An Overall Perspective for the Study of Emerging Contaminants in Karst Aquifers

Karst aquifers are essential drinking water sources, representing about 25% of the totalavailable sources globally. Groundwater ecosystems consist of fissured carbonate rocks commonlycovered with canopy collapse sinkholes. The open nature of karst aquifers makes them susceptible torapidly transporting contaminants from the surface in dissolved and particulate forms. The principalaim of this review is to contribute to filling the gap in knowledge regarding major concerns affectingkarst aquifers and understanding their vulnerabilities and dynamics. The principal groundwaterpollutants of relevance are detailed in the present work, including well-known issues, such as theinput of agriculture and its role in water quality. Emerging pollutants such as microplastics, stillpoorly studied in the groundwater systems, were also considered. Case studies for each typology ofpollutant were highlighted, as their relative concerns for karst environments. Final considerationsunderlined an approach for studying karst environments more focused on understanding dynamicsand links among different pollutants inputs and their drivers than on individual sources and impacts.