Multivariate assessment of groundwater contamination levels associated with saline intrusion processes in Mediterranean coastal aquifers

Groundwater in Mediterranean coastal aquifers supplies a large part of the demand for freshwater but is increasingly threatened by seawater intrusion and anthropogenic pollution. During the springs of 2023 and 2024, six coastal carbonate aquifers in Mallorca were sampled to assess the present-day spatial and vertical variability of salinization and pollution. Hydrochemistry showed elevated Cl − (2140–18,800 mg/L), Na + (1317–10,983 mg/L) and SO₄ 2− (440–2890 mg/L), with high electrical conductivity (7480–53,850 μS/cm in 2023 and 16,200–42,000 μS/cm in 2024). Nutrients (NO₃ − , NH₄ + , PO₄ 3− , NO₂ − ) and fecal indicators ( Escherichia coli , Enterococci ) were detected. Vertical profiles showed salinity…

• OA
  Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales

  Award: 2998/202
• CS
  Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas