ISSN:
1745-6584
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
,
Geosciences
Notes:
A regional ground-water quality survey from 28 wells in the Coventry area of the United Kingdom identified widespread ground-water pollution. Chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents (CHSs) were detected at concentrations exceeding l microgram per liter (μg/I) in all industrial and public water supply wells within the urban area. Of the CHSs analyzed, trichloroethene was most ubiquitous and was also detected at the highest concentrations, reaching a maximum of 547 μg/I at the industrial “Site A” during this study. By comparison with CHS pollution, inorganic and trace element concentrations were elevated relative to assumed baseline levels only in some industrial wells. The limited extent of inorganic contamination may be due to (1) retention of pollutants within the unsaturated zone, (2) ground-water mixing in wells, (3) ferric hydroxide precipitation resulting in heavy metal coprecipitation, and (4) sorption on sand grains coated with ferric hydroxide. For inorganic determinants, a pollution index was devised which ranked zinc and boron as primary indicators of inorganic contamination. Regionally, concentrations of CHS and inorganic determinants did not reveal any significant correlation with depth.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6584.1993.tb01844.x
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