Assessing Groundwater Vulnerability to Pollution through the DRASTIC Method: A GIS Open Source Application

摘要

Groundwater pollution is a constant concern. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) provide useful tools to manipulate the variables that can be used prevent/minimize these issues. This article presents the development of a tool to produce maps under a GIS open source environment. The application was developed through Quantum GIS (QGIS) software. The tool is developed based on DRASTIC method and incorporates some procedures under a plugin. The Drastic method comprises several steps and several maps: Depth to groundwater (D), Net Recharge (R), Aquifer media (A), Soil media (S), Topography (T), Impact of Vadose Zone (I) and Hydraulic Conductivity (C). These maps are produced according to indexes defined by Aller et al (1987). One of the main advantage of this application is the easiness to use. The user can generate the maps according to his perception regarding field conditions. The application is free for the institution or user and presents a great contribution to predict the intrinsic vulnerability pollution through GIS open source.