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Contaminant Transport, Risk Assessment, and Ecological Impacts in Karst
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Contaminant Transport, Risk Assessment, and Ecological Impacts in Karst

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Quality and Contamination".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2025 | Viewed by 1050

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Wei Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Geological Survey, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: karst hydrogeology; karst environment; karst geomorphology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Wei Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China
Interests: environmental (geo)chemistry; passive water sampling; emerging organic contaminants (EOCs); fate and behavior of pollutants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Matej Blatnik

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU, Titov trg 2, SI-6230 Postojna, Slovenia
Interests: karstology; hydrogeology; geomorphology; speleology; geographic information systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Water focuses on the interdisciplinary aspects of studies of contaminant transport and ecological impacts in karst systems. Contaminant transport in karst systems presents unique challenges due to the complex hydrogeological and ecological dynamics of these environments. Karst systems, characterized by extensive subsurface pore and conduits, facilitate rapid contaminant movement, often bypassing natural filtration processes. Karst water systems, on the other hand, are influenced by surface water flow, sediment interactions, and seasonal variability, which affect contaminant dispersion and accumulation. Thus, contaminant transport and ecological impacts are even more complex within karst water systems.

This Special Issue will explore the mechanisms of contaminant transport in karst systems, emphasizing the role of hydrological pathways, geochemical interactions, and anthropogenic inputs. Risk assessment frameworks will be explored to evaluate the human and ecological exposure to pollutants, including heavy metals, nutrients, and emerging contaminants. Ecological impacts, such as biodiversity loss, habitat degradation, and disruptions to ecosystem services, are also included. Additionally, findings on integrated management strategies that account for the interconnectedness of surface and subsurface processes are also anticipated, ensuring the protection of water resources and aquatic ecosystems in karstic vulnerable environments.

In this Special Issue, we welcome articles that present results and new findings from field, laboratory, and modeling studies on contaminant transport, risk assessment, and ecological impacts in karst systems.

Dr. Wei Liu
Dr. Wei Chen
Dr. Matej Blatnik
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • groundwater and surface contamination
  • hydrological processes
  • contaminant transport
  • environmental risk evaluation
  • ecological impacts
  • karst systems

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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26 pages, 5097 KiB  
Article
Groundwater Vulnerability and Environmental Impact Assessment of Urban Underground Rail Transportation in Karst Region: Case Study of Modified COPK Method
by Qiuyu Zhu, Ying Wang, Yi Li, Hanxiang Xiong, Chuanming Ma, Weiquan Zhao, Yang Cao and Xiaoqing Song
Water 2025, 17(13), 1843; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17131843 - 20 Jun 2025
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Abstract
Urbanization always leads to increasing challenges to the groundwater resources in karst regions due to intensive land use, infrastructure development, and the rapid transmission potential of pollutants. This study proposed an improved groundwater vulnerability assessment (GVA) framework by modifying the widely used COP [...] Read more.
Urbanization always leads to increasing challenges to the groundwater resources in karst regions due to intensive land use, infrastructure development, and the rapid transmission potential of pollutants. This study proposed an improved groundwater vulnerability assessment (GVA) framework by modifying the widely used COP (Concentration of flow, Overlying layers, and Precipitation) model, through the integration of three additional indicators: urban underground rail transportation (UURT), land use and cover (LULC), and karst development (K). Guiyang, a typical urbanized karst city in southwest China, was selected as the case study. The improved COP model, namely the COPK model, showed stronger spatial differentiation and a higher Pearson correlation coefficient (r) with nitrate concentrations (r = 0.4388) compared to the original COP model (R = 0.3689), which validates the effectiveness of the newly introduced indicators. However, both R values remained below 0.5, even after model modification, suggesting that intensive human activities play a role in influencing nitrate distribution. The pollution load index (PI) was developed based on seven types of pollution sources, and it was integrated with the COPK vulnerability index using a risk matrix approach, producing a groundwater risk map classified into five levels. Global Moran’s I analysis (0.9171 for COP model and 0.8739 for COPK model) confirmed strong and significant spatial clustering patterns for the two models. The inclusion of UURT and LULC improved the model’s sensitivity to urban-related pressures and enhanced its capacity to detect local risk zones. It is a scalable tool for groundwater risk assessment in urbanized karst areas and offers practical insights for land use planning and sustainable groundwater management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contaminant Transport, Risk Assessment, and Ecological Impacts in Karst)
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Review

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20 pages, 3033 KiB  
Review
Recharge Sources and Flow Pathways of Karst Groundwater in the Yuquan Mountain Spring Catchment Area, Beijing: A Synthesis Based on Isotope, Tracers, and Geophysical Evidence
by Yuejia Sun, Liheng Wang, Qian Zhang and Yanhui Dong
Water 2025, 17(15), 2292; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17152292 - 1 Aug 2025
Viewed by 190
Abstract
Karst groundwater systems are critical to water supply and ecological sustainability in northern China, yet their heterogeneity poses challenges for flow characterization. The Yuquan Mountain (YM) Spring, historically a major karst spring in western Beijing, has experienced persistent drying, raising concerns about its [...] Read more.
Karst groundwater systems are critical to water supply and ecological sustainability in northern China, yet their heterogeneity poses challenges for flow characterization. The Yuquan Mountain (YM) Spring, historically a major karst spring in western Beijing, has experienced persistent drying, raising concerns about its recharge and flow mechanisms. This study integrates published isotope data, spatial distributions of Na+ and Cl− as hydrochemical tracers, groundwater age estimates, and geophysical survey results to assess the recharge sources and flow pathways within the YM Spring catchment area. The analysis identifies two major recharge zones: the Tanzhesi area, primarily recharged by direct infiltration of precipitation through exposed carbonate rocks, and the Junzhuang area, which receives mixed recharge from rainfall and Yongding River seepage. Three potential flow pathways are proposed, including shallow flow along faults and strata, and a deeper, speculative route through the Jiulongshan-Xiangyu syncline. The synthesis of multiple lines of evidence leads to a refined conceptual model that illustrates how geological structures govern recharge, flow, and discharge processes in this karst system. These findings not only enhance the understanding of subsurface hydrodynamics in complex geological settings but also provide a scientific basis for future spring restoration planning and groundwater management strategies in the regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contaminant Transport, Risk Assessment, and Ecological Impacts in Karst)
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