Groundwater nitrate contamination represents a main environmental issue in Europe, despite the regulations implemented during the last 30 years. Therefore, to effectively address this persistent issue, the estimation of the time gap between the implementation of conservation measures and the observation of measurable improvements is fundamental. In the framework of INTEGRON project (CARIPLO Foundation #2015-0263), groundwater dating was performed and correlated to changes in groundwater quality in the Lombardy plain (northern Italy). The study area is currently one of the most impacted by nitrogen input in Europe, due to both agricultural and civil sources. In the northern sector of the plain nitrate concentrations often exceed the “concern” threshold of 25 mg/L, meanwhile the southern plain presents lower values. The overall aim is to estimate the time required for management actions to become effective, combining groundwater dating with different techniques and nitrate trend analysis.
Musacchio, A., Rotiroti, M., Re, V., Oster, H., Leoni, B., Allais, E., et al. (2019). How long will it take? Estimating groundwater recovery time from nitrate contamination in the highly impacted Lombardy plain (northern Italy). In L. Alberti, T. Bonomi, M. Masetti (a cura di), Flowpath 2019, National Meeting on Hydrogeology - Conference Proceedings (pp. 236-237). Ledizioni.
How long will it take? Estimating groundwater recovery time from nitrate contamination in the highly impacted Lombardy plain (northern Italy)
Rotiroti, MSecondo
;Leoni, B;
2019
Abstract
Groundwater nitrate contamination represents a main environmental issue in Europe, despite the regulations implemented during the last 30 years. Therefore, to effectively address this persistent issue, the estimation of the time gap between the implementation of conservation measures and the observation of measurable improvements is fundamental. In the framework of INTEGRON project (CARIPLO Foundation #2015-0263), groundwater dating was performed and correlated to changes in groundwater quality in the Lombardy plain (northern Italy). The study area is currently one of the most impacted by nitrogen input in Europe, due to both agricultural and civil sources. In the northern sector of the plain nitrate concentrations often exceed the “concern” threshold of 25 mg/L, meanwhile the southern plain presents lower values. The overall aim is to estimate the time required for management actions to become effective, combining groundwater dating with different techniques and nitrate trend analysis.
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