Impacts Of Climate Change On Metal Contamination In Well Water Through Saltwater Intrusion, Flooding And Drought

Abstract

Climate change can exacerbate groundwater contamination via secondary effects like droughts, floods, and saltwater intrusion. This thesis analyzed the influence of climate change factors on metal contamination in groundwater using well water quality data from British Columbia, Canada. An exploratory data analysis characterized trends between metal contamination (arsenic, cadmium, lead, manganese, uranium), climate factors (temperature, precipitation), and aquifer types based on the B.C. aquifer classification system. Correlation analysis revealed relationships between metals weakened or remained consistent in floods but decoupled in droughts, indicating distinct geochemical shifts. Saltwater intrusion altered correlations between metals, suggesting changed redox conditions and ion competition. Factor analysis identified key influencing variables, including groundwater geochemistry/saltwater intrusion, redox reactions, climate, aquifer confinement, and anthropogenic sources. Drought intensified geochemical interactions while floods overwhelmed natural processes. Arsenic contamination related strongly to saltwater intrusion. Overall, this research provides an initial knowledge foundation to build predictive models assessing climate change risks on groundwater quality. Further spatial analysis is needed to differentiate anthropogenic from natural sources. Incorporating additional hydrogeological data would strengthen understanding of climate influences on metal mobilization. This work highlights the need to consider climate change in protecting groundwater resources and human health.