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Aquifer vulnerability and potential risk assessment: application to an intensely cultivated and densely populated area in Southern Italy
Language
English
Obiettivo Specifico
6A. Geochimica per l'ambiente e geologia medica
Status
Published
JCR Journal
JCR Journal
Title of the book
Issue/vol(year)
/10 (2017)
ISSN
1866-7511
Publisher
Springer
Pages (printed)
222
Issued date
2017
Abstract
The use of indices, describing aquifer vulnerability and the risk of groundwater pollution, is a basic tool for the implementation of a sound water management plan, especially in densely populated and intensely cultivated areas. In this study, the groundwater contamination risk of the Caserta Plain (Southern Italy) was assessed through the integration of hazards defined on the basis of the different land uses, of the intrinsic vulnerability calculated by applying the SINTACS model and of the groundwater value evaluated by considering water wells density. In order to evaluate the evolution of the risk of groundwater pollution, the proposed methods were applied in the study area for both 2001 and 2009. The resulting specific vulnerability (SINTACS-L) and the risk (GRA) maps, created in a GIS environment, were validated by the comparison with the nitrate concentration distribution. The application of the proposed approach to the study area highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of each method and, at the same time, showed that their combination can provide an overall view of the threats posed to groundwater resources by the human activities affecting the territory. Considering both the benefits and the issues of the proposed approach, overall, the groundwater risk map is thought to be a robust tool to support water managers in defining future plans for water resources exploitation and land use.
Type
article
File(s)
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Name
Busico2017_Article_AquiferVulnerability.pdf
Size
22.38 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
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