and 2RNE models do not quantify the low concentrations at longer travel times. The CTRW, in contrast, accounts for the long-tailed breakthrough behavior found in this karst system.

A combined-method approach to trace submarine groundwater discharge from a coastal karst aquifer in Ireland

Knowledge about the hydraulic connections between submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and its terrestrial coastal catchment is relevant with regard to the management of marine and coastal waters in karst areas. This study applies different methods and monitoring approaches to trace SGD between the Burren Limestone Plateau and Galway Bay in western Ireland, via an excavated sinkhole shaft and deep conduit. Areas of potential SGD were first delineated based on sea surface temperature anomalies using Landsat satellite images. Two fluorescent dyes and solid wood chips were then used as tracers. Solid wood chips were tested as potential means to circumvent the problem of high dispersion in the sea, impacting on the fluorescent dyes to yield readings below the detection limits. Sampling was conducted at 10 different terrestrial locations and in the sea at Galway Bay. Offshore sampling was conducted in transects over a period of four successive days onboard of a vessel using an automated field fluorometer and a conductivity-temperature-depth sensor. No wood chips were recovered in the sea but both fluorescent dyes were successfully sampled. The estimated travel times are in the order of 100 to 354 m/h, and localised tracer readings correlate well in space and time with low conductivity readings. By confirming hydraulic connections between the two karst features and Galway Bay, the study substantiates the hypothesised importance of Variscan veins with regard to regional groundwater flow in the region.

Improved understanding of particle transport in karst groundwater using natural sediments as tracers

Colloids and particles act as vectors for contaminant transport. In karst aquifers, particle transport is particularly efficient and plays critical roles in soil erosion and in the process of karstification. However, available techniques for particle tracing are either expensive or not representative for the transport of natural colloids and particles. We developed a new method for particle tracing, using natural sediments as artificial tracers, and first applied this method at a karst experimental site in the Alps. Suspended particles were injected into a swallow hole together with a conservative solute tracer for comparison. Breakthrough curves for 32 different particle size classes between 0.8 and 450 μm were recorded at a karst spring 230 m away using a mobile particle counter that allows quantitative detection at high temporal resolution. Results show that (i) sediments can be used as efficient particle tracers in karst groundwater; (ii) recoveries are similar for particles and solutes; (iii) mean velocity increases with increasing particle size; (iv) dispersion decreases with increasing particle size; (v) these observations point to exclusion processes. As a conclusion, this new experimental technique allows new insights into the transport and fate of colloids and particles in groundwater at affordable costs.

A robust optimization technique for analysis of multi-tracer experiments

Fate and transport of solutes in heterogeneous porous media is largely affected by diffusive mass exchange between mobile and immobile water zones. Since it is difficult to directly measure and determine the effect in the aquifers, multi-tracer experiments in combination with mathematical modeling are used to obtain quantitative information about unknown system parameters such as the effective mobile and immobile porosity, and the diffusive mass exchange between mobile and immobile water zones. The Single Fissure Dispersion Model (SFDM) describing nonreactive transport of solutes in saturated dual-porosity media, has been employed as a modeling approach to explain dual-porosity experiments in the field and laboratory (column experiments). SFDM optimization with conventional methods of minimization was immensely difficult due to its complex analytical form. Thus, previous studies used a trial and error procedure to fit it to the experimental observations. In this study, a rigorous optimization technique based on the newly developed scatter search method is presented that automatically minimizes the SFDM to find the optimal values of the hydrogeologically related parameters. The new program (OptSFDM) is accompanied with an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) that is flexible and fully integrated. The program usability is showcased by a few, previously presented experimental case studies, and compared against the currently available, trial-and-error based, command-line executable, SFDM code.

