Use of tracers and isotopes to evaluate vulnerability of water in domestic wells to septic waste
Open accessAbstract
Abstract In Nebraska, a large number (>200) of shallow sand‐point and cased wells completed in coarse alluvial sediments along rivers and lakes still are used to obtain drinking water for human consumption, even though construction of sand‐point wells for consumptive uses has been banned since 1987. The quality of water from shallow domestic wells potentially vulnerable to seepage from septic systems was evaluated by analyzing for the presence of tracers and multiple isotopes. Samples were collected from 26 sand‐point and perforated, cased domestic wells and were analyzed for bacteria, coliphages, nitrogen species, nitrogen and boron isotopes, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), prescription and nonprescription drugs, or organic waste water contaminants. At least 13 of the 26 domestic well samples showed some evidence of septic system effects based on the results of several tracers including DOC, coliphages, NH 4 + , NO 3 − , N 2 , δ 15 N[NO 3 − ] and boron isotopes, and antibiotics and other drugs. Sand‐point wells within 30 m of a septic system and <14 m deep in a shallow, thin aquifer had the most tracers detected and the highest values, indicating the greatest vulnerability to contamination from septic waste.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In Nebraska wells ≤15 m from septic systems, concentrations of ammonium exceeded those of nitrate, indicating reducing conditions.
“In Nebraska wells ≤ 15 m from septic systems, concentrations of NH 4 + exceeded those of NO 3 -, indicating reducing conditions.”
From Septic systems as sources of organic wastewater compounds in domestic drinking water wells in a shallow sand and gravel aquifer (2016) · cites this paper as Verstraeten et al., 2005
Verstraeten et al. (2005) detected 14 pharmaceuticals in domestic wells in a shallow sand and gravel aquifer in central US.
“Verstraeten et al. (2005) detected 14 pharmaceuticals in domestic wells in a shallow sand and gravel aquifer in central US”
From Septic systems as sources of organic wastewater compounds in domestic drinking water wells in a shallow sand and gravel aquifer (2016) · cites this paper as Verstraeten et al., 2005
In a study of 26 shallow wells in Nebraska, USA, the median nitrate concentration was <0.05 mg/L and the maximum was 39 mg/L.
“in a study of 26 shallow wells in Nebraska, USA, the median [NO 3 -] was b 0.05 mg/L and the maximum was 39 mg/L (Verstraeten et al., 2005).”
From Septic systems as sources of organic wastewater compounds in domestic drinking water wells in a shallow sand and gravel aquifer (2016) · cites this paper as Verstraeten et al., 2005
In a study of 26 domestic wells in Nebraska, the maximum concentrations for seven of the pharmaceuticals detected were higher than the maximum concentrations measured on Cape Cod by factors of 2.5 to 580.
“In a study of 26 domestic wells in Nebraska (Verstraeten et al., 2005), the maximum concentrations for seven of the pharmaceuticals we detected were higher than the maximum concentrations that we measured on Cape Cod by factors of 2.5 (sulfamethoxazole) to 580 (trimethoprim).”
From Septic systems as sources of organic wastewater compounds in domestic drinking water wells in a shallow sand and gravel aquifer (2016) · cites this paper as Verstraeten et al., 2005
The range of well depths was similar in both studies (5-30 m in Nebraska, 3-40 m on Cape Cod).
“The range of well depths was similar in both studies (5- 30 m in Nebraska, 3-40 m on Cape Cod).”
From Septic systems as sources of organic wastewater compounds in domestic drinking water wells in a shallow sand and gravel aquifer (2016) · cites this paper as Verstraeten et al., 2005
In some shallow groundwater systems close to septic system discharges where reducing conditions predominate, the majority of total nitrogen can be present as ammonium.
“In some shallow groundwater systems close to septic system discharges where reducing conditions predominate, the majority of TN can be present as NH 4 + (Verstraeten et al., 2005;Swartz et al., 2006).”
From Septic systems as sources of organic wastewater compounds in domestic drinking water wells in a shallow sand and gravel aquifer (2016) · cites this paper as Verstraeten et al., 2005
In 26 shallow domestic wells in a sand and gravel aquifer, shallower wells (≤8 m) had higher concentrations of pharmaceuticals and were more likely to have reducing conditions.
