Groundwater quality assessment and groundwater resource management: a review on hydrogeochemical and stable isotope approaches

Groundwater is a comprehensive system including many subsystems such as geological environment, groundwater hydraulics, and groundwater geochemistry. Researches on groundwater through hydrogeochemical approach could be originated to more than 2000 years ago, when Pliny the Elder, recorded the first law of hydrogeocemistry that waters take on the properties of the rocks through which they pass. The technique of isotope analysis developped in recent years provided an effective method to learn the renewability and recharge of groundwater system, and to trace nitrate or other pollutants in groundwater. Researchers applied the combination of the two approaches to investigate groundwater flow paths, water-rock interaction, groundwater salinization, groundwater resource management and groundwater quality assessmentin in worldwide aquifers. This paper reviewed the progresses and achievements of researches on groundwater quality and resource management using hydrogeochemical and stable isotope approaches, focusing on the fields of groundwater salinization, nitrate and trace organic pollutants and water resource management.Main ions and traditional isotope indicators were summarized to explain the groundwater quality by hydrogeochemical and stable isotope approaches. Future research focus was presented at the end of the paper, where the author proposed emerging organic pollutants in groundwater are notworth further attention to investigate the current pollution status and assess the health risk. © 2016, Science Press. All right reserved.