Coupled hydrogeochemical evaluation of a vulnerable karst aquifer impacted by septic effluent in a protected natural area

Karst aquifers are highly vulnerable to pollution from human activities. Among sources of these contaminants, septic tank effluent can easily pollute karst aquifers, especially concentrated inputs such as those, for example, from tourist hotels. However, the impacts of septic effluent from relatively large, concentrated inputs on karst aquifers have seldom been assessed previously and therefore provide the focus of this study. Artificial tracer tests, geochemical analysis, and dual nitrate stable isotopes were employed to evaluate the impacts of a concentrated input of septic effluent from the Jinfoshan Holiday Hotel (JHH) on the vulnerable Shuifang Spring (SFS) karst aquifer in a remote mountainous area, the Jinfoshan Karst World Heritage Site within Chongqing Municipality of southwest China. The results of artificial tracer tests showed that the underground flow mainly occurred in a primary conduit with a pooled or bifurcated flow path that connects a sinkhole input to SFS. The high tracer recovery rates suggest that the karst aquifer was characterized by high intrinsic vulnerability to contamination. Chemographs at SFS responded rapidly to the episodic release of effluent from JHH. Decreased pH and dissolved oxygen and elevated turbidity, specific conductance and NH₄⁺ concentrations of SFS resulted from the episodic release of septic tank effluent from the JHH during high-use periods. Although the nitrate concentrations were far below the guideline value of the Standard for Groundwater Quality of China, the isotopes of δ¹⁵N_NO3 and δ¹⁸O_NO3 suggest that nitrate flowing from SFS was primarily derived from manure and sewage, in addition to soil organic N. Thus, episodic release of septic effluent provides a challenge to the sustainability of karst groundwater management. The results of this study may be relevant to other remote and mountainous karst environments where tourism provide otherwise scarce economic resources and particularly to protected sites throughout the world.

Modeling solute reactivity in a phreatic solution conduit penetrating a karst aquifer

A two-dimensional model for solute migration, transformation, and deposition in a phreatic solution conduit penetrating a karst aquifer is presented in which the solute is anthropogenic to the natural system. Transformation of a reacting solute in a solution conduit has generally been accepted as likely occurring but actual physical measurements and mathematical analyses of the suspected process have been generally minimally investigated, primarily because of the logistical difficulties and complexities associated with solute transport through solution conduits. The model demonstrates how a reacting solute might decay or be transformed to a product solute some of which then migrates via radial dispersion to the conduit wall where it may become adsorbed. Model effects vary for laminar flow and turbulent flow in the axial direction. Dispersion in the radial direction also exhibits marked differences for both laminar flow and turbulent flow. Reaction zones may enhance subsequent reactions due to some overlap resulting from the longitudinal dispersion caused by flow in the axial direction. Simulations showed that varying the reaction rate coefficient strongly affects solute reactions, but that varying deposition coefficients had only minimal impacts. The model was applied to a well-known tracer test that used the tracer dye, Rhodamine WT, which readily converts to deaminoalkylated Rhodamine WT after release, to illustrate how the model may be used to suggest one possible cause, in addition to other possible causes, for less than 100 tracer-mass recovery. In terms of pollutants in a karst aquifer the model also suggests one possible mechanism for pollutant transformation in a solution conduit.

Assessment of the origin and transport of four selected emerging micropollutants sucralose, Acesulfame-K, gemfibrozil, and iohexol in a karst spring during a multi-event spring response

The assessment of vulnerability in karst systems reveals to be extremely challenging since it varies significantly with time and highly depends on the identification of diffuse and concentrated infiltration from surface karst features. The origin, consumed loads, and transport mode of selected micropollutants (MPs) including two artificial sweeteners (ASWs) Sucralose (SUC) and Acesulfame-K (ACE-K), in addition to other less investigated pharmaceuticals such as the lipid regulator Gemfibrozil (GEM), and the contrast media Iohexol (IOX) were investigated in a karst system under dynamic conditions. A detailed analysis of selected spring responses' chemograph and hydrograph following a multi precipitation event shows that three of the tracked MPs, especially ACE-K, and to the exception of IOX, can be used as specific indicators for point source domestic wastewater in karst systems. They have revealed to be persistent, source specific, conservative, and highly correlated with in-situ parameters easily measurable at the spring (chloride and turbidity). Even if the selected MPs are found in the system during low flow periods, they are mostly transported to the spring through fast flow pathways from flushed wastewater with surface water or flood rainwater. The highest mass inflow of ACE-K, IOX and GEM originated from a sinking stream, while SUC infiltrated exclusively through fast infiltration points (dolines). Their breakthrough curves coincide with the arrival of new waters and turbidity peaks. Unlike IOX, the mass fluxes of ASWs, and GEM to a lesser extent, can be linearly correlated with chloride mass fluxes and turbidity flux. Moreover, the variance of the normalized breakthrough curves of the MPs with respect to a mean transit time, increases in that order IOX<GEM<Turbidity<SUC<ACE-K indicating a higher restitution time for ACE-K with respect to other spring signals.

