Groundwater quality: global challenges, emerging threats and novel approaches

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Groundwater quality: global challenges, emerging threats and novel approaches

Dan Lapworth, Thomas Boving, Bentje Brauns, Jane Dottridge, Paul Hynds, Seifu Kebede, David Kreamer, Bruce Misstear, Abhijit Mukherjee, Viviana Re, James Sorensen and Claudia Ruz Vargas.

Abstract

Improving our understanding of groundwater quality threats to human health and the environment is essential to protect and manage groundwater resources effectively. This essay highlights some global groundwater quality challenges, describes key contaminant groups and threats of emerging concern, including antimicrobial resistance, and discusses novel approaches to assessing groundwater quality. Groundwater quality monitoring needs to improve significantly in order to effectively identify and mitigate threats to groundwater from historical, current and future pollution.

Open access paper