Appraisal of groundwater pollution risk by combining the fuzzy AHP and DRASTIC method in the Burdur Saline Lake Basin, SW Turkey.

Abstract

To ensure sustainable groundwater management, water resources must be protected in terms of quantity and quality. In this context, it is important to reveal the potential of existing groundwater resources to be affected by environmental and/or geogenic pollutants. In the present study, groundwater vulnerability assessment was performed using DRASTIC model by fuzzy AHP and GIS integration for Burdur Saline Lake basin, SW Turkey. In addition, validation and sensitivity analyses were performed in the study. Weight and rating values assigned for DRASTIC parameters and sub-parameters were determined by fuzzy AHP method, and these values were used in GIS analyses. In the validation analysis of the obtained groundwater vulnerability map, NO3 ion was considered since the agricultural activities are intense in the study area. In addition, sensitivity analyses were performed to determine the most effective parameter. According to the obtained results, 26.43% of the study area was determined as the highly vulnerable areas, while 11.44 and 62.13% were moderate vulnerable and low vulnerable, respectively. Impact of the vadose zone, depth to water table, and net recharge parameters were determined as more effective than other parameters. The nitrate concentrations of the groundwater in the region confirm the vulnerability map obtained by the study. Therefore, it is recommended to take realistic and urgent protection measures aimed at sustainable use of groundwater in highly vulnerable areas.