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A Review of Methods to Assess Groundwater Vulnerability to Pollution

Received: 29 July 2024     Accepted: 24 August 2024     Published: 11 September 2024
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Abstract

Groundwater resources that are increasingly being cherished for most socioeconomic development are exposed to varied pollutant sources. Studies have shown that they are vulnerable to various impacts such as climatic change, human impacts and also pollution from seawater intrusion in coastal areas. The susceptibility of a groundwater body to pollution indicates extent to which its quality is at risk of being compromised by contaminants. Assessments of this vulnerability are classified based on scale (site, local, regional) or objective (such as risk management or protection zoning) and also distinguish between source and resource vulnerability maps, as well as specific and intrinsic vulnerability maps. Groundwater vulnerability assessment methods differ based on several factors, including the availability and spatial distribution of quantitative and qualitative data, the objectives and scale of the mapping, the costs of model development, and the particular hydrogeological characteristics of the aquifer under investigation. The National Research Council has classified these methods into three primary categories: process-based methods, statistical methods, and overlay/index methods. Among these, the overlay/index method is widely employed for conducting large-scale assessments of aquifer sensitivity and groundwater vulnerability. It is especially advantageous in developing countries due to the easily accessible data required for its implementation.

Published in American Journal of Environmental Protection (Volume 13, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajep.20241304.12
Page(s) 93-107
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Statistical Methods, Process-Based Methods, Hydrogeological Setting, Overlay/Index Method, Sea-Water Intrusion

References
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    Aduck, J. N., Mufur, A. M., Fonteh, M. F. (2024). A Review of Methods to Assess Groundwater Vulnerability to Pollution. American Journal of Environmental Protection, 13(4), 93-107. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajep.20241304.12

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    Aduck, J. N.; Mufur, A. M.; Fonteh, M. F. A Review of Methods to Assess Groundwater Vulnerability to Pollution. Am. J. Environ. Prot. 2024, 13(4), 93-107. doi: 10.11648/j.ajep.20241304.12

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    Aduck JN, Mufur AM, Fonteh MF. A Review of Methods to Assess Groundwater Vulnerability to Pollution. Am J Environ Prot. 2024;13(4):93-107. doi: 10.11648/j.ajep.20241304.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajep.20241304.12,
      author = {Jovens Nyangang Aduck and Alice Magha Mufur and Mathias Fru Fonteh},
      title = {A Review of Methods to Assess Groundwater Vulnerability to Pollution
    },
      journal = {American Journal of Environmental Protection},
      volume = {13},
      number = {4},
      pages = {93-107},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajep.20241304.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajep.20241304.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajep.20241304.12},
      abstract = {Groundwater resources that are increasingly being cherished for most socioeconomic development are exposed to varied pollutant sources. Studies have shown that they are vulnerable to various impacts such as climatic change, human impacts and also pollution from seawater intrusion in coastal areas. The susceptibility of a groundwater body to pollution indicates extent to which its quality is at risk of being compromised by contaminants. Assessments of this vulnerability are classified based on scale (site, local, regional) or objective (such as risk management or protection zoning) and also distinguish between source and resource vulnerability maps, as well as specific and intrinsic vulnerability maps. Groundwater vulnerability assessment methods differ based on several factors, including the availability and spatial distribution of quantitative and qualitative data, the objectives and scale of the mapping, the costs of model development, and the particular hydrogeological characteristics of the aquifer under investigation. The National Research Council has classified these methods into three primary categories: process-based methods, statistical methods, and overlay/index methods. Among these, the overlay/index method is widely employed for conducting large-scale assessments of aquifer sensitivity and groundwater vulnerability. It is especially advantageous in developing countries due to the easily accessible data required for its implementation.
    },
     year = {2024}
    }
    

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    AU  - Alice Magha Mufur
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    Y1  - 2024/09/11
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    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajep.20241304.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajep.20241304.12
    T2  - American Journal of Environmental Protection
    JF  - American Journal of Environmental Protection
    JO  - American Journal of Environmental Protection
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    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajep.20241304.12
    AB  - Groundwater resources that are increasingly being cherished for most socioeconomic development are exposed to varied pollutant sources. Studies have shown that they are vulnerable to various impacts such as climatic change, human impacts and also pollution from seawater intrusion in coastal areas. The susceptibility of a groundwater body to pollution indicates extent to which its quality is at risk of being compromised by contaminants. Assessments of this vulnerability are classified based on scale (site, local, regional) or objective (such as risk management or protection zoning) and also distinguish between source and resource vulnerability maps, as well as specific and intrinsic vulnerability maps. Groundwater vulnerability assessment methods differ based on several factors, including the availability and spatial distribution of quantitative and qualitative data, the objectives and scale of the mapping, the costs of model development, and the particular hydrogeological characteristics of the aquifer under investigation. The National Research Council has classified these methods into three primary categories: process-based methods, statistical methods, and overlay/index methods. Among these, the overlay/index method is widely employed for conducting large-scale assessments of aquifer sensitivity and groundwater vulnerability. It is especially advantageous in developing countries due to the easily accessible data required for its implementation.
    
    VL  - 13
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Author Information
  • Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, College of Technology, The University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon

  • Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, College of Technology, The University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon; Department of Geology, Higher Teacher Training College, The University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon

  • Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, College of Technology, The University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon

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