Vulnerability assessment, transport modeling and simulation of nitrate in groundwater using SI method and modflow-MT3DMS software: case of Sminja aquifer, Tunisia

Ameur, Meriem; Aouiti, Soumaya; Hamzaoui‐Azaza, Fadoua; Cheikha, Lilia Ben; Gueddari, Moncef

doi:10.1007/s12665-021-09491-z

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Over the years, several methodologies have been developed for the assessment of nitrogen compounds in groundwater. They mainly focus on the modeling of the groundwater system (aquifer nitrate) [130][131][132], leaving aside the interrelation of surface variables of great influence on the presence of nitrogen compounds. Furthermore, the spatial and temporal variation in these variables is not considered.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Nitrate in Groundwater from Diffuse Sources Considering Spatiotemporal Patterns of Hydrological Systems Using a Coupled SWAT/MODFLOW/MT3DMS Model

Correa-González,

Hernández-Bedolla,

Martínez-Cinco

et al. 2023

Hydrology

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In recent years, due to various anthropogenic activities, such as agriculture and livestock, the presence of nitrogen-associated contaminants has been increasing in surface- and groundwater resources. Among these, the main compounds present in groundwater are ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. However, it is sometimes difficult to assess such effects given the scarcity or lack of information and the complexity of the system. In the current study, a methodology is proposed to assess nitrate in groundwater from diffuse sources considering spatiotemporal patterns of hydrological systems using a coupled SWAT/MODFLOW/MT3DMS model. The application of the model is carried out using a simplified simulation scheme of hydrological and agricultural systems because of the limited spatial and temporal data. The study area includes the Cuitzeo Lake basin in superficial flow form and the Morelia–Querendaro aquifer in groundwater flow form. The results within the methodology are surface runoff, groundwater levels, and nitrate concentrations present in surface- and groundwater systems. The results indicate that the historical and simulated nitrate concentrations were obtained within acceptable values of the statistical parameters and, therefore, are considered adequate.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Nitrate in Groundwater from Diffuse Sources Considering Spatiotemporal Patterns of Hydrological Systems Using a Coupled SWAT/MODFLOW/MT3DMS Model

Correa-González,

Hernández-Bedolla,

Martínez-Cinco

et al. 2023

Hydrology

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“…Despite this, the possible applications of numerical models are quite numerous. Some examples of aquifer vulnerability to NO 3 − measured using MODFLOW/MT3DMS models are found in USA [145], Europe [146], and Africa [147]. Uhan et al [148], assessed NO 3 − groundwater vulnerability for an alluvial aquifer combining the output of three different numerical models: (i) groundwater recharge (GROWA), (ii) NO 3 − leached from the soil profile (SWAT), and (iii) groundwater flow velocities (FEFLOW).…”

Section: Numerical Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Denitrification in Intrinsic and Specific Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment: A Review

2021

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Several groundwater vulnerability methodologies have been implemented throughout the years to face the increasing worldwide groundwater pollution, ranging from simple rating methodologies to complex numerical, statistical, and hybrid methods. Most of these methods have been used to evaluate groundwater vulnerability to nitrate, which is considered the major groundwater contaminant worldwide. Together with dilution, the degradation of nitrate via denitrification has been acknowledged as a process that can reduce reactive nitrogen mass loading rates in both deep and shallow aquifers. Thus, denitrification should be included in groundwater vulnerability studies and integrated into the various methodologies. This work reviewed the way in which denitrification has been considered within the vulnerability assessment methods and how it could increase the reliability of the overall results. Rating and statistical methods often disregard or indirectly incorporate denitrification, while numerical models make use of kinetic reactions that are able to quantify the spatial and temporal variations of denitrification rates. Nevertheless, the rating methods are still the most utilized, due to their linear structures, especially in watershed studies. More efforts should be paid in future studies to implement, calibrate, and validate user-friendly vulnerability assessment methods that are able to deal with denitrification capacity and rates at large spatial and temporal scales.

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“…Concerns over nitrate contamination further increase in regions where groundwater is used for human consumption [4,15,16], since elevated nitrate levels in drinking water have been linked to adverse health issues, such as methemoglobinemia in infants and stomach cancer in adults [8,[17][18][19][20], although this connection remains a topic of controversy [21,22]. As a result, the Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) set a maximum allowable nitrate concentration limit of 50 mg/L, along with an indicative threshold of 25 mg/L, defined as the "guidance value", in order to prevent potential health consequences resulting from the prolonged consumption of nitrate-contaminated water [19,23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Integrated Framework to Assess the Environmental and Economic Impact of Fertilizer Restrictions in a Nitrate-Contaminated Aquifer

Siarkos,

Mallios,

Latinopoulos

2024

Hydrology

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Groundwater nitrate contamination caused by the excessive use of nitrogen-based fertilizers has been widely recognized as an issue of significant concern in numerous rural areas worldwide. To mitigate nitrate contamination, corrective management practices, such as regulations on fertilizer usage, should be implemented. However, these measures often entail economic consequences that impact farmers’ income, and thus should be properly assessed. Within this context, an integrated framework combining the environmental and economic assessment of fertilization restrictions through multi-criteria decision analysis is presented in an effort to efficiently manage groundwater nitrate contamination in rural areas. For this task, various scenarios involving reductions (10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50%) in fertilizer application were investigated, evaluated and ranked in order to determine the most suitable option. The environmental assessment considered occurrences of nitrates in groundwater, with a specific emphasis on nitrate concentrations in water-supply wells, as obtained by a nitrate fate and transport model, while the economic analysis focused on the losses experienced by farmers due to the reduced fertilizer usage. Our case-study implementation showed that a 30% reduction in fertilization is the most appropriate option for the area being studied, highlighting the importance of adopting such an approach when confronted with conflicting outcomes among alternatives.

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Vulnerability assessment, transport modeling and simulation of nitrate in groundwater using SI method and modflow-MT3DMS software: case of Sminja aquifer, Tunisia

Cited by 9 publications

References 24 publications

Assessment of Nitrate in Groundwater from Diffuse Sources Considering Spatiotemporal Patterns of Hydrological Systems Using a Coupled SWAT/MODFLOW/MT3DMS Model

Assessment of Nitrate in Groundwater from Diffuse Sources Considering Spatiotemporal Patterns of Hydrological Systems Using a Coupled SWAT/MODFLOW/MT3DMS Model

Denitrification in Intrinsic and Specific Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment: A Review

An Integrated Framework to Assess the Environmental and Economic Impact of Fertilizer Restrictions in a Nitrate-Contaminated Aquifer

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