Abstract
Nicaragua’s León-Chinandega aquifer has seen extensive contamination by persistent organochlorine pesticides applied over decades of intensive agricultural activity. Models of flow and transport of a 330 km2 sub-region of the aquifer were developed to test conceptual models of contaminant transport, to constrain the value of certain key transport parameters, and to investigate contamination-related concerns raised in past studies. To support these models, a variety of hydrogeologic and geochemical data were collected. It was concluded that the organochlorine pesticides seen in groundwater originate in soils, and are transported to the water table through widespread preferential flow, through shortcutting around wells, or through wind-blown particles delivered to poorly protected hand-dug wells. The distribution coefficient (K d) of these pesticides is estimated to be between 0.1 and 100 ml/g and the concentration of pesticides being delivered to the water table is estimated to be between 102 and 105 ng/L. It was found that the distribution and concentration of pesticides in the aquifer would be affected by an increase in groundwater abstraction within the region.
Résumé
L’aquifère du León-Chinandega au Nicaragua a été soumis à des contaminations étendues par des pesticides organochlorés persistants qui ont été répandus pendant des dizaines d’années d’agriculture intensive. Des modèles d’écoulement et de transport d’une sous-région de 330 km2 de l’aquifère ont été construits pour tester des modèles conceptuels du transport de contaminants, pour contraindre la valeur de certains paramètres de transport clefs, et pour étudier les problèmes liés au transport de contaminations qui avaient été rencontrés lors d’études précédentes. Différents types de données hydrogéologiques et géochimiques ont été collectés pour réaliser ces modèles. La conclusion montre que les pesticides organochlorés rencontrés dans les eaux souterraines proviennent des sols et qu’ils sont transportés jusqu’à l’aquifère via de grandes zones d’écoulement préférentiel, via des raccourcis hydrauliques autour des puits, ou encore via des particules emportées par le vent et tombées dans des puits creusés à la main et mal protégés. Le coefficient de distribution (K d) de ces pesticides est estimé entre 0.1 et 100 ml/g et la concentration de pesticides arrivant dans la nappe est estimée entre 102 et 105 ng/L. L’étude a montré qu’une augmentation des prélèvements d’eau souterraine dans la région aurait un impact sur la distribution et la concentration des pesticides dans l’aquifère.
Resumen
El acuifero León-Chinandega (Nicaragua) presenta una contaminación extensiva por la aplicación de plaguicidas organoclorados en la agricultura intensiva durante décadas. Se han desarrollado modelos de flujo y transporte de una subregión del acuífero de 330 km2 para comprobar los modelos conceptuales del transporte de contaminantes, estimar los valores de ciertos parámetros clave de transporte e investigar los temas relacionados con la contaminación en estudios anteriores. Para elaborar estos modelos, se recogió una variedad de datos hidrogeológicos y geoquímicos. Se ha concluido que los plaguicidas organoclorados presentes en el agua subterránea se originan en el suelo y son transportados hacia el nivel freático a través de flujos preferentes generalizados, a través de cortes alrededor de los pozos o a través de partículas transportadas por el viento depositadas en pozos excavados a mano con poca protección. El coeficiente de distribución (K d) de estos plaguicidas se ha estimado entre 0.1 y 100 ml/g y la concentración de plaguicidas que sale hacia el nivel freático se estima que puede estar entre 102 y 105 ng/L. Se ha concluido que el incremento de la extracción de aguas subterráneas dentro de la región afectaría la distribución y concentración de plaguicidas en el acuífero.
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Acknowledgements
This project was undertaken with the support of the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Calgary, Canada, and the Centro para la Investigación en Recursos Acuáticos de Nicaragua at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua. It was funded by the Canadian International Development Agency through the Central American Water Resource Management Network, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Also gratefully acknowledged are the contributions of the Centro de Investigaciones Geocientíficas at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua, the Municipality of Posoltega, Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited, and the Instituto Nicaragüense de Estudios Territoriales.
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Moncrieff, J.E., Bentley, L.R. & Palma, H.C. Investigating pesticide transport in the León-Chinandega aquifer, Nicaragua. Hydrogeol J 16, 183–197 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-007-0229-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-007-0229-2