UNDER GROUND WATER

Prepared by : osama nasser ibrahim

Section : 2
By Doctor : Mohamed Saied
Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and soil
pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. About 30 percent of all
readily available freshwater in the world is groundwater. A unit of rock or an
unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity
of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock
become completely saturated with water is called the water table.
Groundwater is recharged from the surface; it may discharge from the surface
naturally at springs and seeps, and can form oases or wetlands. Groundwater
is also often withdrawn for agricultural, municipal, and industrial use by
constructing and operating extraction wells. The study of the distribution and
movement of groundwater is hydrogeology, also called groundwater
hydrology.
Typically, groundwater is thought of as water flowing through shallow
aquifers, but, in the technical sense, it can also contain soil moisture,
permafrost (frozen soil), immobile water in very low permeability bedrock,
and deep geothermal or oil formation water. Groundwater is hypothesized to
provide lubrication that can possibly influence the movement of faults. It is
likely that much of Earth's subsurface contains some water, which may be
mixed with other fluids in some instances.
Groundwater is often cheaper, more convenient and less vulnerable to
pollution than surface water. Therefore, it is commonly used for public water
supplies. For example, groundwater provides the largest source of usable
water storage in the United States, and California annually withdraws the
largest amount of groundwater of all the states. Underground reservoirs
contain far more water than the capacity of all surface reservoirs and lakes in
the US, including the Great Lakes. Many municipal water supplies are derived
solely from groundwater. Over 2 billion people rely on it as their primary
water source worldwide.

Groundwater contamination occurs when man-made products such as

gasoline, oil, road salts and chemicals get into the groundwater and cause it to
become unsafe and unfit for human use.
Materials from the land’s surface can move through the soil and end up in the
groundwater. For example, pesticides and fertilizers can find their way into
groundwater supplies over time. Road salt, toxic substances from mining sites,
and used motor oil also may seep into groundwater. In addition, it is possible
for untreated waste from septic tanks and toxic chemicals from underground
storage tanks and leaky landfills to contaminate groundwater.
Dangers of Contaminated Groundwater
Drinking contaminated groundwater can have serious health effects. Diseases
such as hepatitis and dysentery may be caused by contamination from septic
tank waste. Poisoning may be caused by toxins that have leached into well
water supplies. Wildlife can also be harmed by contaminated groundwater.
Other long term effects such as certain types of cancer may also result from
exposure to polluted water.
Potential Sources of Groundwater Contamination
 Storage Tanks
May contain gasoline, oil, chemicals, or other types of liquids and they can
either be above or below ground. There are estimated to be over 10 million
storage tanks buried in the United States and over time the tanks can corrode,
crack and develop leaks. If the contaminants leak out and get into the
groundwater, serious contamination can occur.
 Septic Systems
Onsite wastewater disposal systems used by homes, offices or other buildings
that are not connected to a city sewer system. Septic systems are designed to
slowly drain away human waste underground at a slow, harmless rate. An
improperly designed, located, constructed, or maintained septic system can
leak bacteria, viruses, household chemicals, and other contaminants into the
groundwater causing serious problems.

 Uncontrolled Hazardous Waste

In the U.S. today, there are thought to be over 20,000 known abandoned and
uncontrolled hazardous waste sites and the numbers grow every year.
Hazardous waste sites can lead to groundwater contamination if there are
barrels or other containers laying around that are full of hazardous materials.
If there is a leak, these contaminants can eventually make their way down
through the soil and into the groundwater.
 Landfills
Landfills are the places that our garbage is taken to be buried. Landfills are
supposed to have a protective bottom layer to prevent contaminants from
getting into the water. However, if there is no layer or it is cracked,
contaminants from the landfill (car battery acid, paint, household cleaners,
etc.) can make their way down into the groundwater.
 Chemicals and Road Salts
The widespread use of chemicals and road salts is another source of potential
groundwater contamination. Chemicals include products used on lawns and
farm fields to kill weeds and insects and to fertilize plants, and other products
used in homes and businesses. When it rains, these chemicals can seep into
the ground and eventually into the water. Road salts are used in the
wintertime to put melt ice on roads to keep cars from sliding around. When
the ice melts, the salt gets washed off the roads and eventually ends up in the
water.
 Atmospheric Contaminants
Since groundwater is part of the hydrologic cycle, contaminants in other parts
of the cycle, such as the atmosphere or bodies of surface water, can eventually
be transferred into our groundwater supplies.

