THE SHORT-CUT ENHANCED CONTAMINATION OF THE GAZA-STRIP COASTAL AQUIFER

The ''short-cut'' conceptual model is advanced to explain the reality of world-wide enhanced groundwater contamination, using the Gaza Strip coastal aquifer as a case study. The validity of the ''short-cut'' ap proach is supported by recent findings and ''post-factum'' analysis of available data concerning nonionic and anionic surfactants, chlorides , nitrates, tritium, heavy metals and organic hydrocarbons in Israel s oils and groundwater. Specifically, high concentrations of anthropogen ic chlorides, organic surfactants, and nitrates (> 400, 0.5 and 50 ppm respectively) and rates of water vertical infiltration (0.24-180 m/da y) have been found in the Gaza Strip coastal aquifer. In view of the ( a) soil heterogeneity, which results in paths of preferential flow in the vadose zone; (b) presence of surfactants in the aqueous fluid whic h results in an enhanced groundwater contamination by solubilized and/ or dispersed water insoluble organic and inorganic contaminants; End ( c) reality of wetting/drying cycles of groundwater recharge, the advoc ated ''short-cut'' conceptual model is suggested to be taken into acco unt in the construction of any realistic model of aquifer contaminatio n. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.