Groundwater quality assessment in semi-arid regions using integrated approaches: the case of Grombalia aquifer (NE Tunisia).

As many arid and semi-arid regions in the Mediterranean Basin, the Grombalia coastal aquifer (NE Tunisia) is affected by severe groundwater exploitation and contamination. Therefore, quality assessments are becoming increasingly important as the long-term protection of water resources is at stake. Multidisciplinary investigations, like the one presented in this paper, are particularly effective in identifying the different origins of mineralization within an aquifer and investigating the impact of anthropogenic activities on groundwater quality.

Uranium isotopes in groundwater from the "Jeffara coastal aquifer" (southeastern Tunisia).

The distributions of (238)U and (234)U in groundwater from the "Jeffara aquifer" were studied by using alpha spectrometric methods. The concentration ranges of (238)U and (234)U/(238)U activity ratios were 1.34 +/- 0.