Dissemin is shutting down on January 1st, 2025

Published in

MDPI, Earth, 2(4), p. 266-277, 2023

DOI: 10.3390/earth4020014

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Application of the RAPS Method for Determining the Dependence of Nitrate Concentration in Groundwater on the Amount of Precipitation

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Postprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Published version: archiving allowed
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

Protecting groundwater from contamination is today’s most current environmental protection topic. What can man do in his environment to reduce the harmful impact of contamination on the environment, and thus the immediate effect on groundwater? Agricultural production is an ongoing source of groundwater contamination due to the increasingly frequent use of nitrates in fertilizers, which are washed out from the soil into groundwater due to precipitation. This paper investigates three wellfields in the north of the Republic of Croatia near the town of Varaždin. With the application of the RAPS method, the dependence of nitrate concentration in groundwater on the amount of precipitation was established. The analysis results show the connection of the observed parameters, especially in the upper aquifer layer. In this layer, the coefficients of correlation are greater than 0.80 at all locations, which shows a strong positive connection between the parameters. In the lower aquifer, the values of the coefficients of correlation are lower, and the results mostly indicate a weak correlation. The obtained results will serve as a starting point for future studies, which will aim to precisely determine the factors that influence groundwater quality in the observed area.