Abstract
In this study, an integrated environmental risk assessment (ERA) study involving frequent monitoring of both water and soil parameters (24 on total), was carried out to assess and compare the environmental risk quality of three pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) fields (two in Aegina island and one in Kilkis) based upon risk categories identified and assessed in terms of quality and quantity. In this context, vertical profiles and risk matrices were created for a 60-month period for the most important soil and water parameters i.e., soil pH, soil organic matter, soil salinity, heavy metals, and irrigation water quality. According to the obtained results, the two pistachio fields in Aegina exhibited reduced overall risk values, i.e., 17% and 27%, respectively after the adoption of sustainable cultivation practices, thus reflecting a transition from “medium to high risk” to “low to medium risk” environmental quality. On the other hand, overall risk values for the pistachio field in Kilkis were reduced by 34% and were lower compared to the ones obtained for the pistachio fields in Aegina. The better environmental profile identified for the entire period in Kilkis ranging from “medium risk” to “low risk” was the result of lower inherent risk associated with irrigation water quality and soil salinity. The proposed methodology can be easily applied in other agricultural areas and for similar cultivations in Greece and other Mediterranean countries.
Highlights
Contamination of soil and groundwater in agricultural areas has become a global concern today and limits its availability as a source of nutrients and resource for crop irrigation, respectively [1]
Aums cpainngbeofsegerno,utnhdewsoaitlepr raonfdilethine stheae AwFa1tepr iilnottrfuiesilodnwthasatslfioglhlotlwyetdo s[7tr]o. nSgimlyilar salirnees,umltsaiwnelyredaulesotoobotvaeinr-epdufmorpitnhge AofFg2rpoiulontdfiwealdterwaitnhdtrthanessietiaonwfartoemr inthtreu“smioendtihuamt ftoollhoiwghedri[s7k]”. to Sim“nileagrlrigesibulletsriwske”re(2arlsisokocblatassinees)d, dfouretthoeSAPFe2ffepcitloetvfeinelfdorwtihthe dtreaenpseirtiloanyefrrsomcomthpea“rmededtoiupmrevtoiohuisgdhata. riskIt”istoth“enreegfolirgeibelveidriesnkt”th(2atraislkthcoluagsshesp)i,sdtaucehitoopSrPeseefnfetsctsiegvneinficfaonrtltyhegrdeeaeteprersallatyteorlsercaonmceptahraend otother nut crops, soil salinity problems existed in the mature pistachio orchards in Aegina due to continuous application of highly saline irrigation water during summer over the last two decades [7,27]
The present study was carried out to assess the improvement of environmental quality of three pistachio fields, two in Aegina and one in Kilkis in Greece, over time due to the developed and applied sustainable strategies in terms of prevailing climate conditions and quality of final product
Summary
Contamination of soil and groundwater in agricultural areas has become a global concern today and limits its availability as a source of nutrients and resource for crop irrigation, respectively [1]. In the case of polluted soils and sites, ERA includes a combination of chemical, biological, and ecological measurements that can be applied in situ and/or ex situ, according to the most recent ISO (International Standardization Organization) standards available [4] It is an important decision-making tool that can be used to identify existing environmental problems, prioritize agricultural management and regulatory efforts, predict potential risks of planned actions, and subsequently evaluate their effectiveness at field. The estimation of environmental risk is a complex procedure that generally requires a multidisciplinary approach in design and development [5] It is usually based on generic standards (target and intervention values) that are used to assess the affected medium quality and classify media as clean, slightly, moderately, or heavily contaminated. In order to assess risk, hazards, or potential sources of contamination that may harm to a certain extent the surrounding ecosystem, environment should be first identified and evaluated in terms of quality and quantity [7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
