Groundwater nitrate problem and countermeasures in strongly affected EU countries—a comparison between Germany, Denmark and Ireland

Ortmeyer, Felix; Hansen, Birgitte; Banning, Andre

doi:10.1007/s00767-022-00530-5

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 97 publications

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“…Only some NO3hotspots are reflected by high N surplus (Batool et al, 2022), such as in Spain, Italy and Germany; this is likely related to the time-lag effect of NO3pollution (see below). Our results are similar to those from studies in Germany (Geupel et al, 2021;Ortmeyer et al, 2023) and Portugal (Serra et al, 2023b), even though our predictions were lower and higher for NW Portugal and NE Germany, respectively.…”

Section: Spatio-temporal Patterns Of Annual Nitrate Concentration In ...supporting

confidence: 90%

Assessing nitrate groundwater hotspots in Europe reveals a severely inadequate designation of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones

Serra,

Marques-dos-Santos,

Marinheiro

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Monitoring networks show that the European Union Nitrates Directive (ND) has had mixed success in reducing nitrate concentrations in groundwater. By combining machine learning and monitored nitrate concentrations (1992-2019), we estimate the nitrate hotspot area in Europe to be 401,000 km2, with 47% occurring outside of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs). We also found contrasting increasing or decreasing trends, varying per country and time periods. We estimate that only 5% of the 122,000 km2 of hotspots in 2019 will meet nitrate quality standards by 2040 and that these may be offset by the appearance of new hotspots. Our results reveal that the effectiveness of the ND is limited by time-lags between the implementation of good practices and pollution reduction and an inadequate designation of NVZs. Significant improvements in the designation and regulation of NVZs are necessary, if the objectives of EU legislation to protect groundwater are to be achieved.

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Section: Spatio-temporal Patterns Of Annual Nitrate Concentration In ...supporting

confidence: 90%

Assessing nitrate groundwater hotspots in Europe reveals a severely inadequate designation of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones

Serra,

Marques-dos-Santos,

Marinheiro

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…NO 3 trends in previous European studies conducted on plain aquifers highlighted heterogeneous trends, detecting areas with a remarkable decrease (e.g., Denmark and the Netherlands [43,45]) and others with substantial stationarity or increasing trends (e.g., Germany, Ireland and Poland [47,85]). However, in several studies where long time series were analysed, it was possible to appreciate a "bell curve" with initial increasing and subsequent decreasing trends.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Considering the presence of plain aquifers in Europe, several studies analysing longterm trends and change points, in particular, have been conducted [37][38][39], with greater interest in NO 3 , intensive agricultural practices and the effectiveness of regulated limitations [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48]. Some studies compare the groundwater level and chemistry, revealing proportionalities [49,50].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Groundwater Chemical Trends Analyses in the Piedmont Po Plain (NW Italy): Comparison with Groundwater Level Variations (2000–2020)

Cocca,

Lasagna,

De Luca

2024

Water

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The concentrations of chemicals in the groundwater chemical values in the Piedmont Po Plain (NW Italy) show significant temporal variability and need to be characterised due to the lack of regional-scale assessments. The aim of this study was to analyse the trends (period 2000–2020) in the main physicochemical parameters and main ions in 227 wells in the shallow aquifer and to identify the potential causes. The identification of change points (points of sudden change) and comparisons with groundwater level variations were also performed. Results highlight general increasing trends for Na, Cl and HCO3, decreasing trends for SO4 and NO3, stationary conditions for pH and heterogeneous behaviours for electrolytic conductivity, Ca and Mg. Change points occurred in at least 50% of the monitoring wells, mainly during the 2008–2011 period. The comparison between groundwater levels and chemistry highlights a direct proportionality. Superimposed processes that induce an absence of proportionality are shown. The comparison of results with those of previous studies conducted under similar conditions revealed similar variations.. In conclusion, the potential responsible factors (e.g., road-salt dissolution and agricultural practices) and the relevant role of groundwater level variation were identified.

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Spatio-temporal variability of groundwater hydrochemical features in different hydrogeological settings in Piedmont and Campania regions (Italy), a comparative study

Cocca,

Stevenazzi,

Ducci

et al. 2024

AS-ITJGW

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The spatio-temporal evolution of groundwater chemistry has seen an increase in interest over the last decade at a global level. Identifying and discerning the sources of the natural and anthropogenic compounds and the actual hydrochemical processes, as well as their evolution, is essential to support a sustainable planning for managing and protecting groundwater resources at the present time and in the future. The main objective of this study is the comparison of two study areas in Italy (Piedmont and Campania Regions), different in their geographical and geological contexts and climate conditions, to highlight the similarities and differences in the hydrogeochemical behavior in space and time. Three main ions were considered (NO3 –, SO4 2–, Na+) and analyzed to identify the sources and hydrochemical processes responsible for their spatial distribution in the 2015-2020 period and evaluate the existence and the potential causes of trends in their concentration for the 2000-2020 period. Results highlight specific factors and processes distinguishing the spatial distribution and temporal variability of ion concentrations in Piedmont and Campania study areas. These processes are mainly related to the geological and geographical features of the study areas. In both areas, a significant influence of anthropogenic pressures emerges for both spatial and temporal evolutions, with remarkably increasing trends in NO3 – concentrations. In conclusion, some factors and processes emerge as site-specific, mainly related to the geological aspects and natural hydrochemical processes, whereas others are in common (i.e., anthropogenic impacts); thus, reinforcing the advantage of making comparative studies.

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Groundwater nitrate problem and countermeasures in strongly affected EU countries—a comparison between Germany, Denmark and Ireland

Cited by 3 publications

References 97 publications

Assessing nitrate groundwater hotspots in Europe reveals a severely inadequate designation of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones

Assessing nitrate groundwater hotspots in Europe reveals a severely inadequate designation of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones

Groundwater Chemical Trends Analyses in the Piedmont Po Plain (NW Italy): Comparison with Groundwater Level Variations (2000–2020)

Spatio-temporal variability of groundwater hydrochemical features in different hydrogeological settings in Piedmont and Campania regions (Italy), a comparative study

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