Nitrate transport in the unsaturated zone: a case study of the riverbank filtration system Karany, Czech Republic
✍ Scribed by Frantisek Buzek; Renata Kadlecova; Ivana Jackova; Zdena Lnenickova
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2011
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 439 KB
- Volume
- 26
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0885-6087
- DOI
- 10.1002/hyp.8165
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✦ Synopsis
Abstract
Nitrate transport in the unsaturated zone of a riverbank filtration (RBF) system in Karany, Czech Republic, was studied. Previous study of the system estimated RBF recharge as 60% riverbank filtrate and 40% local groundwater contaminated by nitrates. Nitrate concentrations observed in RBF recently cannot be explained by simple groundwater contamination and a new conception of groundwater recharge is suggested. A two‐component model based on water ^18^O data modelled recharge of local groundwater. One component of groundwater recharge is rainfall and irrigation water moving through the unsaturated zone of the Quaternary sediments in piston flow. The second component is groundwater from the Cretaceous deposits with a free water table. Both the components of groundwater recharge have different nitrate concentrations, and resulting contamination of groundwater depends on the participation of water from Quaternary and Cretaceous deposits. Nitrates' origins and their mixing in the subsurface were traced by ^15^N data. Nitrate transport from the unsaturated zone is important and time variable source of groundwater contamination. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.