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Abstract |
When assessing the origin of salinity and the mechanisms of salinization in coastal aquifers, hydrogeologists may consider the combined use of certain geochemical tools to assess critical aspects of the hydrogeological setting of the system. These tools are based in the integrated use of chemical (major ions, trace elements and ionic ratios) and isotope parameters (oxygen, hydrogen, sulphur, carbon, strontium and boron). The problem of groundwater salinization in coastal aquifers, besides active seawater intrusion, may be affected by several human activities that accelerate the progressive deterioration of water quality, such as concentrated pumping, intensive agricultural practices including return flows or reuse of waste waters from urban or industrial origin. The characterisation of the perating processes and mechanisms of salinization is a requisite for a proper management of groundwater resources and for adopting remediation strategies. In this contribution the potential role of several isotopic tools in these studies is briefly described. |
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