The occurrence of emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) was investigated in vulnerable Dinaric karst catchment of Jadro and Žrnovnica springs in Croatia, under varying flow conditions and across three ...different water resource types (groundwater, springs, and surface water). The maximal EOCs concentration in both springs were observed following autumn recharge events, while during peak discharge no detection above the limits of detection (LOD) was recorded due to dilution process. Contrarily to springs, groundwater from deep borehole exhibited highest total EOCs concentration under low flow conditions, underscoring the considerable karst aquifer vulnerability and its oligotrophic nature. The peak EOCs concentration in karstic Cetina River coincided with the river's lowest discharge. The highest mass flux of 1013 g/day was determined for very mobile pharmaceutical metformin detected in Cetina. The presence of potentially persistent to very persistent compounds, like DEET and 1H-benzotriazole, which exhibited highest detection frequencies across all sampling sites, was observed in association with varying hydrological conditions. Hypotheses regarding the occurrence of identified EOCs include surface contamination infiltrating directly through ponors and highly karstified areas, potential persistence in the epikarst and aquifer matrix, and site-specific contamination sources for compounds such as 1H-benzotriazole, gabapentin, and ketoprofen found in groundwater. To evaluate the risk of inadvertent human exposure to EOCs across various age groups, we utilized measured spring concentrations and calculated drinking water equivalent levels (DWEL), which ranged from 1.4 μg/L for cotinine to 503 mg/L for sucralose, both detected in Jadro spring. Although EOCs concentrations in ng/L are unlikely to pose a significant risk to healthy population, long-term exposure to EOCs mixture remains unknown. Given scarcity of research on EOCs in karst environments on both global and national levels, our study enhances comprehension of their occurrence and behaviour across different karst water resources that hold crucial importance for drinking water supply in regions like Dinarides.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The Dinaric karst in the north differs from the rest of the karst in Croatia in terms of karstification depth. The infiltrating precipitation drains in cascades from deeply karstified mountainous ...areas to the shallow or fluviokarst, forming the tributaries of the Kupa River. Time series analyses were conducted on a 5-year dataset to elucidate the hydrogeological conceptual model of the area and clarify disparate findings from tracer tests under varying hydrological conditions. The flow duration curve, autocorrelation functions, and recession curves were used to evaluate the spring discharge variability, the karstification degree, and the karst aquifer’s size. The crosscorrelation function and temperature dynamics were employed to assess the spring’s response to recharge and the hydrogeological system behavior. Comparative analysis with previous studies was conducted to contextualize the obtained results. The research outcomes delineated several key findings: (i) the deep karst zone is less developed than the shallow karst zone; (ii) groundwater exchange is significantly faster in shallow karst; (iii) groundwater divides in the Kapela Mountain are zonal; (iv) the homogenization of groundwater occurs during periods of high water levels; (v) fast water exchange transpires without concurrent groundwater temperature homogenization; and (vi) a definition of the boundary between deep and fluviokarst in Croatia.
The themes of well-being and sense of place are also at the heart of the essay by Ratković Ayemir, Tolić and Jagić Boljat. ‘Intangible cultural heritage as a catalyst of well-being and a tool for ...development of Pleternica, Croatia’ offers a specific case study of post-war heritage and sustainable development through ICH – the local bećarac song. As a living tradition, the bećarac song is posited as a means for the community to realise a number of unexpected outcomes, such as traits of their local sense of humour. The authors outline how, through a participatory community-based methodology, they strengthened the local sense of identity, belonging and togetherness in the process of creating a museum, but they stress that to work in an effective manner, heritage interpreters need to practice ‘empathy’ with the local community, a concept of increasing relevance to museum studies today (Gokcigdem 2016).