Forms of ground water contamination

 Arsenic and fluoride
Main article: Arsenic contamination of groundwater
Arsenic and fluoride have been recognized by the World Health Organization
(WHO) as the most serious inorganic contaminants in drinking-water on a
worldwide basis.
Inorganic arsenic is the most common type of arsenic in soil and water. The
metalloid arsenic can occur naturally in groundwater, as seen most frequently
in Asia, including in China, India and Bangladesh. In the Ganges Plain of
northern India and Bangladesh severe contamination of groundwater by
naturally occurring arsenic affects 25% of water wells in the shallower of two
regional aquifers. Groundwater in these areas is also contaminated by the use
of arsenic-based pesticides.
Arsenic in groundwater can also be present where there are mining
operations or mine waste dumps that will leach arsenic.
Natural fluoride in groundwater is of growing concern as deeper groundwater
is being used, "with more than 200 million people at risk of drinking water
with elevated concentrations. Fluoride can especially be released from acidic
volcanic rocks and dispersed volcanic ash when water hardness is low. High
levels of fluoride in groundwater is a serious problem in the Argentinean
Pampas, Chile, Mexico, India, Pakistan, the East African Rift, and some volcanic
islands (Tenerife)
In areas that have naturally occurring high levels of fluoride in groundwater
which is used for drinking water, both dental and skeletal fluorosis can be
prevalent and severe.
 Pathogens
The lack of proper sanitation measures, as well as improperly placed wells,
can lead to drinking water contaminated with pathogens carried in feces and
urine. Such fecal-oral transmitted diseases include typhoid, cholera and
diarrhea.Of the four pathogen types that are present in feces (bacteria,
viruses, protozoa, and helminths or helminth eggs), the first three can be
commonly found in polluted groundwater, whereas the relatively large
helminth eggs are usually filtered out by the soil matrix
Deep, confined aquifers are usually considered the safest source of drinking
water with respect to pathogens. Pathogens from treated or untreated
wastewater can contaminate certain, especially shallow, aquifers.
 Nitrate
Nitrate is the most common chemical contaminant in the world's groundwater
and aquifers. In some low-income countries, nitrate levels in groundwater are
extremely high, causing significant health problems. It is also stable (it does
not degrade) under high oxygen conditions.
Nitrate levels above 10 mg/L (10 ppm) in groundwater can cause "blue baby
syndrome" (acquired methemoglobinemia). Drinking water quality standards
in the European Union stipulate less than 50 mg/L for nitrate in drinking
water.
However, the linkages between nitrates in drinking water and blue baby
syndrome have been disputed in other studies.The syndrome outbreaks might
be due to other factors than elevated nitrate concentrations in drinking water.
Elevated nitrate levels in groundwater can be caused by on-site sanitation,
sewage sludge disposal and agricultural activities.It can therefore have an
urban or agricultural origin.
 Organic compounds
Main article: VOC contamination of groundwater
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a dangerous contaminant of
groundwater. They are generally introduced to the environment through
careless industrial practices. Many of these compounds were not known to be
harmful until the late 1960s and it was some time before regular testing of
groundwater identified these substances in drinking water sources.
Primary VOC pollutants found in groundwater include aromatic hydrocarbons
such as BTEX compounds ( benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes), and
chlorinated solvents including tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene
(TCE), and vinyl chloride (VC). BTEX are important components of gasoline.
PCE and TCE are industrial solvents historically used in dry cleaning
processes and as a metal degreaser, respectively.
Other organic pollutants present in groundwater and derived from industrial
operations are the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Due to its
molecular weight, Naphthalene is the most soluble and mobile PAH found in
groundwater, whereas benzo(a)pyrene is the most toxic one. PAHs are
generally produced as byproducts by incomplete combustion of organic
matter.
Organic pollutants can also be found in groundwater as insecticides and
herbicides. As many other synthetic organic compounds, most pesticides have
very complex molecular structures. This complexity determines the water
solubility, adsorption capacity, and mobility of pesticides in the groundwater
system. Thus, some types of pesticides are more mobile than others so they
can more easily reach a drinking-water source.

