Abstract
Groundwater in karst regions in the Philippines is inhabited by a diverse yet unique aquatic fauna. While this habitat is threatened by anthropogenic disturbances, basic physicochemical information is lacking. Here, we provide the first report of karst groundwater quality based on the characterization and assessment of samples collected from caves. Water samples from seven islands (Bohol, Calicoan, Luzon, Mindanao, Negros Oriental, Panglao, and Samar) were analyzed in order to obtain baseline information about and assess the environmental status of groundwater in karst areas. Although most of the sites showed no evidence of anthropogenic disturbance, excessive amounts of NO2 −, NO3 −, and Cl− were detected in the samples from a few areas, particularly Panglao Island, Bohol. These pollutants likely originate from human-related activities such as the use of water treatment chemicals, detergents, and bleach, as well as the leakage of septic tanks. Further investigations and in-depth studies aimed at clearly understanding the dynamics of the karst groundwater, thus preventing the aggravation of problems with the groundwater in the future, are highly recommended.
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Acknowledgments
The first author gratefully thanks Prof. T. Kase (National Museum of Nature and Science) for his support and guidance during cave research in the Philippines, as well as individuals who provided assistance during the field and laboratory work. He acknowledges the help of Mr. A. Pasilan, Mr. D.M. Calo, and Mr. B.J. Bahian during the cave expedition in Agusan del Sur. He is indebted to the Monbukagakusho Scholarship for providing funding during his graduate studies. We also thank Dr. P.A.J. Sanchez (the University of Tokyo) for assistance with map production. This research was partially funded by a University of Tokyo Graduate School of Frontier Sciences Academic Research Grant (International) (TODAISOIKI no. 15-2-1). The first author also acknowledges the support of YNU-GCOE during his postdoctoral research fellowship. We thank the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for permitting and supporting this study. Part of this paper was presented at the International Conference for Environmental Pollution and Remediation 2011 (ICEPR’11, http://international-aset.com/) in Ottawa, Canada.
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Handling Editor: Masahiro Maruo.
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Husana, D.E., Yamamuro, M. Groundwater quality in karst regions in the Philippines. Limnology 14, 293–299 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10201-013-0398-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10201-013-0398-8