HYDROGEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF GROUNDWATER DEGRADATION AT THE EASTERN NESTOS RIVER DELTA, N.E. GREECE.

This paper deals with the hydrogeological study of the evolution of groundwater salinisation - degradation at the eastern Nestos River Delta. Relevant field works including in-situ measurements of groundwater level, pH, Specific Electrical Conductivity (SEC) and temperature took place in the years 2008 and 2009. Groundwater samples were also collected for chemical analysis at the Engineering Geology Laboratory of the Department of Civil Engineering of D.U.Th. (July of 2009). Important conclusions regarding the progress of the groundwater degradation at the study area were drawn based on the analysis of all the available data and the elaboration of the designed piezometric maps and the various maps showing the distribution of SEC, Chloride, SAR (Sodium Absorption Ratio) and Revelle coefficient values. Some managerial suggestions for the confrontation of the seawater intrusion regime of the study area are also included

Development of multi-criteria decision support system (DSS) coupled with GIS for identifying optimal locations for soil aquifer treatment (SAT) facilities

Η διαχείριση του εμπλουτισμού των υδροφορέων αποτελεί μια ευρέως διαδομένη τεχνική, ιδιαίτερα σε υδρολογικά ευαίσθητες περιοχές, όπως αυτές της Μεσογειακής Λεκάνης, όπου οι υδατικοί πόροι είναι περιορισμένοι. Η επιλογή της χωροθέτησης έργων τεχνητού εμπλουτισμού (Τ.Ε.) αποτελεί μια πολύπλοκη διαδικασία το αποτέλεσμα της οποίας καθορίζει εν πολλοίς και την ίδια την αποτελεσματικότητα του έργου. Η εν λόγω διαδικασία περιπλέκεται εντονότερα όταν πρόκειται για τη χρηση νερών εμπλουτιμού υποβαθμισμένης ποιότητας. Βασικός στόχος της παρούσας εργασίας είναι η παρουσίαση ενός πρόδρομου εργαλείου πολυ-κριτιριακού Συστήματος Λήψης Αποφάσεων, το οποίο ενσωματώνει σε μια δυναμική πλατφόρμα: τόσο τις τεχνικές του Τ.Ε. όσο και τα γεωγραφικά χαρακτηριστικά που καθορίζουν την αποτελεσματικότητα του έργου. Το προτεινόμενο σύστημα αποτελεί προχωρημένο εργαλείο σύζευξης Συστημάτων Λήψης Αποφάσεων και Γεωγραφικών Πληροφοριών ικανό να αξιολογεί κρίσιμα ζητήματα που αφορούν σε έργα Τ.Ε. –γεωλογικά, υδρογεωλογικά, κλιματολογικά, νομικά, κοινωνικά, οικονομμικά κ.α. – με ιδιαίτερη έμφαση σε συστήματα Επεξεργασίας-Εδάφους- Υδροφόρου. Το συγκεκριμένο εργαλείο πρόκειται να ενσωματωθεί στο λογισμικό ArcGIS, σε περιβάλλον φιλικό προς το χρήστη, όπου η προβολή και επεξεργασία χωρικών δεδομένων μπορεί να πραγματοποιηθεί με τη χρήση Arc tools.Managed Aquifer Recharge is a wide-spread well-established groundwater engineering method which is largely seen as an alternative potential major source for water and this conclusion becomes even more pronounced in semi-arid and/or arid areas, such as the Mediterranean Basin. The process of site selection for the installation of a MAR facility is of paramount importance for the feasibility and effectiveness of the project itself, especially when the facility will include the use of waters of impaired quality as a recharge source. The main objective of this study is to present the developed framework of a multicriteria Decision Support System (DSS) that integrates within a dynamic platform: the main groundwater engineering parameters associated with MAR applications together with the general geographical features which determine the effectiveness of such a project. The proposed system will provide an advanced coupled DSS-GIS tool capable of handling local MAR-related issues -such as hydrogeology, topography, soil, climate etc., and spatially distributed variables -such as societal, economic, administrative, legislative etc., with special reference to Soil-Aquifer- Treatment technologies. The new SAT-selection tool in question is integrated in ArcGIS software -within a user friendly environment- where data can be processed and displayed using Arc tools for spatial analysis

Dopamine receptor alterations in female rats with diet-induced decreased brain docosahexaenoic acid (DHA): interactions with reproductive status

Decreased tissue levels of n-3 (omega-3) fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are implicated in the etiologies of non-puerperal and postpartum depression. This study examined the effects of a diet-induced loss of brain DHA content and concurrent reproductive status on dopaminergic parameters in adult female Long–Evans rats. An α-linolenic acid-deficient diet and breeding protocols were used to produce virgin and parous female rats with cortical phospholipid DHA levels 20–22% lower than those fed a control diet containing adequate α-linolenic acid. Decreased brain DHA produced a significant main effect of decreased density of ventral striatal D2-like receptors. Virgin females with decreased DHA also exhibited higher density of D1-like receptors in the caudate nucleus than virgin females with normal DHA. These receptor alterations are similar to those found in several rodent models of depression, and are consistent with the proposed hypodopaminergic basis for anhedonia and motivational deficits in depression

