Abstract
This study has evaluated the main hydrogeochemical characteristics that affect the quality of shallow groundwater in the coastal area at Kimje in South Korea. In this area, the chemical composition of groundwater is mostly classified into Na+−Cl− and Ca2++Mg2+−NO3 -+Cl− types. These types are affected by three major factors: seawater intrusion, fertilizers and redox processes. The Na+−Cl− type, which is generally localized in the coastal area, shows typical characteristics of groundwater affected not only by modern seawater but also by old seawater residing in the reclaimed land. In contrast, the Ca2++Mg2+−NO3 -+Cl− type, which is usually found inland, is very contaminated by fertilizers. As groundwater flows from the inland area to the coast, the redox condition changes from an oxic condition to a suboxic/anoxic condition. In addition, the reclamation has caused a large amount of underlying organic matter. These effects provide optimum conditions for the occurrence of redox processes in the coastal area.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abdullah MH, Mokhtar MB, Tahir SHJ, Awaluddin ABT (1997) Do tides affect water quality in the upper phreatic zone of a small oceanic island, Sipadan Island, Malaysia? Environ Geol 29:112–117
Aggarwal PK, Fuller MF, Gurgas MM, Manning JF, Dillon MA (1997) Use of stable oxygen and carbon isotope analyses for monitoring the pathways and rates intrinsic and enhanced in situ biodegradation. Environ Sci Technol 31:590–596
Böhlke JK, Denver JM (1995) Combined use of groundwater dating, chemical, and isotopic analyses to resolve the history and fate of nitrate contamination in two agricultural watersheds, Atlantic coastal plain, Maryland. Water Resour Res 31:2319–2339
Choi SH, Kim YK (1989) Geochemical characteristics of groundwater in Cheju Island. J Geol Soc Korea 25:230–238
Craig H (1961) Isotopic variation in meteoric waters. Science 133:1702–1703
Eaton AD, Clesceri LS, Greenberg AE (1995) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 19th edn. American Public Health Association, Washington, DC
Elderfield H, Mc Caffrey RJ, Luedtken N, Bender M, Truesdale VW (1981) Chemical diagnesis in Narragansett Bay sediments. Am J Sci 281:1021–1055
Evans WC (1977) Biochemistry of the bacterial catabolism of aromatic compounds in anaerobic environments. Nature 270:17–22
Kim JH (2001) Hydrogeochemical study on shallow groundwater at the coastal area of Kimje. Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, 96 pp
Landmeyer JE, Vorblesky DA, Chappele FH (1996) Stable carbon isotope evidence of biodegradation zonation in a shallow jet-fuel contaminated aquifer. Environ Sci Technol 30:1120–1128
Lee KS, Wenner DB, Lee I (1999) Using H- and O-isotopic data for estimating the relative contributions of rainy and dry season precipitation to groundwater: example for Cheju Island, Korea. J Hydrol 222:65–74
Lee SB, Kim KT, Han SR, Hahn JS (1997) The study on the increased causes of chloride (Cl-) concentration of the Samyan 3rd pumping station in Cheju Island. J Kor Soc Groundwater Environ 4:85–94
Louvat D, Michelot JL, Aranyossy JF (1999) Origin and residence time of salinity in the Äspö groundwater system. Appl Geochem 14:917–925
Lovely DR (1997) Microbial Fe(III) redox in subsurface environments. FEMS Microbiol Reviews 20:305–313
Malisa ML, Prowell DC (1990) Effects of faults on fluid flow and chloride contamination in a carbonate aquifer system. J Hydrol 115:1–49
Nadler A, Magaritz M, Major E (1985) Chemical reactions of seawater with rocks and freshwater: experimental and field observations on brackish waters in Israel. Geochem Cosmochim Acta 44:879-886
Park GS, Oh YK (1996) A study on the chemical characteristic of ground-seawater in the coast of Cheju Island. J Kor Soc Environ Eng 18: 310–315
Park YS, Kim JK, Kim J (2001) Petrochemistry of Granitoids in the Youngwand-Kimje area, Korea. Econ Environ Geol 34:55–70
Price BN, Calvert SE (1977) The contrasting geochemical behaviors of iodine and bromine in recent sediments from the Nambian Shelf. Geochem Cosmochim Acta 41:1769–1775
Richter BC, Kreitler CW, Bledsoe BE (1993) Geochemical techniques or identifying sources of groundwater salinization. CRC Press, New York
Singh VS, Gupta CP (1997) Groundwater in a coral. Environ Geol 37:72–77
Stoessel RK (1997) Delineating the chemical composition of the salinity source for the saline ground waters: an example from east-central Concordia Parish, Louisiana. Ground Water 35:409–417
Stumm W, Morgan JJ (1996) Aquatic chemistry: chemical equilibria and rates in natural waters. 3rd edn. Wiley, New York
Sukhija BS, Varma VN, Nagabhushanam P, Reddy DV (1996) Differentiation of palaeomarine and modern seawater intruded salinities in coastal line groundwater (of Karaikal and Tanjavur, India) based on inorganic chemistry, organic biomarker fingerprints and radiocarbon dating. J Hydrol 174:173–201
Acknowledgment
This study was financially supported by Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (R01-1998-000-00115-0) and the Group for Natural Hazard Research, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources. The authors also thank to BK21 program, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University. We would also like to thank Dr. Jin Yong Lee at Geogreen 21 Co. Ltd. and Dr. Don Sunwoo at Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources for their assistance.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kim, J.H., Kim, R.H., Lee, J. et al. Hydrogeochemical characterization of major factors affecting the quality of shallow groundwater in the coastal area at Kimje in South Korea. Env Geol 44, 478–489 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-003-0782-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-003-0782-5