A coastal karstic aquifer response to contamination. Puerto Morelos, México.

A coastal karstic aquifer response to contamination. Puerto Morelos, México. | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article A coastal karstic aquifer response to contamination. Puerto Morelos, México. Mario Humberto Cortazar Cepeda, Roger Amilcar Gonzalez Herrera This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6580899/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 12 Jan, 2026 Read the published version in Environmental Science and Pollution Research → Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The coastal karstic aquifer of Puerto Morelos, in Mexico is under constant environmental stress due to intensive leakage of poorly constructed and managed septic systems, and unregulated solid waste disposal sites within and nearby Puerto Morelos town. The presence of the forementioned pollution sources in the region motivated the implementation of a contaminant transport model and particle tracking model based on the results of a previously implemented groundwater flow model in the local aquifer. From contaminant plume simulation it was evidenced the high dilution capacity of the aquifer as chloride concentrations greatly reduced to background concentration levels at a distance no greater than 300 meters away from the pollution sources (disposal sites and septic systems); this dilution is likely the consequence of high hydraulic conductivities in the regional aquifer and the presence of the groundwater dome. Additionally, the presence of the dome greatly influences flows and gradients in the immediate area of Puerto Morelos town, depicted by particle tracking exercise, as travel times become longer further from the epicenter of the dome. This leads to assume the local aquifer has a strong attenuation capacity for the current pollution conditions, but as population and tourism grows, wastewater and solid waste disposal practices should be improved to reduce the risk of aquifer pollution, which is the only source of fresh water for the Puerto Morelos community. karst aquifer dilution contaminant transport groundwater pollution particle tracking Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 12 Jan, 2026 Read the published version in Environmental Science and Pollution Research → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Major Revision 14 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 02 Jun, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 02 Jun, 2025 Editor invited by journal 19 May, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 12 May, 2025 First submitted to journal 08 May, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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