 Metals
Several trace metals occur naturally in certain rock formations and can enter
in the environment from natural processes such as weathering. However,
industrial activities such as mining, metallurgy, solid waste disposal, paint and
enamel works, etc. can lead to elevated concentrations of toxic metals
including lead, cadmium and chromium. These contaminants have the
potential to make their way into groundwater.
The migration of metals (and metalloids) in groundwater will be affected by
several factors, in particular by chemical reactions which determine the
partitioning of contaminants among different phases and species. Thus, the
mobility of metals primarily depends on the pH and redox state of
groundwater.
 Pharmaceuticals
Main article: Groundwater contamination by pharmaceuticals
Trace amounts of pharmaceuticals from treated wastewater infiltrating into
the aquifer are among emerging ground-water contaminants being studied
throughout the United States.Popular pharmaceuticals such as antibiotics,
anti-inflammatories, antidepressants, decongestants, tranquilizers, etc. are
normally found in treated wastewater.This wastewater is discharged from the
treatment facility, and often makes its way into the aquifer or source of
surface water used for drinking water.
Trace amounts of pharmaceuticals in both groundwater and surface water are
far below what is considered dangerous or of concern in most areas, but it
could be an increasing problem as population grows and more reclaimed
wastewater is utilized for municipal water supplies.
 Others
Other organic pollutants include a range of organohalides and other chemical
compounds, petroleum hydrocarbons, various chemical compounds found in
personal hygiene and cosmetic products, drug pollution involving
pharmaceutical drugs and their metabolites. Inorganic pollutants might
include other nutrients such as ammonia and phosphate, and radionuclides
such as uranium (U) or radon (Rn) naturally present in some geological
formations. Saltwater intrusion is also an example of natural contamination,
but is very often intensified by human activities.

10 Possible Sources of Groundwater Contamination

1. Natural Sources
Groundwater contamination won’t always
be a result of human activity. Some
substances found naturally in rocks and
soils, such as arsenic, iron, chlorides,
sulfates, fluoride, or radionuclides, can
become dissolved in groundwater. Other
naturally-occurring substances, such as
decaying organic matter, can move in
groundwater as particles. Some of these
contaminants may accumulate in excess
quantities, posing a health threat if consumed. Others may produce an
unpleasant odor, taste, or color. Groundwater containing these materials
needs to be treated before it is used for domestic uses.
2. Pesticide and Fertilizer Use
Agriculture is a huge source of groundwater pollution. The spreading of
slurry, fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, and animal
waste on the land can result in pollutants, such as nitrates and bacteria,
seeping into underground water sources. These pollutants can have severe
adverse effects on plants, animals, and people who rely on these water
sources. Some of them can even stay in the ground for many months to many
years. Atrazine, a common weed killer, is linked to congenital disabilities,
cancer, and low sperm counts in humans.

3. Waste from Sewers and Other Pipelines

Sewer pipes carrying wastes sometimes leak fluids into the surrounding soil
and groundwater. Sewage consists of organic matter, heavy metals, inorganic
salts, bacteria, viruses, and nitrogen. Similarly, improperly designed, located,
constructed, or maintained septic systems could leak bacteria, viruses,
household chemicals, and other contaminants into the groundwater, causing
severe problems. Pipelines carrying industrial chemicals and oil brine have
also been known to leak, especially when the materials transported through
the pipes are corrosive.

4. Improper Disposal of Hazardous Waste

Many of us don’t realize that the way we dispose of waste can impact the
quality of the same groundwater we rely on. When we improperly dispose of
materials such as cooking and motor oils, lawn and garden chemicals, paints
and paint thinners, medicines, disinfectants, etc., they usually end up in
groundwater wells. Besides, many substances used in the industrial process
should not be disposed of in drains at the workplace because they could
contaminate a drinking water source. Pouring the wrong chemicals down the
drain or neglecting to discard medication properly can harm your
groundwater sources and, ultimately, your health and possibly that of the
people living in your household.
5. Natural Gas Drilling
Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” is a process used to drill for natural gas. A
mixture of chemicals is combined with water and forced deep into cracks in
the ground, opening them to gain more access to the gas. EPA scientists are
still investigating whether natural gas drilling is contaminating groundwater
sources in some Western States. But many homeowners have abandoned their
houses after methane seeped into the water, and at least one house exploded
in 2003, killing three people inside.

6. Mining and Quarrying

Mining and quarrying can release pollutants previously trapped in rocks into
surrounding underground water sources. Precipitation causes these soluble
chemicals to leach into the groundwater below. These wastes often include
acid, iron, sulfates, and aluminum. Furthermore, toxins such as lead and
arsenic were used in 19th-century mining, and often persist in today’s
abandoned mine shafts.