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BFBNIB, NUK, PILJ, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
This paper presents a qualitative approach for assessing land-use pressures on the water resources of a transboundary Dinaric karst catchment of the Kupa River in Southeast Europe. Spatial analyses ...of the water quality indices for surface water and groundwater were carried out in a GIS environment, as well as a detailed assessment of man-made hazards based on recommendations of COST Action 620. The produced maps provide an insight into the qualitative status of water resources at a regional scale by indicating areas of potential negative impacts of land use through the identification of point and diffuse sources of pollution. Higher values of the water quality indices for surface water and groundwater are observed in lowland areas, karst plateaus and poljes, where the impacts of anthropogenic activities such as agriculture and quarries take place on karstified permeable carbonate rocks. Hazard assessment showed how transport infrastructure induces a low hazard level. Settlement areas without proper sewerage systems impose moderate hazard levels, while direct wastewater discharges into groundwater and waste illegally disposed in karst swallow holes and caves located near settlements were classified as having high hazard levels. The applied methods proved to be suitable even in challenging karst environments where the complex properties and structure make the exploration and monitoring of groundwater resources difficult and scarce.
Purpose – This study explores the impact of perceived trust, search for novelty and perceived usefulness on consumer attitudes towards social network advertising, and the impact of those attitudes on ...buying intention, buying and word-of-mouth information spread. Design/Methodology/Approach – The research included convenience sample of 265 respondents. Online survey distributed through Facebook and Instagram was used as a research method. The data was analysed using a multiple regression analysis.Findings and implications – The results show that positive attitudes towards social network advertising depend on perceived trust and usefulness. The impact of the search for novelty on consumer attitudes towards social network advertising proved to be insignificant. Furthermore, buying intention, buying and disseminating information by word-of-mouth represent relevant outcomes of consumer attitudes towards social network advertising. This research has implications for companies in terms of a better understanding of the relevant predictors and outcomes of consumer attitudes in on-line advertising context. Managers can also benefit from the findings when creating successful communication strategies. Limitations – A major research limitation is the use of non-probability convenience sample that did not capture the population as a whole. Therefore, this may be regarded as a future research direction. Originality – This study sheds new light on relevant predictors and outcomes of consumer attitudes towards social network advertising, which was not previously researched from the proposed framework perspective.
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CEKLJ, NUK, ODKLJ, UL, UM, UPUK
The small karst island of Ilovik is the most southern of inhabited islands in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea. During summer tourist season the number of inhabitants increases significantly, ...and securing the additional freshwater quantities was needed. Given the hydrogeological and geomorphological setting of the island, possibility of brackish groundwater exploitation was considered. Hence, borehole drilling accompanied with pumping tests at three specified locations was carried out. During the pumping tests in two campaigns, groundwater level was measured manually every 2 hours in boreholes, while groundwater electric conductivity and temperature were periodically measured in situ. The sea level was observed at the reference point located near port.
Given dataset consists of electrical conductivity, temperature, groundwater and seawater levels. The research article connected with these data (Terzić et al., 2020) provides hydrogeological interpretation of brackish groundwater lens on small karst island.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
This study presents the findings derived from a three-year monitoring programme focusing on the hydrochemical composition and stable isotope signatures (δ18O, δ2H) within the vulnerable karst ...groundwater system in Croatia's northern Dinaric karst region. Covering an area of 1980 km2 across Kapela Mountain and its foothills, this groundwater system falls within the Kupa River basin and encompasses the catchment areas of the main springs across two spring levels of the Dobra, Mrežnica, and Slunjčica Rivers (namely the Vitunj, Zagorska Mrežnica, Dretulja, Veliko Vrelo, Gojak, Tounjčica, Mrežnica, and Slunjčica springs). Given the complex hydrogeological framework, prior studies have not extensively addressed the hydrochemical characteristics of this region, thereby necessitating a comprehensive investigation to elucidate system dynamics. This paper outlines the first investigation employing stable isotopic analyses within the karst groundwater system of Kapela Mt. The main results and conclusions of the research include: (i) the aquifers across Kapela Mt. drain mainly limestones, (ii) water–rock interaction and carbonate weathering are significant contributors to water geochemistry, (iii) there is a slight human impact on the Gojak and Tounjčica spring waters, (iv) the mean residence time of water in the observed aquifer is up to 1.5 years, (v) the new LMWL was calculated for Kapela Mt. based on a three-year dataset (June 2018 – May 2021), (vi) in the north Dinaric karst, the predominant origin of precipitation is from the Mediterranean air mass, (vii) Velebit Mt. has a strong influence on the precipitation isotopic composition of the study area.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
