The Attenuation Factor (AF), a screening model, was used to evaluate the relative degree of vulnerability of groundwater to pesticide contamination in Louisa County, Virginia. For evaluating the contamination potential of pesticides, three scenarios of pesticide leaching represented by high, moderate, and low cases of degradation and sorption in the soil were considered. Data layers were overlaid within a Geographic Information System (GIS) for spatial computation of AF for the actual and 2m groundwater depths. This spatial database was divided into five contamination potential categories namely high, medium, low, very low, and unlikely, based on the numerical values of the AF for each cell (119 ha). The results for the three most mobile pesticides are presented in this paper. The performance of the AF model was evaluated by comparing its predicted results with the field data from an experimental watershed. The AF model was able to identify most of the frequently detected pesticides in the watershed. A sensitivity analysis was also performed. The results of this study provide information about the potential groundwater threat by pesticides to the citizens ahd decision‐makers in the County and can be used for formulating an appropriate land use management plan to protect the groundwater quality.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.