Application of Darcy Tools and Advection Dispersion Models to Predict the Spatial and Temporal Variations of Contaminants in Borehole Water: A Case Study of Attisa Kingdom, Yenagoa
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study integrated groundwater quality assessment with Darcy-based mass-flux analysis and the Advection Dispersion Model (ADM) to investigate contaminant transport in the shallow, unconfined aquifer of Akaba-Attisa in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Groundwater samples were collected from three boreholes (A–C) aligned along the inferred flow direction and analyzed for physicochemical parameters, major ions, nutrients, and trace metals using standard WHO and NSDWQ protocols. Numerical modelling was applied to quantify groundwater flow, contaminant fluxes, and dominant transport mechanisms. Results indicate a Ca–Mg–HCO₃ groundwater facies with increasing mineralisation and nitrate contamination toward the mid-gradient well (B), identified as the plume core. Computed groundwater velocity (0.37 m/day) reflects a slow but persistent flow regime typical of shallow aquifers. Darcy-based mass flux calculations show that conservative solutes such as nitrate, TDS, chloride, bicarbonate, and hardness exhibit the highest fluxes, with a consistent hierarchy of B > C > A. ADM results further confirm that advective fluxes exceed dispersive fluxes by more than an order of magnitude for most parameters, supported by Peclet numbers greater than unity, indicating advection-dominated transport. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates that reasonable uncertainty in hydraulic conductivity, porosity, and dispersion coefficients does not alter the dominance of advection or the observed plume structure. Public health evaluation reveals nitrate exceedances at downgradient wells, implying sustained advective delivery and elevated chronic exposure risk. The combined Darcy ADM framework provides a robust basis for linking groundwater flow dynamics with contaminant migration and health risk, offering a valuable tool for groundwater protection and management in shallow aquifer systems.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
H. I. Owamah, T. O. Akpoedafe, S. C. Ikpeseni, E. Atikpo, H. O. Orugba, and S. Oyebisi, “Spatial Distribution of Heavy Metals in Groundwater Around Automobile Workshops in a Popular Niger-Delta University Town, Nigeria”, Journal of Engineering and Applied Science, 2023, Vol. 70(1), p. 79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s44147-023-00249-7
J. Igoro, “Stereotypes Springing from Nembe Early Twentieth-Century Activities in Epie-Atissa in the Central Niger Delta”, South-South Journal of Humanities and International Studies, 2022, Vol. 5(2), p. 159. https://ssjhis.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/12
A. K. Husen, F. Bidira, E. A. Bekel, et al., “Color, COD, and Turbidity Removal from Surface Water by Using Linseed and Alum Coagulants: Optimization through Response Surface Methodology”, Applied Water Science, 2024, Vol. 14, p. 203. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-024-02240-0
S. Sharma and A. Bhattacharya, “Drinking Water Contamination and Treatment Techniques”, Applied Water Science, 2017, Vol. 7(3), pp. 1043–1067. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-016-0455-7
G. M. Shayo, E. Elimbinzi, and G. N. Shao, “Severity of Waterborne Diseases in Developing Countries and the Effectiveness of Ceramic Filters for Improving Water Quality”, Bulletin of the National Research Centre, 2023, Vol. 47(1), p. 113. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s42269-023-01088-9
M. A. Khan, P. Kumar, and V. Kumar, “Groundwater Contamination: Sources, Effects, and Remediation Techniques”, Journal of Environmental Management, 2019, Vol. 241, pp. 291–301. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.04.017
O. M. Raimi, C. I. Ezekwe, and A. Bowale, “Statistical and Multivariate Techniques to Trace the Sources of Groundwater Contaminants and Affecting Factors of Groundwater Pollution in an Oil and Gas Producing Wetland in Rivers State, Nigeria”, medRxiv, 2021.https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241549950
World Health Organization, Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality: Fourth Edition Incorporating the First Addendum, World Health Organization, 2017.https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241549950
W. Guo, B. Pan, S. Sakkiah, G. Yavas, W. Ge, W. Zou, W. Tong, and H. Hong, “Persistent Organic Pollutants in Food: Contamination Sources, Health Effects and Detection Methods”, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019, Vol. 16(22), p. 4361.DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16224361
C. W. Fetter, Applied Hydrogeology, 5th ed., Waveland Press, 2018. https://www.waveland.com/browse.php?t=732
A. Adeyinka et al., “Predictive Modelling of Groundwater Contaminant Transport for Sustainable Management”, Journal of Environmental Hydrology, 2020, Vol. 28(4), pp. 112–124. DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-65960-7_18
H. Deng, S. Zhou, Y. He, Z. Lan, Y. Zou, and X. Mao, “Efficient Calibration of Groundwater Contaminant Transport Models Using Bayesian Optimization”, Toxics, 2023, Vol. 11(5), p. 438. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11050438
O. O. Ijaola and A. Sakwe, “Comparative Impact of Seasonal Variation on Groundwater Quality in Different Locations in Akaba-Atissa Community Hydrogeological Settings”, British Journal of Multidisciplinary and Advanced Studies, 2024, Vol. 5(5), pp. 28–42. DOI: http://doi.org/10.37745/bjmas.2022.04196
L. Liu, M. Bianchi, C. R. Jackson, and A. Mijic, “Flux Tracking of Groundwater via Integrated Modelling for Abstraction Management”, Journal of Hydrology, 2024, Vol. 637, Article 131379. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.131379
M. P. Anderson, W. W. Woessner, and R. J. Hunt, Applied Groundwater Modelling, 2nd ed., Academic Press, 2015.
https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=3359400
W. J. de Lange, “Advective Transport Phenomena to Better Understand Dispersion in Field and Modelling Practice”, Ground Water, 2019, Vol. 58(1), pp. 46–55. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/gwat.12883
National Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ), Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, 2015. https://africacheck.org/sites/default/files/Nigerian-Standard-for-Drinking-Water-Quality-NIS-554-2015.pdf