7. Saltwater Contamination
When aquifers near the coast are over-pumped, there’s a risk of creating a
vacuum that can quickly be filled with salty seawater. Saltwater is
undrinkable and useless for irrigation, decreasing the availability of the
already scarce freshwater. Saltwater contamination is a major concern for
many coastal communities that depend on wells for drinking water.

8. Landfills
Landfills are areas where our garbage is taken to be buried. They are
supposed to have a protective bottom layer to prevent contaminants from
leaching into groundwater. However, if there’s no layer or the layer is cracked,
contaminants from the landfill (paint, acid, car batteries, household cleaners,
etc.) can make their way down into groundwater. These contaminants can
pose serious health risks to humans and animals.
9. Military Bases
Military sites are home to some of the most dangerous contaminants,
including trichloroethylene (TCE) and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances
(PFAS). Even today, some US military facilities are plagued by contamination.
Worse, some contaminants found in and around those facilities have drifted
into some groundwater supplies. TCE is believed to damage the nervous
system, lungs, and liver and cause abnormal heartbeat, coma, or even death.
It’s also believed to cause cancer in humans. PFAS may lead to problems like
thyroid disease, damage to the liver and kidneys, elevated cholesterol, and
effects on fertility and low birth weight. And similar to TCE, it is a possible
cancer-causing agent.

10. Atmospheric Contamination

Ever heard the saying, “What goes up must come down?” Well, that principle
also applies to pollutants released into the atmosphere. These contaminants
eventually return to Earth in rain, snow, and other forms of precipitation.
Surface water then leaches these pollutants into groundwater. Moreover,
nitrates and sulfates emitted from power plants and factories can cause acid
rain, which streams through the soil and acidifies groundwater supplies.

Methods of contaminants transport

 Diffusion
 Advection
 Dispersion
 Decay
The transport of pollutants in water can occur under particulate or
dissolved forms, either in surface or groundwaters. In surface waters, soil
particles can be introduced in streams and move under particulate form
downstream (bed-load transport) by rolling, sliding, and saltation and
further deposited downstream. This transport depends on flow velocity,
turbulence, and grain size, shape, and density. In groundwaters, particulate
transport is not so expressive and occurs for very small grain size particles.
The dissolved transport in waters is very important since this is highly
associated with more available forms of pollutants of greater
environmental concern. In addition, by this way pollutants can more easily
reach other sites or environmental compartments way from the source.
Primarily, this involves leaching processes, i.e., a process by which
pollutants are released from solid phase into the aqueous phase under the
influence of dissolution and desorption of pollutants from their support-
phases. As mentioned above, this is dependent on several factors, such as,
soil pH, redox conditions, biotic action, and the amount of water
percolating the soil, which will carried out the pollutants to surface or
groundwater repositories. The aerobic conditions of surface waters and the
anaerobic conditions of groundwaters may have a great influence in the
dissolved transport, which may result in the precipitation of pollutants by
changes in redox state.

Remediation techniques for the groundwater contamination

When contaminants have found their way into our water systems, it is a
problem that needs a quick, reliable solution. There are different methods
for treating groundwater that can remove the harmful substances. These
methods fall into three general categories: biological, chemical and
physical.

BIOLOGICAL METHODS
Biological groundwater rehabilitation methods use organics, such as
microorganisms, organic matter and (in some cases) plants to clean
contaminated water. Biological filtration is an affordable water treatment
plant system that relies on natural bacteria in the water. These bacteria
convert and remove contaminants from the water in this easy-to-use,
natural rehab method that requires little power usage.

Bioaugmentation, bioventing and biosparging all use biological material to

breakdown industrial waste water and chemicals that may be present.

CHEMICAL METHODS
Using a chemical method for groundwater rehabilitation can take longer
and may be more costly than other methods. Chemical rehab is useful on
some materials, however, that other methods cannot treat. Many of the
average 16,000 chemical spills occurring in the U.S. every year can pose a
serious threat to groundwater sources. Using chemicals to clean up
chemical contaminants is one way to fight this problem.

Some examples of chemical rehabilitation methods are carbon absorption,

chemical precipitation, ion exchange and oxidation.

PHYSICAL METHODS
Treatment methods that fall under this umbrella are usually the most basic
of the groundwater rehabilitation methods. One example is air sparging, or
using air to strip water clean.

