Groundwaters shallow systems and indicators of environmental changes in the south of Córdoba Province, Argentina
by
Mónica Blarasin
Dpto. de Geología. Fac. Cs. Exactas, Físico-Químicas y Naturales. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Argentina

Geoindicators have been developed as tools for integrated assessments of natural environments and ecosystems, and tracking and reporting the state of the environment. Changes in piezometric levels and water quality are the best geoindicators for groundwater and may be early alarms of environmental problems that are necessary to solve or improve.

This abstract examines groundwater geoindicators in the south of Córdoba province, Argentina, and focuses on piezometric levels and water quality indicator parameters in urban and rural areas.

Since 1998, there has been a progressive rise of the water table in urban areas caused by an increasing trend of rainfall excess in the water balance and cesspool effluents. In certain neighbourhoods this has caused serious damage. Water quality indicators include nitrogen species, total dissolved solids (TDS) chloride (Cl) and Escherichia coli (a bioindicator), which indicate contamination due to on site sanitation systems. Nitrate (NO3) and dissolved iron were used to assess the redox state of groundwater. The neighbourhoods under study showed different contamination scenarios (aerobic or anaerobic) depending on diverse natural or human variables. Taking into consideration that a great number of people are affected by these groundwater problems, some municipalities have provided a lot of families with piped running water and/or sewerage systems, and installed dewatering wells to control the high water table.

In rural areas, indicators showed that the rising water table levels are related to the increasing recharge of the unconfined aquifer from rain water. The worst contamination scenarios are related to punctual sources like feedlots and dairy farms

Date received: December 14, 2004

Copyright © 2004 by the author(s). The author(s) of this document and the organizers of the conference have granted their consent to include this abstract in Atlas Conferences Inc. Document # caod-64.