A methodology for spatially representing the likelihood of occurrence of natural contaminants in groundwater


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Authors: de Albuquerque, RC; Allen, DM; Kirste, D
Year: 2013
Journal: Environ. Earth Sci. 68: 1863-1875   Article Link (DOI)
Title: A methodology for spatially representing the likelihood of occurrence of natural contaminants in groundwater
Abstract: This paper presents a novel method of spatially representing the likelihood of occurrence of a contaminant in groundwater at the scale of a municipality or watershed. The specific contaminant of concern in the case study area is arsenic, which is variably present in groundwater at concentrations exceeding the 10 A mu g/l drinking water guideline. The method used to produce the likelihood of occurrence map incorporates confidence of geochemical interpretation based on availability of information and data on each aquifer. While demonstrated using arsenic as the contaminant of interest, the approach is readily adapted to other groundwater constituents. The final map is intended to be of use to water managers as it provides a spatial representation of aquifers of concern and identifies areas where further sampling or monitoring may be needed.
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