Assessment of Intrinsic Vulnerability Using DRASTIC vs. Actual Nitrate Pollution: The Case of a Detrital Aquifer Impacted by Intensive Agriculture in Cádiz (Southern Spain)

Abstract

The degradation of groundwater quality due to nitrate is a widespread issue in heavily agricultural areas and a major concern for public health. Improving knowledge of the intrinsic vulnerability of aquifers with respect to the actual contamination is crucial for adequate water management and for complying with the European directives aimed at protecting this valuable resource. In this study, we applied the well-established DRASTIC method to assess the intrinsic vulnerability of the Benalup aquifer, a detrital aquifer located in the southern Iberian Peninsula that supports important agricultural activity. The model was compared with in situ measurements of this ion, evidencing a lack of agreement between the most vulnerable zones and those that display higher nitrate concentrations. This fact should not be interpreted as an inadequacy in the vulnerability model, but as a result of several factors such as (i) the marked heterogeneity in land uses and the spatial variability in contaminant sources, (ii) the construction and exploitation characteristics of the water boreholes, (iii) the sampling procedure and depth to the water table, and (iv) transport and degradation processes within the porous medium. All these aspects can lead to discrepancies between the actual distribution of contamination and vulnerability models such as DRASTIC. All these factors should be carefully considered in the design of a sampling network in order to achieve a representative picture indicating the extent of contamination and the overall chemical quality of the system.

Assessing Groundwater Resources Vulnerability with the New DRASTIC-LP: A Case Study in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand

“…Previous studies have proposed various methods for assessing groundwater resource vulnerability over the past 35 years, as shown in Table 7. These various methods highlight diverse ap-proaches undertaken globally, starting with the original DRASTIC model [11], and evolving through subsequent modifications, e.g., Sadat-Noori and Ebrahimi [14], Jenifer and Jha [16], Maqsoom et al [17], Rahman [18], Shirazi et al [19], Zghibi et al [20], Abdeslama et al [21], Rajput et al [22], Mohammed et al [23], Nurroh et al [24], Bera et al [25], Chilaue et al [26], Zhang et al [27], and Wei and Chi [28]. Some studies have applied the original DRAS-TIC model to the modified DRASTIC model, e.g., Lima et al [12], Li and Merchant [13], Sadat-Noori and Ebrahimi [14], Huang et al [15], Jenifer and Jha [16], Maqsoom et al [17], Mkumbo et al [30], and Zhang et al [29], and Mkumbo et al [30].…”

“…Approaches undertaken globally by the original DRASTIC Model [11], combined with the overlay technique and/or the GIS-based technique. This group, totaling 12 research papers, includes studies by Aller et al [11], Rahman [18], Shirazi et al [19], Zghibi et al [20], Abdeslama et al [21], Rajput et al [22], Mohammed et al [23], Nurroh et al [24], Bera et al [25], Chilaule et al [26], Zhang et al [27], and Wei and Chi [28]. The limitation of these assessments lies in their focus on simulating the susceptibility of groundwater aquifers to contamination from both natural conditions and anthropogenic activities.…”