Pedosphere Research, vol. 3, 2023, no. 2: 115 – 121
Short communication
A GROUNDWATER VULNERABILITY TO NITRATES FROM AGRICULTURE REGARDING SOIL-ROCK ENVIRONMENT
Radoslav Bujnovský1, Štefan Koco2,3, Pavol Bezák2
1Water Research Institute, Nábrežie arm. gen. L. Svobodu 5, 812 49 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
2National Agricultural and Food Centre – Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute,
Trenčianska 55, 821 09 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
3University of Prešov, Faculty of Humanities and Natural Sciences, 17. Novembra 1, 081 01 Prešov,
Slovak Republic
Corresponding author: Ing. Radoslav Bujnovský, CSc., Water Research Institute, Nábrežie arm. gen. L. Svobodu 5, 812 49 Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
e-mail: radoslav.bujnovsky@vuvh.sk, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-4117-6072
Citation: Bujnovský, R., Koco, Š., Bezák, P. (2023). A groundwater vulnerability to nitrates from agriculture regarding soil-rock environment. Pedosphere Research, vol. 3, 2023, no. 2, pp. 115–121. NPPC – VÚPOP 2023. ISSN 2729-8728.
https://doi.org/10.64122/j.pedosres.2023.03.08
Abstract
Groundwater vulnerability (GWV) expresses the certain probability that substance applied to the soil surface can reach the groundwater. In this regard, the soil-rock environment provides different hydraulic resistance to vertical flow, which corresponds to residence time of leachate in vadose zone. The aim to assess the protective effectiveness of soil-rock environment (PESRE) and subsequently the updated qualitative groundwater vulnerability index (GWVi) was processed by several inputs: the available water soil capacity, the hydraulic conductivity of the rock environment, thickness of the rock environment in the unsaturated zone, and the leachate amount of. From the outputs results can be concluded that the share of three associated categories of GWVi (very low & low, medium, and high & very high) on agricultural land registered in the Land Parcel Information System (LPIS) in 2023 represents 73.4%, 18.4%, and 8.2%. Information on GWVi is applicable as a base for differentiating of measures in Nitrates Directive Vulnerable Zones (VDVZs) as well as support information at (re)defining these zones. Although the groundwater vulnerability index is important from the point of view of groundwater protection, it is not sufficient in itself to set or revise relevant measures in agriculture.
Keywords: soil-rock environment, groundwater vulnerability, nitrates, agricultural land.