Turbidity and nitrate transfer in karstic aquifers in rural areas: the Brionne Basin case-study
| Autor: | V. Feeny, S. Nebbache, Didier Alard, I. Poudevigne |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2001 |
| Předmět: |
Conservation of Natural Resources
Environmental Engineering Rain Drainage basin Aquifer Management Monitoring Policy and Law Rainwater harvesting chemistry.chemical_compound Nitrate Water Supply Water Movements Soil Pollutants Water Pollutants Turbidity Water pollution Waste Management and Disposal Hydrology geography geography.geographical_feature_category Nitrates Agriculture General Medicine chemistry Environmental science Water quality Surface runoff Environmental Monitoring |
| Zdroj: | Journal of environmental management. 62(4) |
| ISSN: | 0301-4797 |
| Popis: | The degradation of water quality in many groundwaters of Europe is a major source of concern. Rises in turbidity and nitrate concentrations represent present or potential threats for the quality of drinking water in rural areas. They are for the most part a consequence of agricultural intensification which has considerably affected land cover and land use in recent decades. In our case-study (a karstic catchment) the mechanisms which explain changes in water quality, as far as turbidity and nitrate are concerned, result from a strong continuity between surface and underground waters. The karstic system of the Brionne Basin can be considered as both the focus of rapid horizontal flows (runoff, a rapid process in which rainwater reaches the spring directly through sinkholes) and slow vertical flows (leaching, in which rainwater filters through the soil to the spring). A hierarchical approach to the water pollution problem of the basin suggests that turbidity or nitrate concentrations peak during heavy rain episodes and are short-term events. In terms of management, this implies that the solution to water pollution caused by such events is also short-term and can therefore be addressed at a local scale. The rise of nitrate concentrations during the past twenty years is the main concern. The solution can only be found at a global scale (all the catchment area must be taken in account: land plots and their spatial configuration), and by taking a long-term approach. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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