ANNUAL REPORT 2001
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Water resources |
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Evaluating Denmark's water resources
The work to develop a national water resource model, the so-called DK model, has come another step closer to completion. In 2001, a root zone model for the entire country was finalised. The model has been used to make calculations to provide a new assessment of the volume of water resources in Denmark. These calculations are to replace the previous simplified estimate made in 1992 by the Water Council. The estimate will form part of a new theme report from NOVA [the national monitoring programme for the aquatic environment] on freshwater circulation in 2002. In 2001, model calculations at catchment area level revealed that there are problems with tallying the water balance as a result of inconsistent use of precipitation and evaporation data. Therefore, an investigation was launched in collaboration with the Danish Meteorological Institute, the National Environmental Research Institute, Denmark, and the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences. Experience and knowledge gained from preparing the DK model has also been applied to the implementation the EU Framework Directive in the field of water policy according to which surface water and groundwater are to be regarded and managed as one. |
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Identification of pesticide-sensitive areas
The county authorities are currently identifying groundwater protection zones. In this connection, GEUS and the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences are developing a method to identify areas which are particularly sensitive to seepage of pesticides to the groundwater - the KUPA project [Concept for Identification of Pesticide-Sensitive Areas]. The focus is on developing a method for areas with sandy soil and to assess the possibility of developing a method for clay soil at a later stage. In 2001, field surveys of 20 out of 24 sand locations were completed with a view to measuring variations in parameters of significance for pesticide seepage. In addition, GEUS evaluated the extent to which geophysical methods may be used to map the unsaturated zone. All geophysical methods and instruments used in Denmark have been evaluated in addition to a number of methods and instruments only used abroad. |
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Pesticide Leaching Assessment Programme
The purpose of the Danish Pesticide Leaching Programme is to examine whether approved pesticides are leaching into the groundwater by regular use. The system has been fully implemented and data is pouring in from the six experimental fields which constitute the system. It is operated by GEUS, the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences and the National Environmental Research Institute, Denmark. Results from 2001 show that the glyphosate pesticide and its decomposition product, AMPA, leach from the root zone in concentrations exceeding the permitted limit value. The new results are from a clay soil experimental field at Estrup near Vejen in Jutland, where glyphosate was used in the autumn in approved quantities as part of common cultivation practice. In 2001, several reports were published containing findings from the first year of operation and an establishment report with a thorough description of soil conditions, geology and instrumentation of the fields in addition to field selection criteria. Visit www.geus.dk |
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Important groundwater reservoirs in Jutland
Oligocene and Miocene sand strata constitute some of the most important groundwater reservoirs in Jutland, and several Jutland counties have therefore focused on these strata when assessing and protecting groundwater resources. GEUS collaborates with the counties to create a three-dimensional geological model of these deposits based on bore data, geophysical data and strata in coastal cliffs and raw material excavations. The fossil content of boreholes was examined to better understand the stratigraphic correlation. A model of the county of Vejle was created. The model shows that there are three levels in the sequence of strata with potential groundwater reservoirs. In the county of Ribe, a boring at Vorbasse and new seismic data show that there are groundwater reservoirs at two of those levels. |
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Cheaper and quicker pesticide analyses
The work to develop cheap and quick analysis methods for pesticides in groundwater includes development of immunochemical analyses of a number of pesticides and analysis implementation on a microchip platform. The development work includes the production of modified pesticides with a view to producing pesticide antibodies. Transferring the methods to a microchip has proved successful and it is now possible to analyse concentrations ten times lower than before. At present, it is possible to analyse for two different pesticides on the same platform, which is an important step towards developing a so-called multi-chamber system to analyse for many pesticides in the same process. The work is performed under the SUE programme [cooperation between sector research institutions, universities and the corporate sector] of the Danish Research Agency with the participation of GEUS, Statens Serum Institut, Exiqon A/S and the National Micro- and Nanotechnology Research Center and Environment & Resources DTU. |
