The Assessment of Nitrates Flux to the Groundwater, Using GIS, at a Catchement and NUTS4 Scale

The presence of the high nitrogen concentrations in soils is a high potential risk for the groundwater and, implicitly, for human and animal health , because the ground water is the main source of the drinking water in many areas abroad. One of the main risk factor for nitrates pollution is the agricultural activity. The aim of the paper is to describe the nitrates pollution evaluation procedures at the scale of a catchment and at NUTS4 level, using data from the Geographic Information System SIGSTAR – ICPA, available weather data from statistical yearbooks, as well the pedotransfer functions from the methodes and models database. In order to compute the nitrates flux to the groundwater, a simulation model ROIMPEL, developed in the frame of an international cooperation, is used. The computed values are compared with the maximum nitrates flux that can be removed out by the groundwater and translated in the terms of maximum number of the livestock without affecting the groundwater.

Keywords: nitrogen, nitrates, groundwater, NUTS4, agriculture