Transient Gastric Irritation in the Neonatal Rats Leads to Changes in Hypothalamic CRF Expression, Depression- and Anxiety-Like Behavior as Adults

A disturbance of the brain-gut axis is a prominent feature in functional bowel disorders (such as irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia) and psychological abnormalities are often implicated in their pathogenesis. We hypothesized that psychological morbidity in these conditions may result from gastrointestinal problems, rather than causing them.Functional dyspepsia was induced by neonatal gastric irritation in male rats. 10-day old male Sprague-Dawley rats received 0.1% iodoacetamide (IA) or vehicle by oral gavage for 6 days. At 8-10 weeks of age, rats were tested with sucrose preference and forced-swimming tests to examine depression-like behavior. Elevated plus maze, open field and light-dark box tests were used to test anxiety-like behaviors. ACTH and corticosterone responses to a minor stressor, saline injection, and hypothalamic CRF expression were also measured.Behavioral tests revealed changes of anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in IA-treated, but not control rats. As compared with controls, hypothalamic and amygdaloid CRF immunoreactivity, basal levels of plasma corticosterone and stress-induced ACTH were significantly higher in IA-treated rats. Gastric sensory ablation with resiniferatoxin had no effect on behaviors but treatment with CRF type 1 receptor antagonist, antalarmin, reversed the depression-like behavior in IA-treated ratsThe present results suggest that transient gastric irritation in the neonatal period can induce a long lasting increase in depression- and anxiety-like behaviors, increased expression of CRF in the hypothalamus, and an increased sensitivity of HPA axis to stress. The depression-like behavior may be mediated by the CRF1 receptor. These findings have significant implications for the pathogenesis of psychological co-morbidity in patients with functional bowel disorders

SEAWATER INTRUSION IN COASTAL AQUIFERS AND METHODS OF PREVENTION IN GREECE AND OTHER COUNTRIES

Το φαινόμενο της θαλάσσιας διείσδυσης απειλεί τους παράκτιους γλυκούς υπόγειους υδατικούς πόρους σε ολόκληρο τον κόσμο αλλά και στην Ελλάδα. Στην εργασία αυτή γίνεται μια προσπάθεια αξιολόγησης των διαθέσιμων βασικών εργαλείων για τον έλεγχο της υπόγειας υδροστατικής ή πιεζομετρικής στάθμης και για την αύξηση του όγκου του διαθέσιμου υπόγειου νερού σε καταστάσεις υψηλού κινδύνου (ξηρασία), που είναι απαραίτητα στη δημιουργία φραγμών στη διείσδυση της θάλασσας μέσα σε παράκτιους υδροφορείς. Η εργασία εστιάζει το ενδιαφέρον κυρίως στις μεθόδους παρεμπόδισης της θαλάσσιας διείσδυσης. Η αξιοποίηση και η αποκατάσταση του γλυκού υπόγειου νερού μέσα σε παράκτια υπόγεια υδροφόρα συστήματα πρέπει να αποτελεί αναπόσπαστο τμήμα της ολοκληρωμένης διαχείρισης του νερού και απαιτεί συνεργασία, πληροφορίες, σχεδιασμό και νομοθεσία.Seawater intrusion threatens coastal groundwater resources and limits their use all over the world, even in Greece. In this work an attempt is made to evaluate all the tools available to control the groundwater table or the piezometric level and to increase the volume of fresh groundwater available for emergencies, which are necessary in creating barriers against inflow of seawater into the coastal aquifers. This work especially focuses on different methods of seawater intrusion prevention. The exploitation and restoration of fresh groundwater in coastal aquifer systems should form part of integrated water management and requires cooperation, information, planning and legislation

Application of GALDIT index to assess the intrinsic vulnerability to seawater intrusion of coastal granular aquifers

Groundwater within coastal aquifers is considered a very sensitive\backslashnnatural resource since its quantity and quality is threatened by\backslashnanthropogenic activities as well as global and climate changes. The\backslashnmajor environmental hazard with respect to coastal aquifers is the\backslashnphenomenon of seawater intrusion, and is more pronounced in the\backslashnMediterranean basin. In the light of smart management of such\backslashnhydrogeological systems, GALDIT index was introduced in the form of a\backslashnnumerical ranking system that aims to assess the vulnerability of such\backslashnaquifers to seawater intrusion. This paper provides an application of\backslashnGALDIT vulnerability index for a typical Mediterranean alluvial aquifer\backslashnunder variable hydrogeological conditions in different research periods\backslashn(1992 and 2004). The results proved the significance of the piezometric\backslashnconditions of the aquifer with respect to its vulnerability to seawater\backslashnintrusion