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ASSESSING THE GROUNDWATER - SURFACE WATER INTERACTION USING RADON: CASE STUDY IN APUSENI MOUNTAINS (ROMANIA)
Abstract
The interaction between groundwater and surface water is a complex process that plays an important role in the functioning of the ecosystems, the understanding of this interaction being significant for the management and protection of water resources. Moreover, this interaction can affect the water quality due to the contaminants transfer between river and aquifer. The water movement within this particular environment can be influenced by geology, topography, land use, climate, etc., being an essential component of the hydrological cycle. The changes that took place during the last decades regarding human activity and climate conditions, influenced the groundwater – surface water interaction, and therefore highlighted the need for methodological and analytical improvement. Environmental tracers proved to be excellent tools for the assessment of this interaction, the radon-based methods being widely used. Radon is a natural and non-invasive tracer, with a short half-life, that allows the rapid and inexpensive investigation of the water transfer processes. An important advantage of using radon is the large difference of concentration between groundwater and surface water. In this study, radon was used for the investigation of the groundwater – surface water interaction on the Some?ul Rece River, located in the Apuseni Mountains area. For this purpose three preliminary datasets were obtained. The analysis was carried out using the Lucas scintillation Cell method, which has a high sensitivity and is able to detect low radon concentrations. The results showed a variation of radon concentration, which indicates a river – aquifer water exchange, as well as the points of groundwater recharge and discharge.
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