The application of bacteriophage as tracers of chalk aquifer systems

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Abstract
Three tracer experiments were performed at two chalk groundwater sites. In the first experiment three bacteriophage were injected at three different depths within a chalk aquifer, 16.5 m from the pumping well. Two of the bacteriophage were recovered from the abstraction point giving a fastest migration rate of between 17 and 34.5 cm/h. One of the bacteriophage tracers, however, was not detected. In the second experiment, three bacteriophage were injected at different depths within a second chalk aquifer site, 1 km distance from the pumping well. A small percentage of original inoculum (0.055 and 0.002%) of two of the bacteriophage traversed the 1 km distance and was detected within 6 months, demonstrating a fastest migration rate of 30 and 29.5 cm/h. At the same site, two bacteriophage were injected into a different borehole, 50 m away from the pumping well. Neither of the two bacteriophage were recovered from the abstraction point. These bacteriophage tracer experiments expose several interesting hydrogeological features about each chalk aquifer system and re‐assert bacteriophage as excellent tracers at groundwater sites.

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