Characterization of Karst Conduit Network Using Long-Distance Tracer Test in Lijiang, Southwestern China

The Ancient City in Lijiang of southwestern China was endowed as World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, and the karst springs located in Black Dragon Pool are its main water source. However, the springs have dried up several times in recent years, which caused serious damages to the landscape as well as the city water supply. Triggered by the dried-up event in Black Dragon Pool, a long-distance artificial tracer test up to 17 km was employed to investigate the karst conduit network distributing in the study area. Based on the tracer concentration breakthrough curves (BTCs), the hydraulic connection from the same injection point (located in a giant depression named the Jiuzi Sea) to the springs on both sides of the topography watershed was proven, and the conduit structure was discussed. According to the characteristics of BTCs and considering the low tracer concentration and tracer recovery, a conceptual structure of leaky reservoir with threshold effect above a certain groundwater level was established to interpret why the springs in Black Dragon Pool dried up several times in history, but those in the Ancient City never did. Furthermore, a method of injecting surface water into the Jiuzi Sea to raise the groundwater level up to the height of Black Dragon Pool was proposed to restore the springs. Our study provides insights into the long-distance artificial tracer test, and opens a new avenue for groundwater resource recovery of this Ancient City.

Integration of models of various types of aquifers for water quality management in the transboundary area of the Soča/Isonzo river basin (Slovenia/Italy)

Due to intrinsic characteristics of aquifers groundwater frequently passes between various types of aquifers without hindrance. The complex connection of underground water paths enables flow regardless of administrative boundaries. This can cause problems in water resources management. Numerical modelling is an important tool for the understanding, interpretation and management of aquifers. Useful and reliable methods of numerical modelling differ with regard to the type of aquifer, but their connections in a single hydrodynamic model are rare. The purpose of this study was to connect different models into an integrated system that enables determination of water travel time from the point of contamination to water sources. The worst-case scenario is considered. The system was applied in the Soča/Isonzo basin, a transboundary river in Slovenia and Italy, where there is a complex contact of karst and intergranular aquifers and surface flows over bedrock with low permeability. Time cell models were first elaborated separately for individual hydrogeological units. These were the result of numerical hydrological modelling (intergranular aquifer and surface flow) or complex GIS analysis taking into account the vulnerability map and tracer tests results (karst aquifer). The obtained cellular models present the basis of a contamination early-warning system, since it allows an estimation when contaminants can be expected to appear, and in which water sources. The system proves that the contaminants spread rapidly through karst aquifers and via surface flows, and more slowly through intergranular aquifers. For this reason, karst water sources are more at risk from one-off contamination incidents, while water sources in intergranular aquifers are more at risk in cases of long-term contamination. The system that has been developed is the basis for a single system of protection, action and quality monitoring in the areas of complex aquifer systems within or on the borders of administrative units.

Use of Molecular Markers to Compare Escherichia coli Transport with Traditional Groundwater Tracers in Epikarst

Bacterial contamination of karst aquifers is a global concern as water quality deteriorates in the face of decreasing water security. Traditional abiotic groundwater tracers, which do not exhibit surface properties similar to bacteria, may not be good proxies for risk assessment of bacterial transport in karst environments. This study examined the transport and attenuation of two isolates of in relation to traditional groundwater tracers (rhodamine WT dye and 1-μm-diam. latex microspheres) through ∼30 m of epikarst in western Kentucky. Differential movement of the four tracers was observed, with tracer behavior dependent on flow conditions. Dye arrived at the sampling site prior to particulates. Molecular biology techniques successfully detected bacteria in the cave and showed attenuation was greater for a bacterial isolate with high attachment efficiency compared with an isolate known to have low attachment efficiency. Microspheres were first detected simultaneously with the low-attachment isolate but attained maximum concentrations during increases in discharge >11 d post-injection. Bacteria were remobilized by storm events >60 d after injection, illustrating the storage capacity of epikarst with regard to potential contaminants. The two bacterial strains were not transported at the same rate within the epikarst, showing breakthroughs during differing storm events and illustrating the importance of cell surface chemistry in the prediction of microorganism movement. Moreover, this study has shown that molecular analysis can be successfully used to target, quantify, and track introduced microbial tracers in karst terrains.

