Presentation

 

The hyporheic zone is a critical interface between groundwater and surface water environments and is shown to be a dynamic ecotone characterized by steep chemical and biological gradients. Its ecology has a vital role in the cycling and processing of energy, carbon and nutrients. The properties of the hyporheic zone are significant, but currently little investigated in world, due to the wetland priority given to detriment of terrestrial adjacent land. Generally, the hyporheic zones are populated and made the anthropic activities (tourism and agriculture, in specially) with the impact of wetland. The few studies were made in limnology field, the therapeutic lakes being studied due to the biological functions importance from these ecosystems. The studies of hyporheic area of stream water are at beginning, the systems are dynamics and the changes can be major due to the changes of the water balance caused to the climate changes and anthropic activities. The water isotopes were used to the groundwater investigations and only few studies was made on small hyporheic area of some lakes. The studies on the extended area such as we propose to study are not in literature.

Opportunities for pollutant attenuation that may reduce the impacts of polluted groundwater adjacent to the river can be dependent on river water quality. Interaction of surface water and groundwater will help in interpretation of contaminant transportation through selected area. Estimation of recharge to groundwater is an important component in the characterization of groundwater bodies for the Water Framework Directive (WFD art 17). The time scale allowed requires a pragmatic methodology for efficient assessment of recharge for each delineated groundwater body. We propose a 2.4-year study on groundwater - surface water interactions, with specific focus on pollutant dispersion processes at the hyporheic zone of Danube Delta. This research is needed to obtain the understanding of the processes that control water flow and pollutant flux between groundwater (aquifers) and surface waters (Danube River and Razim Lake) and is, in part, a response to a requirement for improved understanding of the processes acting at this interface and can be able to implement the Water Framework Directive effectively. The study will focus on:

1) Establishing a conceptual model for riparian area of Danube Delta, where anthropogenic and natural conditions play a critical role for delta response to various stresses;

2) An improved understanding of the dynamic processes of riparian area of delta (hyporheic zone) in order to provide useful information for vulnerability assessments and for the sustainable development of this region.

The case study area is riparian land of the Danube Delta wetland. The Danube Delta is among the ecosystems that are most likely affected by the loading with pollutants from the industrial and agricultural sectors from upstream. The Danube River flows through several industrialized European countries and, in so doing, picks up nutrients from industrial effluent, in particular, agricultural run-off. This has resulted in the eutrophication of rivers and lakes the Danube basin. Eutrophication has social and economic consequences such as reduced fishing, less tourism and poorer quality drinking water. Therefore, the nutrient load that is discharged into the Danube must be managed by the countries it flows through. The nutrients levels in the Danube are known to vary with economic activity and the nutrient load must be managed and reconciled with the needs for a "blue Danube" and economic growth. At the same time, the shallow aquifers from riparian site of Danube Delta is particularly vulnerable to contamination and can be affected both the inflow of pollutants removed by the Danube whether the aquifer are recharged from the surface and the pollution by agriculture activities by diffuse pollution. The effects of groundwater pollution are largely site-dependent (natural conditions and potential economic) and need the specific criteria and indicators for evaluation.

The project will start by evaluation the present situation of the groundwater from the riparian area of Sf. Gheorghe arm of Danube and surface water of branch. The second step will look at models and scenarios developed by the project participants. The final step will present the team's recommendations for future study methodology and management strategies in the hyporheic areas, particularly for our study area.

Models for riparian land of delta will be the following:

1) Hydrodynamic sub-model for space-time variation in water flows;

2) Hydrochemistry sub-model for transport and transformation of key chemical variables such as nutrients and sediments and

3) "Lower trophic level" sub-models for zooplankton and phytoplankton.

All models will be both the evaluation task of hyporheic area and the dispersion model of pollutants or possible pollutants accidental flowed into system.

 

 

Objectives

 

The general objectives for the project are in concordance with the program objectives

§               Consistent and systematic measurements for physical, chemical and hydro biological variables from an area with great ecological importance but less important economic

§               Scientific support to elucidate and fundament the scientific knowledge concerning the water movement into/out of hyporheic over global climatic changes and anthropic activities

§               Obtaining of the scientific results as support for fundament of the protection measures for wetland and natural resources management

The objectives and activities of this project are in sphere of Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Program from FP6 on the key actions 1) Sustainable management and quality water, 2) Global change, climate and biodiversity. The programs promote the researches on case studies for water management with the actions related to pollution prevention and protection groundwater and surface water.

The proposed objectives and activities are in concordance with the objectives of the Thematically Working Groups (TWG) 1 and 4 (TWG 1: Water Management, TWG 4: Water in Agriculture) of the Water Supply and Sanitation Technology Platform (WSSTP). TWG1 focuses on a systemic approach of Water and TWG4 discuss the issues of sustainable use of surface and subsurface and water cycles.

The specific objectives are the following:

= To obtain the database for the status description of the groundwater system on the Danube Delta's riparian land.

= To develop the operational method for the evaluation, quantification and extrapolation trends in the riparian groundwater system of deltaic space

= To obtain the scientific information for its status and evolution evaluation.

= To develop the informatics products for the data analyze, system description, trend analyzes simulation of the interaction and spread of contaminants.

= To identify the pollutants and the vulnerable zone at pollution.

= To elaborate the recommendations and strategies for the pollution control and the management of the water resources and of deltaic space.

The measurable objectives are

·              To analyze the scale, the history data, the specifics procedures for the evaluation of the hyporheic zone of selected study area.

