The Impacts of Environmental Conditions on the Applicability of Selected Groundwater Tracers; A Laboratory Research

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Hydrogeologist and member of the scientific board, Water Research Institute, Tehran, Iran

2 Hydrogeologist, Water Research Institute, Tehran, Iran, Email:

3 Hydrogeologist and member of the scientific board, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran

Abstract

In this research, the effects of a number of environmental factors such as pH, sunlight, temperature, salinity, free chlorine, and adsorption in porous media are evaluated on the applicability of selected groundwater tracers. Tracers from different categories as fluorescent dye tracers (uranine, eosin and rhodamine-B), chemical salts (NaCl and KCl), and non fluorescent dye tracer (KMnO4) have been tested in the laboratory. The results showed that uranine losses its florescence in acid environments, while in alkaline conditions its florescence increases. The results also showed that due to photochemical decay, if subjected to sunlight, eosin is the most unstable tracer. KMnO4 turns to brown under sunlight and high temperature conditions and may lose its usefulness as a tracer. Results also confirmed that the fluorescence intensity of rhodamine-B decreases as temperature and/or salinity increases. Uranine and eosin showed high resistance against high temperature and high salinity conditions. An important factor in groundwater tracing is adsorption of tracer in porous media environment. Our research showed that rhodamine-B would easily be adsorbed to fine grain porous media while uranine and eosin high resist against adsorption. KMnO4 is also easily adsorbed . Chlorine used in drinking water treatment is strongly oxidizing even in low concentrations and can lead to the elimination of fluorescence of uranine, eosin and rhodamine-B.

Keywords

References

اسد پور، ج. (١٣٨٠) "بررسی هیدروژئولوژی کارست در تاقدیس راوندی سد سیمره با استفاده از ماده رنگی رودامین "B، پایان‌نامه کارشناسی ارشد، دانشگاه شیراز.
Ammann, A. Hoehn, E. and Koch, S. (2003) "Ground water pollution by roof runoff infiltration evidenced" Journal of Water Research, 37, pp. 1143-1153.
ASTM, (2000) "Annual Book of ASTM Standards Water and Environmental Technology" Volume 11.01 water (І), pp. 88-94.
Benischke, R. (2005) "Fluorescent tracers in hydrology" Institute for Geothermic and Hydrogeology, Graz, Austria.
Buzády, A., Erostyák, J. and Paál, G. (2006) "Determination of uranine tracer dye from underground water of Mecsek Hill, Hungary" Journal of Biochemical and Biophysical Methods, 69(1-2), pp. 207-214.
Davis, S. N., Campbell, D. J., Bentley, H. W. and Flynn, T. J. (1985) "Ground water tracers" National Water Well Association, Worthington Ohio, 200p.
Deaner, D. G. (1973) "Effect of chlorine on fluorescent dyes" J. Water Pollut. Contr. Fed., 45(3), pp. 507-514., As cited by Smart and Laidlaw 1977.
Einsiedl, F. (2005) "Flow system dynamics and water storage of a fissured-porous karst" Journal of Hydrology, 312, pp. 312-321.
Imes, J. L. and Fredrick, B. S. (2002) "Using dye-tracing and chemical analyses to determine effects of a wastewater discharge to Jam Up Creek on water quality of Big Spring, Southeastern Missouri" U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 103-02, 6 p.
Lindqvist, L. (1960) "A flash photolysis study of fluorescein" Ark. Kemi, 16, 8, pp. 79-137.
Mon, J., Flury, M. and Harsh, J. B. (2006) "Sorption of four trarylmethan dyes in a sandy soil determined by batch and column experiments" Journal of Geoderma, 133, 3-4, pp. 217-224.
Morales, T., Valderrama. I. F., Uriarte, J. A., Antigüedad, I. And Olazar, M. (2007) "Predicting travel times and transport characterization in karst conduits by analyzing tracer breakthrough curves" Journal of Hydrology, 334(1-2), pp. 183-198.
Seiler, K., Maloszewski, P. and Behrens, H. (1989) "Hydrodynamic dispersion in karstified limestones and dolomites in the upper Jurassic of the Franconia Alb" Journal of Hydrology, 108, pp. 235-247.
Smart, P. L. and Laidlaw, I. M. S. (1977) "An evaluation of some fluorescent dyes for water tracing" Journal of Water Resources Research, 13(1), pp. 15-33.
 
 
 

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 27 September 2009
  • Accept Date: 12 July 2010

Share

How to cite

Statistics