A common framework for the development of spring water contamination early warning system in western Mediterranean karst areas: Spanish and French sites.

Karst water resources, traditionally used worldwide for drinking purposes, are highly vulnerable to contamination. Scientific-technical efforts must therefore be done to ensure sufficient water quality for human consumption. Early-Warning-Systems emerge as an effective spring scale protection strategy for real-time identification of contamination episodes at drinking water capture points.

Can a regulatory control network be used for a territorial monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in water intended for human consumption?

Antimicrobial resistance genes and resistant bacteria could be found in water intended for human consumption (WIHC). In France, although the microbiological quality of WIHC is strictly monitored, antimicrobial resistance is not. The aim of this study is to test the concept of the use of the regulatory surveillance of WIHC to monitor antimicrobial resistance in a French area.

Impact of past mining activities on water quality in a karst area in the Cévennes region, Southern France.

Sampling and analysis of groundwater and surface water were conducted to assess the potential impacts of abandoned mines on water quality in a karst area in Southern France. The results of multivariate statistical analysis and geochemical mapping revealed that water quality is affected by contaminated drainage from abandoned mine sites. Acid mine drainage with very high concentrations of Fe, Mn, Al, Pb and Zn was identified in a few samples collected from mine openings and near waste dumps.

Author Correction: Global karst springs hydrograph dataset for research and management of the world's fastest-flowing groundwater.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Global karst springs hydrograph dataset for research and management of the world's fastest-flowing groundwater.

Karst aquifers provide drinking water for 10% of the world's population, support agriculture, groundwater-dependent activities, and ecosystems. These aquifers are characterised by complex groundwater-flow systems, hence, they are extremely vulnerable and protecting them requires an in-depth understanding of the systems. Poor data accessibility has limited advances in karst research and realistic representation of karst processes in large-scale hydrological studies.