·              To evaluate the system status through the analyze of physical, chemical and hydro biological parameters of the groundwater and surface waters

- The analyze of the concentration range and distribution of indicators to determine groundwater origin and to identify the pollutant

- The analyze of the spatial-temporal variation of the indicators to determine the relationship surface water-groundwater, the substructures and the mixing zones

- The determination of the groundwater pathways and the most vulnerable zone at pollution

·              To elaborate the flow models in subsurface (heuristic and mathematical models, algorithms)

·              To analyze the trend of the pollutant spread using modeling method

·              To elaborate the software for data acquisition, for unitary analyze of data for groundwater flow process simulation and for pollutant dispersion.

 

 

Activities

Stage I. Documentation and technical study

Documentation about the specific aspects of the system and on the rules of the EU for the evaluation of such ecosystem.

Analyze of the existent physical, chemical and hydrobiological data and methods to characterize the system.

Documentary and defining of functions for informatics' system; comparative analyze regarding the specific methods of modeling.

 

Stage II. Development of concept and method for evaluating and modeling

Proposal of concepts for system evaluation and analyze their competitive in light of Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC. Establishment of integrated network of measurements and analyze of results

Substantiation of isotopic, chemical and hydrobiological methods

Analyze of informatics systems for data acquisition. Substantiation of modeling methods, needs

 

Stage III. Evaluation of ecological status for system. Application of the methods and modeling on riparian area of Danube Delta.

Analyze of the variation ranges and distribution for environmental stable and radioactive isotope content (²H, ¹⁸O and tritium).

Determination of the groundwater water origin and their mixing area.

Analyze of the variation ranges and distribution for chemical indicators (anions, cations) and hydrobiological indicators (zooplankton, phytoplankton).

Elaborating informatics products for data acquisition, data processing. Defining the data base structure. Development of model for system status design.

 

Stage IV. Experimenters in real conditions simulate and analyze of groundwater-surface water interaction impact on riparian area of Danube Delta. Verify and validate model

Analyze of spatial -temporal variability of environmental isotope content. Identification the connections between the aquifer and the hydrogeological substructures. Identification of groundwater pathway.

Analyze of spatial -temporal variability of chemical and hydrobiological indicators, the factors that determine their variability and identification of vulnerable points to pollution.

Elaborate evolution model. Development informatics product for data analyze and simulation of interactions.

Elaboration of heuristic model for groundwater movement.

 

Stage V. Elaborate use documentations. Disseminate scientific information

Elaborate materials for scientific information dissemination

Elaborate recommendation for ecosystem management

Elaborate documentation for use.

 

 

Results

 

 

Dissemination

 

1. Web page

2. Papers:

3. Communications:

 

 

Team

Project coordinator - National Institute for Research and Development for Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, Cluj-Napoca

Project manager: Dr. FEURDEAN VICTOR, Physicist

Researchers: Dr. FEURDEAN LUCIA, Physicist

Dr. CUNA CORNEL, Physicist

Dr. CUNA STELA, Physicist

Drd. BALAS GABRIELA, Physicist

LEUCA MOISE, Electrical engineer

Technicians: BUJOR PETRU

PETRICA NICOLETA

PUSCAS ROMULUS

 

Partner 1 - National Institute for Research and Development Danube Delta, Tulcea

Project coordinator: DAVID CRISTINA VIOLETA, Chemist Engineer

Researchers: TEODOROF LILIANA, Chemist Engineer

TUDOR DANA, Chemist Engineer

ORHAN IBRAM, Biologist

TUDOR MIHAELA, Ecologist

Technicians: CRACIUN LIDIA

HULUBA USTINA

ALEXOIU ALINA

 

Partner 2 - The Company for Research, Development, Engineering and Manufacturing for Automation Equipment and Systems

Project coordinator: STOIAN IOAN, Electrical engineer

Researchers: UDRESCU FLORIAN, Engineer (automation)

BOTU ALEXANDRU, Engineer (automation)

APOSTOL ION, Engineer (automation)

BALOG SZABOLCS, Engineer (automation)

GHIRAN OVIDIU, Computer science

GNAT SORIN, Engineer (automation and computer science)

MANCIU ADRIANA, Mathematician

MEZA RODICA, Engineer (automation)

MIRCEA MARIA, Mathematician

Drd. TARŢA ADRIANA-MIHAELA, Computer science

Dr. GORDAN MIHAELA, Senior lecturer

Dr. CEBUC IOAN EMIL, Engineer

 

Partner 3 - National Institute for Research and Development for Cryogenic and Isotopic Technologies - ICSI Rm. Valcea

Project coordinator: VARLAM CARMEN, Physicist

Researchers: Dr. IONITA GHEORGHE, Chemist Engineer

Dr. BORNEA MIHAELA, Engineer

Drd. BIDICA NICOLAE, Physicist

ENACHE ADRIAN, Electrical engineer

CAPRIS CATALIN, Mathematician

Drd. POPESCU IRINA, Chemist Engineer

DOBRINESCU DENISA, Physicist Engineer

FAURESCU ALEXANDRU IONUT, Physicist

Technicians: ANGHEL ELENA

PREDESCU GEORGETA

POPA AUREL

STEFANESCU ELISABETA

 

 

Partners

 

Project coordinator

National Institute for Research and Development for Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, Cluj-Napoca

Partner 1

National Institute for Research and Development Danube Delta, Tulcea

Partner 2

The Company for Research, Development, Engineering and Manufacturing for Automation Equipment and Systems

Partner 3

National Institute for Research and Development for Cryogenic and Isotopic Technologies - ICSI Rm. Valcea