Abstract
A significant rise of groundwater pollution has been registered worldwide, where nitrate has been recognized as the most widespread pollutant. In this context, the groundwater vulnerability assessment and more specifically the delineation of “Nitrate Vulnerable Zones” represents a reliable cost-effective tool for groundwater management. In this study, the Agricultural Nitrate Hazard Index (ANHI) method was applied to two case histories in southern Italy: the Lete River catchment and the eastern sector of the Campania Plain. The first area is characterized by agricultural activities and a low anthropic influence while the eastern part of the Campania Plain, around Caserta city, is strongly urbanized and developed on an extensive alluvial plain filled with volcaniclastic deposits. The parametric method applied suggests moderate hazard for the more natural setting highlighting how the intensive crop farming and livestock activities that characterized the area negatively influenced the results. For the eastern part of the Campania Plain, where a strong urbanization and widespread industrial crops are dominant, a low to very low hazard has been identified. The groundwater quality value, in contrast with the methodology results underlines the importance of further risk evaluations based on accurate aquifer characterization. A multiple year assessment based on land use change and climate variation could further highlights the difference between the study areas.
Highlights
Groundwater resources represent the most important freshwater supplies through the world especially in arid and semiarid regions, for all kinds of human utilizations and needs
The Agricultural Nitrate Hazard Index (ANHI) methodology was successfully applied in two different study areas
The results obtained in this study show that while in the eastern margin of the Campania Plain the potential hazard of contamination is low or very low the area is highly anthropized, about 28% of the catchment area of the Lete River, that is very natural, is characterized by moderate potential hazard mainly linked to husbandry activities that could represent a serious risk for groundwater quality
Summary
Groundwater resources represent the most important freshwater supplies through the world especially in arid and semiarid regions, for all kinds of human utilizations and needs. The human impacts connected to the numerous anthropogenic activities (agricultural, industrial, and domestic) have made these resources highly susceptible to external pollution and quality deterioration through time [1]. The groundwater pollution is generally a slow and threatening process that always produces negative effects on water quality and availability. This process has some characteristics, such as (i) usually invisible, (ii) difficult to determinate, (iii) able to generate negative long-term impacts, and (iv) almost irreversible [2]. Aquifer NO3 pollution has become a frequent and serious problem especially in the high populated alluvial plains where it is principally derived from agricultural activities that usually spread fertilizers upon the territory [4–8]. The indiscriminate use of nitrogen fertilizers has been identified as the most widespread non-point source of pollutant all around the Environments 2020, 7, 80; doi:10.3390/environments7100080 www.mdpi.com/journal/environments
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