Natural Groundwater Quality || Quality Status of the Upper Thracian Plio-Quaternary Aquifer, South Bulgaria
✍ Scribed by Edmunds, W. Mike; Shand, Paul
- Publisher
- Blackwell Publishing, Ltd
- Year
- 2008
- Weight
- 356 KB
- Category
- Article
- ISBN
- 1405156759
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✦ Synopsis
The quality of groundwaters in the Upper Thracian Plio-Quaternary aquifer (South Bulgaria) was studied in order to determine the baseline concentrations and main factors infl uencing them. Detailed sampling of groundwaters was implemented and an extensive set of major and trace elements and other hydrochemical characteristics were determined to elucidate the present hydrochemical conditions of water bodies. Standard statistical methods and software were used to analyse modern and historical data. Despite the fact that the area is quite densely populated and industry and agriculture are well established, most of the studied waters were of good quality with respect to many elements. The observed trends for different hydrochemical parameters are due to the infl uence of both natural and anthropogenic factors. Baseline values cannot be clearly distinguished, as they are often masked by the infl uence of the anthropogenic factors.
Along with general decreasing trend of groundwater levels, decreasing trends for pH and Ca and increasing trends in Na and Cl are recognised. An analysis of spatial variability of hydrochemical components indicates the role of the main river channel as a dividing line in the aquifer. The lack of exchange of waters between the northern and southern parts of the aquifer highlights two different spatial distributions of the hydrochemical parameters on either side of the river.