Dr. Janja Svetina successfully defended her doctoral dissertation entitled Identification of the source sites of multipoint hexavalent chromium contamination in a highly abundant interstitial aquifer. Her doctoral research was carried out under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Mihael Brenčič from the Department of Geology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana.

The study addresses the complexity of the problem of determining the sources of groundwater contamination in cases where the impacts of multiple point sources in an aquifer overlap. The first phase of the research focused on the analysis of vertical flows in boreholes and their impact on the representativeness of sampling, which was carried out by a combination of carotation measurements, sectoral sampling by depth using double packers and numerical modelling. The second phase was based on an analytical modelling approach, which allowed the reconstruction of the historical Cr(VI) contamination in the area of the Ljubljansko polje and the assessment of potentially still active sources. By identifying key transport parameters, the study has made an important contribution to the understanding of Cr(VI) dynamics in highly productive interstitial aquifers. The results represent a useful tool for optimising monitoring, improving the accuracy of pollution scenario predictions and for identifying as yet unknown sources of pollution. The approach is transferable to other areas with large aquifers where it can make an important contribution to sustainable groundwater management.

The doctoral dissertation is available at here.