Evaluation of intrinsic vulnerability to nitrate contamination of groundwater: appropriate fertilizer application management

In agricultural areas, fertilizer application is the main source of nitrate contamination of groundwater. To develop fertilizer management strategies to combat this problem, arable land in Hokkaido, Japan was evaluated using geographic information system techniques for intrinsic groundwater vulnerab...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental earth sciences 2011-06, Vol.63 (3), p.571-580
Main Authors: Mishima, Yoshio, Takada, Masayuki, Kitagawa, Rie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biogeosciences
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics
Environmental science
Environmental Science and Engineering
Exact sciences and technology
Fertilizers
Geochemistry
Geology
Groundwater pollution
Hydrogeology
Hydrology
Hydrology. Hydrogeology
Hydrology/Water Resources
Nitrates
Original Article
Pollution, environment geology
Terrestrial Pollution
Water resources
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Summary:In agricultural areas, fertilizer application is the main source of nitrate contamination of groundwater. To develop fertilizer management strategies to combat this problem, arable land in Hokkaido, Japan was evaluated using geographic information system techniques for intrinsic groundwater vulnerability to nitrate contamination. The DRASTIC method was modified to adapt it to the Hokkaido environment and used for the evaluation. Of the seven original DRASTIC factors, the depth to water (D), net recharge (R), soil media (S), topography (T), and impact of vadose zone media (I) were selected and used to explain the vertical movement of contaminants to the aquifer. The rating for the net recharge factor was also modified to a dilution factor for contaminants, rather than as a transporter. The frequency of wells with nitrate concentrations exceeding the Japanese environmental standard (10 mg/L) was reasonably explained by vulnerability evaluation results (GLM: logit-link, quasi-binomial distribution, Y  = [1 + exp(6.873765 − 0.045988 ×  X )] −1 , p  
ISSN:1866-6280
1866-6299
DOI:10.1007/s12665-010-0725-x