Novel Procedures and Methodologies for Surface and Underground Water Quality Analysis: Theory and Application

A special issue of Hydrology (ISSN 2306-5338). This special issue belongs to the section "Surface Waters and Groundwaters".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 1727

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, University North, Jurja Križanića 31b, 42000 Varaždin, Croatia
Interests: hydrology; water resources; time series analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, University for Business and Technology, 10000 Prishtina, Kosovo
Interests: hydrology; water resources; water quality; ecology; microbiology; environment

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biology, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, 700505 Iasi, Romania
Interests: aquatic ecology; environmental impact assessment; environmental pollution; heavy metals; rivers; ecology; water quality; environmental science; hydrology; environment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water quality is a critical factor for sustaining human activities and ecological balance. Both surface and underground water resources are subject to significant influences from natural and anthropogenic activities, which affect the maximum allowable concentrations of various water quality parameters. Considering these multifaceted impacts, this Special Issue addresses the pressing need for advanced methodologies to predict future water quality levels and analyze the current conditions. We invite contributions exploring predictive modeling techniques for forecasting water quality, focusing on integrating physical-based models with time series analysis, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) methods. Papers that assess the chemical and physical parameters of surface and underground water and examine the effects of anthropogenic activities, such as industrial discharge and agricultural runoff, are welcome.

Compared to the standard time series modeling procedures used in the past, artificial intelligence and machine learning have raised the level of knowledge and experience obtained. Despite that, a combination of the above is strongly welcomed in this Special Issue.

This Special Issue seeks to compile groundbreaking research that enhances our understanding of the complex interactions affecting water quality. By leveraging modern technological advancements, the collected works aim to provide valuable insights and innovative solutions for sustainable water resource management. We encourage submissions from researchers and practitioners developing these advanced analytical frameworks to contribute to this critical discourse.

This Special Issue tends to collect papers dealing with surface and underground water quality chemical and physical parameter analysis using time series modeling, artificial intelligence and machine learning to assess the impact of meteorological parameters.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

  • Predictive modeling for future water quality levels;
  • Assessment of the current water quality conditions;
  • Integration of time series analysis techniques;
  • Utilization of artificial intelligence in water quality assessment;
  • Application of machine learning methods;
  • Analysis of surface water quality parameters;
  • Examination of underground water quality parameters;
  • Consideration of anthropogenic impacts on water resources;
  • Incorporation of meteorological factors in water quality assessment;
  • Improving understanding of natural and human-induced effects on water quality.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Bojan Đurin
Dr. Osman Fetoshi
Dr. Gabriel-Ionut Plavan
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. Hydrology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 1800 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

  • water quality analysis
  • groundwater
  • surface water
  • parameters
  • machine learning
  • artificial intelligence
  • water resources

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 10357 KiB  
Article
Performance Assessment of a Permeable Reactive Barrier on Reducing Groundwater Transport of Nitrate from an Onsite Wastewater Treatment System
by Charles P. Humphrey Jr., Guy Iverson and Mike O’Driscoll
Hydrology 2025, 12(1), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology12010018 - 17 Jan 2025
Viewed by 936
Abstract
Elevated concentrations of nitrate in potable water supplies have been linked to negative health outcomes such as methemoglobinemia and various cancers. Groundwater can become contaminated with nitrate from sources including onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTSs). A groundwater well down-gradient from an OWTS serving [...] Read more.
Elevated concentrations of nitrate in potable water supplies have been linked to negative health outcomes such as methemoglobinemia and various cancers. Groundwater can become contaminated with nitrate from sources including onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTSs). A groundwater well down-gradient from an OWTS serving an elementary school in Eastern North Carolina USA had 15 consecutive water samples collected over a 5-year period that exceeded the maximum contaminant level of 10 mg/L for nitrate. Corrective actions were required. A permeable reactive barrier (PRB) filled with woodchips was installed between the OWTS drainfield and the contaminated well. The concentration of nitrate in groundwater from the well steadily decreased after the PRB was installed, and a significant (p = 0.001) inverse correlation (−0.859) was observed between the mean annual nitrate concentration and years after the PRB. The nitrate concentration in groundwater from the well has been below 10 mg/L for the last 17 consecutive sampling events. The median nitrate concentration in the well was significantly lower (p = 0.007) post (6.93 mg/L) relative to pre (12.66 mg/L) PRB. The PRB has not required any maintenance over the past 10 years. The implemented PRB directly influences the sampling results from a monitoring well, but it is not necessarily confirmed that it intercepts the entire groundwater flow or fully prevents aquifer contamination. To confirm this, additional monitoring wells would need to be installed. This research has shown that PRBs can be an effective, low-maintenance, best-management practice to reduce the groundwater transport of nitrate. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop