Groundwater quality refers to the physicochemical, biological, and radiological characteristics of subsurface water that determine its suitability for specific uses and its impacts on ecological and human health. It is governed by source geology, residence time, redox conditions, and hydrologic flow paths, as well as anthropogenic inputs such as agricultural fertilizers, industrial effluents, mining activities, and urban wastewater. Key parameters include major ions, trace metals, nutrients, organic contaminants, pathogens, and emerging pollutants (e.g., pharmaceuticals, PFAS), commonly assessed via monitoring networks, hydrochemical modeling, and risk assessment frameworks to support resource management, remediation strategies, and regulatory standards.
The latest official stocktake of the state of New Zealand's freshwater carries many of the headline messages we have come to expect.
Environment
12 hours ago
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Coastal groundwater is a key source of drinking water in many regions of the world. However, it is threatened by overabstraction and the potential for salinization. Rising sea levels are further exacerbating the situation. ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 14, 2026
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Arsenic contamination in drinking water is a global issue, with over 200 million people estimated to be at risk. While water treatment plants remove the metal, the problem persists in low-resource areas or undertreated well ...
Environment
Apr 14, 2026
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Exposure to "forever chemicals," per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), has been linked to serious health issues, like immune system damage, cancers, pregnancy complications and liver damage. A new study, published in ...
Environment
Apr 7, 2026
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When pollution gets bad enough in the rivers supplying Iowa's largest city with drinking water, it costs Des Moines around $16,000 a day to run a special system to filter out dangerous nitrates. It's a fact of life in the ...
Environment
Apr 1, 2026
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Levels of toxic "forever chemicals" in New Jersey's public water systems dropped by as much as 55% after the state moved to limit the contaminants in drinking water, according to a Rutgers Health researcher who has analyzed ...
Environment
Mar 25, 2026
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For half the world's population, the water in their drinking glasses comes from below them. Groundwater also supplies 40% of global irrigation projects. Alarmingly, more than a third of the planet's aquifers, or groundwater ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 20, 2026
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The São Paulo Metropolitan Area (SPMA) in Brazil has approximately 22 million inhabitants and consumes an average of 61.6 cubic meters (61,600 liters) of water per second. Although nearly the entire public water supply originates ...
Environment
Mar 20, 2026
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A potentially huge underground reservoir of freshwater beneath the Great Salt Lake is coming into sharper focus with a new study that used airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveys to X-ray geologic structures under Farmington ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 20, 2026
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South Africa is the 30th driest country in the world. Over 400 towns, especially in the western and central parts of the country, rely on water from aquifers that they pump out of the ground (groundwater).
Environment
Mar 19, 2026
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