Anthropopause impacts on groundwater in the Messenia Regional Unit, SW Peloponnese, Greece: insights from hydrogeochemistry and coupled DPSIR-SWOT approaches.

Authors

Marietta Theodoropoulou, Nikolaos Keramydas, Christina Karatrantou, Eleni Gianni, Taiwo Bolaji, Panagiotis Papazotos

Published in

Environmental monitoring and assessment. Volume 198. Issue 11. Oct 06, 2026. Epub Oct 06, 2026.

Abstract

The reduction in human activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, known as the Anthropopause, offers a unique opportunity to evaluate its effects on groundwater, which remains poorly understood. The study aims to evaluate groundwater status during the COVID-19 period in the regional unit (RU) of Messenia, an agricultural area of high tourist interest. Qualitative and quantitative data from borehole investigations were analyzed using an integrated methodological framework. Descriptive statistical analyses, bivariate hydrogeochemical diagrams, geo-environmental indices, and hydrogeochemical evaluations characterized groundwater chemistry and variability, while thematic maps illustrated its spatial patterns. Furthermore, a combined DPSIR-SWOT approach was utilized to systematically assess the groundwater system responses and to evaluate the potential impacts of the Anthropopause on groundwater. The effects of Anthropopause were investigated over five years (2018-2022), allowing for comparison of groundwater characteristics across different phases of human activity (pre- and post-Anthropopause periods). The results showed that elevated EC values and increased concentrations of Cl^-, Na⁺, and NO₃^- in groundwater are consistent with seawater intrusion and nitrate pollution in Messenia. The data also indicated significant reductions in NO₃^-, Cl^-, and EC values during the Anthropopause, suggesting improved groundwater quality for various uses. In contrast, groundwater conditions deteriorated after tourism increased. The pause in human activities demonstrated significant effects on human-environment interactions, often benefiting natural processes and highlighting the need for effective groundwater resource management. This requires systematic spatiotemporal monitoring of groundwater data to provide insights into the impacts of human activities and climate change.

PMID:
42837016
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 07 Oct 2026.

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