Integrated modelling approach for assessing the potential risk of nitrate groundwater pollution on regional scale: the Apulia case

The assessment of aquifer vulnerability to agricultural nitrates pollution plays a particularly important role for water resource management and territorial planning. As well know, nitrates are a major cause of pollution affecting surface water bodies and groundwater. The European Directive 91/676/EC (groundwaters protection against contamination caused by nitrates from agricultural sources), provides a guidance with the actions/measures to be put in place to reduce contamination caused by inadequate management of manure and/or for the widespread use of synthetic fertilizers. In the present work, the data obtained from the activities of apulian groundwater monitoring, conducted by the Water Research Institute of the Italian National Research Council (IRSA-CNR), in collaboration with the "Associazione dei Consorzi di Difesa della Puglia" (ASSOCODIPUGLIA), were used to achieve, through modeling approach, a timely assessment of the potential risk of nitrate pollution on regional scale. In particular, the integration of appropriate investigative models, such as DRASTIC to assess the vulnerability of aquifers and, the IPNOA index to estimate the hazard ratios caused by contamination due to agricultural activities, is efficient in mapping the potential risk of contamination from nitrates.