Conference Support for Karst, Groundwater Contamination & Public Health: Moving Beyond Case Studies

Karst Water Institute, Leesburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

Karst terrains, which develop in carbonate rocks, limestone and dolomite, are common throughout the world and karst aquifers provide approximately 25% of world's drinking water. The characteristic cave, spring, and sinkhole features in karst terrains make karst aquifers highly vulnerable to contamination. Public health impacts stem from the ubiquity of karst terrains, the ease of introducing contaminants into the subsurface, and the pervasive use of karst aquifers to provide drinking water. The proposed conference will bring together 80-100 scientists and regulators specializing in karst, groundwater contamination, and public health. The main goals are to bring together established and developing experts to elucidate current knowledge of karst and groundwater contamination, understand public health outcomes, and synthesize perspectives of the diverse disciplines into a new systematic framework for future research. While much is known separately about the physical hydrogeology of karst aquifers and the impact of contaminants on human health, there are significant knowledge gaps about contaminant transport and the direct human health consequences of contaminated karst waters. This will be the first meeting to be convened with the express focus of mutual exploration of research needs of these two scientific communities. The conference will expose young and under-represented scientific investigators to interdisciplinary study areas that offer great promise of useful knowledge for the future. Useful outcomes of the meeting will also include the translation of scientific knowledge from multiple sectors into information useful to public health and environmental regulators.