“In 26 shallow domestic wells in a sand and gravel aquifer, shallower wells (≤ 8 m) had higher concentrations of pharmaceuticals and were more likely to have reducing conditions (Verstraeten et al., 2005).”
From Septic systems as sources of organic wastewater compounds in domestic drinking water wells in a shallow sand and gravel aquifer (2016) · cites this paper as Verstraeten et al., 2005
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Standard methods: For the examination of water and waste water
Water Environment Federation., Water Pollution Control Federation., American Water Works Association., & American Public Health Association. (1990) · Analytical Biochemistry · doi:10.1016/0003-2697(90)90598-4 · Cited by 72,107 · see citing works
Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater
Jenkins, S. H. (1982) · Water Research · doi:10.1016/0043-1354(82)90249-4 · Cited by 30,098 · see citing works
Kolpin, D. W., Furlong, E. T., Meyer, M. T., Thurman, E. M., Zaugg, S. D., Barber, L. B., & Buxton, H. T. (2002) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es011055j · Cited by 7,953 · see citing works
Self-citationMethods for determination of inorganic substances in water and fluvial sediments
Fishman, M. J., & Friedman, L. C. (1989) · doi:10.3133/twri05a1 · Cited by 1,764 · see citing works
Böhlke, J. K., & Denver, J. M. (1995) · Water Resources Research · doi:10.1029/95wr01584 · Cited by 685 · see citing works
Aravena, R., & Robertson, W. D. (1998) · Ground Water · doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.1998.tb02104.x · Cited by 563 · see citing works
Caffeine and Pharmaceuticals as Indicators of Waste Water Contamination in Wells
Seiler, R. L., Zaugg, S. D., Thomas, J. M., & Howcroft, D. L. (1999) · Ground Water · doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.1999.tb01118.x · Cited by 324 · see citing works
Boron isotope application for tracing sources of contamination in groundwater
Vengosh, A., Heumann, K. G., Juraske, S., & Kasher, R. (1994) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es00060a030 · Cited by 323 · see citing works
Groundwater pollution microbiology
Kott, Y. (1986) · Journal of Hydrology · doi:10.1016/0022-1694(86)90055-7 · Cited by 299 · see citing works
Ground‐Water Contamination from Two Small Septic Systems on Sand Aquifers
Robertson, W. D., Cherry, J. A., & Sudicky, E. A. (1991) · Ground Water · doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.1991.tb00500.x · Cited by 285 · see citing works
Estrogen as an environmental pollutant
Shore, L., Gurevitz, M., & Shemesh, M. (1993) · Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology · doi:10.1007/bf00201753 · Cited by 250 · see citing works
Fate of Pharmaceuticals During Ground Water Recharge
Drewes, J. E., Heberer, T., Rauch-Williams, T., & Reddersen, K. (2003) · Groundwater Monitoring & Remediation · doi:10.1111/j.1745-6592.2003.tb00684.x · Cited by 233 · see citing works
Estrogen as an Environmental Pollutant
Shore, L. S., & Shemesh, M. (2016) · Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology · doi:10.1007/s00128-016-1873-9 · Cited by 231 · see citing works
Spatial Variation in Nitrogen Isotope Values Beneath Nitrate Contamination Sources
Fogg, G. E., Rolston, D. E., Decker, D. L., et al. (1998) · Ground Water · doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.1998.tb02812.x · Cited by 181 · see citing works
Barrett, M. H., Hiscock, K. M., Pedley, S., Lerner, D. N., Tellam, J. H., & French, M. J. (1999) · Water Research · doi:10.1016/s0043-1354(99)00021-4 · Cited by 180 · see citing works
Microbial pollutants: their survival and transport pattern to groundwater.
