Roughly half of Americans get their drinking water from groundwater sources - either from private wells or public water systems that rely on groundwater. Protection of this important public resource is vital. Over the years, fuel storage, waste disposal, agricultural, and industrial practices have contributed to the creation of hazardous waste sites that, in turn, have introduced chemical contaminants into groundwater supplies. For example, fuel storage practices have allowed petrochemicals such as benzene, methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), and others to infiltrate aquifers. Industrial practices have long been major sources of groundwater contamination with metals, solvents, and other organic contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Groundwater can also be affected by natural processes that result in elevated concentrations of certain constituents in the groundwater. High levels of arsenic and uranium, for instance, are frequently found in groundwater and attributed to natural sources in certain areas of the country.
Given the multidisciplinary nature of the SBRP, the Program is ideal for investigating groundwater protection issues including the fate and transport of contaminants, human health and ecological risk assessment, and remediation of contaminated aquifers. Geochemists, geophysicists, hydrologists, hydrogeologists, engineers, and public health specialists are some of the specialists involved in SBRP-funded research on groundwater.
Use the search tools below to find additional information about SBRP-funded groundwater studies.
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