Groundwater nitrate sources in alluvial aquifers: Isotope case study in Savinja Valley (Slovenia)

摘要

Abstract The chemical status of the shallow alluvial Savinja Valley groundwater body in Slovenia is poor, mainly due to the high concentration of nitrate in groundwater. This case study is therefore oriented in the assessment of groundwater vulnerability to nitrate pollution, as a base for the measure-planning processes. The article describes the use of isotope information of surface water and groundwater for the determination of possible sources of groundwater nitrate pollution. The isotope information of predominant soil and manure/septic waste nitrate origin, associated with other local physical and chemical boundary conditions and land use data, offers an interpretative support in the delineation of nitrate vulnerable zones.