Gerba, C. P., & Bitton, G. (1994) · Cited by 170 · see citing works
New medium for the simultaneous detection of total coliforms and Escherichia coli in water
Brenner, K. P., Rankin, C. C., Roybal, Y., et al. (1993) · Applied and Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1128/aem.59.11.3534-3544.1993 · Cited by 164 · see citing works
Impacts on a Sand Aquifer from an Old Septic System: Nitrate and Phosphate
Harman, J., Robertson, W. D., Cherry, J. A., & Zanini, L. (1996) · Ground Water · doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.1996.tb02177.x · Cited by 144 · see citing works
Nitrogen Isotopes as Indicators of Nitrate Sources in Minnesota Sand‐Plain Aquifers
Komor, S. C., & Anderson, H. W. (1993) · Ground Water · doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.1993.tb01818.x · Cited by 142 · see citing works
Application of boron isotopes for tracing sources of anthropogenic contamination in groundwater
Barth, S. (1998) · Water Research · doi:10.1016/s0043-1354(97)00251-0 · Cited by 139 · see citing works
Viral and bacterial contamination of groundwater from on-site sewage treatment systems
(1997) · Water Science & Technology · doi:10.1016/s0273-1223(97)00249-7 · Cited by 130 · see citing works
Hill, M. C., Foglia, L., Christensen, S., et al. (2016) · CRC Press eBooks · doi:10.1201/9781315371801-31 · Cited by 112 · see citing works
Source, type and extent of inorganic contamination within the Birmingham urban aquifer system, UK
Ford, M., & Tellam, J. H. (1994) · Journal of Hydrology · doi:10.1016/0022-1694(94)90074-4 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Waterborne disease in the United States, 1991 and 1992
Moore, A., Herwaldt, B. L., Craun, G. F., et al. (1994) · American Water Works Association · doi:10.1002/j.1551-8833.1994.tb06155.x · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Chemical fate and transport in a domestic septic system: Unsaturated and saturated zone geochemistry
Wilhelm, S. R., Schiff, S. L., & Robertson, W. D. (1994) · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry · doi:10.1002/etc.5620130203 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Ray, C., Melin, G., & Linsky, R. B. (2003) · Kluwer Academic Publishers eBooks · doi:10.1007/0-306-48154-5 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Verstraeten, I. M., Thurman, E. M., Lindsey, M. E., Lee, E., & Smith, R. (2002) · Journal of Hydrology · doi:10.1016/s0022-1694(02)00163-4 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Self-citationOccurrence and Distribution of Microbiological Indicators in Groundwater and Stream Water
Francy, D. S., Helsel, D. R., & Nally, R. A. (2000) · Water Environment Research · doi:10.2175/106143000x137220 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Leenhouts, J. M., Basset, R., & Maddock, T., III (1998) · Ground Water · doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.1998.tb01089.x · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Wilhelm, S. R., Schiff, S. L., & Robertson, W. D. (1996) · Ground Water · doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.1996.tb02080.x · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Endocrine‐disrupting chemicals in a source water
Roefer, P., Snyder, S. A., Zegers, R. E., et al. (2000) · American Water Works Association · doi:10.1002/j.1551-8833.2000.tb08992.x · Cited by 51 · see citing works
McAvoy, D. C., White, C. E., Moore, B. L., et al. (1994) · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry · doi:10.1002/etc.5620130205 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Surface Water‐Ground Water Interaction: Herbicide Transport into Municipal Collector Wells
Verstraeten, I. M., Carr, J. D., Steele, G. V., Thurman, E. M., Bastian, K. C., & Dormedy, D. F. (1999) · Journal of Environmental Quality · doi:10.2134/jeq1999.00472425002800050002x · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Self-citationMajor Ion and Trace Metal Geochemistry of an Acidic Septic‐System Plume in Silt
Robertson, W. D., & Blowes, D. W. (1995) · Ground Water · doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.1995.tb00282.x · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Gosselin, D. C., Headrick, J., Tremblay, R., et al. (1997) · Groundwater Monitoring & Remediation · doi:10.1111/j.1745-6592.1997.tb01280.x · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Geotechnical aspects of domestic on‐site effluent management systems
Whitehead, J. H., & Geary, P. (2000) · Australian Journal of Earth Sciences · doi:10.1046/j.1440-0952.2000.00769.x · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Verstraeten, I. M., Heberer, T., Vogel, J. R., et al. (2003) · Practice Periodical of Hazardous Toxic and Radioactive Waste Management · doi:10.1061/(asce)1090-025x(2003)7:4(253 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Self-citationRobertson, W. D. (1994) · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry · doi:10.1002/etc.5620130202 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Evaluation and use of a biotracer to study ground water contamination by leaching bed systems
