Nitrate mass balance in agricultural areas of intensive fertilizer application: The North Maresme aquifer system case study (spain)
Por:
Hernández-Espriú A., Domínguez-Mariani E., Reyna-Gutiérrez J.A., Martínez-Santos P., Sánchez-León E., Marín L.E.
Publicada:
1 ene 2013
Categoría:
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
Resumen:
Nitrate pollution is a worldwide problem in groundwater, as it may limit water supply and increase health risk when high concentrations are present. The North Maresme coastal alluvial groundwater-dependent agrosystem, one of the most heavily nitrate polluted aquifers in Spain, is located 70 km northeast from Barcelona. Field monitoring campaigns performed in this aquifer yielded nitrate concentrations up to ten times the permitted limit for drinking water suggested by the World Health Organization (50 mg/l), with a maximum concentration of 567 mg/l and a mean of 137.5 mg/l. Nitrate contamination was quantified by means of a mass balance, taking into account the main hydrogeological and anthropogenic processes that control the behavior of this ion in the aquifer, such as recharge, groundwater extraction, irrigation and fertilizer application to crops. Nitrate balance is an integrative approach for assessing nitrate loading based on linking different sources of nitrates to a groundwater balance. This methodology considers nitrate as a conservative ion because the geological-geochemical medium behaves under oxidant conditions. Results show that the studied aquifer system receives, yields and retains approximately 935, 844 and 91 tons of NO3 -/year, respectively. This methodology can be applied to other nitrate-contaminated aquifers with similar conditions to improve management of fertilizers practices in areas of intensive agriculture.
Filiaciones:
Hernández-Espriú A.:
Hydrogeology Group, Earth Sciences Division, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Ciudad Universitaria, México D.F., Zip code 04360, Mexico
Domínguez-Mariani E.:
Centro Interamericano de Recursos del Agua (CIRA), Faculty of Engineering, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (UAEM), Mexico
Reyna-Gutiérrez J.A.:
Hydrogeology Group, Earth Sciences Division, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Ciudad Universitaria, México D.F., Zip code 04360, Mexico
Department of Environmental Engineering, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Denmark
Martínez-Santos P.:
Department of Geodynamics, Faculty of Geological Sciences, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
Sánchez-León E.:
Hydrogeology Group, Earth Sciences Division, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Ciudad Universitaria, México D.F., Zip code 04360, Mexico
Department of Geosciences, Ebehard Karls Universitat Tubingen, Tubingen, Germany
Marín L.E.:
Department of Natural Resources, Institute of Geophysics, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
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