Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05006, Republic of Korea.
Nakdong River Environment Research Center, National Institute of Environmental Research, Chilgok-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do 39914, Republic of Korea.
Sci Total Environ. 2024 Sep 20;944:173653. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173653. Epub 2024 Jun 6.
Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is a promising technique for enhancing groundwater resources and addressing water scarcity. Particularly, this research highlights the novelty and urgent need for MAR facilities in the Chungcheongnam-do region of South Korea as a solution to augment groundwater resources and combat water scarcity. This research encompasses a comprehensive assessment, ranging from laboratory-scale column experiments to pilot-scale tests, focusing on dissolved organic matter (DOM) characterization, natural organic matter (NOM) removal, and water quality improvement, including biological stability. In the laboratory, DOM characteristics of source water and recharged groundwater were analyzed using advanced dissolved organic characteristic tools, and their potential impacts on water quality, as well as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were assessed. DOM, total cell counts, and several PFASs with molecular weights >450 Da (particularly long-chain PFASs showing >99.9 % reduction) were effectively reduced in a laboratory-scale experiment. A laboratory-scale column study revealed that most selected PFASs were not effectively removed. Moving to the pilot-scale, a series of experiments were conducted to assess NOM removal during soil passage. Similar to the results of the laboratory-scale experiment, MAR demonstrated significant potential for reducing NOM concentrations, thus improving water quality. Regarding biological stability, assimilable organic carbon in production well (i.e., final produced water by MAR process) was lower than both two sources of surface water (e.g., SW1 and SW2). This suggests that water derived from PW (i.e., production well) exhibited biological stability, undergoing effective biodegradation by aerobic bacteria during soil passage. The findings from this study highlight the critical importance of implementing MAR techniques in regions facing water scarcity, emphasizing its potential to significantly enhance future water security initiatives.
含水层人工补给 (MAR) 是增强地下水资源和应对水资源短缺的一种很有前途的技术。特别是，这项研究强调了在韩国忠清南道地区建立 MAR 设施的新颖性和紧迫性，这是增加地下水资源和应对水资源短缺的一种解决方案。本研究涵盖了从实验室规模的柱实验到中试规模的测试的全面评估，重点是溶解有机物 (DOM) 特性、天然有机物 (NOM) 去除以及水质改善，包括生物稳定性。在实验室中，使用先进的溶解有机特征工具分析了源水和补给地下水的 DOM 特性，并评估了它们对水质以及全氟和多氟烷基物质 (PFASs) 的潜在影响。在实验室规模的实验中，有效降低了 DOM、总细胞计数和几种分子量>450 Da 的 PFASs（特别是长链 PFASs，减少了>99.9%）。通过实验室规模的柱研究表明，大多数选定的 PFASs 不能有效去除。在中试规模上，进行了一系列实验以评估土壤中 NOM 的去除。与实验室规模实验的结果相似，MAR 表现出显著的降低 NOM 浓度的潜力，从而改善水质。关于生物稳定性，生产井（即 MAR 工艺的最终产水）中的可同化有机碳低于两个地表水水源（例如 SW1 和 SW2）。这表明 PW （即生产井）中的水具有生物稳定性，在土壤中通过好氧细菌进行了有效的生物降解。本研究的结果强调了在面临水资源短缺的地区实施 MAR 技术的重要性，强调了它对未来增强水安全计划的潜在作用。