The assessment of flood impact on a Water Supply System (WSS) requires a comprehensive approach including several scales of analysis and models and should be managed in the Water Safety Plans (WSP), ...as recommended in the EU Water Directive 2020/2184. Flooding can affect the quality of groundwater and surface water resources and can cause supply service interruption due to damaged infrastructures. A complete approach to address flood impact on WSS is required but not yet available, while only specific aspects were investigated in details. This work introduces a comprehensive tool named WAter Safety Planning Procedures Decision Support System (WASPP–DSS) developed in the context of MUHA (Multihazard framework for Water Related risks management) project. The tool is mainly addressed to small water utilities (WU) for supporting WSP development and is based on two main premises: 1) a correct approach for WSS risk analysis requires a multi-hazard perspective encompassing all the system components and different hazards; 2) other institutions in addition to WUs have to be involved in WSS risk analyses to harmonize monitoring and response procedures. The tool is here applied on risks associated to flooding and demonstrated for three case studies. The WASPP–DSS, tested by eight WUs, was found a potentially valid support for small WUs that must start drafting the WSP in a comprehensive way and can provide a common shared scheme. Improvements are desirable, as including a specific section to consider the issue of loss of water resources from reservoirs due to overflow.
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CEKLJ, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
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•A karst island brackish water lens was investigated via diverse methods.•Hydrogeological mapping, geophysics, bore-drilling, and pumping tests were used.•Electrical tomography ...determined the groundwater level and transition zone.•Hydrochemical data supported hydrogeological and geophysical research.•Pumping tests revealed hydraulic characteristics in karst environment.
Ilovik is one of the smallest inhabited islands (5.51 km2) in the Adriatic Sea. It is composed of karstified Cretaceous and Paleogene limestones. Despite its small size, the island was the subject of an extensive research program.
The main objective was setting up a groundwater extraction site to extract brackish groundwater at a rate of least 1.0L/s with chloride concentrations below 5000 mg/L.
The research was carried out in three phases using various methods: geological and hydrogeological mapping, geophysical profiling (electrical tomography and seismic refraction), investigatory core drilling, test-well design, pumping tests, groundwater level monitoring, and hydrogeochemical analyses (in situ and laboratory tests). The underground spread of electrical resistivity mapped the groundwater level and transition zone from fresh to brackish water, and seismic velocities indicated fractured zones. After the pumping tests, hydraulic parameters were calculated based on calculations for similar karstic aquifers, and hydraulic conductivity was within orders of magnitude of 10−4–10−6m/s. The results have great applicability, as the water quantity and quality were determined. Additionally, parametric estimation of the hydrogeological properties was useful even in heterogeneous Dinaric karst environments. Such karst environments have to be studied via several different methods, with common interpretation, to avoid ambiguous conclusions.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The available literature on natural hazard risk analysis focused on the implementation of water safety plans (WSPs) is surprisingly quite poor, despite the significant increase in the number and ...severity of disasters and adverse effects on drinking water supply systems generated by natural hazards. At the same time, WSPs that conveniently account for natural hazards with a comprehensive approach 'from source to tap' are still scarce as they typically occur at larger spatial scales and adequate prevention, mitigation and adaptation require efficient inter-institutional collaborations. The aim of this paper is to highlight the main bottlenecks for water utilities to include natural hazards in the development of their WSPs. The research adopted a stakeholders-oriented approach, involving a considerable number of water utilities (168), water sectoral agencies (15) and institutions (68) across the Adriatic-Ionian Region through a stepwise process that generated joint SWOT analysis, the development of a decision support system (DSS) focused on WSPs procedures and tabletop exercises. The final outcomes generated strategic documents (REWAS - Adrion Road map for resilient water supply) that highlighted the necessity for efficient cross-sectoral and inter-institutional cooperation in the development of well-founded and robust WSPs to address natural hazard risk analysis for water supply systems (DWSS).
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