Nitrate groundwater pollution and aquifer vulnerability: the case of the Osona region
Nitrate groundwater pollution in the Osona region is a persistent and widespread problem. Nitrate concentrations are commonly above the drinking water threshold of 50 mg/L in wells and springs. ANOVA and logistic regression analyses showed that nitrate concentration is more dependent on land use tha...
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| Formato: | tesis doctoral |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2013 |
| País: | España |
| Recursos: | CBUC, CESCA |
| Repositorio: | TDR. Tesis Doctorales en Red |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:www.tdx.cat:10803/124042 |
| Acesso em linha: | http://hdl.handle.net/10803/124042 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palavra-chave: | Nitrate Nitrat Nitrato Groundwater Aigües subterrànies Aguas subterráneas Vulnerability Vulnerabilitat Vulnerabilidad Water pollution Contaminació de l'aigua Contaminación del agua Modeling Modelatge Modelado Osona 504 55 574 |
| Resumo: | Nitrate groundwater pollution in the Osona region is a persistent and widespread problem. Nitrate concentrations are commonly above the drinking water threshold of 50 mg/L in wells and springs. ANOVA and logistic regression analyses showed that nitrate concentration is more dependent on land use than on the geological setting of springs. Nitrate content presented stationary values in most of the springs over time, while discharge and electrical conductivity evolution depends on the geological setting and rainfall events. This is attributed to a homogenization of the subsurface processes that determine nitrate infiltration after decades of intensive fertilization. A multiple linear regression model to assess groundwater vulnerability determined that the factors that significantly influence nitrate pollution are: nitrogen load, aquifer type, presence of well-drained and deep soils, irrigation and occurrence of denitrification processes. Vulnerability maps for unconfined, leaky and confined aquifers were developed and can be used for improving groundwater resources management |
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