Title Short-term effects of the EU Nitrate Directive reintroduction: reduced N loads to river from an alluvial aquifer in Northern Italy
Authors Severini, Edoardo ; Bartoli, Marco ; Pinardi, Monica ; Celico, Fulvio
DOI 10.3390/hydrology9030044
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Is Part of Hydrology.. Basel : MDPI. 2022, vol. 9, iss. 3, art. no. 44, p. 1-20.. eISSN 2306-5338
Keywords [eng] nitrate ; Nitrate Directive ; river-groundwater interaction ; Po Plain ; fertilizer ; agriculture
Abstract [eng] The Po Plain (northern Italy) is one of the largest aquifers in Europe, and 67% of the utilized agricultural land in this area is classified as a nitrate vulnerable zone (NVZ). However, it hosts intensive agriculture and livestock farming. In a stretch of the Mincio River (a tributary of the Po River), hydraulic heads and physico-chemical parameters of river and groundwater were monitored for a hydrologic year (2020–2021), to evaluate the effects of manure fertilization and flooding irrigation on surface-and groundwater chemistry. From 2020 the Nitrate Directive’s fertilization limit was reintroduced and a comparison has been performed comparing surface-and groundwater data from the 2019 fertilization period (before limit reintroduction) and 2020 (after). Results suggest that in 2021 the phreatic aquifer displayed elevated nitrate (NO3−) concentrations, exceeding 50 mg L−1, although average values were lower than those of 2019. Nitrate loads in the Mincio River reached 6670 kg NO3− d−1 and resulted from the overfertilization in the surrounding area and the quick transfer of nitrogen from groundwater to the river. As compared to 2019, the river loads decreased by 59%, suggesting that the introduction of fertilization limits can produce measurable, short-term responses in alluvial aquifers.
Published Basel : MDPI
Type Journal article
Language English
Publication date 2022
CC license CC license description