RT Journal Article
T1 A Methodology for Assessing Groundwater Pollution Hazard by Nitrates from Agricultural Sources: Application to the Gallocanta Groundwater Basin (Spain).
A1 Orellana Macías, José María
A1 Perles-Roselló, María Jesús
A1 Causapé, Jesús
K1 Nitratos
K1 Aguas subterráneas - Contaminación - Gallocanta (España, Laguna)
AB Groundwater pollution by nitrates from agricultural sources is a common environmentalissue. In order to support risk analysis, hazard maps are used to classify land uses according to theirpotential of pollution. The aim of this study is to propose a new hazard index based on nitrogeninput and its connection with nitrate concentration in groundwater. The effectiveness of the NitrogenInput Hazard Index was tested in the Gallocanta Groundwater Basin (Spain), a highly polluted area,declared as a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone. Agricultural data at a plot scale were used to estimate thenitrogen fertilizer requirement of each crop, and the correlation between nitrogen input and nitrateconcentration in groundwater was explored. The resulting hazard map allows us to delimit the mosthazardous areas, which can be used to implement more accurate nitrate pollution control programs.The index was proven to successfully estimate nitrogen input influence over groundwater nitrateconcentration, and to be able to create hazard maps. The criterion used to create categories wasempirically based on nitrate concentration thresholds established by the EU Nitrate Directive. TheNitrogen Input Hazard Index may be a useful tool to support risk analyses of agricultural activitiesin vulnerable areas, where nitrate pollution could endanger human water supply.
PB MDPI
YR 2021
FD 2021
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10630/35579
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10630/35579
LA eng
NO Orellana-Macías, J.M.; Perles Roselló, M.J.; Causapé, J. A Methodology for Assessing Groundwater Pollution Hazard by Nitrates from Agricultural Sources: Application to the Gallocanta Groundwater Basin (Spain).
NO Government of Aragon, grant number C137/2016, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness—FEDER funds [EU] via the Research Project Agro-SOS, grant number PID2019-108057RB-I00, and the Regional Government of Andalucía, grant number GGI3002IDIS.
DS RIUMA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga
RD 19 ene 2026