Groundwater nitrate bioremediation of a fractured rock aquifer system in South Africa

Written By laura owings

International Mine Water Association Congress 2020
Conference proceedings November 2020

Abstract. Due to the importance of groundwater in South Africa, the University of the Free State has successfully developed a zero waste bioremediation technology to treat nitrate pollution in water. Groundwater nitrate pollution of a fractured rock aquifer arose due to the storage of fertilizer effluent in unlined quarries. Numerical model simulations indicates that the proposed remediation removes the nitrate from the aquifer in a shorter timescale than the predicted natural attenuation. Treating the polluted water on site with the zero-waste bioremediation technique, and then re-injecting the treated water into the aquifer provides a holistic and sustainable solution to nitrate pollution.

Read more: https://www.imwa.info/docs/imwa_2020/IMWA_2020_proceedings.pdf

laura owings
Previous

Biomass burning aerosols in most climate models are too absorbing
Next

Saline groundwater in the Buffels River catchment, Namaqualand, South Africa: A new look at an old problem