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Tuesday, 02 February 2010 12:20 |
Hydraulics of Groundwater related to Quality and Waste Management
The primary source of drinking water in Pakistan is Groundwater. In the past, the quality of groundwater was not of major concern. But with the passage of time, it is becoming apparent that the quality of groundwater is gradually deteriorating. Most of the contaminating compounds are known to be carcinogenic or mutagenic; therefore it is a serious threat to the groundwater resource. Following points are introduced in this paper: a) the sources of contamination, b) the hydraulics of groundwater movement, c) the movement of reactive/non-reactive contaminants in groundwater and, d) practical considerations related to groundwater quality management.
In Pakistan, the main source of contamination is fertilizers, pesticides and saline water present in deeper layers of the groundwater aquifers. The movement of groundwater is itself a complex phenomenon. Further complications arise due to due to presence of contaminants. The movement of contaminants depends on their chemical nature, physical properties of the aquifers like adsorption, hydraulic conductivity, rate of groundwater movement, boundary and initial concentrations, etc.
The contaminant transport in groundwater is a multi-disciplinary subject. The hydraulics of contaminant transport can be modeled using mathematical techniques. The reliability depends on the quality of available data. In addition to simplified mathematical solutions, computer models are also used for the purpose. These models provide greater flexibility to simulate complex field conditions.
Special control measures are required for prevention and control of contamination of groundwater aquifers. These measures are site specific. Main steps can be divided into containment, Removal and Treatment.
Author(s):
M.Nadeem, Centre of Excellence in Water resource Engineering, UET, Lahore.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 02 February 2010 12:23 |