The most common physical method is pump and treat. This technique does
exactly what its name says: physically removing water from the ground
and treating it with biological or chemical means.

PROVIDING A WIDE RANGE OF GROUNDWATER TREATMENT SOLUTIONS

AOS Treatment Solutions conducts specific tests and meticulously analyzes
each water problem in order to implement the most effective treatment
solution.
Iron and Manganese Control — Polyphosphate is used to sequester soluble
iron and manganese to prevent the oxidation that causes discolored water.
Phosphate treatments are tailored to each water source to provide the
maximum benefit at the lowest effective dosage.
Corrosion Control — Corrosion control can be managed through many
different treatments. The water characteristics can be changed through pH
and alkalinity adjustments, protective scale formations, or through the use
of phosphate treatments. The cause and severity of the potential corrosion
helps determine the most effective treatment.
Disinfection — Disinfection involves preventing and removing biofilm and
pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, which may cause serious illness
and disease. Either chlorine gas or liquid sodium hypochlorite (bleach) are
often used in the disinfection process.
Miscellaneous Treatment — Miscellaneous treatments may include
chloramines, scale inhibitors, blended phosphates, and pH adjustments.

EXPERIENCED GROUNDWATER REMEDIATION & TREATMENT

AOS Treatment Solutions has the experience and knowledge to treat

groundwater and surface water while providing a wide range of treatment
solutions. We understand how to effectively treat the specific problems in
each particular water supply. AOS Treatment Solutions will collect water
samples and provide extensive tests using the best equipment and testing
methods available
Contact AOS Treatment Solutions for successful and cost-effective
groundwater treatment solutions.

See water intrusion

Saltwater intrusion has occurred to some degree in many of the coastal

aquifers of the United States. Since saltwater cannot be used to irrigate
crops or be consumed by people, saltwater intrusion can be very
problematic to coastal communities that rely on fresh groundwater
supplies for the livelihood. The USGS studies how excessive groundwater
pumping, sea level rise, and other factors contribute to the encroachment
of seawater into fresh groundwater supplies. This research aids those who
manage the water supplies, allowing for better management strategies to
protect people and their sources of water.

BACKGROUND

Under natural conditions, the seaward movement of freshwater prevents

saltwater from encroaching on freshwater coastal aquifers. This interface
between freshwater and saltwater is maintained near the coast or far
below the land surface. The interface actually is a diffuse zone where
freshwater and saltwater mix. This zone is referred to as the zone of
dispersion or the zone of transition.

Groundwater pumping can reduce freshwater flow toward coastal areas

and cause saltwater to be drawn toward the freshwater zones of the
aquifer. Saltwater intrusion decreases freshwater storage in the aquifers,
and, in extreme cases, can result in the abandonment of wells.
The Process of Saltwater Intrusion: The figure above illustrates how the
process of saltwater intrusion into an aquifer system can occur. The
boundary between fresh groundwater and saltwater is referred to as the
freshwater/saltwater interface. Fresh groundwater discharging to the
coast prevents the landward encroachment of saltwater. If too much
freshwater is pumped from the aquifer system, then saltwater can migrate
landward by a process referred to as “saltwater intrusion.” If a pumping
well is close to the landward migrating freshwater/saltwater interface,
saltwater could enter the well and contaminate the water supply, too.
As sea levels rise along the coasts, saltwater can move onto the land.
Known as saltwater intrusion, this occurs when storm surges or high tides
overtop areas low in elevation. It also occurs when saltwater infiltrates
freshwater aquifers and raises the groundwater table below the soil
surface.
In the Northeast, the average rate of sea level rise is 3 mm per year, and
faster in the mid-Atlantic where land is also sinking. This rate is also
speeding up, causing the problem of saltwater intrusion to get worse over
time. Researchers are showing that large storms are becoming more
frequent, high tides are reaching farther inland, and saltwater is spreading
 through fresh groundwater faster than it has in past decades. Droughts can
make the problem worse by decreasing the fresh water available to flush
salts out of soil and groundwater.
causes of the sea water intrusion phenomenon
Saltwater intrusion occurs by many ways, including lateral encroachment
from coastal waters and vertical movement of saltwater near discharging
wells. The intrusion of saltwater caused by withdrawals of freshwater from
the groundwater system can make the resource unsuitable for use. Thus,
groundwater management plans should take into account potential changes in
water quality that might occur because of saltwater intrusion.

Depth of interface= 40H .... Where H is the ground water level (G.W.L) .