Vulnerability assessment, transport modeling and simulation of nitrate in groundwater using SI method and modflow-MT3DMS software: case of Sminja aquifer, Tunisia

Abstract

Like most North African countries, Tunisia is characterized by a harsh arid and semi-arid climate with scarce water resources and poor water quality on most of its territory. The quality of groundwater is not immune to pollution. Sminja aquifer, located in Zaghouan district in Northeastern Tunisia, has been used to meet Zaghouan agglomeration needs for drinking purposes and irrigation uses. On the other hand, the region has suffered from inefficient usage and mismanagement of water resource due to appropriate legal, political, and economic frameworks to take into consideration the regional vulnerability to climate change and population growth. The application of the Susceptibility Index (SI) makes it possible to evaluate the impact of agricultural activities on the water quality in Sminja aquifer, using five parameters [depth of water (D), net recharge (R), aquifer media (A), topography (T) and Land use (LU)]. Modular three-dimensional multispecies transport model was used to assess, simulate and predict pollution transport of nitrate. The vulnerability index's spatial distribution shows that the most vulnerable area was found in the extreme north of the Sminja aquifer. It shows that a high vulnerability characterizes 21% of the study area (70 < SI < 60). The moderate to high vulnerability areas to pollution occupied 12% of the aquifer and the moderate to low vulnerability zones occupied 67% of the total area. The outputs of the SI reflect a good correlation with the measured nitrate concentrations. After calibration completion, the MT3DMS transport model results showed a good correlation between measured and simulated nitrate concentrations. The predict scenarios show that the nitrate propagates in all the aquifer, from the irrigated area to the non-irrigated area.