Shadford, C. B., Joy, D. M., Lee, H., et al. (1997) · Journal of Contaminant Hydrology · doi:10.1016/s0169-7722(96)00084-8 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Statewide GIS/Census Data Assessment of Nitrogen Loadings from Septic Systems in Pennsylvania
Nizeyimana, E., Petersen, G. W., Anderson, M. C., et al. (1996) · Journal of Environmental Quality · doi:10.2134/jeq1996.00472425002500020020x · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Coliphage prevalence in high school septic effluent and associated ground water
DeBorde, D. C., WOESSNER, W. W., Lauerman, B., et al. (1998) · Water Research · doi:10.1016/s0043-1354(98)00171-7 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Determining Travel Time and Stream Mixing using Tracers and Empirical Equations
Verstraeten, I. M., Soenksen, P. J., Engel, G. B., et al. (1999) · Journal of Environmental Quality · doi:10.2134/jeq1999.00472425002800050001x · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Self-citationGroundwater/river interaction in the Elbe river basin in Saxony
Grischek, T., Dehnert, J., Neitzel, P. L., et al. (1994) · OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Verstraeten, I. M., Stanton, C. P., & Atkeson, R. L. (1998) · Antarctica A Keystone in a Changing World · doi:10.3133/ofr98396 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Self-citationRobertson, W. D. (1994) · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry · doi:10.1897/1552-8618(1994)13[183:cfatia]2.0.co;2 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- Heberer, T., and I.M. Verstraeten, eds. 2004. Fate and transport of endocrine disrupting compounds during ground-water recharge. Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation, Spring 2004 (compilation of papers from the 2003 NGWA EDC conference).
- Nebraska Department of Environmental Control. 1977. Rules and regulations for the design, operation, and maintenance of septic tank systems in Nebraska. Lincoln, Nebraska: State of Nebraska, Title 124, Chapter 11, 1-2.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Schaider, L. A., Rudel, R. A., Ackerman, J. M., Dunagan, S. C., & Brody, J. G. (2014) · Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.08.067 · Cited by 304 · see citing works
Schaider, L. A., Ackerman, J. M., & Rudel, R. A. (2016) · Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.081 · Cited by 182 · see citing works
Subedi, B., Codru, N., Dziewulski, D. M., Wilson, L. R., Xue, J., Yun, S., Braun-Howland, E., Minihane, C., & Kannan, K. (2015) · Water Research · doi:10.1016/j.watres.2014.10.049 · Cited by 119 · see citing works
Standley, L. J., Rudel, R. A., Swartz, C. H., Attfield, K. R., Christian, J., Erickson, M., & Brody, J. G. (2008) · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry · doi:10.1897/07-604.1 · Cited by 105 · see citing works
Suburbanization alters small pond ecosystems: shifts in nitrogen and food web dynamics
Holgerson, M. A., Lambert, M. R., Freidenburg, L. K., & Skelly, D. K. (2018) · Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences · doi:10.1139/cjfas-2016-0526 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Using groundwater models to evaluate strategies for drinking-water protection in rural subdivisions
Wilcox, J. D., Gotkowitz, M. B., Bradbury, K. R., & Bahr, J. M. (2010) · Journal of the American Planning Association · doi:10.1080/01944361003742403 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
- Authors
- Verstraeten, I. M., Fetterman, G. S., Meyer, M. T., Bullen, T., & Sebree, S. K.
- Venue
- Groundwater Monitoring & Remediation
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2005-05
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 107-117
- ISSN
- 1069-3629 (ISSN-L)
- 1745-6592
- OpenAlex
- W1992280023
- Cited by
- 94
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 5.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Locations
- Groundwater Monitoring & Remediation (publishedVersion)
- Lincoln (University of Nebraska) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Groundwater and Isotope Geochemistry
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Fecal contamination and water quality
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Water Quality and Resources Studies
- Keywords
- private wells, groundwater vulnerability, cased wells, nitrogen isotopes, boron isotopes, dissolved organic carbon, coliphages, nitrate, ammonium, pharmaceuticals, antibiotic resistance genes, alluvial aquifer, drinking water quality, Nebraska
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