Modeling sewage leakage and transport in carbonate aquifer using carbamazepine as an indicator

The Western Mountain Aquifer (Yarkon-Taninim) of Israel is one of the country's major water resources and partially flows through a karst system. During late winter 2013, maintenance actions were performed on a central sewage pipe that caused sewage to leak into the creek located in the study area. Carbamazepine (CBZ) was used as an indicator for the presence of sewage in the groundwater. The research goal was to develop a mathematical model for quantifying flow and contaminant transport processes in the karst/fractured-porous unsaturated zone and groundwater system. The model was used to simulate CBZ transport during and after an observed sewage leakage event. A quasi-3D dual permeability numerical model represents the 'vadose zone - aquifer' system, by a series of 1D vertical flow and transport equations solved in a variably-saturated zone and by 3D-saturated flow and transport equation in groundwater. The results of simulation showed that after the leakage stopped, significant amounts of CBZ were retained in the porous matrix of the unsaturated zone below the creek. Water redistribution and slow recharge during the dry summer season contributed to a continuous supply of CBZ to the groundwater in the vicinity of the creek and hundreds of meters downstream.

Solute Migration from the Aquifer Matrix into a Solution Conduit and the Reverse

A solution conduit has a permeable wall allowing for water exchange and solute transfer between the conduit and its surrounding aquifer matrix. In this paper, we use Laplace Transform to solve a one-dimensional equation constructed using the Euler approach to describe advective transport of solute in a conduit, a production-value problem. Both nonuniform cross-section of the conduit and nonuniform seepage at the conduit wall are considered in the solution. Physical analysis using the Lagrangian approach and a lumping method is performed to verify the solution. Two-way transfer between conduit water and matrix water is also investigated by using the solution for the production-value problem as a first-order approximation. The approximate solution agrees well with the exact solution if dimensionless travel time in the conduit is an order of magnitude smaller than unity. Our analytical solution is based on the assumption that the spatial and/or temporal heterogeneity in the wall solute flux is the dominant factor in the spreading of spring-breakthrough curves, and conduit dispersion is only a secondary mechanism. Such an approach can lead to the better understanding of water exchange and solute transfer between conduits and aquifer matrix.

HIGHLIGHTS

Euler and Lagrangian approaches are used to solve transport in conduit. Two-way transfer between conduit and matrix is investigated. The solution is applicable to transport in conduit of persisting solute from matrix.

Transport and Attenuation of Particles of Different Density and Surface Charge: A Karst Aquifer Field Study

Although karst aquifers are far more susceptible to contamination than porous aquifers, with the transport of particulate matter being an important factor, little is known about the attenuation of solutes within karst aquifers and even less about the attenuation of particulate matter. These in situ investigations have therefore aimed to systematically identify the processes that influence the transport and attenuation of particles within a karst aquifer through multitracer testing, using four different types of 1 μm fluorescent particles and the fluorescent dye uranine. Each of the types of particles used were detected at the observed spring, which drains the investigated aquifer. However, the transport behavior varied significantly between the various particles and the uranine dye, with the breakthrough of particles occurring slightly earlier than that of uranine. Attenuation was determined from the tracer recovery and attributed to filtration processes. These processes were affected by the hydrophobicity and surface charge of the particles. Carboxylated polystyrene particles with a density and surface charge comparable to pathogenic microorganisms were found to be mobile in groundwater over a distance of about 3 km. No attenuation was observed for plain silica particles. Particles with these characteristics thus pose a major threat to karst spring water as they might occur as contaminants themselves or facilitate the transport of other contaminants.

