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.
Late at night on 26 September 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall on Florida's big bend. The physical damage was devastating and well-documented, but an additional, unseen potential impact lurked underfoot.
Earth Sciences
Oct 23, 2025
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Groundwater commonly contains methane, but the amount of this important greenhouse gas that can escape to surface waters or the atmosphere is highly uncertain. A team from the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry and ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 14, 2025
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While publicly registered drinking water must meet government standards and regulations, people accessing private groundwater bores and springs supplying 25 or fewer people have no requirements to test their drinking water. ...
Earth Sciences
Sep 30, 2025
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The worst water Colt Smith has seen in 14 years with Utah's Division of Drinking Water was at a mobile home park, where residents had been drinking it for years before state officials discovered the contamination.
Environment
Jul 24, 2025
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A new study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology and led by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health identifies the hidden geological mechanisms behind widespread uranium contamination ...
Environment
Jun 26, 2025
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A new study found that land use (agricultural or forested) and the season (wet or dry) significantly impact groundwater quality, but in different ways.
Earth Sciences
Jun 16, 2025
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In Pennsylvania, 3.5 million people are served by private well systems, according to Penn State Extension. To better understand potential contamination of the groundwater feeding these systems, a team of researchers from ...
Environment
Jun 16, 2025
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As the population grows and urbanization and agro-industrial activity increase, the demand for freshwater is expected to rise by 55% by 2050. Experts project that this increase in demand will strongly impact a scenario already ...
Environment
Jun 9, 2025
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The American Academy of Microbiology, the honorific leadership group and think tank within the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), and the American Geophysical Union (AGU) have released a new report, Water, Waterborne ...
Environment
Jun 9, 2025
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Worldwide, more than 500,000 children under age 5 die each year from gastrointestinal bacterial infections, largely in communities with limited access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure. But to ...
Environment
May 6, 2025
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