First Steps to understanding Intrinsic Vulnerability to Contamination of Karst Aquifers in Various South American and Caribbean Countries
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3986/ac.v52i1.10516Keywords:
South America, Carribean, intrinsic vulnerability, groundwater, carbonate rocksAbstract
Protecting groundwater in karst aquifers is extremely important. Vulnerability maps can greatly help proper decision making based on physical environmental attributes that influence how easily a contaminant applied to the land surface can reach groundwater due to anthropogenic activities, and the properties of the contaminants. Methods for determining vulnerability based on the COST Action 620 Approach, when applied in the study area, may lead to contradictory results. The main purpose of this study is to provide an overview of academic research on intrinsic karst aquifer vulnerability methodologies applied in South American and Caribbean countries. Secondly, it describes studies related to karst aquifers that, in some cases, lack specific information on intrinsic vulnerability. The objective is to encourage and to help develop specific methods for determining karst vulnerability in these regions. To achieve these purposes, a systematic literature review was conducted including studies conducted at institutions such as universities, national water institutes, and by geological services. Several methods have been used in the region such as COP, DRASTIC, RISK, EPIK, PI, PaPRIka, and the Slovene Approach. And some attempts have been made to develop a specific methodology that best suits the specificities of the region’s karst aquifers. South America and the Caribbean have almost 5 % of the world´s carbonate rocks. Some countries have large extensions of their territory covered by karst rocks, such as Peru, 15.4 %; Cuba, 67 %; and Mexico 25.29 %. Estimates indicate that more than 10 million people use water from karst systems in Mexico. In Cuba, 33 % of all available water volume originates from groundwater, and 91.51 % from karst aquifers. In Mexico, 13 studies have been conducted on the importance of karst aquifers, which mostly address the Yucatan Peninsula, followed by Brazil (9 studies), Cuba (5), Colombia (1) and Peru (1). Information about the theme is scarce in most of the other countries in the region. Some studies have incongruent results given the regional characteristics of tropical karst.
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