Use of two artificial sweeteners, cyclamate and acesulfame, to identify and quantify wastewater contributions in a karst spring

The identification and differentiation of different sources of contamination are crucial aspects of risk assessment in water resource protection. This is especially challenging in karst environments due to their highly heterogeneous flow fields. We have investigated the use of two artificial sweeteners, cyclamate and acesulfame, as an indicator set for contamination by wastewater within the rural catchment of a karst spring. The catchment was investigated in detail to identify the sources of artificial sweeteners and quantify their impact. Spring water was analysed following two different but typical recharge events: (1) a rain-on-snow event in winter, when no wastewater overflow from the sewer system was observed, and (2) an intense rainfall event in summer triggering an overflow from a stormwater detention basin. Acesulfame, which is known to be persistent, was quantified in all spring water samples. Its concentrations decreased after the winter event with no associated wastewater spillage but increased during the summer event following a recent input of untreated wastewater. Cyclamate, which is known to be degradable, was only detected following the wastewater inflow incident. The cyclamate signal matched very well the breakthrough of faecal indicator bacteria, indicating a common origin. Knowing the input function, cyclamate was used quantitatively as a tracer in transport modelling and the impact of 'combined sewer overflow' on spring water quality was quantified. Signals from artificial sweeteners were compared to those from bulk parameters (discharge, electrical conductivity and turbidity) and also to those from the herbicides atrazine and isoproturon, which indicate 'old' and 'fresh' flow components, respectively, both originating from croplands. High concentration levels of the artificial sweeteners in untreated wastewater (cyclamate and acesulfame) and in treated wastewater (acesulfame only) make them powerful indicators, especially in rural settings where wastewater input is relatively low, and in karst systems where dilution is often high.

Relationship between organic micropollutants and hydro-sedimentary processes at a karst spring in south-west Germany

Karst aquifers are known to be highly vulnerable to contamination due to their particular hydraulic characteristics. A number of parameters (such as turbidity, dissolved organic matter concentration, particle size distribution) have been proposed as proxies that can be used to detect changes in water quality or contamination of karst springs. However, most of these are not very specific concerning the source of any contamination. Organic micropollutants (OMPs) such as artificial sweeteners or herbicides are possible source-specific indicators that can be used in karst catchment areas, but real time monitoring is not as yet possible for these compounds. We have investigated the possibility of combining the source-specific features of OMPs with real-time measurements of electrical conductivity (EC) and turbidity by means of ECturbidity hysteresis plots. These plots allow for identifying different hydro-sedimentary processes. Our investigations were carried out at the Gallusquelle karst spring in south-west Germany, during high flow conditions that occurred in 2013 after heavy precipitation. The herbicide atrazine, which derives from the aquifer matrix, was detectable in the spring water until resuspended particles appeared at the spring. The herbicide metazachlor, which is present in recharge from cropland, was found to be associated with periods of direct transfer of particles originating from the land surface. The artificial sweetener cyclamate was used as a wastewater indicator, but neither hysteresis plots of EC and turbidity nor any other real-time parameters were able to detect the presence of cyclamate following a wastewater spill. Since EC and turbidity are easily measurable parameters, the systematic relationships of ECturbidity hysteresis behavior to OMPs might assist in the sustainable management of raw water within karst catchments.

A framework for assessing the retardation of organic molecules in groundwater: Implications of the species distribution for the sorption-influenced transport

The pH-dependent molecule speciation (charge state) in solution strongly influences the transport of ionizable organic compounds in the aquatic environment. Therefore, the sorption behavior is complex and reliable predictions only based on physico-chemical sorbate, sorbent and solution properties are challenging. A short overview of underlying sorption processes causing retardation during the solute transport in aquifers is completed by a description of approaches for estimating respective sorption coefficients/retardation factors and discussed together with their limitations. Based on these initial considerations, a systematic framework is proposed, which allows the assessment of transport properties of organic molecule species by their chemical nature (neutral, acidic, basic, ampholytic). As a result, the transport properties of many (ionizable) organic molecules of interest can be assessed and even first presumptions for the sorption behavior of new and not yet investigated molecules can be derived.

Multitracer experiment to evaluate the attenuation of selected organic micropollutants in a karst aquifer

