An analysis of nitrate vulnerable zones Environmental science essay
Due to intensive agriculture around the Nitrate Vulnerable Zones NVZs, these are pieces of land that flow into waters contaminated with nitrates according to the Nitrate Directive. The Esposende-Vila do Conde is one of nine Portuguese nitrate vulnerable zones. The application of organic and chemical fertilizers, especially on intensive farms, without the implementation of good agricultural practices and wastewater management, will promote an increase in nitrate concentrations in groundwater. The IV index of the LU-IV procedure. Fig. 1 evaluates the intrinsic vulnerability of four environmental parameters that in turn assess the risks associated with the lithology of the vadose zone parameter L, the depth of the water table parameter D, the topographic slope parameter T and the precipitation and irrigation parameter P. The created spatial predictions were used to perform a statistical analysis of nitrate concentrations in the area of groundwater bodies in the Nitrate Vulnerable Zones NVZs, see Figure 1 per model and groundwater body type detrital, carbonate and mixed, to determine which water bodies a higher, The objectives of this research were: i identifying optimal N fertilizer rates using an integrated spatio-temporal analysis of yield and site-specific N rate response ii testing the sensitivity of site-specific N management to nitrate leaching in response to different N and iii demonstrate environmental benefits of N fertilizer with variable dosage in a nitrate. The EU Nitrates Directive has been in force, 20. This obliges Member States to monitor the concentration of nitrates in ground and surface water and to designate zones with a risk of nitrogen compounds NVZs, 21. To identify water at risk of pollution and already polluted water surface fresh water, in particular that used for The Esposende-Vila do Conde is one of the nine Portuguese nitrate vulnerable zones. The application of organic and chemical fertilizers, especially on intensive farms, without the implementation of good agricultural practices and wastewater management, will promote an increase in nitrate concentrations in groundwater. The vulnerability rating in the northwestern, central and southeastern parts of the basin was relatively high, meaning that this area was more vulnerable to external pollution than other areas. This result was mainly due to the shallow depth of the groundwater, the high hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer or the large proportion of sand. Within England, the South East is particularly affected due to large areas of agricultural land and unconfined aquifer systems Ascott et al. 2019, leading to most of the study area being designated as a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone Environment Agency, 2019. 2.2. Groundwater is the main source of drinking water for at least a third of the Earth's human inhabitants. Therefore, groundwater protection is a critical issue in many places. Nitrates and other pollutants that impact human health are of particular concern. Mapping the vulnerability of aquifers to pollution is a crucial first step,