SALINIZATION OF GROUNDWATER OF THE PASSAIC RIVER BASIN

There is an increasing trend of groundwater salinization in many regions in the United States. The Hydrochemical species of freshwater aquifers are gradually changing, and this is mostly attributed to anthropogenic activities such as population growth, urbanization, and the ever-increasing use and/or availability of salt in the natural environment. Deicing salt is heavily used in the Northern Hemisphere during wintry seasons to melt ice and snowy surfaces, preventing hazardous conditions associated with winter. Continuous application of deicing salt on highways and imperious surfaces results in the infiltration of this salt (which is mostly in the form of Sodium Chloride) into the groundwater. This study focuses on the First Watchung Mountain area of the Passaic River basin of New Jersey, which is the current location of Montclair State University. This study uses numerical models to provide an overview of contaminant transport fate in the Passaic River basin. The study focuses on chloride as a tracer which is an important indicator for particle tracking in groundwater. Several parameters were used to frame the conceptual model for the study area and were transformed into numerical model using finite-difference codes: MODFLOW and MODPATH. The study identified that the groundwater flow has a northeastern trend, as groundwater flow were seen to flow away from the elevated mountain regions. A particle tracking analysis showed detailed information regarding the flow pathway of the groundwater. The forward particle analysis revealed that the Cedar Grove reservoir and the Peckman River, both on the west end of the study area, the Third River at the east and the Passaic River which is at the farthest east of the area are all on the pathway. The Backward particle tracking simulation indicates that the study area can only be contaminated by contaminants few feet away, and not from farther areas. This study indicates that deicing salt used in Montclair State university, the First Watchung mountain area has potentials to contaminate the groundwater of the nearby basins.

Keywords: Passaic River basin, Deicing, Groundwater salinization, Transport fate