The increasing pressure on drinking water resources necessitates an efficient management of potential and actual drinking water resources. Karst aquifers play a key role in the supply of the world's population with drinking water. Around one quarter of all drinking water is produced from these types of aquifers. Unfortunately due to the aquifer characteristics with extremely high hydraulic conductivities and short residence times, these systems are vulnerable to contamination. For successful management, a fundamental understanding of mass transport and attenuation processes with respect to potential contaminants is vital. In this study, a multitracer experiment was performed in a karst aquifer in SW-Germany for determining the attenuation capacity of a karst environment by assessing the environmental fate of selected relevant micropollutants. Uranine, acesulfame and carbamazepine were injected into a sinkhole as reference tracers together with the reactive compounds atenolol, caffeine, cyclamate, ibuprofen and paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen). The breakthrough of the tracers was monitored at a karst spring at a distance of ca. 3 km. The breakthrough curves of the reactive compounds were interpreted relative to the reference substances. No significant retardation was found for any of the investigated micropollutants. The determined half-lives of the reactive compounds range from 38 to 1,400 h (i.e. persistent within the investigation period) in the following order (from high to no observed attenuation): paracetamol>atenolol≈ibuprofen>caffeine≫cyclamate. The attenuation rates are generally in agreement with studies from other environmental compartments. The occurrence of the biotransformation product atenolol acid served as evidence for in-situ biodegradation within the aquifer system.

Estimating preferential flow in karstic aquifers using statistical mixed models

Karst aquifers are highly productive groundwater systems often associated with conduit flow. These systems can be highly vulnerable to contamination, resulting in a high potential for contaminant exposure to humans and ecosystems. This work develops statistical models to spatially characterize flow and transport patterns in karstified limestone and determines the effect of aquifer flow rates on these patterns. A laboratory-scale Geo-HydroBed model is used to simulate flow and transport processes in a karstic limestone unit. The model consists of stainless steel tanks containing a karstified limestone block collected from a karst aquifer formation in northern Puerto Rico. Experimental work involves making a series of flow and tracer injections, while monitoring hydraulic and tracer response spatially and temporally. Statistical mixed models (SMMs) are applied to hydraulic data to determine likely pathways of preferential flow in the limestone units. The models indicate a highly heterogeneous system with dominant, flow-dependent preferential flow regions. Results indicate that regions of preferential flow tend to expand at higher groundwater flow rates, suggesting a greater volume of the system being flushed by flowing water at higher rates. Spatial and temporal distribution of tracer concentrations indicates the presence of conduit-like and diffuse flow transport in the system, supporting the notion of both combined transport mechanisms in the limestone unit. The temporal response of tracer concentrations at different locations in the model coincide with, and confirms the preferential flow distribution generated with the SMMs used in the study.

Combined physical and chemical nonequilibrium transport model for solution conduits

Solute transport in karst aquifers is primarily constrained to relatively complex and inaccessible solution conduits where transport is often rapid, turbulent, and at times constrictive. Breakthrough curves generated from tracer tests in solution conduits are typically positively-skewed with long tails evident. Physical nonequilibrium models to fit breakthrough curves for tracer tests in solution conduits are now routinely employed. Chemical nonequilibrium processes are likely important interactions, however. In addition to partitioning between different flow domains, there may also be equilibrium and nonequilibrium partitioning between the aqueous and solid phases. A combined physical and chemical nonequilibrium (PCNE) model was developed for an instantaneous release similar to that developed by Leij and Bradford (2009) for a pulse release. The PCNE model allows for partitioning open space in solution conduits into mobile and immobile flow regions with first-order mass transfer between the two regions to represent physical nonequilibrium in the conduit. Partitioning between the aqueous and solid phases proceeds either as an equilibrium process or as a first-order process and represents chemical nonequilibrium for both the mobile and immobile regions. Application of the model to three example breakthrough curves demonstrates the applicability of the combined physical and chemical nonequilibrium model to tracer tests conducted in karst aquifers, with exceptionally good model fits to the data. The three models, each from a different state in the United States, exhibit very different velocities, dispersions, and other transport properties with most of the transport occurring via the fraction of mobile water. Fitting the model suggests the potentially important interaction of physical and chemical nonequilibrium processes.

Determination of pollution and recovery time of karst springs, an example from a carbonate aquifer in Israel

This work combines the monitoring of two incidents of spring water pollution in the Western Galilee region of Israel, together with artificial tracer tests that provided valuable information regarding karst system connections and direct estimation of groundwater velocities. Almost simultaneous contamination of seven springs endangered the water supply for the region. The variations over time in contaminant concentration in the different springs were not similar, indicating more than one contamination source. Tracer tests revealed two different pollution sources that contributed to two different conduit pathways in the karst system. Breakthrough data for the tracers were modeled by a two-region non-equilibrium transport model, which provided the transport parameters of the karst conduit. Groundwater velocities in the conduits were found to be in a range of 2-3 km/day. The rapid response of the system was also demonstrated by the short recovery time of the springs, where, after the elimination of the pollution source, most water quality parameters reverted to their background concentrations in less than 3 months. The coexistence of highly polluted springs and uncontaminated groundwater in boreholes penetrating into the same aquifer demonstrates the complexity of groundwater flow in karst systems. In such systems, the fast groundwater flow in localized karst conduits seems to coexist with a slower flow within other portions of the aquifer.

Evidence for the microbially mediated abiotic formation of reversible and non-reversible sulfamethoxazole transformation products during denitrification

The antibiotic sulfonamide drug sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is extensively used in both human and veterinary medicine. Since it cannot be completely eliminated by the typical state-of-the-art wastewater treatment technology, it is frequently detected in the water cycle. SMX, as aromatic amine, can undergo abiotic transformations with the under denitrifying conditions produced nitrogen species nitric oxide (NO) and nitrite (NO(2)(-)). NO and aromatic amines are commonly known to form diazonium cations. Depending on the reaction conditions the diazonium cation disintegrates under cleavage of elementary nitrogen and substitutes its diazo-group by an NO(2)-group or by hydrogen. Following this approach, two transformation products (TPs) of the persistent SMX under denitrifying conditions were hypothesized and synthesized: 4-nitro-N-(5-methylisoxazol-3-yl)-benzenesulfonamide (4-nitro-SMX) and N-(5-methylisoxazol-3-yl)-benzenesulfonamide (desamino-SMX). The synthesized compounds were identified by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and used as reference standards for their confirmation and quantification in denitrifying water/sediment batch experiments and in environmental samples. During the denitrifying degradation experiment SMX was no longer detected after 10 days whereas increasing concentrations of the two TPs were observed. However, at day 87 the SMX concentration recovered to 53 ± 16% of the initial concentration after most of the nitrate was consumed. A retransformation of 4-nitro-SMX to SMX was postulated and confirmed by another anoxic water/sediment test in the absence of nitrate as electron acceptor. Both TPs were also detected in karst spring samples, highlighting the need and benefit of focusing on transformation products in environmental studies. Furthermore, the consideration of the retransformation potential of 4-nitro-SMX can substantially improve the understanding of SMX behavior during processes such as bank filtration and artificial recharge.

Caffeine as an indicator for the quantification of untreated wastewater in karst systems

Contamination from untreated wastewater leakage and related bacterial contamination poses a threat to drinking water quality. However, a quantification of the magnitude of leakage is difficult. The objective of this work is to provide a highly sensitive methodology for the estimation of the mass of untreated wastewater entering karst aquifers with rapid recharge. For this purpose a balance approach is adapted. It is based on the mass flow of caffeine in spring water, the load of caffeine in untreated wastewater and the daily water consumption per person in a spring catchment area. Caffeine is a source-specific indicator for wastewater, consumed and discharged in quantities allowing detection in a karst spring. The methodology was applied to estimate the amount of leaking and infiltrating wastewater to a well investigated karst aquifer on a daily basis. The calculated mean volume of untreated wastewater entering the aquifer was found to be 2.2 ± 0.5 m(3) d(-1) (undiluted wastewater). It corresponds to approximately 0.4% of the total amount of wastewater within the spring catchment.

Laboratory analog and numerical study of groundwater flow and solute transport in a karst aquifer with conduit and matrix domains

New mathematical and laboratory methods have been developed for simulating groundwater flow and solute transport in karst aquifers having conduits imbedded in a porous medium, such as limestone. The Stokes equations are used to model the flow in the conduits and the Darcy equation is used for the flow in the matrix. The Beavers-Joseph interface boundary conditions are adopted to describe the flow exchange at the interface boundary between the two domains. A laboratory analog is used to simulate the conduit and matrix domains of a karst aquifer. The conduit domain is located at the bottom of the transparent plexiglas laboratory analog and glass beads occupy the remaining space to represent the matrix domain. Water flows into and out of the two domains separately and each has its own supply and outflow reservoirs. Water and solute are exchanged through an interface between the two domains. Pressure transducers located within the matrix and conduit domains of the analog provide data that is processed and stored in digital format. Dye tracing experiments are recorded using time-lapse imaging. The data and images produced are analyzed by a spatial analysis program. The experiments provide not only hydraulic head distribution but also capture solute front images and mass exchange measurements between the conduit and matrix domains. In the experiment, we measure and record pressures, and quantify flow rates and solute transport. The results present a plausible argument that laboratory analogs can characterize groundwater water flow, solute transport, and mass exchange between the conduit and matrix domains in a karst aquifer. The analog validates the predictions of a numerical model and demonstrates the need of laboratory analogs to provide verification of proposed theories and the calibration of mathematical models.

