The current conceptual hydrogeologic model established for source water to the Amargosa River was tested in order to help inform management decisions regarding the Amargosa River's Federal designation as Wild and Scenic through an Act of Congress. The limited availability of water in this region results in the critical need for effective management in the basin to maintain its Wild and Scenic attributes inclusive of habitat for several endangered and threatened species. The use of forensic tools and integration of multiple lines of geologic, hydrogeologic, geochemical, and stable isotopic evidence suggest that the simple historical model for primary groundwater transport through this region is incorrect and that a large supply of regional baseflow does not provide the hydrogeological foundation of the Amargosa River basin. Data collected is consistent with an alternative model requiring complex source mixing and shallow alluvial groundwater that supports river flow. This conclusion also suggests Wild and Scenic conditions in this basin are more precarious than previously understood.

The assessment of aquifer vulnerability is a very important task, especially in agricultural areas because the quality and availability of groundwater affects both the sustainability of agriculture and the quality of life. In this study, an integrated approach is considered, with the use of the generic and agricultural DRASTIC models as well as a geographic information system (GIS), to assess groundwater vulnerability in the agricultural area of Barrax, in the province of Albacete, in Spain. Seven parameters—depth to water, net recharge, aquifer media, soil media, topography, impact of vadose zone media, and hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer (DRASTIC)—have been considered as weighted layers to enable an accurate groundwater risk mapping. The results of the generic DRASTIC model indicated very low vulnerability to contamination for Barrax groundwater due to limited urban and industrial development in the wider area. However, agricultural activities impose pressure to groundwater resources and the results of the agricultural DRASTIC model show that 6.86% of the study area is characterized by very high, 2.29% by high, 47.28% by medium, 38.28% by low, and the remaining 5.29% by no vulnerability to groundwater contamination. The distribution of nitrate concentration in groundwater in the area under study is quite well correlated with the agricultural DRASTIC vulnerability index. Sensitivity analysis was also performed to acknowledge statistical uncertainty in the estimation of each parameter used, to assess its impact, and thus to identify the most critical parameters that require further investigation. Depth to water and impact of vadose zone are the parameters that had the most noticeable impact on the generic DRASTIC vulnerability index followed by the soil media and topography. In contrast, the agricultural DRASTIC method is more sensitive to the removal of the depth to water parameter followed by the topography and the soil media parameters.

We compare a suite of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Parent PAHs) in soils and air across an urban area (Belfast UK). Isomeric PAH ratios suggest that soil PAHs are mainly from a combustion source. Fugacity modelling across a range of soil temperatures predicts that four ring and larger PAHs from pyrene to indeno[1,2,3–cd]pyrene all partition strongly (>98%) to the soil compartment. This modelling also implies that these PAHs do not experience losses through partitioning to other phases (air, water) due to soil temperature effects. Such modelling may help in understanding the overall contaminant distribution in soils. The air and soil data together with modelling suggests that care must be taken when considering isomeric ratios of compounds with mass lighter than 178 (i.e. phenanthrene and anthracene) in the soil phase. Comparison of duplicate and replicate samples suggest that field sampling of duplicates dominates uncertainty and validated methodologies for selection of field duplicates and lab splitting are required. As the urban soil four ring PAHs are at equilibrium in the soil phase, and have characteristic ratios that are dominated by a combustion source that is a single controlling factor over spatial distribution, methods that calculate background concentrations can be compared.

Beginning in the mid-1800s in the United States, coal gasification provided energy for an emergent utility industry. With focus largely on the engineering aspects of manufactured gas production (MGP) mainly for lighting purposes, the energy industry gave little thought to waste management end practices, vestiges of which remain over 100 years later as legacy contamination. As a consequence, in today's energy marketplace, industry's successor companies now carry significant MGP financial and legal liability. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), with structures ranging from two to six aromatic rings, are dominant legacy MGP pollutants. Sorting out possible multiple PAH sources at former MGP sites carries significant forensic geochemical challenges. Analyses of PAH data using statistical visualization by multiple linear regression and principal component analysis (PCA) have been shown to address legacy forensic geochemical MGP problems but there are interpretation problems as well. Done properly, statistical analyses will aid in the delineation of former MGP operation loci, provide assessment of multiple PAH sources and mixing effects, and offer clear output graphics for potential legal application. Three case studies will be presented that show how clear statistical presentation can illustrate how different historical gas engineering practices are reflected in modern legacy PAH pollutant distributions.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins (PCDDs) and furans (PCDFs) are frequently detected in grass, soil and farm animals near incineration plants, electric transformers recycling facilities, or after major fires during environmental forensic investigations. The sale of farm animals for food above established PCBs and PCDD/F limits is forbidden, and therefore are slaughtered, or removed from contaminated areas to graze on uncontaminated food, in an attempt to detoxify. If regulated levels are exceeded in one sample, the impacts are rarely limited to one area, or within the sampling period. It is therefore important to establish the extent of the contamination, distinguish the potential source(s) and identify the duration of the contamination event. This manuscript examine potential pitfalls in the analysis of (PCBs), dioxins (PCDDs) and furans (PCDFs) in terms of their regulated levels, sampling challenges, the analysis of samples and statistical interpretation of the test data.

The objective of this study was to determine the As and Sb contents in soils from the Murcia Region of Spain and the possible relationship between the mineralogical composition, soil properties, and As and Sb concentrations. In this study, 490 samples were selected from areas with different characteristics in order to study As and Sb variability. Results show that As and Sb concentrations are positively correlated with the phyllosilicate and quartz content but negatively correlated with the calcite content. The generic reference level (GRL) for these elements was determined according to the Spanish legislation. Established GRL values vary according to the established mineralogical groups, suggesting that GRL has to be determined considering the lithological characteristics of the study area.

The aim of the present study is to explore the implications of using different quality guidelines and approaches for marine sediment characterization. As a case study, the sediments of Souda Port, Crete, Greece, were examined in order to assess heavy metal contamination and to estimate anthropogenic contribution and potential adverse effects to aquatic environment, as well as to indicate feasible future management options. The concentration of six heavy metals (Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) was determined and compared with different sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) and regional/national criteria established for dredged material characterization and management. In addition, the geo-accumulation index (Igeo) was calculated and the sediments toxicity and heavy metals bioavailability were determined. Based on the experimental data, it is deduced that Souda sediments are characterized as moderately polluted only in terms of Co, Ni, and Pb.

A novel microbial source tracking (MST) method based on the detection of human and non-human markers was developed and applied to track the origin of fecal pollution in water systems. Mitochondrial DNA sequences were used to develop new quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays for dog, poultry, and gull. The targets were included as part of a toolbox including human, cow, pig, and sheep assays. A primer and probe set for the detection of the human-specific nifH gene of Methanobrevibacter smithii was also designed as an indicator of human fecal contamination. The assays were tested for specificity and applied to fecal-spiked surface waters and environmental samples collected from two river catchments impacted by sources of human and non-human fecal contamination. The MST methods described were applicable to both spiked waters and environmental samples, and using the two approaches the origin of fecal pollution could be successfully determined in mixed source fecally polluted waters.