Elsevier

Journal of Hydrology

Volume 106, Issues 3–4, 30 April 1989, Pages 341-363
Journal of Hydrology

Research paper
Hydrology and water quality aspects of rhine bank groundwater in The Netherlands

https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(89)90079-6Get rights and content

Abstract

In deltaic areas with deep polders and in valleys or deltas with heavy groundwater exploitation, bank infiltration is a rapidly expanding mechanism of groundwater recharge.

Rhine bank filtrate can be distinguished best from autochthonous groundwater in The Netherlands by way of its natural lower 18O content. Tritium is a good measure of the portion of water younger than 25 years, at least in well mixed Rhine bank filtrate. This portion carries the bulk of the contaminations originating from the Rhine, as evidenced by strong positive correlations between 3H and e.g. halogenated hydrocarbons, taste and mutagenic activity according to the Ames test.

The composition of Rhine bank filtrate is further governed by the redox level of the hydrogeochemical system, varying in The Netherlands from suboxic to anoxic with fermentation, and by the underground distance to the influent Rhine branch.

Anoxic bank filtrate with strong SO4-reduction and CH4 > 1 mg l−1 exhibited a significantly different composition from anoxic bank filtrate without fermentation and without SO4-reduction. The following parameters are involved:

HCO3, total dissolved solids, SiO2; KMnO4-consumption, NH4, siderite, baryte and vivianite saturation indices, I, total hardness, total PO4, Fe, dissolved organic carbon, Ba, pH, dichloroethane, Mo, VOCl, Mn, V, dichlorobenzene and 1,2-dichloroethane, in order of decreasing significance.

A longer underground detention time or travel distance, leads to a small decrease in the share of bank filtrate, and a rather strong decrease in K, Li, F, temperature, Mo (only in anoxic, SO4-(meta)stable bank filtrate), UV-extinction, AOCl, X7OCl and mutagenic activity.

Coli bacteria and viruses could not be detected, not even in samples from wells at 50 m distance from the Rhine, with a minimum travel time of 30 days.

References (46)

  • E.L Molt

    Verontreiniging van het Rijnwater. 13e Vakantiecursus Drinkwatervoorziening

  • C.L.M Poels et al.

    An investigation into the longterm effects of Rhine water on rainbow trout

    Water Res.

    (1980)
  • L.M Puijker et al.

    Groepsparameters

    Drinkwater uit Oevergrondwater

    KIWA Meded.

    (1985)
  • C.A.J Appelo et al.

    Beînvloeding van de grondwaterkwaliteit in het infiltratiegebied van de noordwestelijke Veluwe

    Staatsuitgeverij, VROM-Leidschendam, Ser. Bodembescherming

    (1982)
  • T Brinkhaus

    Erfahrungen mit uferfiltriertem Grundwasser am Mittelrhein

    GWF, Wasser Abwasser

    (1967)
  • W De Gans et al.

    Fysisch-geografische regio's van Nederland

  • R De Groot et al.

    Smaakbezwaren van het leidingwater in Zwollen en omstreken

    H2O

    (1976)
  • G.B Engelen

    Hydrochemistry as a tool for the determination of the origin of upward seepage in the polder area Alblaseerwaard (Netherlands)

    Geol. Mijnbouw

    (1969)
  • H Forstel et al.

    Variation des Verhältnisses der stabilen Sauerstoff-Isotope im Grundwasser der Bundesrepublik Deutschland

    GWF, Wasser Abwasser

    (1984)
  • W Geirnaert

    Preliminary report on hydrochemical investigations in the western Netherlands

    Geol. Mijnbouw

    (1969)
  • W Geirnaert

    Hydrogeologie. Toelichting Geol. Kaart Nederland, 1:50000, blad Gorinchem Oostat(38-0), Rijks Geol. Dienst, Haarlem

  • W Geirnaert

    The hydrogeology and hydrogeochemistry of the lower Rhine fluvial plain

    Ph.D. Thesis, Leiden, Leidse Geol. Meded.

    (1973)
  • P Glasbergen et al.

    Winning van oevergrondwater: algemene hydrologische en hydrochemische aspecten

  • Grakist, G., Uffink, G. and Boumans, L.J.M. (in prep). Verkenning van mogelijkheden tot winning van oevergrondwater...
  • J.T Groennou

    De smaakbepaling

    Drinkwater uit Oevergrondwater

    KIWA-Meded.

    (1985)
  • W Hopf

    Versuche mit Aktivkohle zur Aufbereitung des Düsseldorfer Trinkwassers

    GWF, Wasser Abwasser

    (1960)
  • J Hrubec et al.

    Modelonderzoek betreffende het gedrag van verontreinigingen tijdens percolatie van voorgezuiverd oppervlaktewater door de zandbodem

    RIVM-Rapp., Lab. Ecol. Water Drinkwater

    (1984)
  • KNMI/RIV

    Chemical composition of precipitation over the Netherlands

    Annu. Rep. KNMI

    (1982–1983)
    KNMI/RIV

    Chemical composition of precipitation over the Netherlands

    Annu. Rep. KNMI

    (1982–1983)
  • P Koppe

    Identifizierung der Hauptgeruchsstoffe im Uferfiltrat des Mittel- und Niederrheins

    Vom Wasser

    (1965)
  • J.C Kruithof

    Zuiveringsprocessen voor de bereiding van drinkwater uit Oevergrondwater

  • R.D Lindberg et al.

    Ground water redox reactions: an analysis of equilibrium state applied to Eh measurements and geochemical modeling

    Science

    (1984)
  • A.P Meijers

    De samenstelling van het Rijnwater in 1982 en 1983, Samenwerkende Rijn- en Maaswaterleidingbedr.

    (1984)
  • C.R Meinardi

    De gehalten aan natuurlijke isotopen gemeten in het project “Kwaliteitsvariatites in grondwater”

    Rijks Inst. Drinkwatervoorziening, Leidschendam, hy.h.

    (1983)
  • Cited by (46)

    • Sources and behavior of ammonium during riverbank filtration

      2021, Water Research
      Citation Excerpt :

      Groeschke et al. (2017) found high levels of inorganic nitrogen caused by sewage discharge upstream of an RBF study site in India, with up to 20 mg/l of ammonium in the river water. Major rivers in Europe, such as the Danube; Rhine and Elbe, where large RBF schemes are operated, have total inorganic nitrogen concentrations in the range of 2 to 5 mg N/l, with nitrate as the major portion of nitrogen species (Grischek et al., 1998; Kussmaul and Mühlhausen, 1979; Nagy-Kovács et al., 2019; Stuyfzand, 1989). Aside from being a nitrogen source, river water quality has direct influence on the redox processes occurring in the riverbed and bankside after infiltration.

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text