Lattice Boltzmann models for flow and transport in saturated karst

Flow and transport simulation in karst aquifers remains a significant challenge for the ground water modeling community. Darcy's law-based models cannot simulate the inertial flows characteristic of many karst aquifers. Eddies in these flows can strongly affect solute transport. The simple two-region conduit/matrix paradigm is inadequate for many purposes because it considers only a capacitance rather than a physical domain. Relatively new lattice Boltzmann methods (LBMs) are capable of solving inertial flows and associated solute transport in geometrically complex domains involving karst conduits and heterogeneous matrix rock. LBMs for flow and transport in heterogeneous porous media, which are needed to make the models applicable to large-scale problems, are still under development. Here we explore aspects of these future LBMs, present simple examples illustrating some of the processes that can be simulated, and compare the results with available analytical solutions. Simulations are contrived to mimic simple capacitance-based two-region models involving conduit (mobile) and matrix (immobile) regions and are compared against the analytical solution. There is a high correlation between LBM simulations and the analytical solution for two different mobile region fractions. In more realistic conduit/matrix simulation, the breakthrough curve showed classic features and the two-region model fit slightly better than the advection-dispersion equation (ADE). An LBM-based anisotropic dispersion solver is applied to simulate breakthrough curves from a heterogeneous porous medium, which fit the ADE solution. Finally, breakthrough from a karst-like system consisting of a conduit with inertial regime flow in a heterogeneous aquifer is compared with the advection-dispersion and two-region analytical solutions.

Inverse modeling approach to allogenic karst system characterization

Allogenic karst systems function in a particular way that is influenced by the type of water infiltrating through river water losses, by karstification processes, and by water quality. Management of this system requires a good knowledge of its structure and functioning, for which a new methodology based on an inverse modeling approach appears to be well suited. This approach requires both spring and river inflow discharge measurements and a continuous record of chemical parameters in the river and at the spring. The inverse model calculates unit hydrographs and the impulse responses of fluxes from rainfall hydraulic head at the spring or rainfall flux data, the purpose of which is hydrograph separation. Hydrograph reconstruction is done using rainfall and river inflow data as model input and enables definition at each time step of the ratio of each component. Using chemical data, representing event and pre-event water, as input, it is possible to determine the origin of spring water (either fast flow through the epikarstic zone or slow flow through the saturated zone). This study made it possible to improve a conceptual model of allogenic karst system functioning. The methodology is used to study the Bas-Agly and the Cent Font karst systems, two allogenic karst systems in Southern France.

Solute and colloid transport in karst conduits under low- and high-flow conditions

Solute and colloid transport in karst aquifers under low and high flows was investigated by tracer tests using fluorescent dyes (uranine) and microspheres of the size of pathogenic bacteria (1 microm) and Cryptosporidium cysts (5 microm), which were injected into a cave stream and sampled at a spring 2.5 km away. The two types of microspheres were analyzed using an epifluorescence microscope or a novel fluorescence particle counter, respectively. Uranine breakthrough curves (BTCs) were regular shaped and recovery approached 100%. Microsphere recoveries ranged between 27% and 75%. During low flow, the 1-microm spheres displayed an irregular BTC preceding the uranine peak. Only a very few 5-microm spheres were recovered. During high flow, the 1-microm-sphere BTC was regular and more similar to the uranine curve. BTCs were modeled analytically with CXTFIT using a conventional advection dispersion model (ADM) and a two-region nonequilibrium model (2RNE). The results show that (1) colloids travel at higher velocities than solutes during low flow; (2) colloids and solutes travel at similar velocities during high flow; (3) higher maximum concentrations occur during high flow; and (4) the 2RNE achieves a better fit, while the ADM is more robust, as it requires less parameters.